Ya think?
Nowadays, surely, big years are a rich man's sport, like yacht racing or polo?
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Neil Hayward's ABA 2013 Big Year (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter brd
- Start date
Ya think?
Nowadays, surely, big years are a rich man's sport, like yacht racing or polo?
Mysticete
Well-known member
Newest update: Success on the Whiskered Auklet and Whooper Swan.
More intriguing...full details haven't come out yet, but it looks like they may have scored a first ABA record Sparrowhawk, although the ID sounds sketchy still.
Without the Accipiter, Neil is at 742 + 2, tied with John Vanderpoel who is 743+1. The Sparrowhawk might push him to 742 + 3, putting him in second place.
Hypothetically Neil needs only 4 more birds to take the ABA big year record!
More intriguing...full details haven't come out yet, but it looks like they may have scored a first ABA record Sparrowhawk, although the ID sounds sketchy still.
Without the Accipiter, Neil is at 742 + 2, tied with John Vanderpoel who is 743+1. The Sparrowhawk might push him to 742 + 3, putting him in second place.
Hypothetically Neil needs only 4 more birds to take the ABA big year record!
Reuven_M
Well-known member
Where are you getting these updates from? His blog has nothing since Texas.
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Could you post the link here? I'd be surprised if nobody on BF would venture an opinion!
John
owl flight
Well-known member
Doesn't seem to link to any mention of picture of the sparrowhawk
wimvdam
Well-known member
From linkedin.com: "Neil Hayward, Founder at Cambridge Blue Consulting, Greater Boston Area | Biotechnology". So that might explain things a bit.
I'm more impressed though with his energy and patience when chasing birds. He mentions only 6 (six!) "Chased and missed" birds for the whole year. I easily dip on more than that during a single weekend.
Wim
nmaplomado
Member
Link to the Accipiter photos can be found here: http://birding.aba.org/message.php?mesid=577364&MLID=AK01&MLNM=Alaska Birding
If the link provided in that listserv post doesn't work, remove the period after htm.
If the link provided in that listserv post doesn't work, remove the period after htm.
nmaplomado
Member
Adding a direct link to the photos themselves is probably easier: http://www.zbirdtours.com/photos/adak_accipiter.htm
lewis20126
Well-known member
looks like a Goshawk to me
cheers, a
cheers, a
Mysticete
Well-known member
The link above is to the fanpage I think, not the discussion group
try this:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ABAbirds/
Although Snowy Owl stuff has pushed the mention pretty far down the page
John Puschock posted pictures of the putative Eurasian Sparrowhawk here:
https://www.facebook.com/john.puschock/media_set?set=a.10151878478731312.1073741830.674046311&type=1
More details here:
http://birding.aba.org/message.php?mesid=577364&MLID=AK01&MLNM=Alaska Birding
try this:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ABAbirds/
Although Snowy Owl stuff has pushed the mention pretty far down the page
John Puschock posted pictures of the putative Eurasian Sparrowhawk here:
https://www.facebook.com/john.puschock/media_set?set=a.10151878478731312.1073741830.674046311&type=1
More details here:
http://birding.aba.org/message.php?mesid=577364&MLID=AK01&MLNM=Alaska Birding
DMW
Well-known member
That's my impression too - look at the photo labelled JP15! Also, if the passerine is a Rosy Finch / Snow Bunting as suggested, the Accipiter is pretty hefty.
Welsh Peregrine
Well-known member
Another (sadly) in the Goshawk camp, I'm afraid.
kitefarrago
Well-known member
A link to photos is given in the following article describing the sightings leading to this location.
Andrea
Sorry - I somehow missed that posts giving that info were already available. Overworked...
Andrea
Sorry - I somehow missed that posts giving that info were already available. Overworked...
Last edited:
lewis20126
Well-known member
How many does Neil need now? I've only started looking at his blog recently - very entertaining stuff. It will surely be one of the best documented big years, especially in terms of the photographic support for this records. Fingers crossed!!
cheers, alan
cheers, alan
nmaplomado
Member
His blog isn't completely updated yet, but he should be at 742+2. Depending on what Komito's actual number is (745 or 745+3), Neil needs either 4, to put him at 746 without the unreviewed first ABA records, or 5, to put him at 749 including the unreviewed records. These numbers assume that Neil continues to not count Aplomado Falcon, which Komito apparently did count. It all gets fairly confusing, but is certainly fun to follow.
Are there any rare or elusive residents possible? I guess not. So, in the remaining two weeks, any 'predictable' rarities on the cards? Western Spindalis, La Sagra's Flycatcher or other West Indian species? Something high Arctic? Has he got Ivory Gull yet?
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