Peanuts In My Pocket

I can’t believe the Bird Nerd Project for 2025 is over. I enjoyed it so much that birding has officially become my favorite hobby. I managed to photograph 170 species and finished the contest with 199.5 points. My brother-in-law Don came in second with 107 species and 114 points. It may not look close on paper, but we were competitive until some unexpected circumstances forced him to slow down.

I learned a lot over the past year. It breaks down neatly into three categories: fitness, photography, and birding.

Fitness

I started the year barely able to walk more than a mile with my equipment. I often felt like whatever fitness mojo I once had was gone. By the end of the project, I was walking three to four miles without much trouble. I can carry my gear and stand for hours. It’s a remarkable transformation and gives me hope that this hobby will continue improving my fitness.

Photography

My early photos were barely recognizable birds. A third of the way through the project I upgraded my gear, which made an immediate difference. I took thousands of photos, reviewed my weaknesses after each outing, studied techniques, and put them into practice. My photos today are far better than they were a year ago, and a few are starting to drift from basic identification shots into actual art. I still have a long way to go, but it’s fun watching the progress.

Birding

A year ago I knew very little. Now I’m comfortable identifying around a hundred common species, and I can describe them for my grandkids or anyone else who will listen. My wife has become an outstanding spotter, and I consider her essential to my growth as a birder.

I also learned how to use eBird and Merlin Bird ID. I still don’t use the sound feature very often. Being a little deaf, I struggle with locating birds by audio alone. I need Merlin to say, “Black Phoebe on your right.” Without my spotter, I end up spinning in circles.

I photographed 170 species for the Bird Nerd Project, but my total for the year on eBird is 203. Most of the difference comes from birding in Hawaii, which didn’t count toward the project. My life list now stands at 205 species.

I’m still working on goals for next year, but photographing 300 species seems likely. The Bird Nerd 2026 Project will kick off once we finalize the rules. We’re talking about expanding it to include all wild animals, including insects and spiders.

If you have ideas for next year’s goals or suggestions for shaping the project, please leave a comment below.