2026 in the DMV (so far)
2025 was one of the least active birding years for me since I started birding, thanks to a mix of getting a dog, getting a real job, and traveling less for work than I had previously. Things have picked up again in 2026–I've already seen twice the number of species, and I'm well on track to resume my streak of years with 1,000+ species. Most of that, however, has been outside the US, on various work and personal trips. Birding at home in DC has been slower, mostly for the same reasons as last year. Slow enough, in fact, that it's easier to just summarize it in a brief-ish blog post covering the past 9 months or so rather than try and break it up. After getting back from the Philippines in November of last year, crappy winter weather and the end of migration meant that there was little to motivate me to do proper birding aside from my daily work commute/dog walking checklists. That continued until December 19, when a Greater White-fronted Goose was found near Hunting Cre...