I have a veritable pod of white whales, but probably the most frustrating was Philothamnus semivariegatus, spotted bush snake. So elegant, charming, delicate, and so so common. Yet despite visiting their habitat in good conditions several times, I’ve never seen one!
Non-wildlife friends have, and I did once find a road-kill cousin of theirs, but no luck…
An experienced friend offered consolation by saying that they’re very sporadic, suddenly they’re everywhere and then suddenly they’re nowhere, but I think those were just kind words…
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Best of luck to you! Hoary’s were on my list, too, until we finally nabbed one during Bat netting at my state park about a month ago. The bat biologist I was working with was so thrilled that she let out this adorable little “Squeeee”! When she saw it in the net.
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Most recently for me was the South Polar Skua. I missed them on two pelagic trips prior, where they were seen, but no one said anything. I went on a trip this year, and apparently the last seven trips prior all had them. There were two on that trip, and I missed the first one, and barely got the second one. Hopefully I can get a better picture of one in the future, but I can at least finally say I got it.
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SPS can be tough. I’ve had lots of luck with them on pelagics. I even saw one the last time I went on a summer boat out to the Farallones to view the Tufted Puffins.
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There are many, of which many will remain unseen by me.
Anyway, few days ago I have had the chance to see one of them, Erigeron floribundus. I was pretty sure it would be present in my region. I have read that for some authors it was not even a really independent species. I stumbled upon it just for chance and I can say that for me it is pretty distinct from other species. I am still excited for this finding.
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Maybe Anax ephippiger, a species that is only considered a vagrant in China. To be honest it is just a matter of luck. Months ago I spotted a individual in Xinjiang Uygur.
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Once I heard this beautiful bird, I couldn’t figure out what kind it was, I can’t even describe what it sounded like it was an eerie kind of almost robotic call.
I looked and looked up in the tree but could never see it in the dense canopy of the Norway maple.
I tried asking Gram who was an avid birder, she couldn’t figure it out.
Years later I finally saw the mystical bird…
It was a blue jay 
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My actual white whale was seeing a lady slipper in real life and in the wild specifically.
Orchids have been my absolute favorite flower since I was very young. So learning that there were native orchids here in the US (I’m from the Dominican Republic but am a naturalized citizen here in the US now) I was dying to see them in real life.
I thought I could only find it in faraway places and the coordinates of observations were obscure enough that no way could I figure it out.
Well one day we were hiking on a trail not far from where I live. Gorgeous trail, not a single invasive in sight, rocky upland habitat. I’m hiking up a steep slope looking at all the plants of course when I see the unmistakable spent leaves of what I know us a lady slipper so I vowed myself that the following year I could come back early in the spring to see it blooming!
Well I did go back, went back to that steep slope and there it was. But unfortunately it was not blooming yet, just budding. So I moved on, half satisfied.
Later that day I posted some pictures of the the beautiful trail and someone in that local FB group, who I had bumped into at the start of my hike, asked if I got to see the lady slippers that were blooming! (She had posted a picture of them) 
There was a larger population of them on a different trail that I totally missed.
Alas…next year.
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Ever since learning about Quercus bicolor’s rarity in my home province of Québec, I have wanted to observe one in the wild. The first specimen I encountered (in a golf course) was obviously planted. The second was not! I spent about 20 min marvelling at the tree and photographing it from as many angles as possible. Unfortunately it has yet to be confirmed as Q. bicolor by another user, so it could always turn out to be Q. macrocarpa, a much more common lookalike. On a foggier day, I observed another specimen by the Richelieu river and shared my discovery with the municipality where I found it, by email. See the corresponding observations here
My next targets are wild Quercus alba and Ulmus thomasii. Wish me luck!
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Mathieu,
With regard to urban biodiversity,
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/inaturalist-as-a-tool-for-urbanism/54502
I was at an urban ecology workshop in Calgary yesterday. The city mostly cares about pest management: beavers, coyotes, and geese.
It seems like Montreal (and surrounding districts like Beloeil) are a doing a lot more. That’s great!
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I LOVE magpies but have never seen one before! I travelled outside of my country, the US, for the first time last month, to Italy. I was looking and looking and looking during the whole trip. I was literally in Madrid Airport, 20 minutes before boarding, when I saw one right outside the window! I was so excited, but I definitely scared folks with my squeal and just randomly taking pictures of what appeared to be the support structures of the building.
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Probably Caretta caretta is my ‘white whale’. Since I was 6 I wanted to see those baby turtles emerging from the sand, and I was lucky to see lots of them in my first visit to Zakynthos island in Greece.
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Blue fin killifish. I live in Texas, so we don’t really have them. Went fishing in Houston, found some in a freaking PUBLIC PARK!!! Farthest west observations in Houston. I almost fainted. Seriously awesome!
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There’s a badger living on a small forested hill in the middle of my city - and I have never seen a wild badger. People keep posting pictures of it exiting the forest and strolling down the streets late at night. Whenever I’m out late I go to that hill now and try to spot it, without success so far. Badgers supposedly are active year round, so maybe once there’s snow I can find tracks.
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Been looking for rain beetles for like 7 years now - they only emerge after the first soaking rains of the year - and finally hit paydirt today!
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Congratulations!
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Very odd one, but I live somewhere where there are no crows. I don’t know why but they live everywhere around me just not near me. When I hear one in my local area I’m practically jumping for joy because of how rare they are. Incredible birds very smart and very funny, definitely moving somewhere where they live asap.
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For me, it’s the rubber boa —I’ve been on the lookout for one forever but haven’t had any luck yet! Every time I go out, I keep my eyes peeled, but it still eludes me.
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I have wanted to see an American Woodcock in the wild for so long now but they’re too well camouflaged on the forest floor. Then I see people taking videos of them dancing across the road and I get jealous.
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