Happy new year!

Another year gone by, and I guess it's something of a tradition for me to write a new year's post! In 2013 one of Matt's goals was to find 50 new life birds, and I thought he was crazy. Well, he did it! (I think I fell just short, but wasn't really counting anyway). A trip to Hawaii, the West Coast and Arizona probably didn't hurt!

So that brings me to resolutions. I used to hate them but recently have embraced them in that they help me have direction and keep me on track. So I have a few birding goals for this year. Not resolutions per se, but things to work on:

1. Bird topography. After several years of birding I still can't tell a primary from a tertial (ok, as of two days ago I can). But knowing ALL of the parts of the bird should help me with tricky identifications. Sibley has some neat quizzes you can do covering all parts of the bird.
2. Bird calls. I am really, really bad at this. I plan to pay a little more attention to bird sounds and try to remember at least some of them. 
3. Shorebirds! I will do my best not to miss migration and start figuring these out!
4. Local birding. I'm becoming notorious for doing most of my birding away from home. I want to rediscover my local area. That's starting today! And I want to make sure I don't miss spring migration!
5. Target bird for the year? Just one: Tufted titmouse, because it's so cute, and I should be some places in their range. 

What about you? Have you made any birding resolutions, are do have goals you are working towards?

In other bits of randomness, someone posted this on Facebook the other day and I laughed because I thought, I would actually really love to play that!

If you don't get purchase the game, you can always play this alternative online: 
Cornell Bird Trivia Game. But then you don't get to play with someone else.

Also my in-laws gave me a cute little stuffed owl and a necklace with an owl on it at Christmas. Am I becoming the crazy bird lady already? :P
 
Happy birding in the New Year! I'm heading out today...can't wait to see what's out there!