2017 Western Palearctic Big Year (1 Viewer)

Frenchy · May 6, 2017

temmie said:
What's so hard about seeing Caspian Snowcock in Georgia? There are some reliable places and but maybe a bit harder to reach than Demircazik.

Caspian Snowcock is relatively straightforward in at least one site in south-central Georgia. You need 4x4 (or a local beat up Lada!) but could see them from the car. However, this site is a long way from the usual Tbilisi - Stepantsminda route, so Turkey is best bet.

dan pointon · May 6, 2017

Jon Turner said:
Apparently there aren't any African Skimmers in Egypt at this time of year! Poor research there.... All updated on the blog with the Wagtail and the Pelican bagged.

What they say is no skimmers on the Nile. In mid winter they've been seen north of Lake Nasser on the river. However in the past plenty of people have seen them at simbel from the last week of April onwards, so they should be there in theory.

Jon Turner · May 6, 2017

Yellow Bittern (heard only) and Pied Flycatcher added today.

Jon Turner · May 7, 2017

Jon Turner said:
Yellow Bittern (heard only) and Pied Flycatcher added today.

Uh oh, (as my grandson would say) they are now backtracking on the Yellow Bittern, but giving it a lot of time today in the Mangroves. Anyone able to help would be appreciated. per Facethingum.

Maffong · May 7, 2017

They're also still missing Goliath Heron from their list, so will try to find that next to the Bittern

Jon Turner · May 8, 2017

Additions! Garden Warbler, Lesser Grey Shrike, Sooty Falcon, and Corncrake. No heron or Bittern.

Muppit17 · May 8, 2017

Frenchy said:
Caspian Snowcock is relatively straightforward in at least one site in south-central Georgia. You need 4x4 (or a local beat up Lada!) but could see them from the car. However, this site is a long way from the usual Tbilisi - Stepantsminda route, so Turkey is best bet.

I am aware I started this thread. I dipped on them here and the level of disturbance, the difficulty of the logistics, both of the access and lack of somewhere to stay prompted my comment. I was last there in 2011, so I accept that things may have changed.
I think we are all agreed though that Turkey is best

Nutcracker · May 8, 2017

Muppit17 said:
I think we are all agreed though that Turkey is best

Is it, with all the anti-European rhetoric and sentiment whipped up by Erdoğan? Wonder if Armenia or Georgia might be safer now?

DanielDoer · May 8, 2017

Jon Turner said:
Additions! Garden Warbler, Lesser Grey Shrike, Sooty Falcon, and Corncrake. No heron or Bittern.

And now on 553 species (as they removed Yellow Bittern from their list):
http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/igoterra-ticks/

Wonder what they will add until they leave Egypt for their next country..

Jon Turner · May 8, 2017

DanielDoer said:
And now on 553 species (as they removed Yellow Bittern from their list):
http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/igoterra-ticks/

Wonder what they will add until they leave Egypt for their next country..

Lappet-faced Vulture.....

Paul Chapman · May 8, 2017

Well five days left. Can they have another crack at Yellow Bittern & Goliath Heron?

Assuming that African Skimmmer is now off the agenda, the remaining Egyptian priorities are:-
Saunders's Tern
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
Senegal Coucal
Streaked Weaver

I've still got them beating 750 with 30 rarities in the balance of the year with the best chances being in Britain and Ireland in September and Azores in October. With a few more misses, particularly Atlantic seabirds, they may need maybe 35-40 rarities. The most likely rarities are:-
Pied-billed Grebe
Black Heron
Yellow-billed Egret
Great Blue Heron
Ross's Goose
Cackling Goose
Wood Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Rüppell's Griffon
American Coot
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
American Golden Plover
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Wilson's Snipe
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Wilson's Phalarope
Laughing Gull
Elegant Tern
Forster's Tern
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
American Cliff Swallow
Pechora Pipit
Hermit Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Grey-cheeked Thrush
Radde's Warbler
Dusky Warbler
Red-eyed Vireo
Northern Parula
American Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
American Redstart
Common Yellowthroat
Scarlet Tanager
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Pine Bunting
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Bobolink
Baltimore Oriole

All the best

DanielDoer · May 9, 2017

Paul Chapman said:
Well five days left. Can they have another crack at Yellow Bittern & Goliath Heron?

