Updated Dec. 31st. The end of an incredible year! Last year bird was the endemic Green-and-white Hummingbird here in southern Peru. Just back from Manu Wildlife Center in southern Peru. Huge number of birds, favorites being Sunbittern, Razor-billed Currasow, and Festive Coquette. Now off into the Andes for the last few days of the year. Southern Ecuador with amazing encounters with Crescent-faced and Jocotoco Antpittas, Orange-throated Tanager, and Royal Sunangel. Central Peru with Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager as the trip highlight. South Africa, Lesotho, Kenya, Tanzania, Thailand, USA, Canada, Ecuador, Peru. Using Clements 6.8, seen only.

Off to a good start with a Sunbird tour to Kenya occupying most of January - plus a few hours birding in the UK to see Waxwings on New Year's Day. That was followed by a Sunbird tour to Cambodia with highlights including Giant and White-shouldered Ibis, Brown and Spotted Wood-Owls, displaying Bengal Florican, White-rumped Falcon and Mekong Wagtail. Then I was in Venezuela leading my regular tour there where highlights included displaying Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, Sungrebe, nesting Harpy Eagle, and all those pan-Tepui endemics, Agami Heron, Pinnated and Least Bitterns, Crested and White-tailed Quetzals, and so many more great birds. Next was a trip to Lesvos to witness the spring migration, plus lots of eastern species I had not seen for many years such as Kruper's and Rock Nuthatches, Sombre Tit, Ruppell's Warbler, and Cinereous & Cretzchmar's Buntings. Then Japan where highlights included Copper Pheasant, Okinawa Rail, Amami Woodcock, Pryer's Woodpecker, Ryukyu Robin and Izu Islands Thrush. Then three weeks in Ecuador with almost too many highight species to mention, but including three different Banded Ground-Cuckoos at two different sites, displaying Long-wattled Umbrellabirds, Black Solitaire, 53 sp. of hummingbird including White-tipped Sicklebill (at last!), Baudo Guan, Rose-faced Parrot, Andean Potoo, Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Uniform Treehunter, Ocellated Antbird, Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, Indigo-crowned Quail-Dove, Slate-throated Gnatcatcher, Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant, and so many more fabulous birds. Then spent a weekend around Los Angeles seeing some great California specialities - Island Scrub-Jay and Wrentit, plus White-headed Woodpecker, Surfbird, Black Turnstone, etc. and even a Blue Whale! Then did a two-week boat trip to Pitcairn & Henderson Islands and the Tuamotu Archipelago, where highlights included loads of fantastic seabirds with 7 sp. of Pterodroma (inc. Phoenix and Henderson Petrels), Polynesian Storm-petrel, the Henderson endemics, and the brilliant Tuamotu Sandpiper. Next was New Zealand, with highlights being Shore Plover, Great Spotted, Little Spotted and Okarito Kiwis. Then three weeks in Australia leading my annual Sunbird tour - where highlights included Striated Grasswren at Gluepot, Oriental Plovers and a Sanderling(!) at Alice sewage ponds and a tame Chestnut Rail within 6 feet for over an hour in Darwin. Just returned from three weeks in Argentina leading my annual 'spring' tour down there, where many varied highlights included 2 King Penguins, point-blank views of Red-faced Guans, an unexpected Stripe-backed Antbird, a pair of White-throated Cachalotes, a singing Lyre-tailed Nighjtjar, and a lovely group of Thick-billed Siskins. IOC taxonomy, no 'heard-only' birds and no intros.

Follows IOC 3.3. The total includes only 62 species from the Old World. More than 2400 species in the New World this year! Honduras, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil (NE, Pantanal, Cristalino, Iguazu), USA, England

Following IOC taxonomy. Updated 21 December after a few bits and bobs in the UK including Baikal Teal. Before that, extremely successful Western Australia tour where lifers included the Christmas Island endemics, Black Grasswren and Kimberley Honeyeater. Prior to that, Central Peru yielded Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager the absolute highlight, but plenty more rare endemics... Prior to that, completed an endemic clean-up of the Lesser Antilles and Trinidad. Previously in Sichuan China where most targets seen well, including Blackthroat, Firethroat and Rufous-headed Robin - a nice hat-trick. Prior to that trips to Venezuela, The Philippines and Ecuador this year.

