That was May. Month of months. As we pass into June we can forgive some of our northern beats if they take a few moments to savour the past few weeks. But the beats go on in Southern climes and our intrepid little-big-year beat, Tom enters Africa. No peace for the blessed (Are you all as impressed as I am that Tom is in Africa and still finding time to review photos, share checklists and write blog posts?). MORE

A big thank you goes out to Tristan, who demonstrated that at least one person reads this drivel. He pointed out that Illinois had been sadly neglected up to this point, so Redgannet made a special visit to Chicago to redress this oversight. Tom and Pat were toe to toe in Costa Rica , so the numbers from there outshone anything else on the list for November, with over 60% of the month’s total shared between them. 8 beats shared 126 checklists accounting for 704 species. MORE

So what do you want first? The numbers? The accolades? The lifers? December’s collaborative results also summarises the year’s efforts, so this is December 2018 and the rest of 2018 all rolled into one sentence. MORE

Is it wrong of me to go birding to get away from the kids now that they are at home all day? August is the make or break month for relationships. Can the whole family live together in harmony during the school holidays? Bravo if you have. Happy birding if you suddenly find yourself single. This month has been a slow one with just 73 lists shared, but far more happy smiling kids on social media, so I guess it all comes out good in the end. 458 birds were seen by 7 beats in 8 countries. MORE

They were the latest of the more than 1,600 activists who have been killed in the Amazon since 1985, including Chico Mendes, the rubber-tapper and political organizer whose 1988 assassination The message couldn’t have been clearer. The activists were shot, execution style, on the same day in May 2011 that Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies passed a rewrite of the Forest Code, the law governing economic activity in the Amazon. MORE

In a month that contained the eBird Big Day , we can naturally expect that the beats have been racing about providing much fodder for the collaborative list. The two most prolific contributors, Pat and Tom, have been sharing their birding space in Costa Rica. Tom’s own list continues apace Those of us who have tried to do a big year know how tough it gets on the homeward stretch and will be rooting for him. It is also a month when the Law of Diminishing Returns over-took itself. MORE

The nights are drawing in and the mornings are cooler and noticeably damper. It’s September and time for birds to start their southerly journeys. The beats have been out to line their route and cheer them along, wishing them bon voyage and a safe return next spring. At the far ends of the world, our southern beats are poised to welcome them back. The migrants face many perils, hunters, predators, adverse weather conditions and lack of refueling opportunities due to habitat loss. MORE

Redgannet added another splash of colour to the collective profile by falling asleep on a boat and waking up in Uruguay , the 44th country to feature in the list. Corey smashed the world record for contributing to the list when he shared 29 lists in just 2 minutes. Redgannet retains the world record for staying up late to collate them. Tom barged us beyond the 30th incidence of Nelson. MORE

And so to summer. Traditionally, the slow season, but the beats have mopped their collective brow and outdone their previous efforts. The UK has been birded clean by Tom as he ends his Little Big Year (Part 1). Redgannet continues his quest to bring colour to the profile map (one pixel at a time), by visiting The Seychelles (this time, on purpose!). MORE

It’s all been happening this month. Just when we thought that the beats deserved a quiet month after the exertions of May, they came out with Bushnell’s blazing and gave June both barrels! Honduras , Malaysia and the southern-most bits of South Africa feature large this month with Mike, Duncan and Tom all vying to be MVB for June. Of course we all know it will be Pat… again… , but let them have their fun. MORE