Assuming that African Skimmmer is now off the agenda, the remaining Egyptian priorities are:-
Saunders's Tern
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
Senegal Coucal
Streaked Weaver
...
All the best

Yellow Bittern after three days wading through mangroves in the bag (according to facebook video)!

DanielDoer · May 9, 2017

DanielDoer said:
Yellow Bittern after three days wading through mangroves in the bag (according to facebook video)!

Now at 555 species with the Yellow Bittern - amazing number in the beginning of May!

They haven't found Goliath Heron yet, but Crab Plover (which they already had from the very beginning), according to facebook.

dan pointon · May 9, 2017

DanielDoer said:
Now at 555 species with the Yellow Bittern - amazing number in the beginning of May!

They haven't found Goliath Heron yet, but Crab Plover (which they already had from the very beginning), according to facebook.

Think giving up with the heron now; one was present at Hamata in January but the summer is more unpredictable.

flownek · May 10, 2017

So complete write-offs so far are Shikra, African Skimmer and Goliath Heron.
Nevertheless I think they are doing quite well, particularly after the somewhat slow start..

DanielDoer · May 10, 2017

flownek said:
So complete write-offs so far are Shikra, African Skimmer and Goliath Heron.
Nevertheless I think they are doing quite well, particularly after the somewhat slow start..

I think their strategy of slowly moving from one country to another to have the chance to clean up an area more or less completely is quite adequate for a WP Big Year. I think that it seemed to be a slow start was just because we were all spoiled by the pace that Arjan and Noah needed to have on a global scale!

dantheman · May 11, 2017

DanielDoer said:
I think their strategy of slowly moving from one country to another to have the chance to clean up an area more or less completely is quite adequate for a WP Big Year. I think that it seemed to be a slow start was just because we were all spoiled by the pace that Arjan and Noah needed to have on a global scale!

And perhaps more so the tactics/pace of the ABA Big Year last year - concentrating on targeting vagrants/rarities, but with a good plan on regular species too.

(But that could be even more expensive, and they have done reasonably well/had good luck on most rarities so far)

Paul Chapman · May 11, 2017

DanielDoer said:
I think their strategy of slowly moving from one country to another to have the chance to clean up an area more or less completely is quite adequate for a WP Big Year. I think that it seemed to be a slow start was just because we were all spoiled by the pace that Arjan and Noah needed to have on a global scale!

Daniel

What has given them a crack at 750 is the off-itinerary twitching. Of course, Kuwait is dry but I had heard a story that a discussion fuelled by some legitimate diplomatic beer led to their change in plan when they realised they had little left to see and days left. They started their UK twitching the next day....

All the best

Maffong · May 11, 2017

They've added Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse yesterday as well as Honey-Buzzard and Eastern Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin. I guess next stop is the Nile Delta; if they find the three remaining targets I think they can be very happy with their results!

Considering their twitching attitude I think there's still room for more. After having cleaned up Morocco they could have easily gone for the Albatros on Sylt and have had much luck with longstaying vagrants. Also I really wonder why they took a vacation at home at the very start...

Still I think 750 is very possible, but following Big Years still have the chance to do even better. I wonder what number could be achievable if you step up the twitching (and how much more expensive it is)

Captain_of_Crunch · May 11, 2017

flownek said:
So complete write-offs so far are Shikra, African Skimmer and Goliath Heron.
Nevertheless I think they are doing quite well, particularly after the somewhat slow start..

Maybe for the current trip, but I think there is a lot of scope in August/September to potentially return to some sites and get these species.

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