NOTE: The route is currently subject to massive change in the coming days as I sort out the situation with my car repair. I will update this page once I have a better idea of what’s going to happen, but for the time being that’s very up in the air.
Details TBA!
My third visit to New Mexico will primarily be focused around the root canal I will be getting done on the afternoon of the 17th, but I plan to get some birding including possible another visit to Sandia Crest!
Details TBA!
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During my return visit through Arkansas I will primarily be spending time in the north of the state, with at least one full day and probably an additional morning being spent in the NW corner!
Details TBA!
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(Subject to change — Here is a LINK to the most up-to-date plans!)
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/310370.
I kicked off my year with a Pima county Big Day with Timothy Burkhardt, during which we managed 112 species (106 in Pima). On the second I met up with Ken Blankenship of East West Birding Tours for a day of target-birding around Cochise County, and after parting ways with Ken headed into the Chiricahua Mountains. After camping in the mountains I headed down on the evening of the third, visiting the famous George Walker House and the “open yard” feeder setups in the Portal area. I then headed back northwest through Tucson towards Phoenix, where I met with Gordon Karre the morning of the fourth to bird around the Phoenix area.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/310372
New Mexico will likely prove to have been one of my most unique states to visit due to the fact that, unlike with every other state, I was fairly centralized in one area and my primary focus wasn’t birding for much of my time in the state. During my time in The Land of Enchantment I did manage to get a good deal of birding in, but due to a family gathering in the Albuquerque area a significant portion of my attention was dedicated to non-birding matters. Regardless, the time I did spend birding was exceptional, and I remain absolute in my stance that New Mexico is one of the best states for birding in the United States, and I look forward to spending more time here in the future as Albuquerque will likely be my home one this adventure reaches it’s end.
I spent most of my time in the state birding with my dad, Daryl Bernard, but on my last day in the state met up with the Mesilla Valley Audubon Society and birded with Elaine Stachera Simon, Jonathon Brooks, Dana Parsons, and Marsha Corl in the Las Cruces area.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/310374
My time in the Lone Star state left me with one clear impression: I need to spend more time in here. I started of my time in Texas with a morning of birding with Star Estrella of Siempre Birds and John Groves at Keystone Heritage Park in El Paso, Texas on the 12th.
From there I headed down to Big Bend National Park, spending the nights of the 12th and 13th in the Cottonwood Campground, and spending the day of 13th birding several trails. One day in Big Bend was not sufficient to cover even a fraction of a percentage of the titan that is the 7th largest National Park in the Lower-48, but regardless on the 14th I departed Big Bend to make my way towards the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
En route to The Valley I met up with Troy Hibbits in Brackettville, and then in the LRGV I spent the morning of the 15th meeting up with Bill Sain and eight others at Estero Llano State Park for their morning bird walk. In the evening, after spending some time birding around the area solo, I met up with Tom Forwood Jr, the superintendent of Bentsen Rio Grande State Park, and he invited me to spend the night at his house.
On the 16th I spent pretty much the entire day birding with Simon Kiacz and 22 others at Santa Margarita Ranch, where in the morning I joined a group led by Simon for the Brown Jay tour, and in the evening I returned for another tour led by Simon and his fellow SMR guide Zach Johnson for the Mottled Owl tour.
Finally on the 17th I joined Captain Tommy aboard The Skimmer for the Rockport Whooping Crane Tours, and after an exciting four-hour tour of Aransas NWR I followed the gulf coast northeast towards Louisiana, ending my time in Texas
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/321542
My four days in southern Louisiana were an action-packed time, with the first day (primarily in Cameron Parish) being the highest species total day I have had all year! I started my time in Cameron Parish, where on the 18th after a full day of birding I joined Jonathan Lueck for a Yellow Rail banding session. On the 19th I headed farther north into more west-central Louisiana in search of Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Bachman’s Sparrow, the latter of which I was successful in tracking down (but no luck on the woodpecker).
On the 19th in Acadia Parish I had more shorebirds than I have probably ever had in a single day before in my life, and then I worked my way towards southeast Louisiana where on the 20th my birding was hampered somewhat by a historic-level snowstorm that hit much of the south.
I will return to Louisiana briefly for one day of birding in northern Louisiana, in between my time in northern Mississippi and Arkansas.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/323272
My three days in southern Mississippi contained the least travel of any state so far, but they were still some solid days of birding.
