Guiding statistics

As a fun year-end post, I though I would write about what my year working as a bird guide entailed.

In 2007 I took 56 flights, visiting 24 different airports. I visited 10 countries (not counting layovers in Dubai and Addis Ababa) on 5 continents. June was the only month in which I didn't fly and the only month spent entirely in one country (South Africa). I saw 1464 species of birds. I guided 95 paying participants (including 57 in three weeks at the American Birding Association international conference in Ecuador) on a total of 139 days in five countries. Tips accounted for 13% of my total year's income and were received in three different currencies. Between 8 November and 19 December I drove 13,800km (or about 8550 miles, greater than the distance from New York to Los Angeles, back to NY, and back again to LA).

What will 2008 bring?