Poor Performance on All American Life List

I received a bit of a surprise reading this blog entry originally published by National Wildlife. According to the ornithologists, there are a mere 15 species of birds unique to the continental United States. What stunned me is how few of them I have seen. Two were easy -- the Carolina Chickadee and Fish Crow. Both are quite common here. I've also found the Red Cockaded Woodpecker (in 2009) and the Florida Scrub Jay (I took this photo in 2007). But that's it--for me. I'm embarrassed to have missed the Seaside Sparrow, Bachmann's Sparrow, Saltmarsh Sharptailed Sparrow, and Boat Tailed Grackle, all which occur in North Carolina at some point in the year. I suppose I can be forgiven the McKay's Bunting for I have yet to see any part of Alaska, let alone its far west coast, as well as the Lesser Prairie Chicken, whose range is outside places I've had the opportunity to visit. Jury's out on the other five, all of which occur in states I've visited before (CA, CO.) So plainly I have work ahead if I expect to ever wrap up an All-American Life list. Heck, I have work to do on just the North Carolina list...