Lots of great birds-some highlights, not all lifers: India (Yellow-breasted Bunting, Tiger), Myanmar (White-browed Nuthatch), Thailand (Rusty-naped Pitta, Sun Bear), India (Marsh Babbler, Large Blue Flycatcher, Blyth's Kingfisher, White-cheeked Nuthatch), USA (Crimson-collared Grosbeak, Montezuma Quail, Yellow Rail), Japan (Amami Thrush, Black Wood Pigeon, Japanese Murrelet), Kazakhstan (Himalayan Snowcock, Eversmann's Redstart), Uzbekistan (Pander's Ground-Jay) Turkey (Sardinian Warbler) Russia (Walrus, Short-tailed Albatross), Indonesia (Buru Bush-Warbler, Purple-naped Lory, Gray's Grasshopper), Australia (White-necked Petrel), Papua New Guinea (Forbes Forest-Rail, Cinnamon Ground-dove, Painted Quail-thrush), Madagascar (Madagascar Sparrowhawk, Crossley's Vanga, Madagascar Crested Ibis) New Zealand (Kokako, Rock Wren, Little Spotted Kiwi)

29 Nov. Sweden, Venezuela, Roraima, Colombia, NE India, Armenia, Ecuador, Northern Peru and Chile.

Sri Lanka, South India, a South Africa tour, many new in Papua New Guinea for 10 weeks on 3 tours incl. 22 from BoP family; Tanzania and Kenya for 3 weeks, Bhutan for 6 weeks, Assam for 10 days, Ethiopia for 7 weeks, and a few days in South Africa a few hours in Namibia

Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, South Africa, South India (all endemics), Sri Lanka (all endemics), North India

22 Dec. Ghana - Yellow-headed Rockfowl, Long-tailed Pangolin; 2 Dec. A few days in England incl. Great Egret for my UK list followed by 7 days in Uganda: a group of 11 mountain gorillas incl. a massive male plus a fine selection of African Rift Endemics; 3 Oct. Western Australia: Freckled Duck; many wonderful sw endemics including superlative views of many fairy wrens; Quokka; Dugong; 4 Sept. Exceptional close views of Blue Bird of Paradise, Black Sicklebill, Wattled Plougbill, and 320+ other species; 7 June: First trip to China in 17 years fine views of male GoldenPheasant; male Firethroat; several Sichaun Jays and 4 Tahkin. 5 May: Hundreds of Dusky Woodswallows; honeyeaters and sittellas moving thru our property; 23 April: Bhutan - Ward's Trogon, Satyr Tragopan, male Himalayan Black Bear, Collared Falconet --- fabulous as always; 2 April: Expedition to Papua - White-striped Rail, Vogelkop Bowerbird, Harpy Eagle, New Guinea Quoll; 26 Feb: South India & Andaman Is. - nearly all endemics incl. Grey-headed Bulbul at a newish location; 2 Sloth Bears; Tiger & Leopard same afternoon; Indian Chevrotain; Ceylon Frogmouth; Nilgiri Salea; 29 Jan: Green Peafowl, Black-crowned Parrotbill, 43 White-cheeked Laughingthrushes and 2 Bar-bellied Pitta - all in eastern Cambodia. 23 Jan: Cambodia - exceptional views of 4 Giant Ibis; 9 White-shouldered Ibis; a pr White-rumped Falcon; a flock 8 Great Slaty Woodpecker; Spotted Wood, Brown Wood, Brown Fish, Asian Barred owls, Spotted owlet and a 2 Lesser False Vampire Bats. 12 Jan: Finally Rusty-naped Pitta and photographed superbly to boot! Also added Rufous-necked Hornbill to my Thai list. 8 Jan: Kicked off the year with some very enjoyable if somewhat relaxed birding in Kaeng Krachan NP, Thailand - A pair of long sought after White-fronted Scops Owls, Pin-tailed Parrotfinch, a pair of Racket-tailed Treepies and at least two White-bellied Green Pigeons.

IOC taxonomy also 74 heard onlys. Trips to Colombia, Israel and Uganda, South Pacific, Malawi and Zimbabwe + general UK birding so far this year.

IOC taxonomy. Australia/Cambodia/Ghana/Ethiopia/PNG/Jordan/Fiji/ New Cal/ Madagascar and Mascarenes

Swillington Ings, Columbia, Finland, Turkey, Uganda and Rwanda, South Africa and Lesotho. No heard only birds.

ABA area (Florida, Arizona, Minnesota, New York), Jamaica (all Jamaican endemics), Brazil (including Harpy Eagle, Zigzag Heron, 74 species of antbird, Alta Floresta Antpitta, Red-billed Curassow, Ochre-marked Parakeet), Thailand (including Nicobar Pigeon, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Eared and Blue Pitta)

India and Sri Lanka in February, North East India and Bhutan in Mar/Apr. A bit of time in Madagascar in July, a private trip in Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia (August) and finally Thailand at the end of the year

Last upd: 31-Dec-13. Thailand, Guatemala, Polynesia, UK and Yucatan.

In Ecuador only!

