Jon Turner
Well-known member
Added Egyptian Nightjar to the earlier Dupont's Lark yesterday.
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2017 Western Palearctic Big Year (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter JeroenVanheuverswyn
- Start date
Paul Chapman
Well-known member
So down to Andalusian Hemipode (Small Buttonquail) and Atlas Flycatcher and they will have seen all of the main targets for Morocco. A remarkable achievement. They should have plenty of time for those - though seeing the first some have found very tough.
Egypt looks very tight with fourteen days and 21 critical targets:-
Pink-backed Pelican
Yellow Bittern
Goliath Heron
Yellow-billed Stork
Yellow-billed Kite
Lappet-faced Vulture
Verreaux's Eagle (extinct?)
Sooty Falcon
African Swamphen
Greater Painted Snipe
Senegal Thick-knee
Kittlitz's Plover
Three-banded Plover
Sooty Gull
Saunders's Tern
African Skimmer
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
Senegal Coucal
African Pied Wagtail
Nike Valley Sunbird
Streaked Weaver
All the best
Egypt looks very tight with fourteen days and 21 critical targets:-
Pink-backed Pelican
Yellow Bittern
Goliath Heron
Yellow-billed Stork
Yellow-billed Kite
Lappet-faced Vulture
Verreaux's Eagle (extinct?)
Sooty Falcon
African Swamphen
Greater Painted Snipe
Senegal Thick-knee
Kittlitz's Plover
Three-banded Plover
Sooty Gull
Saunders's Tern
African Skimmer
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
Senegal Coucal
African Pied Wagtail
Nike Valley Sunbird
Streaked Weaver
All the best
Jon Turner
Well-known member
Looks like a fast mover, so will need to be on their toes! :-O
dantheman
Bah humbug
Adidas a mistake presumably?
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
Due to a failure of Hi-tec systems.
Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
Yes - when that gets removed it'll be interesting to see what the new balance is.
I have now found a few photos with thigh patches - so now not sure what to make of it.
I was also struck by the extend of the filoplumes on the head of the in focus bird. Although typical of carbo forms - I cant find any other photos of lucidus with this feature.
They were heading back north last night - so presumably in the Atlas for the flycatcher this morning.
I agree, Egypt looks tight - I wonder if they are considering cutting Morocco short and going there early.
dantheman
Bah humbug
Well Collins says they have thigh patches ...
The whole point is that Collins doesn't separate between moroccanus and lucidus. With the IOC decision to split P carbo moroccanus from P lucidus into two species, causes problems with the same illustration and definition for both.
Would it have been alot simpler (maybe) if moroccanus would have been a subspecies of ludicus?
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
So does HBW. But always the risk that artwork has added an assumed thigh patch that isn't there in reality. Like Muppit, most of the pics I looked at don't show any thigh patch, but the one I linked to above clearly does.
Absolutely, definitely, totally, yes . . . . since it would get me a new armchair tick o
3
flownek
Registered Loser
I wonder why they didn't go for the African Swamphen at Yeroham Lake in Israel, which is very easy to see. And they must have passed through Yeroham several times.
Or maybe African Swamphen is not a valid species according to the classification they use?
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
It is a valid IOC species, so yes, they should have gone for it!
This was a point I made when they were in Israel, but having done the trip many times driving myself - I know that the two main routes to Arava/Eilat either head via Dimona or Mitzpe Ramon. Neither go past Yeruham. It is actually a (small) diversion - which means you need to know it is there.
Usually during COTF there is a something good as well as the Swamphen to draw the crowds - it appears there wasn't this year (although read Barak Granit piece about the Gull billed tern/Great Bittern mix up).
Also it is not well known that these are African - most internet resource is pre split and doesn't clearly say.
It still should be easy in Egypt (famous last words)
Dortmundbirder
Well-known member
The Swamphen is easy in Egypt. A couple of targets should be fairly easy pickups. Senegal Thick Knee Nile Valley Sunbird and Sooty Gull for example. Others require more Work and luck.
flownek
Registered Loser
Talking about tight time schedules - Georgia looks a little bit tight, too. Two full days for Kazbegi (where I suppose they'll be going to) could be critical, especially since mid May Great Rosefinch and G's Redstart may already be back to the higher altitudes. So seeing these two species at this time of the year could require a long (but beautiful) hike and some perseverance.
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Selsey Birder
Well-known member
A question for those who have been following the totals reported on iGoTerra closely please.
After Mauritania the list stood at 528, now after adding Duponts and the Nightjar it stands at 529 so something has been removed.
I am keeping an excel document based on Paul's initial classification (with a few amendments as species are added, such as the much discussed Cormorant), so do not really wish to check all the way back to find the discrepancy!
Thank you.
Ian
Ps. It is not an addition from Mauritania, so it is further back - grrrrr
After Mauritania the list stood at 528, now after adding Duponts and the Nightjar it stands at 529 so something has been removed.
I am keeping an excel document based on Paul's initial classification (with a few amendments as species are added, such as the much discussed Cormorant), so do not really wish to check all the way back to find the discrepancy!
Thank you.
Ian
Ps. It is not an addition from Mauritania, so it is further back - grrrrr
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I'm working in Egypt at the moment and I hope they are aware of the access issues/ military permits required for large parts of the south now. Locals are suggesting they may have a hard time getting to sites without having permits before they arrive in the country. Plus many people have had their optics confiscated at the airport this year
Selsey Birder
Well-known member
Thank you Maffong, so it appears to be an "electronic" error rather than a deliberate removal (I will leave my document one ahead of them until they realise).
Ian
