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Several places at once, the ultimate year list (1 Viewer)

West End Birder

West End Birder

Well-known member
Hi All

I am sure someone will know this. If you were able to see every bird that was recorded in the UK in the past few years (and accepted) what would your year list be? I vaguely remember that LGRE did 380+ one year, has the total ever topped 400? I am talking British so not Republic of Ireland (not sure if NI counts on British list, I assume not).

Thanks in advance.

Rob S
 
I'm not sure that LGRE topped 380 BOU (allowing him the benefit of setting his own rules would be madness), but I do recall Birding World listing a few years when the total number of species was over 400 and one at least was 410.

Tardises on the start line for Jan 1....

John
 
This is an email he sent to me when I was researching for some writing.

According to my Guinness Book of Records certificates that adorn my walls, a new record of 359 species was recorded by myself in Year 1990 and was a culmination of 13 years solidly Yearlisting up to that year; I established a better record in 1996 of 386 species - a record that still stands today and most likely will never be beaten........

Best wishes

Lee



Interesting (perhaps not) to know what he counts that the rest don't. I have often wondered whether the three flavours of Brent Goose count as 1,2 or 3 (I only count one but have seen all three).

400 is amazing!

Thanks for the info

Rob
 
BD344 said:
Interesting (perhaps not) to know what he counts that the rest don't. I have often wondered whether the three flavours of Brent Goose count as 1,2 or 3 (I only count one but have seen all three).
Click to expand...

It's uk400 club rules. Tends to be more splits and borderline wild/feral/potential escapes than the more conservative BOU.

See eg bubo, where you can happily post your year or life list efforts according to either/both if you so choose.
 
Giving the whole impossible idea some thought, of course with a Tardis you could jump around the planet nicking birds from elsewhere and planting them in the British Isles, so you could actually run up an impressive series of firsts.....

John
 
even with unlimited funds, time and access to a small aircraft I doubt you could see all the available birds (e.g. the recent tropicbird and today's "possible" RT Robin (which at the time of typing could be long gone, after at least 5.75hours)
No idea what the theoretical number could be, but look forward to reading the result of someone's research.
 
The question kind of relates to an idea I have linked to writing and also to Lee Evans' record (I am assuming he holds the record?). My best ever is something like 230 and I know that 300 is not that impressive these days, but was just curious to know what you could see, although obviously impossible-ish. I once did have access to an aeroplane, but never used it for twitching although my list from the left hand seat did include Cream Coloured Courser as I taxied in at St Mary's!
 
This question came up as an aside on a rare birds thread a few years back. I think I asserted that it should be possible to get 400, or as close as in a year ... I think I was pretty much shot down in flames over the idea.

But ...

I still reckon if you gave 100 top twitchers* unlimited funds (say the £50 - 100,000+ required) and the whole year free, then yes, you would expect a couple to make all the right decisions wrt planning and location/timing, have perfect luck and not crash and burn. You would just have to eliminate all the accepted single observer records and impossible timing records (eg one day megas too far apart for both to be seen by the same individual on the same day)

Reality is it would be 'unlikely' to happen. One could work out what the perfect itinerary would have been retrospectively... I'd be up for doing so for a laugh but don't have access to BB or the annual totals though unfortunately!


*( ie all the Premiership, First Division and a few Vauxhall Conference-but-with-potential twitchers/nutcases out there ... ;) )
 
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It would be an amazing thing to do, however I think I am unlikely to be able to do it, although it has crossed my mind. The main thing that puts me off is the abuse I would receive on here ;-)
 
BD344 said:
It would be an amazing thing to do, however I think I am unlikely to be able to do it, although it has crossed my mind. The main thing that puts me off is the abuse I would receive on here ;-)
Click to expand...

If you worry about that you'll never do anything (including turn your computer on!)

John
 
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