A Big Year

So I'm not big on New Years resolutions. Sometimes, a month or two into a year, I realise I've started doing something good, and try and claim it as a resolution, but really, I'm normally pretty content without our concept of when the year starts making me feel like I should improve myself. This year, however, I've decided to do something a little different. Back in 2007 I had a big year of birdwatching around Australia. Without trying too hard, I managed to get to over 500 birds for the country (ok, so I did go to Cape York and a few other places to pad out that total). It was fun. Then I got a little distracted with other things, and birding kind of fell by the wayside for 2008. This year past, 2009 was a bit better. I got out to corner country (twice), up to Darwin, and even ventured to do some overseas birdwatching in the USA and Borneo (amazing!!!). This year, I can't really afford the time or cost of travel internationally, or even interstate, but I do want to do something that will reignite the passion that I have for birding, and for the great place that is Austraila. I also came to realise that for all my traveling around, I haven't spent a lot of time exploring the many amazing spots to go birdwatching in my own backyard. I mean, there's even a major migratory shorebird roost at Toorbul that I've never been to! So this year, I'm having a year at home. A big year. I've been through the list, done my sums, and thought long and hard about what I think I can see, and where. The short of it is I am aiming to see 350 species of birds within 250km of home. I think it can be done.

This blog is (hopefully) going to be made up of posts of the many wonderful birds I see on this adventure, as well as (likely) a few missed opportunities and frustrations along the way. I'll hopefully drag a few birding mates kicking and screaming along with me for the ride, and hopefully I can convince them to weigh in here with their stories too.

In the words of the late Big Kev "I'm excited!".