Life List #200

Most serious birders keep a Life List, which is a list of all the different species they see in their birding life.  It has always seemed like a good idea, but has also seemed like too much work.  Last year in April when I started posting online to eBird, everything changed, eBird keeps a Life List for you! Each time I post a list of birds I have observed they automatically build an accumulating Life List. They also keep track of your observation numbers by county and state, and it’s been a lot of fun to watch my number grow in the different counties I bird in.  Come the first of the year, it all starts over again, and the competition in each county starts from scratch.  In the background of this annual county/state accounting, the Life List continues to accumulate.  The Life List starts out fast, because each species is new in the beginning, but it gets progressively harder the longer you stay with it.  Today was a significant day for me when I spotted a Common Loon in Winchester Bay and hit my 200^th bird. I include a photo below, even though the quality is poor due to distance and rain.