As some of you folks already know, I am also a birder ( I'm on the wrong side of the pond to call myself a twitcher). Currently, I have identified approximately 465 species, including the California Condor, which the AOU does not consider to be a "countable" bird. However, since it's my list, I make the rules. By far, the best find I've ever had was the only record of a
Buller's Shearwater in the North Atlantic. If you click on the range map on the above link, you will see a small dot near the coast of New Jersey. That represents the bird that I saw (along with about 50 others who saw and photographed it from the same boat). I live in a suburban area, but nonetheless, over the years, I have identified about 100 species in my yard, or flying over my yard, or within earshot of my yard. Most recent addition to my list was an Indigo Bunting. Not an unusual bird in fields and meadows near me, but never in my yard until about 2 weeks ago.