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ABA Big Year 2017 (1 Viewer)

I seem to be on a roll. It took a number of days, as I had to pretty much re-read Sandy Komito's "Birding's Indiana Jones-A Chaser's Diary" in order to glean all the species, but his 1987 Big Year is now included in both sheets.
Also, Yve's updates are included: 696 for her!

Joe
 

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The Stoll brothers (?) are now tied at 718 with Dusky Grouse their latest seen yesterday, 7-17-17, at Big Mountain Ski Resort in Whitefish, Montana! I doubt many other Big Year birders ever visited Montana, although I know Christian did last year since he had lived in Montana prior to his Big Year. Maybe they are trying to bird in all 50 states as well as complete a ABA Big Year. They only have 4 or 6 states left on their profile maps (Wyoming, Idaho, Utah & Nevada for Ruben & those 4 plus South Dakota & Louisiana for Victor).

Jan in Montana
 
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...and Yve is poised on the last step to 700; today may be the day!
Keep in mind that eBird totals aren't the real totals. One should subtract eight species from the Stolls' (yes, they're brothers) number: seven exotics and Tropical Mockingbird (rejected by the Florida committee), and one from Yve's (the mocker). ABA tends to follow the lead of the state committees. I'll keep the sightings in my charts just in case, but I won't count them toward the numbers, even as a provisional. Should ABA go the other way it can always be added back in.
Joe
 
I've added Chris Hitt's 2010 Lower 48 Big Year (704 species) to the sheets. Time for a break before I add in the next member of the 700 Club.
Chris has put together the reunions of the 700 Club. Here are links to them:

http://slowbirding.blogspot.com/2012/12/first-ever-gathering-of-700-club.html

http://slowbirding.blogspot.com/2014/06/700-club-reunion-trip-to-hatteras-nc.html

The invitation list for the 700 Club just got longer: Yve joined the Stolls today and is at 704! I have the Stolls at 707 on my lists, but they're at 711, I believe.

Joe
 

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The Stolls are at 712 as of this morning, having picked up Sage Thrasher and Cassia Crossbill yesterday. I'll list the crossbill as a provisional until we get the new ABA list. The Cassia won't show up in eBird just yet; that always takes some time. Until that happens, simply subtract seven from the Stolls' eBird number to get an accurate total.

Joe
 
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Last update for a few days, as I'll be out of town.
Yve added Himalayan Snowcock, Juniper Titmouse, Cassia Crossbill (provisional) & Black Rosy-Finch.

The Stolls: 714 +2
Yve Morrell: 708 + 3
 

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A good week for Yve, as she's added Gray Partridge, Colima Warbler, White-eared Hummingbird and, today, Black Rail. The Stolls have been trying for the Jabiru for two days with no luck so far, and Yve struck out, too.

Ruben & Victor: 716 (714 + 2)
Yve: 715 (712 + 3)
 
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Yve picked up five species on the Shearwater pelagic to the Farralons: 720 for her.
In other news, in June I'd heard from Laura Keene that there was a Florida couple doing a No Name Big Year in honor of the guy's impending (or happened?) 70th birthday, but that they weren't eBirding. That's changed:
Gaylee Dean: 693
Richard Dean: 691

I don't know anything about provisionals for them.
Joe
 
Yve picked up five species on the Shearwater pelagic to the Farralons: 720 for her.
In other news, in June I'd heard from Laura Keene that there was a Florida couple doing a No Name Big Year in honor of the guy's impending (or happened?) 70th birthday, but that they weren't eBirding. That's changed:
Gaylee Dean: 693
Richard Dean: 691

I don't know anything about provisionals for them.
Joe

Does a No Name Big Year have to be done in a poncho, with a cigar?

John
 
I've brought up access issues to ABA hotspots causing changes in the "playing field" before, namely the extreme difficulty in accessing Attu. If the proposed border wall goes through, I wonder how that will change things? Potentially the majority of the Rio Grande's Valley hotspots (Santa Ana, Bentsen, etc) will be behind the fence, not to mention severely environmentally degraded. I'd imagine that wider distribution South Texas rarities will be accessible (Long-billed Thrasher for instance), but a lot of regular rarities will just completely disappear as plausible targets.
 
Potentially the majority of the Rio Grande's Valley hotspots (Santa Ana, Bentsen, etc) will be behind the fence, not to mention severely environmentally degraded.

But in this area, the border wall is already there ...just with entrances for folk to access US territory / birding hotspots (aren't the wall builders considerate) on the other side. Always though it was a bit weird having the wall with unmanned 'holes'.

Does the new plan (in as much as it has been planned at all) see these throughways closed? I just imagined they would be better observed or manned.
 
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But in this area, the border wall is already there ...just with entrances for folk to access US territory / birding hotspots (aren't the wall builders considerable) on the other side. Always though it was a bit weird having the wall with unmanned 'holes'.

Does the new plan (in as much as it has been planned at all) see these throughways closed? I just imagined they would be better observed or manned.

Well, at least at Santa Ana the gates are certainly monitored, cameras abundant, although of course no idea if anyone is actually watching.
Border patrol vehicles also do drive by at fairly regular intervals.
The wall goes along a gravel road presumably built to allow the wall installation, so the refuge is now pretty much cut off from the rest of any Texas habitat.
The local Congressman is a Democrat, which is not helping him get any traction with the current Federal or State administrations, even though he makes a good case.
 
But in this area, the border wall is already there ...just with entrances for folk to access US territory / birding hotspots (aren't the wall builders considerate) on the other side. Always though it was a bit weird having the wall with unmanned 'holes'.

Does the new plan (in as much as it has been planned at all) see these throughways closed? I just imagined they would be better observed or manned.

I know it's been stated that Santa Anna will be behind the wall, and a pretty huge swath of the reserve will be bulldozed. It doesn't really sound like the refuge will really exist any more post border wall. Local folks are also concerned because tentative plans would also cut off most folks from the river, which is obviously going to also affect agriculture in the valley.
 
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