Year completed with a night twitch for Nocturnal Curassow at Gareno Lodge, Ecuador. Year in brief - spent the majority of the year guiding scheduled tours for Rockjumper Birding Tours. Parts of South Africa, Sulawesi, Paraguay and Ecuador were without clients. JAN - Guatemala (Horned Guan twice, Pink-headed Warbler and a pile of near endemics); FEB - Jamaica (all endemics); Dominican Rep. (all Hispaniolan endemics except Grey-crowned Tanager in Haiti); MAR - Cuba (all viable endemics except Gundlach's Hawk); MAY - n Tanzania, s Kenya (500+ birds and 68 mammals); JUN/AUG/OCT - South Africa (cleared almost all resident breeding species inlcuding every Lark barring Agulhas Long-billed which I did not attempt); JUN/JUL - New Britain, Papua New Guinea (20+ BOP's and 207 New Guinea endemics); AUG - Sulawesi (67 endemics including Geomalia, Hylocitrea, 'Sulawesi Flycatcher', Satanic Nightjar), Switzerland (Spotted Nutcracker), UK; SEP - Paraguay (White-winged Nightjar, Chaco Owl, Helmeted Woodpecker and 4 sightings of Geoffroy's Cat); NOV/DEC - Colombia (800+ species and 60+ endemics); DEC - Ecuador (700+ species in 3 weeks) - 23 species of Antpitta in December alone. 898 species recorded in December (15 days in Colombia and 16 days in Ecuador)

End of Year. DEC: Djibouti, with Arabian Golden Sparrow and Somali Sparrow; Road trip from Cape Town to Durban, with Highveld grasslands in full summer swing, yielding Drakensberg Rockjumper & Siskin, Yellow-breasted, African Rock and Mountain pipits, Wattled Crane etc; NOV: Socotra endemics & a rash of vagrants, including FIRST WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN FOR AFRICA; Oman, with Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak and other South Arabian endemics plus Socotra Cormorant, Jouanin's Petrel, Persian Shearwater and a host of Palaearctic migrants; OCT: Bolivia, with Yungas, Altiplano and SW Amazonian specialties; SEP: A month across the Pacific from Fiji to Easter Island, via Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia (Marquesas & Tuamotus), & Pitcairn group, with lifer Samoa and Marquesas endemics plus Tahiti Monarch, as well as Orange Dove, Crimson Shining-Parrot, Blue-crested Flycatcher & other Taveuni goodies, Tuamotu Sandpiper, Henderson endemics, & Pterodroma spectacle of Ducie; AUG: Northern Serengeti, with wildebeest herds crossing the Mara River; Namibia, with Ludwig's & Rueppell's Bustards, Rueppell's Parrot, Monteiro's Hornbill, Bare-cheeked Babbler, Dune Lark & other Dry West specialties; JULY: Uganda, with Shoebill plus a host of Albertine Rift and papyrus endems (plus awesome Mountain Gorilla-tracking, Lions in trees, and Chimps hunting Ashy Red Colobus); JUNE Congo primate trip to Odzala, with lifer Yellow-capped Weaver & Red-bellied Malimbe plus Congo Serpent-Eagle, Long-tailed Hawk, Hartlaub's Duck, Forest Francolin, Bare-cheeked Trogon, Black-collared Lovebird, Rufous-sided Broadbill & Congo Martin (along with lifer Derby's Anomalure, superb Western Lowland Gorillas and crippling views of Water Chevrotain); MAY: N Tanzania, with lifer Grey-crested Helmetshrike & Beesley's Lark, plus Serengeti endems amidst megaherds in full swing (notably 35 spp mammals in 12 hours along Mara River); APR: Highlands of PNG with 15 BOPs, Black-mantled & Meyer's Goshawks, Papuan Parrotfinch (plus lifer Silky Cuscus & Calaby’s Pademelon) ; a few days on the Olympic Peninsula, WA, with Harlequin Duck, Marbled Murrelet, Pacific Loon; MAR New Guinea circumnavigation incl East Papuan Isl, New Britain, Admiralty & West Papuan islands (plus 450+ coral reef fish spp) plus couple of days in QLD en route; FEB co-guided Rockjumper Colombia Mega, with 1044 species, incl Santa Marta endems, Mitu specialties like Chestnut-crested Antbird, Azure-naped Jay, Collared Gnatwren & Tawny-tufted Toucanet, Andean highlights like Blue-billed Curassow, Saffron-headed, Yellow-eared & Rusty-faced Parrots, Chestnut-capped Piha, Recurve-billed Bushbird, Bearded Mountaineer, Las Tangaras clean sweep and Rio Blanco antpitta extravaganza (plus lifer N Naked-tailed Armadillo, White-footed & Mottle-faced Tamarins), followed by a few days on my own for lifer Urrao Quartet, Yellow-headed Manakin, Tolima Dove & Cundinamarca Antpitta; JAN Antarctica, with usual seabird spectacle, SG Pipits displaying in Grytviken since successful rat eradication (!), and moulting Emperor Penguin in Weddell Sea (plus superb cetaceans incl Hourglass, Commerson’s & Chilean Dolphins).

