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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

2017 Western Palearctic Big Year (2 Viewers)

Paul Chapman said:
Dan - presumably you'd also bet on some additional Yank waders being found them plus maybe a duck, heron or other but unlikely a landbird this early?

All the best
Click to expand...

They found a few yday (WRSand, SemiP Sand, BuffBSand) presumably following some westerly weather, so not sure they'll find anything additional today. Heard Sooty Tern was still present on Praia Islet (Graciosa) two days ago, so that's good news on another target.
 
dan pointon said:
Monteiro's, Bulwer's and Sooty Tern added today on Graciosa/from the pelagic. Another trip tomo to try again for Swinhoe's Petrel.
Click to expand...

Dan

You left off the Manxie:-

http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/igoterra-ticks/

How difficult is it going to be for them to catch up with Barolo and Boyd's Shearwaters?

Regular species options reducing and transatlantic systems producing so it is time for the business end. 750 required to set the bar at a good level (IOC).

All the best
 
For Cape Verde Shearwater, Boyd's Shearwater and Cape Verde Petrel look here. November and December seem not to be very optimal, but in September all three are still there. There are very few sightings after April/May of Fea's Petrel, so chances would probably be equally slim no matter when they go.

Barolo Shearwater seems to be present year round on the Canaries, however they might get that on on the Madeira trip already alongside Wilson's & White-faced Storm Petrel, Zino's & Desertas Petrel.
 
Maffong said:
For Cape Verde Shearwater, Boyd's Shearwater and Cape Verde Petrel look here. November and December seem not to be very optimal, but in September all three are still there. There are very few sightings after April/May of Fea's Petrel, so chances would probably be equally slim no matter when they go.

Barolo Shearwater seems to be present year round on the Canaries, however they might get that on on the Madeira trip already alongside Wilson's & White-faced Storm Petrel, Zino's & Desertas Petrel.
Click to expand...

Maffong

Change your date selection to the last ten years for the Canaries and I think that you'll find a very different picture. It has become very significantly more difficult (I believe).

All the best
 
Maffong said:
The picture didn't change at all :/
And why would the phenology of a bird be influenced by how common it is?
Click to expand...

We appear to be getting different results! I'm getting a spring and autumn peak.

The point on population is that when populations are high, you tend to get year-round non-breeders which as the population declines - sadly substantially so - are less likely to be encountered outside breeding periods:-

http://birdingfrontiers.com/2013/12/30/barolo-shearwater-2/

"The first Barolo Shearwater on the Lanzarote Pelagics- a species in serious decline with Canaries population on verge of extinction."

Of course, I may be totally wrong. I've only been there twice a decade apart.

All the best

Paul
 
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Sightings for 21st August added but no additions:-

http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/igoterra-ticks/

(For anyone worried about their mid-winter Moroccan Great Shearwater, a few seen on these pelagics. I think that these are the first since but I may not have been paying attention.)

Also a new write up:-

http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/2017/08/22/graciosa-pelagic/

The fact that they do not mention Shikra as lost means that they may go back to Kuwait in winter? (Alternatively, they have forgotten about this, Pallas's Reed Bunting & Pin-tailed Snipe.)

All the best
 
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Paul Chapman said:
Sightings for 21st August added but no additions:-

http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/igoterra-ticks/

(For anyone worried about their mid-winter Moroccan Great Shearwater, a few seen on these pelagics. I think that these are the first since but I may not have been paying attention.)

Also a new write up:-

http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/2017/08/22/graciosa-pelagic/

The fact that they do not mention Shikra as lost means that they may go back to Kuwait in winter? (Alternatively, they have forgotten about this, Pallas's Reed Bunting & Pin-tailed Snipe.)

All the best
Click to expand...

Personally I think the best time for Shikra in Kuwait would be late autumn (mid Sept - mid Oct) when we usually get significant raptor movement (by Kuwait standards at least). It's a difficult bird to see in winter and spring (as they have already experienced). In three years here I've seen no more than 5 birds in total.
 
neiltovey said:
Personally I think the best time for Shikra in Kuwait would be late autumn (mid Sept - mid Oct) when we usually get significant raptor movement (by Kuwait standards at least). It's a difficult bird to see in winter and spring (as they have already experienced). In three years here I've seen no more than 5 birds in total.
Click to expand...

Neil

Many thanks. I'd guess that one is gone then as I'd be surprised if they even twitched back for a wintering WP Mega but who knows if they're stuck on 749 how tempted they will be....

All the best
 
Shikra

They could just fly to Baku and drive south - I saw and photographed my only WP Shikras on the road down towards the Iranian border by a picnic site I imagine there is plenty of gen.

cheers, alan
 
Paul Chapman said:
Also a new write up:-

http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/2017/08/22/graciosa-pelagic/
Click to expand...

I confess to a woeful lack of knowledge of the new 'Maderian Storm-petrel' group, but should I be surprised to see both birds linked here as being labelled Monteiro’s Storm-petrel - one is clearly moutling through new secondaries, whilst the other looks as fresh as a daisy. Given the seasonal breeding variation in this group, wouldn't it be reasonable to assume a moult timing difference too??

Edit: having just refreshed my memory by reading the linked Birding Frontier article, I remember now how complex/unclear the moult differences can be!
 
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lewis20126 said:
Shikra

They could just fly to Baku and drive south - I saw and photographed my only WP Shikras on the road down towards the Iranian border by a picnic site I imagine there is plenty of gen.

cheers, alan
Click to expand...

Are they resident? I thought that it would now be late for them to try that even if they had the window?

All the best
 

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