Accountability Update: Big Year and Bird Nerd 2026

This is an accountability update for two overlapping projects. The first is my Birding Big Year, with a goal of photographing 300 bird species. The second is the 2026 Bird Nerd Project, a November to November wildlife photography challenge. I track them together, even though I’ve probably made things harder on myself than strictly necessary.

Birding Big Year

I’ve started strong. So far, I’ve uploaded photographs of 118 bird species to eBird across 26 checklists. My strategy early in the year has been to focus on common and accessible birds so I can spend more time later hunting for the harder-to-find species.

I also invested in training. Some of it was online with follow-up practice, and some was instructor-led photography, videography, and bird identification at the Morro Bay Bird Festival. Those classes made an immediate difference. I didn’t just add new skills. I improved existing ones. Combined with a full year of birding experience, my January outings were far more productive than they would have been a year ago.

My first Big Day resulted in 42 species, all photographed. My second Big Day, as part of the bird festival, resulted in 85 species photographed. Every bird counted was both identified and photographed. If I couldn’t do both, it didn’t count. I missed a few birds along the way, but that’s a tradeoff I’ve accepted.

A little context helps here. I’m color blind, have poor vision, and I’m hearing impaired. I often can’t tell which direction a bird is calling from unless I’m wearing a hearing aid, and I can’t reliably distinguish subtle color differences in the field. For me, photography isn’t optional. It’s how I identify birds accurately and confidently.

The goal is intentionally aggressive. Photographing 300 bird species will not be easy. I have trips planned to other states, and I’m expanding my local range as well. It will take work, but I’m confident I’ll get there.

2026 Bird Nerd Project

This project is now in its second year. We expanded the rules to include any wild animal, excluding captive animals, pets, or zoo specimens. I’m attending a raptor event soon, and none of those birds will qualify. I’ll still take photos anyway. I don’t think I could stop myself if I tried.

So far, I’ve added 120 species to the Bird Nerd Project. I haven’t checked my score recently, but I know I’m doing well. I still need to backfill about 25 birds, along with a few additional animal species. The Big Year effort feeds directly into Bird Nerd, so I expect to finish with at least 300 bird species and a healthy number of mammals, reptiles, and insects. Four hundred total entries feels realistic.

I’ve already added one highlight outside of birds, a bobcat, which alone made the expansion worthwhile.

Current Stats

Big Year: 118 species
Bird Nerd Project: 120 species
Life list: 216 species
Total bird species photographed: 154
Total photos taken: 6,768
Total video clips recorded: 47
Total YouTube videos published: 9

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