Although you might feel like you have enough lists in your life, there is at least one type of list that gets more fun as it gets bigger – the life list. The life list is a simple tally of all the species a birder has seen in his or her lifetime. Keeping a life list, along with other important types of birding notes, can greatly enhance the birding experience. If you haven't already started your life list , then now is a great time to get started!

One does not normally expect to see owls during the daytime, and certainly not for an extended period of time, but Burrowing Owls are unique for many reasons, including their high level of activity during the daytime. Burrowing Owls are also more approachable than most terrestrial birds species, and thus are very photogenic –like the fledglings pictured to the right. Another interesting behavior is their ability to imitate a rattlesnake's rattle when disturbed in their nest burrows.

Photo © William C. Webb