Added a bunch of species in Uganda, top ones being Dwarf Honeyguide, Green-breasted Pitta and Grauer's Broadbill. So far going reasonably well with tours to Mozambique & Zimbabwe, as well as some birding trips around Eastern South Africa and finally a trip to Ghana, all with Lawson's Birding Tours.

Finland/Sweden/Portugal/Malaysia/Timor Leste/Australia/PNG/Mexico/USA/Japan/Malta/Canada/Cayman Islands/Cuba/Bahamas on my year 2013 country list.

Trips to Philippines (Great Philippine Eagle), Samoa (Tooth-billed Pigeon), Cambodia (Giant and White-shouldered Ibis), Khao Yai (Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo), and Japan (Okinawa Rail)

241 lifers, including Sword-billed Hummingbird, Brazilian Merganser, Cochabamba Mountain-Finch, Buff-fronted Owl, Swallow-tailed Nightjar, Grey-bellied Comet, Grey-breasted Mountain Toucan, Yellow-faced Parrotlet, Chestnut-backed Thornbird, Marsh Tapaculo, Red-spectacled Amazon, White-winged Guan, Peruvian Plantcutter, Blue-footed Booby, Great Spinetail, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Dotted Tanager and Plumbeous Euphonia.

Around a hundred in a few days in Cambodia with Sam Veasna guide Nara. Excellent two weeks in Ethiopia with Birding Africa cleaned up all the endemics and got nearly 500 in total. Some UK birding too, but it's been slow this year.

Brunnich's Guillemot and Red-breasted Mereganser at Portland

Mostly Norway and a family trip to Peru.

Relict Gull, Nordmann's Greenshank and Ochre-rumped Bunting in China October, Plain pouched Hornbill and Fiery Minivet in Myanmar

Philippines, Australia, Netherlands, Ukraine, Sweden, Germany, France and Belgium.

Jack Snipe October

15/10/13 Wreathed Hornbill, Green Peacock. Whitehead in NZ. Northern Giant Petrel in a field! Shore Plover

All Taiwan and outlying islands. Follows Clements and CWBF lists re Cat C's. Most recent: Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler Highlights: Self-found Sabine's Gull (first), Slavonian Grebe (possibly first(?)) and Northern House Martin (first), self-found Sandwich Tern (second national record), Chinese Crested Tern (from that horrible tour boat). Additons to personal Taiwan List: White-tailed Eagle, Common Crane, Tawny Fish Owl, Baillon's Crake, Japanese Quail, Slender-billed Gull, Black Woodpigeon, Bianchi's, White-spectacled and Chestnut-crowned Warblers, White-throated Rock Thrush, Japanese Tit, Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher, Rose-coloured Starling, Common Reed Bunting.

Sweden and Surinam so far.

2013 World Lifers: Barnacle Goose, Razorbill, Rosy-faced Lovebird, Le Conte's Thrasher

Morocco in January, Tanzania in February, Provence (France) in August and the rest of the time in England. Lifers so far in 2013: House Bunting, African Blue Tit, Iberian Chiffchaff, Bonelli's Eagle, Barbary Partridge, European Serin, Cirl Bunting, Rock Bunting, Black Wheatear, Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Great Grey Shrike, Broad-billed Roller, Saunder's Tern, Tambourine Dove, Olive Sunbird, Purple-backed Sunbird, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Greater Sandplover, Black-winged Red Bishop, Masked Booby, Pied-billed Grebe, Ring Ouzel, Kentish Plover, Bluethroat, Eurasian Stone-curlew, Tree Pipit, Woodlark, White-rumped Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Subalpine Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Red-footed Falcon, Temminck's Stint, Eurasian Black Vulture, Crested Tit, Eleonora's Falcon, Tawny Pipit, Icterine Warbler, Little Bustard, Calandra Lark, Eurasian Dotterel, Marsh Warbler, Balearic Shearwater, Red-breasted Goose, Red-necked Grebe, Surf Scoter, Greater Scaup, Common Crane, Black Guillemot and Brünnich's Guillemot.

Week-long trip to SW Qld. added 55 species

Latest: Brunnich's Guillemot, Glossy Ibis & Snow Bunting, Dorset, UK (Dec 29). Highlights include Short-toed Eagle and Moltoni's Warbler, Tuscany, Italy, June + Bonelli's Eagle, Monaco, October + White-billed Diver, Black Guillemot, Waxwings, Rose-coloured Starling, Lesser Yellowlegs, Devon, UK.

Steller's Eider - Vardø and Subalpine Warbler / Red-footed Falcon - Suffolk bestest birds by 11th May.

American Kestrel, Horned Lark 10/20/13 - 12/20/13