Summer Delehanty's Portfolio

I ended 2025 with a satisfying 333 bird species that I’d heard or seen throughout the year, 33 more than I’d originally aimed for. Between graduating college, moving twice, and starting a new job, I’d worked incredibly hard to squeeze in time for birding, and I was proud of myself for seeing as much as I did. While it won’t be beating any records, it was a big deal to me.

My appetite for birdwatching isn’t something I can ever satiate. The more I do it, the more I want, and the more insane I get. My trusty Vortex binoculars (not sponsored) have been through all kinds of extremes with me: 111 degrees at Pinnacles National Park, where my sister and I were maybe the only visitors in all of history to NOT see a California Condor, to -12 degrees on the Potomac River, where the howling wind froze the few square inches of skin I’d left exposed. We’ve endured the salt and sand of both Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the desert sun of Southern Arizona, the vastness of the Great Lakes, the dirt of California, and the rain of the Pacific Northwest. To think of the things we’ll see next!

This year, the plan is to stay in the same state, and work normal hours at the same job. With Northern Virginia as my new home base, I have a whole other coast available to me, and a lot more free time to see it with. It’s March now, and I still haven’t strayed more than a few hours in any direction this year—it’s off to a slow start. That’s about to change. My travel list ambitiously includes South Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas, somewhere in the Midwest, California, Maine, and Ireland. Some planned and booked, others vague ideas only. I’m fully prepared to squeeze the life out of my PTO and maximize my weekends to make this happen. My computer is already filled with planning spreadsheets in anticipation. 

While I’m hesitant to set exact birding goals, I do want to beat the 333 species I saw last year, and hopefully break 450 on my overall life list. But the numbers don’t matter to me as much as seeing some cool birds and enjoying good company outside. Stay tuned to hear about my adventures.