I saw my first lifer (new bird species) of 2025 while hurtling down I-505N at 70 miles per hour, three days after the new year. My car—which still had that new car smell—was loaded up with winter jackets and other stuff I needed for my last two quarters of college in Seattle. My college roommate sat obliviously in the passenger seat, at least until I screamed “OH MY GOD” and whipped my head towards the Ring-necked Pheasant standing majestically on the shoulder. With such bright colors and a distinct shape, this gorgeous male was instantly recognizable, and with just a glimpse it burned itself into my brain. I gave her my phone password and walked her through reporting an incidental sighting on eBird. She shook her head the whole time, in what I can only imagine was a mixture of awe and respect.
And so, 90 minutes into our 14-hour drive, that pheasant became #273 on my life list and kicked off my new year of birding. This year, I would graduate with my bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington, spend a few months with my parents in California, then embark on a cross-country roadtrip in August to start my job in Washington D.C. It was the first time I’d have a car in Seattle, which meant I could finally go where no bus had gone before (outside the city limits). Plus, it was my first time living somewhere outside the west coast. I knew it would be a whirlwind, but I also knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see an incredible variety of birds in a single calendar year. With all the change in my life, I needed something to keep me moving forward, and it’s hard to look back with binoculars fixed on the horizon.
I didn’t start the year with a species goal. In fact, I didn’t really start the year with any birding goal, besides “see a lot of them.” But, my competitive nature got the best of me, and I needed something I could work towards in the midst of all the chaos and uncertainty. For the non-birders, a “year list” is a list of all bird species somebody has seen in a calendar year (as opposed to a “list list,” which is over the course of a lifetime). I’ve never been a huge fan of tracking list numbers, because I think birds can (and should!) be cool regardless of if or when you saw them last. However, with my itinerary, having a year list goal seemed fun, and a great way to occupy what little free time I had.
At first, I aimed for 200 species, but only five months in and I hit that with a Hermit Warbler at Mt Rainier. After some deliberation, and perhaps ambitiously for someone with a January life list of 272, I declared my new year list goal as 300. Secretly, I wanted it to be 365, so I’d have an average of one species per day. But I knew I had obligations outside of just birdwatching all day, and arguably some pretty important ones, like my only college graduation and my new job. Although, I will admit my friend and I snuck out of our graduation festivities to chase a Barn Owl. Which we didn’t even see. Anyway.
Right now it’s August, just four days before I start my move across the country. I’ve come a long ways already, with a large backlog of adventures I have yet to transcribe from my collection of notes and pictures. And, I still have a long journey ahead of me. Stay tuned as I publish my previous journeys and the ones that have yet to come.
Summer Delehanty's Portfolio 