Today marks my 18 years of working for Maine Audubon and another day with over 80 people on our bird walk! Birding has changed a lot and I love being a part of that growing community.

It’s #GlobalBigDay! We’ve dipped on owls at two stops in Portland but now we head north for dawn.

Day 2 of @maineaudubon.bsky.social’s Warbler Walks at @cityportland.bsky.social’s Evergreen Cemetery was hoppin! Huge push of birds (3 MILLION on BirdCast over Cumberland Co last night) brought in new warblers and warm weather had 80+ people out. Many thanks to @thebirdist.bsky.social for assisting!

Spring means the return of warblers and @princetonupress.bsky.social’s 50% Off Sale! Use code SPRING50 on almost everything published before 1 Jan 2026.

Here’s one for the eBird nerds. Warning, I say “hotspot” 68 times in this video. eBird adds Hotspot About & Groups Features youtu.be/EKOkjNeHP3g

I’ve got a new video up about AI generated birds! I do rant a bit, but it’s alarming how much this slop is becoming a problem, certainly worse than I realized before researching this. [These] Birds Aren't Real youtu.be/wdK-bI61Mhs

🙌🙌🙌

Picked up two(!!) ticks for my Gilsland Farm list this morning; challenging after 12+ years of leading weekly walks there. Long-tailed Duck (#237) was my most overdue, then Horned Grebe (#238) was right after. The incoming tide and spring ‘urge’ must’ve helped push them up.

Working on recording more species in Maine this year, and happy to get these local Bohemian Waxwings before they head north. 164/200 (getting to 200 species is my goal)

lol apparently he’s trolling. Which is fantastic.

I always thought putting company names in usernames was a little cringey, but I respect the hustle. Putting “Your Ad Here” is… something else.

Can’t not eBird it…

Two years since starting my channel making “niche birding video”. I thought I’d share some metrics but mostly want to thank you all for watching, commenting, and/or subscribing!

eBird Updates You Might Have Missed youtu.be/UJLPzhmh8Ss

Many thanks to everyone on here helping me reach these milestones! More “niche birding videos” coming soon! Get subscribed at: youtube.com/@dhitchcox

This is going to be a really fun review. I’m leading a Jamaica tour next month, and will shoot a lot of content there, but stay tuned for a *deep* dive.

I went out to record a displaying flock of Barrow’s Goldeneyes off Harpswell, Maine today. Tough conditions with cars and distance but got one of the few recordings of this species in the east, and first for Maine (in the Macaulay Library): ebird.org/checklist/S2...

I’ve got a new video up: “[A] Birder's Take on All the Mammals of the World.” I hope this helps you decide if you should add it to your bookshelf! tldr: Lynx doesn’t miss. youtu.be/Ien8-7oq7sA

Just got my #eBirdRecounted2025 and for sharing 73% of lists submitted in 2025, I birded like a Guira Cuckoo 😆

All the Mammals of the World has been out for a couple of years, but as I’m finally adding it to my library, would anyone be interested in a review video?

My “Birding Basics” online courses for @maineaudubon.bsky.social start tomorrow night! Each Tuesday, 6:30-8PM. These are free and recorded. Sign up at: maineaudubon.org/events/birdi...

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker will return in Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

I added three birds to my Maine list in 2025. Not bad, especially in a year with no state firsts. A 1-day Snowy Plover was a tough dip, but missing Bridled Tern by 15 minutes was brutal (appeared just after our boat left). BRBO and ANMU were reported but not chaseable. What will 2026 bring?

Birding had a Moment in 2025 youtu.be/d-fFWTNwv4M

Hit a couple fun milestones for my YouTube channel this week!

In the last 20 years, Maine has added 55 new birds to the state list. Despite the 2.75 bird/year average, 2020 and [apparently] 2025 had no new species. Here’s hoping 2026 keeps that average up, or that I get to update this post in the next two weeks 🤞😆

Day 2 of the Christmas Bird Count has me seawatching from the Nubble Lighthouse. 14°F with a 19mph NW wind 🥶

The Christmas Bird Counts start tomorrow so I made a quick video with tips for eBirding yours CBCs! 5 Tips for eBirding during Christmas Bird Counts youtu.be/CB_JRCuKdqI

We have spaces open on our Jamaica tour in March! The birds are a big selling point but bringing more ecotourism as they recover from Hurricane Melissa is really important. “If you want to support us, visit us.” -Jamaican tourism officials fieldguides.com/jamaica-2026-with-maine-audubon/

Amazonian Umbrellabird and an umbrella birder. It was a very wet day but we still picked up a bunch of new birds in the foothills on @maineaudubon.bsky.social‘s Ecuador tour.

We saw a SPECTACLED BEAR on day 1 of @maineaudubon.bsky.social’s tour in Ecuador!! I can not express how amazing this was, amongst a day of incredible birding (including Andean Condor sightings) around Antisana Reserve.

This feels mandatory

Big day for Patch birding! Started the day with Turkey Vulture as my 259th species on Monhegan Island. Ended with Harlequin Duck at Gilsland Farm as my 235th there.

Congrats to Noah and Stacey for breaking the Maine Big Year Record! Now at 323, they’ve got 54 days to set that bar as high as they can.

Picked all these up for only $75

I’m one month away from heading to Ecuador and just learned a Black-breasted Puffleg is coming to a feeder super close to where we’re going on day 1. The last one there (in 2023) also showed up in October and lingered through December. 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

Me: I’m done buying books. Lynx: We have a special offer 🫦 😫💸🐢🐊📕

Wake up babe, it’s the eBird update we’ve been waiting for!

I haven’t watched Adventures in Love & Birding yet, and I’m sure it’s cringy, but the cringier thing to me is every review calling out this guy for using porro prism binoculars as a guide. Stop the gear-shaming, birders. Alright, ima go watch Listers for the tenth time instead.

Annual reminder of the best sale in bird books! Not many new titles since last year but there’s a few I’m excited to finally get. press.princeton.edu/sale/70-off

Iceland is on a hot streak!! 🔥 Huge congrats to Björn Arnarson for the new finds!

Black-throated Gray Warbler is my 415th Maine bird, on Monhegan Island today.

I don’t think eBay knows what’s “similar” to the Annotated Checklist of Maine Birds by Peter Vickery, 1978

One of many highlights during @maineaudubon.bsky.social’s Borestone Naturalist Weekend was this family of River Otters on Sunset Pond, viewed from the porch of the lodge!

New video up on a bird you’ve probably seen me post about. 💀 Years of Searching for One Nemesis Bird... youtu.be/eC7deEqNwTE

We looked closely for Scopoli’s Shearwaters on the Cashes Ledge (Maine) trip on Saturday, but couldn’t find any. Here’s a fun composite of a Cory’s banking, showing how dark (or light) p10 can look as the sun hits it.

New video up about my thoughts on the “best” field guide, and a teaser of what may take the top spot next! The BEST Birding Field Guide is... youtu.be/hN7926wHsLk

OMFG. FINALLY! 8th attempt this year paid off with Tufted Puffin as #414 on my Maine list.

Earlier this week, the eBird app updated to automatically estimate your unique distance traveled. If you know: Rejoice! If you don’t know: Watch this video: eBird Tracks update solves BIGGEST problem youtu.be/CwwGhAesbpA

Sandhill Crane was a nice rarity for Washington County during the Downeast Birding Festival last weekend.