Jan Costa Rica, May Peru, June China, July Peninsular Malaysia, Sept Sulawesi/Halmahera, Oct Java and Banda Sea Cruise, Nov Sarawak, Dec Sri Lanka plus local birding back home.

Updated 14 Dec: First four days of the year spent on Socotra seeing all the endemics and a nice selection of wintering birds. Then in Kenya leading my usual January Sunbird tour which resulted in a list of a little over 700 species. Some local winter birding in Feb in the UK added another 50 sp. including such nice birds as Smew, Great Northern & Red-throated Divers, Long-tailed Duck, and Mediterranean Gull. Then led my annual Venezuela tour with all the regular highlights - Zigzag, Agami, Grey-winged Trumpeter, Azure Gallinule, Harpy Eagle, Golden-tailed Starfrontlet, both cocks-of-the-rock, Dusky Purpletuft, Rose-collared Piha, Red-banded Fruiteater, Sharpbill, etc. Then made my first visit to the Darien, Panama with Gavin Bieber. Had a great time at the new Canopy Camp. Highlights Sapayoa, Black-crowned 'Gnatpitta', Black Oropendola, Double-banded Graytail, Gray-cheeked Nunlet, etc. In April went on a private trip to the Philippines arranged by Rob Hutchinson where the star birds included Palawan Peacock-Pheasant, Spotted Buttonquail, Mantanani Scops Owl, Red-headed Flameback, Steere's Pitta, and Visayan Rhabdornis. Then attended the Peru Birding Rally where star birds included Junin Grebe, Hornby's Storm-Petrel, Chestnut-headed Crake, Junin Rail, Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, White-chested Swift, Marvellous Spatuletail, Peruvian Plantcutter, Dotted Tanager and many others. In June a week in Armenia, mostly for butterflies, but saw a number of nice 'eastern' species including Asian Crimson-winged Finch, Green Warbler, Western Rock Nuthatch, Upcher's Warbler, etc. In July a short trip to Uganda for Green-breasted Pitta - other nice birds included Shoebill, Pennant-winged Nightjar, White-bellied Kingfisher, Black-casqued Wattled Hornbill, Yellow-mantled Weaver and Blue-billed Malimbe. In August a week in peninsular Malaysia produced some nice birds including Rail-babbler and Mountain Peacock-pheasant. In September I joined a Sunbird/WINGS tour to Borneo led by Susan Myers - an amazingly successful tour for the rarer Borneo birds - a pair of ground-cuckoos, five sp. of pitta inc. Giant and Blue-banded, Oriental Bay Owl, the Whitehead's trio, Bristlehead, etc. In October I spent a week on the Isles of Scilly with Eurasian Dotterel, Blyth's Pipit, Barred and Yellow-browed Warblers, and Rose-coloured Starling as the highlights. In early Nov I co-led a Sunbird tour to Chile with Fabrice Schmitt - all the expected specialities plus 45 King Penguins, 3 Markham's Storm-petrels, and Swallow-tailed Gull. In late November led my Northern Argentina tour, where highlights included Horned Coot, Lyre-tailed & Scissor-tailed Nightjars, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, Black-fronted Ground-Tyrant, Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher, Rufous-bellied Saltator, and Red-backed Sierra-Finch. Just back from Zambia on a Birding Africa tour with Tertius Gous where the major event was watching African Pitta displaying, plus lots of good miombo birds and the endemic Chaplin's Barbet. Based on IOC list. No introductions or 'heard-only' birds included.

