I've made checkmarks on a copy of "99 Common Birds," our brochure listing the most expected species at the Wells Reserve, and although my Reserve bird list for 2006 contains 106 species, I only got 80 of the 99 "common" ones.

While I saw some tricky species — Snow Goose, Tricolored Heron, Laughing Gull, Fish Crow, Field Sparrow — I missed some that point to holes in my coverage and make me wonder if I simply forgot to write them down. How could I have missed Bufflehead, Broad-winged Hawk, Semipalmated Sandpiper, and American Redstart? By not being in the right place at the right time, I suppose.

I'll keep listing the birds I see at the Wells Reserve, where about 240 species have been recorded by scores of observers. By the end of 2007, I hope I can tally all 99 "common" birds and half again as many "less common" ones.

Weather permitting, I'll start my list on January 3 at 9 am. Join me?

UPDATE January 3: To the beach and back, an hour out, and 15 "common" species in the log.