I just got back from a trip to Australia and while scrolling through recent observations, I realized I completely missed the chance to see a Wombat!
This got me thinking - what are some species you’ve “missed” on your travels? Maybe you learned about them after returning home, or they were just out of reach during your visit?
320 replies: https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/anyone-else-miss-a-chance-to-document-a-truly-epic-observation/12069
I went to Kaua’i last July hoping to find some of the endemic birds in the mountains. After a four hour hike and four miles through the mountainous terrain, I only found one - this Apapane. Luckily, I get to go back for a second shot this coming July, hopefully I get to see some more!
I also missed seeing any exotic Erotylidae on my trip to Hong Kong last March…
Took a trip last year that included a visit to Sycamore Canyon in extreme southern AZ (near Nogales), primarily looking for odonates and herps. Did end up seeing some really cool stuff, but missed out on some of the ones I was hoping for as well, such as the Mayan Setwing, Straight-tipped Ringtail and Giant Darner (dragonflies) and the Thornscrub Vine Snake. I did end up finding a Giant Darner later on the same trip at a different place though
I’ve been to Kauai and Maui and I didn’t see the Akikiki on Kauai and now I never will. I also missed an opportunity to go into Haleakala with a mosquito abatement crew where the Akohekohe and Kiwikiu are still found. Hawaii makes me so sad to think about all that has been lost. It is going to be even worse because the current administration has cut most of the National Parks crews that works on mosquito abatement and invasive species removal. Without that staff these forests may well be hollowed out of the rare native species.
I had some big misses on my most recent Panama trip but the worst was a quick view of a Tamandua that I wasn’t able to photograph before it disappeared into the forest.
I don’t travel 
Our older son attended university in another country and so knowing I would travel for his commencement, I did not worry about taking photos of many things, including some plants about which I was curious.
Then the pandemic happened so I did not go and the commencement ended up being online anyway. (I have a screenshot of his name scrolling by, hahaha.)
Instead of my last exotic trip, what comes to mind is my first exotic trip: Costa Rica. We were split up into different groups walking different trails at La Selva, and as luck would have it, I was not in the group who saw the Violaceous Trogon.
Struck out on rock rattlers of all things on my trip to NM. Bummed me out.
During my last trip to South Florida last spring I learned about the white-crowned pigeon in the Florida Keys, but I never found any.
I think they can be hard to spot in the keys because of the dominance of denser habitat like mangrove and hammock. During the summer in Everglades National Park you can see dozens sometimes perched in trees along the road; I guess they just stand out more because of the open habitat.
I went to Aralam wildlife sanctuary back in jan for a migratory butterfly survey. While I got a heck ton of lifers, and one of the coolest experiences in my life, I missed seeing a really common bird: The pied Hornbill. I’m going back there this march for a bird survey (Yay!), so I hope I see one.
On my trip to Maui and O’ahu, I missed Maui 'Alauahio and O’ahu Elepaio, which had been recently reported at the locations where I went birding. 