Peanuts In My Pocket

I’ve started birding in 2026 a bit slower than planned. The rain we had around New Year’s put a muddy damper on my more ambitious plans. I’ve caught up some since then, but I’m still not quite where I hoped to be.

What I’m learning is that big, year-long projects don’t start with a sprint. They start with a recalibration.

Here’s where things stand so far:

• 8 locations
• Big Year: 67 species, each photographed
• Bird Nerd 2026: 87 animal species, each photographed
• 3 YouTube videos
• 1,916 photos

I visited Bolsa Chica Wetlands on January 6th for my first big day of the year. Despite blustery winds and a chilly morning, I managed a personal record of 42 species. I went alone but ended up spending about half the day with a group of women who were out birding together. It was a great experience, even if I felt a little intimidated at first. They logged 30 species just walking from the parking lot to the far side of the footbridge. I had six on the same stretch. Clearly, I still have a lot to learn.

I made a video from that outing:
Birding Big Day at Bolsa Chica

I also visited Carbon Canyon Regional Park, which is well known for its accessible redwood grove and excellent hiking trails. My wife joined me on this trip. Our goals were simple: photograph a snow goose and enjoy the sunshine. We hiked about a mile and a half at a birder’s pace, which is to say, very slowly. We photographed 20 species along the way. We also heard a Western Tanager, but never actually saw it. I’ll have to go back.

I made a video from this trip as well:
Birding at Carbon Canyon Regional Park

I have two more birding trips planned for January and hope to push my monthly total past 100 species. I have a good chance of doing that at the Morro Bay Birding Festival this weekend. At the very least, I’ll add three new counties to my eBird profile.

January feels less like a launch and more like an adjustment period, and I’m okay with that.

Wish me luck.