Busy but productive year with trips to Colombia, Mexico, China, Sumatra, Angola and Australia, and some birding in the UK. Year finished with Shorelark, Caspian Gull and Smew in Suffolk!

Last tour of the year was to UAE and Oman. Bagged Hypocolius, Crab Plover, a few owls, and another 178 species for the year! Perhaps the best sighting for me, was coming across a Striped Hyena (!!!) in Wadi Hashir. AMAZING 16 days birding South Africa, sweeping all but one available endemic in the Drakensburg, KZN, Cape, and Kruger regions. Biggest highlights included Cape Parrot, Kopje Warbler, Vitorin's Warbler, Secretarybird, Retz's Helmetshrike, Lammergeir, and of course both Rockjumper species! Gran Honors, however, go to the pack of 7 Wild Dogs that came right donw the road, hunting, past our vehicles, then returned, passing us the other way, back up the road!!! Big 5 3 days in a row, plus Cheetah, both Rhino, Bontebok, Greysbok, Black Wildebeest, Eland, Oribi, and many more! 6 weeks in S. Brazil (Cristalino Lodge, Pantanal, Chapada Guimaraes) and N. Argentina (Iguazu Falls area) added over 300 species to my year! Brazilian Tinamou, Spotted Nothura, Cryptic Forest-Falcon, Black-faced and White-browed Hawks, Maguari Stork, Yellow-faced Parrot, 3 species of Scythebill, White-chinned Woodcreeper, Para Foliage-Gleaner, 22 additional Antshrikes and Antbirds, Alta Floresta and Speckle-breasted Antpitta, Collared Crescentshest, Chapada Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Tyrant, White-bellied Tyrannulet, Subtropical(?) Doradito, Cinnamon Tyrant-Manakin, tons of puffbirds, all possible Jacamars in the region, Tooth-billed and Fawn-breated Wrens, Coal-crested an Blue Finches(!!!), and loads more. 2nd tour through the region (20 days) bagged 575 species SEEN, plus another 32 heards. Jaguars mating, Giant Anteater, Tamandua, 9 species of Monkeys, Paca, Capys galore, etc etc...a great run!!!

Another splendid year with many fantastic birds and mammals: Sri Lanka, El Triunfo (Horned Guan, Sparkling-tailed Woodstar), Yucatan (Ocellated Turkey, Yucatan Poorwill), Southern Mexico (Highland Guan, Bearded Screech Owl, Pink-headed Warbler), Peninsular Malaysia (Mountain Peacock Pheasant, Malayan Banded Pitta, Rail Babbler), Papua New Guinea (Fire-maned Bowerbird, Louisiades White-eye), New Caledonia, Fiji, Vanuatu & Samoa (Kagu, Orange Dove, Silktail), New Zealand (Northern Island Brown Kiwi), Ethiopia (Prince Ruspoli's Turaco, Sidamo Lark, Stresemann's Bush Crow), Ghana (Yellow-headed Picathartes, Akun Eagle Owl, Rosy Bee-eater) and some local birding in Belgium and France.

