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ABA Big Year 2017 (1 Viewer)

Time for an update, I think. Dusky Thrush and Thick-billed Warbler are included.

Joe
 

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Also a Little Bunting on Gambell. Yve departed yesterday; she says she scored 9 new species for the year since arriving and is at 740 species.
Andy
 
Yve picked up the Swallow-tailed Gull (737 + 4).
In addition to the megas (one of which they found!), the Stolls also got Olive-backed Pipit, so they're at 736 + 3. They're staying up there; Yve is off to Hawaii!

Joe
 
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The Deans have graciously allowed me access to their lists, which have been added into my basic sheet. The "By Codes" sheet will have to wait for another day or so.
Gaylee Dean: 717+2
Richard Dean: 714+2

He has Ross's Gull; she doesn't.
She has Black Storm-Petrel, White-eared Hummingbird, Bahama Mockingbird & Golden-crowned Warbler.

Joe
 

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She'll be going back to Alaska, and then back to Hawaii, too. Looks like the boys may be doing well in Gambell. The Deans are in Maine cleaning up some of those birds. They perused my lists and realized they'd not entered Black-crested Titmouse into eBird, so they have 720 & 717.
Gaylee also noticed that I'd given Yve, Ruben & Victor Dusky Thrush instead of Dusky Warbler. All fixed now.

Joe
 
That's a risky strategy, no? I'd have thought it better to stay on the islands off Alaska at this peak season and leave Hawaii till (?) Novmeber.

Boy, it's hard to argue with you right about now, as Ruben & Victor picked up Willow Warbler, Wood Warbler & Siberian Rubythroat. And they already had Chiffchaff, which Yve needs. What none of us yet knows is how best to strategize Hawaii. We'll know a lot more at the end of this year, I think.

Ruben & Victor: 739+3
Yve: 737+4
Gaylee: 718+2
Richard: 715+2

Joe
 
On a trip to New England the Deans picked up Little Egret (Code 4) and Razorbill & Atlantic Puffin, making them the first birders to get all 491 Code 1 species in 2017. Kudos to them!

With the two Code 4s on Gambell (Common House-Martin & Siberian Accentor) for the Stolls, here's where we're at:

Ruben & Victor: 741+3
Yve: 737+4
Gaylee: 721+2
Richard: 718+2

Joe
 
Ruben and Victor picked up their lifer Ancient Murrelet on Gambell (742+3). They say the weather is about to turn in their favor.
With their Hawaiian birds (who knows what will actually end up counting...) they've hit 800 for the year.

Joe
 
Ruben and Victor picked up their lifer Ancient Murrelet on Gambell (742+3). They say the weather is about to turn in their favor.
With their Hawaiian birds (who knows what will actually end up counting...) they've hit 800 for the year.

Joe

Joe

Really appreciating the updates.

What's your 'feel' for this year's efforts? On a like for like basis just behind last year's mammoth tallies but will end up third, fourth and fifth highest of all time?

All the best
 
My feeling is that I don't quite know what to feel. From a Continental Big Year standpoint, yes, I think Yve, Ruben & Victor will easily clear 750. But this is a different game now, and we don't even know the rules of the game. Yve will be the first birder to strategize Hawaii. Going there once (or twice, in Olaf's case) is different than what she'll be doing, and will likely be a starting point for Big Year birders in the future. Just the fact that she incorporated a Hawaiian pelagic (Juan Fernandez Petrel!) changes things.
Just as John, Olaf & Co. built off the experiences of Komito, Hayward, etc., the Hawaii component is a work in progress. Once we get an actual list birders will be able to strategize how best to pile up species. And good luck, ABA, with the whole code system, as that update alone would delay the heck out of the release. I'll be fascinated, I'm sure, when I first see the new list!
My gut feeling is that we'll end up keeping track of the 700 Club for Continental Big Year birders and the 800 Club for the New ABA. The kicker is that Hawaii is more economical than outer Alaska, with more birds, and, as Yve said, the chance to share a fun portion of your Big Year with your family.
I welcome other prognostications!

Joe
 
The Deans were on the San Diego pelagic on Sunday, which turned out to be pretty phenomenal!
Another provisional has been added to the year list: Nazca Booby!
They also got Ashy Storm-Petrel and Least Storm-Petrel, which both Gaylee and Richard needed, and Black Storm-Petrel, which Richard needed. There are still shared checklists out there, so we may not be finished!

Gaylee: 723+3
Richard: 721+3

Joe
 
My feeling is that I don't quite know what to feel. From a Continental Big Year standpoint, yes, I think Yve, Ruben & Victor will easily clear 750. But this is a different game now, and we don't even know the rules of the game. Yve will be the first birder to strategize Hawaii. Going there once (or twice, in Olaf's case) is different than what she'll be doing, and will likely be a starting point for Big Year birders in the future. Just the fact that she incorporated a Hawaiian pelagic (Juan Fernandez Petrel!) changes things.
Just as John, Olaf & Co. built off the experiences of Komito, Hayward, etc., the Hawaii component is a work in progress. Once we get an actual list birders will be able to strategize how best to pile up species. And good luck, ABA, with the whole code system, as that update alone would delay the heck out of the release. I'll be fascinated, I'm sure, when I first see the new list!
My gut feeling is that we'll end up keeping track of the 700 Club for Continental Big Year birders and the 800 Club for the New ABA. The kicker is that Hawaii is more economical than outer Alaska, with more birds, and, as Yve said, the chance to share a fun portion of your Big Year with your family.
I welcome other prognostications!

Joe

Yeah my sense is that it will take a few years before a solid "Hawaii Strategy" is produced in reintergrated into the ABA big year. There is still a lot we don't know about the best way to tackle Hawaiian pelagics, and what time of years work best to both maximize new birds while not interfering with continental chasing. And as more birding happens in Hawaii, new opportunities might open up (I still expect some sort of company to offer up a birding expedition in the nearish future to hit up the NW islands, at least the ones which are visit able)
 
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