Sure! I keep an overall life list, a county life list, a state life list, and year lists for my county and state. I also keep a life yard list. I try to get over 200 or more species in my county in a year. Last year (2018) I managed 207. My highest was 215 in 2013.

I keep a life list, a yard list and a list of birds seen outside the ABA listing area (Just a trip Costa Rica for that one). I've moved a few times since I began birding, so have started new yard lists with each move.

I'm a bit curious how you have 25 sightings for 2020 already!

25 species separated by general location: 9 species (includes some water birds) at local city park with approx. 2 acre lake, 11 species viewed in backyard at feeder or pecking around in the fallen leaves, 1 species (American White Pelican) at large in-town lake, 1 species (American Crow) noted at numerous places around town, and 3 species seen while driving local road (Red-tailed hawk as well as both species of local vultures. I just make a little notation in the small notebook I carry almost everywhere and then add the proper name when I get back to my desk at home.

Other than a very few winter visitors on the list (4), the birds I've seen so far are all local year round residents. Even that four may be year round but just don't inhabit the areas I frequent. At certain times of year, I also tend to visit local habitats where I can do a quick drive by just to check on some species that I may have seen there before. Have a different very large acreage "park" close by but am no longer able to walk the distances to get down into that park where the really "good" birds hang out, mainly the woodpeckers, flickers and seasonal waterfowl that are be harder to see/find in town. Being on the edge of town and more or less surrounded on several sides by what is basically wooded areas and pasture land also helps.

Although I've always had a bird feeder of some type, I really didn't get interested in naming them until my photography habit got almost embarrassing due the amount of gear that I had accumulated but wasn't really using to it's best advantage. Also after retiring several years ago, the process gave me something else to look forward to instead of just taking more images of even more bugs and flower parts.

It sounds as if you are in a nice area for seeing many species of birds, TXSkeeter. Texas is loaded with birding hotspots. But what I meant was, most of the rest of us birders are just beginning lists for 2019.... ;)

I have never made a list. I remember getting the Birds of North America book when I was a kid. It has little boxes you can check off next to the species. I started checking them and then just never kept up with it. But I admire those of you who do!

Oh geeze guys, I know that it's Wednesday but I have to remember what year it is too? And where I live? And the names of all my grandbrats? And all that other stuff? On the other hand, thanks for the correction. ;o)

Alas, it appears that I have passed the allotted time for editing the year to 2019.

I don't make my own lists of birds I see, but I've been participating in Project Feeder Watch and the Great Backyard Bird Count for years, submitting regular bird counts online. I count in my yard for PFW and in nearby sites for GBBC.

You can submit counts anywhere in the world to eBird.

The nice thing about this is that PFW and eBird remember my counts and have them nicely organized into local lists and life lists so I can always find the data if I want it.

PFW is ongoing each year from November to April and the next GBBC is February 15 - 18, 2019. Yet another reason to participate in Citizen Science programs.

Claire