Trips to New Zealand, Madagascar (Schlegel's Asity), Australia, Sabah (Bornean Ground-Cuckoo, Hook-billed Bulbul, Chestnut-capped Thrush, Mantanani Scops-owl), PNG (Forest Bittern, Thick-billed Ground-Pigeon, Black Munia) India (Indian Skimmer, Black-bellied Tern); Hawaii (Akikiki, Akekee); Cambodia (Black-headed Parrotbill, Cambodian Tailorbird); China (Jankowski's Bunting, Siberian Crane, Crested Ibis); Kazakhstan (Sociable Plover, White-winged Lark, Black-headed Penduline-Tit); Uzbekistan (Pander's Ground-Jay) and some birding in Australia (Orange-bellied Parrot, Grey Falcon, Regent Honeyeater, Capricorn Yellow Chat, Rusty Grasswren, Long-billed Dowitcher, Plains-wanderer, Southern Cassowary).

Mega Colombia trip (1000+) and Mt Victoria (Myanmar), Finland, Croatia, Belgium, Spain, Australia,Brazil,Cuba

Dec 31 Entirely Old World as usual: Socotra, Kuwait, UAE & Oman, Japan, Cambodia, Ghana, Uganda, PNG, Solomon Is, Madagascar, Mauritius & Reunion, Comoros and some in FNQ

2 months in SA, a few days in Namibia, 6 weeks in Papua New Guinea, a week in Madagascar, 6 weeks in Bhutan and a few days in Assam, Thailand 18 days, South Africa 10-day tour and a few days in Germany

UK, Kenya, St Lucia, Gambia, Guyana, Israel, Uganda, Romania

Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo, Blue Cotinga, Tody Motmot, Spectacled Owl, Mottled Owl, Rufous Nightjar, Rudd's Lark, Botha's Lark, White-starred Robin, Lappet-faced Vulture, Black-bellied Storm-Petrel...etc

Update 13-11-2014 weeks Colombia - Tolima Dove, male Blue-billed Curassow, Recurve-billed Bushbird,- one week in Ghana, Grouse and Prairie-Chickens in Colorado and Holland, Yellow-headed Picathartes, Greater Sage Grouse lekking

update March 2015 ; a few good trips in 2014 : Japan in February, Israël in March, Honduras in April, Madeira in August, Bali and Lesser Sundas in August, Sulawesi - Halmahera in September, Belgium - Holland in December and France in between ...

A wonderful, fascinating and very rewarding year with trips to PNG, Sabah, Borneo, UK, Pulau Raj Ampat, Indonesia, The Philippines, Vietnam and just occasionally my home in Armidale, NSW , Australia. Highlights included excellent views of Pygmy Loris on New Year's eve; an exquisite male Palawan Peacock-Pheasant; a displaying male Short-crested Monarch; finally Pale-headed (aka Sunda) and Gould's frogmouths plus seven Leopard Cats in one night at Danum, Borneo!

173 life birds for the year. Highlights included Magenta Petrel and a host of outstanding seabirds on Heritage Expeditions' Birding Down Under, two Kiwis (Okarito and Great Spotted), Cabot's Tragopan, Fairy Pitta, Blue-crowned Laughingthrush, and Bahama endemics

One day on Grand Bahama in January. In Finland till mid June, two days in Corsica and another two in the Netherlands. In June - July a five week RTW tour Japan - Philippines - China PRC - Solomon Islands - Oz - South California - North Peru. More additions in Finland. In November, three days in Hungary, with two dozen new year list species. An early winter trip to NE Norway added a few taiga and pelagic species. Later, Moorhen, Little Grebe and (13th Dec) Black-throated Accentor in Finland. As anticipated, crossed the 1.000 line in December in South Korea and Japan, for the 10th time.

Woop! One thousand up! 3 months in S.C. Brazil - Harpy Eagle, Scaled Ground-cuckoo, Cryptic Forest-falcon, Tapajos Hermit, Hyacinth Macaw, Chestnut-bellied Guan, Xenopsaris, Coal-crested Finch, Bare-eyed Antbird, Para Gnatcatcher, Dotted Tanager, Alta Floresta Antpitta. Tenerife - Laurel + Bolle's Pigeon, Blue Chaffinch, Tenerife Goldcrest, Plain Swift, Atlantic Canary, Canary Island Chiffchaff, Berthelot's Pipit, African Blue Tit, Cory's Shearwater. UK - Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black Stork, White-winged Black Tern. Oman - Omani Owl, Grey Hypocolius, Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak, Yemen Serin, Nile Valley Sunbird, Hume's Wheatear, Persian Wheatear, Variable Wheatear, Arabian Wheatear, Plain Leaf Warbler, Arabian Scops Owl, Hume's Owl, Arabian Partridge, Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse, Socotra Cormorant.