On the 22nd I continued to deal with the ramifications of the snowstorm, the severity of which this region of the country has little infrastructure in place to deal with, as it was somewhere between a generational and historical event.
On the 23rd, thanks to intel provided to me by Collin Stempien, I was able to finally track down not just my Lifer Red-cockaded Woodpecker, but a total of 11 of them! On the 24th I met up with Collin and a few other birders for an Audubon Coastal Bird Survey, and after parting ways with him managed to track down enough birds to hit the 100-mark.
Finally on the 24th I joined up with dozens of other birders for the Mississippi Audubon’s trip to the Seaman Rd Sewage Lagoons, and after the morning at the wastewater facility I departed Mississippi for Alabama.
I will return to Mississippi for two days, February 11th and 12th, during which time I will bird in the northern part of the state as I work my way westwards from Alabama to Louisiana.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/324222
The bulk of my first visit to Alabama was spent on Dauphin Island birding with Andrew Haffenden, Cynthia Freeman, and Michele Steber. While on the island I picked up my Lifer Northern Gannet and Seaside Sparrow.
On the morning of 25th I stopped at the feeders of Eva and Michael in the Foley area, at which they were hosting a boatload of incredible birds including Painted Bunting, Indigo Bunting, Dickcissel, Baltimore Oriole, Bullock’s Oriole, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, and Scaly-breasted Munia – the last of which was a Lifer.
I will return to Alabama on the 9th, 10th, and morning of the 11th, during which time I will bird in the northern part of the state as I work my way westwards from Georgia to Mississippi.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/325016
My tour of Florida began at St Marks NWR, after which worked my way first down the coast and then east across the state, stopping at Fort De Soto, The Celery Fields, Oscar Scherer State Park, Torry Island, and Peaceful Waters Sanctuary along the way.
The 29th and 30th were spent birding with Gavin Awerbuch, first spending the 29th in the Miami-Dade area and then the 30th up near Merritt Island. In Miami we picked up loads of the local naturalized/naturalizing birds and made a stop by the legendary feeders of Larry Manfredi for his resident Shiny Cowbirds. On the 30th we met up with Avery Chan for a day of rarity chasing, picking up Glaucous Gull and American Flamingo but dipping on Black-headed Gull at the Cocoa Landfill.
On the 31st I birded my way north towards the Orlando area, where I would spend February 1st birding with Alex Marine in the Osceola County area and then the 2nd birding with Avery in the Seminole County area. Avery and I kicked off the second with a successful chase of a 10th Florida record Western Flycatcher, during which we were joined by Alex Barath. After getting the flycatcher we dipped on a continuing Western Tanager but still had a great day of birding.
On the third I made my way north towards Georgia, first stopping at my Aunt Kristi’s winter rental in Palm Coast for some socializing before trying for (and dipping on) Saltmarsh Sparrow near Huguenot Memorial Park. At Huguenot I picked up another continuing Glaucous Gull as well as a bunch of shorebirds including highlights in Wilson’s Plover, Red Knot, and Purple Sandpiper. Also at Huguenot I would spend about an hour with local birder Jessica Dyszel as we unsuccessfully searched for a continuing Black-legged Kittiwake.
It is probable I will return to Florida sometime in December, though I have no definite plans to do so as of now.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/327532
My time in Georgia could generally be split into two categories: on the 4th and 5th I birded my way up the coast, and on the 6th-8th I birded around the Athens area.
After entering the state I birded first at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge before heading to the coast, where I birded my way north hitting sites such as Jekyll Island, Saint Simons Island, Altamaha Wildlife Management Area, Tybee Island, and Fort Pulaski over the course of the 4th and 5th. During this stretch much effort was made to try got Saltmarsh Sparrow, which I eventually managed to track down along the causeway to Fort Pulaski.
Then on the 6th in the Athens area I met with local UGA student and birder Phillip Salzinger, spending a morning birding around town with him and then parting ways and doing a loop through farm country south of town before eventually meeting up with Patrick Maurice just east of Athens to try for American Woodcock. The next morning I met with Patrick again for a morning of birding locally. On the 8th I joined Gale Athans, Cassie Sweetland, Jasper Cuomo, and Nicholas Pautler of the UGA Birding Club for their visit to the Clayton Co. Water Authority’s Natural Treatment Systems Site, where we were joined by a large group of birders from Georgia Tech led by Ewan Pritchard as well as a handful of locals. This trip was guided by the CCWA’s Senior Conservationist Danielle Bunch.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/329516
My second visit to Alabama brought me through the northern parts of the state and was relatively light birding, with mostly just a few stops in the morning and then the afternoons spent working on my blog or planning for states yet to come.
