Chronicles of a Birders Life List Blog Series by Jim Gain
Over the past 40 years I have had the good fortune to photographically document 85% of the bird species added to my “Life List.” This blog series showcases the images and anecdotal accounts that document those “Lifer” sightings and a little about the environment and culture of the area. This Lifer blog series begins with my first LIFER outside of the US, Lifer #624 and proceeds chronologically forward.
A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series
My passion for birds and bird photography began as an offshoot of my interest in nature, and specifically plants in college. A Greater Roadrunner, the first local bird species that I distinctly remember seeing, was discovered while on a field trip to Del Puerto Canyon with the Great Valley Museum. Later, while working towards a Biology degree at Stanislaus State in 1983, my initial slow-smouldering interest in birds exploded into an all-consuming passion as I endeavored to complete the Upper Division Ornithology class labs and field trip exams. Forty years later, my life species list is fast approaching 1,000 species.
My passion for photography followed a similar passion spark when my friend, photographer and fellow birder, Bob Corey, convinced me to join the local Camera Club. I had long been surrounded by friends that had that photographer zeal, but for me it seemed difficult and confusing to hear them talk of f/stops, ISO and shutter speed. The members of the Camera Club made me feel welcomed and soon, I was successfully submitting slides for competition and learning from each judge’s comments and suggestions.
Latest Posts in this blog series:
- Lifer 684 – Yucatan Flycatcher
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #684 Yucatan Flycatcher - Lifer 683 – Lesson’s Motmot
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #683 Lesson’s Motmot - Lifer 680 – Squirrel Cuckoo
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #680 Squirrel Cuckoo - Lifer 679 – Lesser Roadrunner
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #679 Lesser Roadrunner - Lifer 678 – Cozumel Vireo
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #678 Cozumel Vireo - Lifer 677 – Green-breasted Mango
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #677 Green-breasted Mango - Lifer 676 – Caribbean Elaenia
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #676 Caribbean Elaenia - Lifer 675 – Yellow-faced Grassquit
Sixty Seconds of Silence – Yellow-faced Grassquit - Lifer 674 – Bananaquit
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #674 Bananaquit - Lifer 673 – Ruddy Crake
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #673 Ruddy Crake - Lifer 671 – Black Catbird
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #671 Black Catbird - Lifer 669 – Northern Jacana
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #669 Northern Jacana - Lifers 667 and 668 – Ant-Tanagers
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifers #667 Red-crowned Ant-Tanager & 668 Red-throated Ant-Tanager. - Lifer 666 – Orange Oriole
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #666 Orange Oriole - Lifer 665 – Olivaceous Woodcreeper
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #665 Olivaceous Woodcreeper - Lifer 664 – Tawny-winged Woodcreeper
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #664 Tawny-winged Woodcreeper - Lifer 663 – Northern Barred-Woodcreeper
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #663 – Northern Barred-Woodcreeper - Lifer 662 – Bright-rumped Attila
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #662 Bright-rumped Attila - Lifer 661 – Yellow-backed Oriole
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #661 Yellow-backed Oriole - Lifer 660 – Black-crowned Tityra
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #660 Black-crowned Tityra - Lifer 659 – Gartered Trogon
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #659 Gartered Trogon - Lifer 658 – Barred Antshrike
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #658 Barred Antshrike - Lifer 657 – Northern Tropical Pewee
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #659 Northern Tropical Pewee - Lifer 656 – Rufous-browed Peppershrike
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #656 Rufous-browed Peppershrike - Lifer 655 – Bat Falcon
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #655 Bat Falcon - Lifer 654 – Mangrove Swallow
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #654 Mangrove Swallow - Lifer 653 – Yucatan Vireo
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #653 Yucatan Vireo - Lifer 652 – Ruddy Woodcreeper
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #652 Ruddy Woodcreeper - Lifer 651 – Spot-breasted Wren
Sixty Seconds of Science Chronicles of a Birders Life List – Lifer #651 Spot-breasted Wren - Lifer 650 – Russet-naped Wood-Rail
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #650 Russet-naped Wood-Rail - Lifer 649 – Social Flycatcher
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #649 Social Flycatcher - Lifer 648 – Cinnamon-bellied Saltator
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #648; Cinnamon-bellied Saltator - Lifer 647 – Black-headed Saltator
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #647 Black-headed Saltator - Lifer 646 – Blue-gray Tanager
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #646 Blue-gray Tanager - Lifer 645 – Gray-headed Tanager
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #645 Gray-headed Tanager - Lifer 644 – Melodius Blackbird
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #644 Melodious Blackbird - Lifer 643 – Black-cowled Oriole
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #643 Black-cowled Oriole - Lifer 642 – Yellow-billed Cacique
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #642 Yellow-billed Cacique - Lifer 641 – Yellow-throated Euphonia
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #641 Yellow-throated Euphonia - Lifer 640 – Scrub Euphonia
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #640 Scrub Euphonia - Lifer 639 – Tropical Mockingbird
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #639 Tropical Mockingbird - Lifer 637 – Yucatan Jay
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #637 Yucatan Jay - Lifer 636 – Boat-billed Flycatcher
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer # 636 Boat-billed Flycatcher - Lifer 635 – Masked Tityra
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #635 Masked Tityra - Lifer 634 – Ivory-billed Woodcreeper
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #634 Ivory-billed Woodcreeper - Lifer 633 – Olive-throated Parakeet
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #633 Olive-throated Parakeet - Lifer 632 – White-fronted Parrot
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #632 White-fronted Parrot - Lifer 631 – Lineated Woodpecker
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #631 Lineated Woodpecker - Lifer 630 – Yucatan Woodpecker
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #630 Yucatan Woodpecker - Lifer 629 – Keel-billed Toucan
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #629 Keel-billed Toucan - Lifer 628 – Turquoise-browed Motmot
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #628 Turquoise-browed Motmot - Lifer 627 – White-bellied Emerald
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #627 White-bellied Emerald - Lifer 626 – Wedge-tailed Sabrewing
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #626 Wedge-tailed Sabrewing - Lifer 624 – Ruddy Ground Dove
Sixty Seconds of Science – Lifer #624 Ruddy Ground Dove