UK, Senegal, Sweden, Brazil, Peru. Highlights: Arabian Bustard, Black Scimitarbill, Cream-coloured Courser, River Prinia, Sooty Tern, Bridled Tern, Black Crowned Crane, Black Heron, Marbled Duck, Allen's Gallinule, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, White-backed Duck, Two-barred Crossbill, Black-throated Accentor, Wire-crested Thorntail, Rufous-vented Ground Cuckoo, Taczanowski's Tinamou, Andean Goose, Gould's Jewelfront, Rose-fronted Parakeet, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Pavonine Quetzal, Crested Owl, Festive Coquette, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Golden-collared Toucanet, Koepcke's Hermit.

UK, Panama, Malaysia, Philippines, Dominican Republic

28th December final update: Nov, Atlanta, 40 species, December 19-21, Cunha, Brazil with Rufous Backed Antvireo, Rufous tailed Antbird, Fawn Breasted and Cinnamon Tanagers, Black Hawk Eagle, Least Grebe and others. Final birds for the year were Pygmy Cormorant, Bluethroat, Snow Bunting and Great Northern Diver at Aiguamolls (Spain). Most of year birding in Spain and Brazil: (REGUA and Parque das Neblinas) Woodchat Shrike, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Marsh Sandpiper, Great Bustard, Spot Winged Wood Quail, Variegated Antpitta, Solitary Tinamou, Streamer Tailed Tyrant, Black Legged Dacnis, Shrike-Like Cotinga, Lammergeyer, Citril Finch, Red Necked Phalarope, White Winged Tern. Winter trips (31 May and 1st June to Intervales Brazil and then 10th & 12th June around Cape Town with some great help from Faustino and Brian respectively, highlights for both were White Bearded, Giant and Large-Tailed AntShrike and Cape Long Billed Lark amongst a host of hard won endemics. 2 day trip to Fazenda Bacury, Brazil with Russet Winged Spadebill, Blue Fronted Parrot, Red Legged Seriema

31/12/14 Aus+NZ+Chile+Ecuador

trip to Kenya & Uganda May gave 493 species

30 more since October including 8 in Serbia , Long-eared Owl,Pygmy Cormorant,White-tailed Eagle,Saker Falcon,Caspain Gull,Little Owl,Hooded Crow ,Syrian Woodpecker

Last year in England before emigrating to Australia- I can't wait! Have been trying to clean up on English birds missing from my world life list, with little success. Lifers in 2014: in UK: Iceland Gull, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Red-throated Diver, Black Tern, Pomarine Skua, Pallas's Leaf Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Richard's Pipit, Barred Warbler, Twite and Jack Snipe. Morocco (January): GLAUCOUS GULL (third record for Morocco!), Audouin's Gull, Spectacled Warbler, NORTHERN BALD IBIS, Cream-coloured Courser, Marbled Teal, Ruddy Shelduck and Levaillant's Woodpecker. Dubai (24 hours in transit): Western Reef Heron, White-cheeked Tern, Red-vented Bulbul, White-eared Bulbul, Pied Myna, Grey Francolin, Red-wattled Lapwing and Indian Roller. Australia (July-August): Bell Miner, Hardhead, Australasian Grebe, Wonga Pigeon, White-headed Pigeon, Common Bronzewing, White-browed Scrubwren, Satin Bowerbird, Chestnut Teal, WANDERING ALBATROSS, Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, Red-rumped Parrot, Long-billed Corella, Collared Sparrowhawk, TAWNY FROGMOUTH, Brown Honeyeater, Australian Pipit, Noisy Friarbird, Grey Goshawk, Double-barred Finch, Varied Triller, White-gaped Honeyeater, Partridge Pigeon, Rufous-throated Honeyeater, Grey-crowned Babbler, Weebill, Crimson Finch, Little Friarbird, Bush Stone-curlew, Northern Fantail, Rufous Whistler, Black-breasted Buzzard, Bar-breasted Honeyeater, Banded Honeyeater, White-chinned Honeyeater, Varied Lorikeet, Long-tailed Finch, Jacky Winter, Leaden Flycatcher, Brown Goshawk, Canary White-eye, Red-capped Plover, Little Bronze-cuckoo, Broad-billed Flycatcher, Mangrove Fantail, Far Eastern Curlew, Grey-tailed Tattler, Spotted Harrier, Fairy Tern, Blue-billed Duck and Australasian Shoveller. Latest, 7/12- Water Pipit, Snow Bunting and Twite- 14.12, Brean Down, Somerset