On the 9th I visited Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, but unfortunately dipped on the wintering flock(s) of Sandhill Cranes, picking up only a single pair. On the 10th I spent the morning birding through the Bankhead National Forest stopping at a handful of spots.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/329529
Much like my second visit to Alabama, my time in Mississippi was spent birding only casually, especially so in MS due to the fact that it rained nonstop for pretty much the entirety of my time in the state.
On both the 11th and 12th I made visits to a number of different Wastewater Treatment Plants in the northern parts of the state as I worked my way west, and on the morning of the 12th I spent some time birding at Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/329530
My return visit to Louisiana was spent in the northern parts of the state, with visits to Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge on the morning of the 13th and then a morning at Briarwood: Caroline Dormon Nature Preserve where I met the curator Bayli Brossette and spent a few hours exploring the fantastic property.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/331098
My two and a half days in Arkansas were spent working my way north and west through the state with a particular focus on locating waterfowl.
On the 14th I visited Moro Bay State Park, where I both picked up loads of Woodpeckers as well as the “Nuthatch Sweep” of Red-breasted, White-breasted, and Brown-headed Nuthatch!
On the 15th I followed the advice of Patty McLean, visiting such sites as Lake Saracen, Lake Maumelle, Lollie Bottoms, and Willow Bend Drive. The next morning on the 16th I met Matt Matlock at Atkins Bottoms where we racked up an impressive list including Merlin, Western Meadowlark, Lapland Longspur, and loads of ducks and other birds. We then met up with Patty and Michael Linz at Lake Dardanelle, then Matt and I parted ways with them an headed to Sharp Chapel Road to end the day.
I will return to Arkansas for three days in late March, during which time my focus will primarily be in the northwest corner of the state.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/332468
My time in Oklahoma was cut short by a major winter storm that forced me to head west into New Mexico in search of temperatures that wouldn’t be likely to see me freezing to death in my sleep, but despite the accelerated timetable my birding in Oklahoma was nothing short of spectacular.
Particularly, on the 17th, I visited the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, where along the Wildlife Drive I had an outstanding morning, with 80 species there alone. I ended the 17th with 99 species, a number which I would only increase to 104 over the next two days thanks to the aforementioned winter storm.
I will return to Oklahoma for two days in late March, during which time my efforts will be primarily focused around the Tulsa area.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/333710
This brief visit to New Mexico wasn’t particularly birding-focused, with my main attention being instead on the dentist appointment that drew me to the state to begin with. That said, I did have some great birds while east of Albuquerque in the Moriarty area on the 20th.
The 21st was primarily just spent driving west through the state and into Arizona.
I will return to Albuquerque again in mid March for a follow-up dentist appointment and root canal, after which I am unlikely to return to the state until around late November.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/334471
My time in Arizona on this second visit was originally intended to be three days instead of half of one, but I made the decision to accelerate it in order to add a day each to Utah and Colorado – though future events would change those plans again. I only really made one stop in Arizona, that being at Picture Canyon, where I picked up my Lifer Pacific Wren.
I am certainly going to spend more time in Arizona come late November.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/334475
My first visit to Nevada was spent entirely around the Las Vegas area in Clark County, which proved to be a remarkably birdy area. Visits to places like the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, Clark County Wetlands Park, Lake Mead, and the Spring Mountains made the trip a fantastic one.
I will pass through Nevada again, this time in the northern parts of the state, in early March after I finish birding California.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/335472
Details TBA.
eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/337636
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eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/337942
Details TBA.
First and foremost - thank you to anyone who chooses to support me in this insane adventure of mine. When I initially had this idea and began planning I didn't even consider the possibility that others would want to support me, but I am extremely grateful to those who have reached out to do so. For those who are interested in supporting me, I have set up a Patreon, which can be accessed by clicking the logo to the left (or you can send me a message via the contact page). Again, thank you for your incredibly generous support!
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Thank you again to those of you who have supported me so far, it's tremendously generous and greatly appreciated.
Follow me on my journey to see 100 species in every Lower-48 State during 2025, experience some of the incredible places and events in American birding, and meet and bird with as many local birders as possible along the way.
Posts will be made every Wednesday (I will try to have them out by 5pm, but situationally they might be a bit later) and will cover the previous Monday through Sunday. Additional posts will be made periodically with no set schedule.
