From rarity finder, to rarity overlooker, and back!

My recent trip to Thailand was one of a number to take full advantage of ebird/citizen science data in compiling routes, places to visit, and target species. I have used the ebird target lists quite comprehensively to draw up a number of new species to look for, and often in the back of my mind was concerned that this approach is steering me away from other species in the area, but not on my target list. Perhaps not the best examples, but I headed to Pak Thale with Nordman's Greenshank, Long-toed Stint, and Far Eastern Curlew in mind, but the target species approach doesn't highlight that the area is also populated by Common Greenshank, Temmincks Stint, and Eurasian Curlew. Is there a danger of the target lists steering you towards seeing what you want to see?

In the opposite direction, the pitfalls can be even more dramatic if you are lucky enough to find a rare bird for the area.. is it even listed in the target list! So when I ended my trip, albeit fairly shattered, patiently waiting for a Rail to emerge from reeds, and subsequently getting very nice pics, it was logged as slaty-breasted. "The only species found in the area!". The correct identity, or even the existence of Brown-cheeked Rail didn't even occur until some weeks later when my field guide fell open on the page, and the penny dropped.
This error was exacerbated by my field guide during the trip being a pdf format, and although convenient in some respects, was not used as much as it should, due to the difficulty in navigating and reading on a small screen.
So two lessons learnt for me:

1. The target lists although useful, should never drive your birding.

2. Apps or hard copies of field guides are fine, steer clear of the pdf or the unnavigable kindle version!

Brown-cheeked Rail