242 in England/Scotland so far with American Coot, Collared Flycatcher, Spectacled Warbler, Pied-billed Grebe and Black-winged Pratincole the highlights. 196 in 12 days in Taiwan including all 23 endemics.

Great Bittern&Ortolan Bunting - Ukraine, Sandhill and Whooping Crane - USA

Last upd: 25-Jan-14. Thailand.

All species recorded in UK, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Greece and Turkey. Latest: Egyptian Goose, Devon, UK (Dec 29), Pallid Harrier, Somerset, UK (Nov 1). October Trip to Turkey included Dalmatian Pelican, Levant Sparrowhawk, Syrian Woodpecker, Isabelline Wheatear, Slender-billed Gull and Calandra Lark. May Trip to Balkan countries included Rock Partridge, Pygmy Cormorant, Sombre Tit, Rock Nuthatch, Alpine Chough, Spanish Sparrow, Lesser Kestrel, Black-headed Bunting, Eastern Subalpine Warbler. 2014 UK Highlights: Red-flanked Bluetail, Collared Pratincole, Ross's Gull, Whiskered Tern, White-billed Diver, 2 Kumlien's Gulls, Lesser Scaup.

West Virginia so far: Ross's Goose, Trumpeter Swan, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Northern Bobwhite, Ring-necked Pheasant, Red-throated Loon, Golden Eagle, Dunlin, Great Black-backed Gull, Eurasian Collared Dove, Rufous Hummingbird, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Lapland Longspur, Orange-crowned Warbler, Harris's Sparrow

All going rather slowly so far this year so far with exams coming up. Australian July-August lifers: Australasian Grebe, Hardhead and Bell Miner. 24 hours in Dubai lifers: Red-vented Bulbul, White-eared Bulbul, Pied Myna, White-cheeked Tern, Western Reef Heron, Indian Roller, Grey Francolin and Red-wattled Lapwing. Morocco in January, July-August in Australia (stopping in Dubai on way), then week in the US in October. Sadly the rest of my time is spent in Britain (for now!). Lifers so far in 2014: Morocco- Glaucous Gull (slightly unexpected to say the least!), Audouin's Gull, NORTHERN BALD IBIS(awesome!), Spectacled Warbler, Ruddy Shelduck, Marbled Teal, Cream-coloured Courser and Levaillant's Woodpecker. In Britain in 2014: Iceland Gull, Grasshopper Warbler, Red-throated Diver, Black Tern and Pomarine Skua. Latest addition: Australasian Grebe, 8/7, Melbourne

Long-tailed Duck, Northern Gannet, Eastern Phoebe, Pine Warbler, Double-crested Cormorant, Tree Swallow, Laughing Gull, Black Scoter, Fish Crow, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Roseate Tern, Great Blue Heron, Barn Swallow, Chimney Swift, Baltimore Oriole, Ovenbird, Great Crested Flycatcher, Common Tern, Northern Parula, Chipping Sparrow, Solitary Sandpiper, Great Egret, Bank Swallow, Gray Catbird, Blackpoll Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Cedar Waxwing, Eastern Kingbird, Willet, Eastern Screech-Owl, Rufous Hummingbird, Red-breasted Nuthatch 4/4/14 - 10/13/14