It is fun to go back & see the different notations over the years, and where I was on May 27, 1994. Backyard, Cassin's Kingbird.

I keep both checklists and separate lists in the order I found them with date and location.

I keep checklists for every state (since I like to travel, and I've lived in a number of states), but only detailed lists for a few of the more important states and my life list. Excel keeps my running totals. Excel makes it simple and I spend very little time on the lists.

You can Google up the checklists to put on the spreadsheet.

but making notes in the field guide can be very helpful.

I keep my notes in the field guide and on the computer.

I like the spreadsheet idea too. I could go through my field guide and maybe make categories (water related birds, songbirds, birds that hang out on the ground mostly, or just copy the way they have it in my field guide). Then again, what you are saying would make more sense. Just use the Field guide. I had better do something while the eastern towhee dates are fresh in my mind. I'll forget those dates. I won't forget where I saw a bird, but I can't keep dates in my head to save me.

you should check out ebird.com. Not only does it keep track of all that stuff for you, but it's SCIENCE.

And that's cause for concern.

and there's always eBird, which is a good way to contribute to citizen science while managing your checklists. There are some things about it that are quirky in terms of listing (at least to me) - such as it doesn't seem to distinguish if a bird is acceptable on a state list. I've told the Ohio reviewers for eBird not to expect any Trumpeter Swan reports from me, since the bird is not on our state list as an introduced species and I don't want my personal state list count to be screwed up. Same thing with ABA (American Birding Association) area list - I have to mentally subtract a couple of birds I saw in Florida that are on the state list but not on the ABA list.

I suspect you aren't at that level of listing yet!

Field Guide to the Birds of North America? That is the field guide I use most. I used to have another one that had a section in the back to write notes, but we lost that one when we moved and lost a bunch of stuff.

and large blank spaces to write your notes on when you saw the bird, etc.

http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/product/books/animals-and-nature/animals-and-wildlife/national-geographic-birder%27s-journal