2009 and 2010

It's the last day to "get" birds in Texas (or anywhere else) this year. Because I've been working hard to do client work and mostly have not chased birds this year, I think the 392 species that I saw in Texas this year is close to the lowest I've gotten since 2002. But I think it's a respectable number. My goal for next year is to get whatever is a respectable number for a year of Oklahoma birding, plus a fair number for Texas. I am really looking forward to birding brand-new areas where I have only a general idea of what might be found, and am likely to be surprised a lot. I am also looking forward to doing more painting of birds in 2010. It is amazingly satisfying to create a bird portrait, particularly when the portrait looks like the bird that it is supposed to and looks quite lifelike.