2017 Western Palearctic Big Year (25 Viewers)

[Paul Chapman]

They have now almost completely cleaned up on the mainland palearctic species and only need some island endemics or pelagics.
The regulars they could still try for if no vagrants turn up and they have too much spare time are and that aren't currently stated in their itinerary currently
Cackling Goose (Cat C in the Netherlands)

Maffong

I believe that there may be a breeding record or two but is there really a basis to believe that there is a self-sustaining population of Cackling Canada Goose in the Netherlands?

All the best

 

[McMadd]

Not really very impressive to break into a nature reserve when it is closed!

As impressive as putting evidence for all to see on the dub, dub, dub (www)...but dare I suggest there may be a whiff of Mr pot and Mr Kettle here young fella...? Is it so our world wide traveller has never skirted the edges of "the code"...?

 

[Maffong]

Maffong

I believe that there may be a breeding record or two but is there really a basis to believe that there is a self-sustaining population of Cackling Canada Goose in the Netherlands?

All the best

You better add two zeros to those numbers
https://www.sovon.nl/nl/soort/1664

 

[Paul Chapman]

You better add two zeros to those numbers
https://www.sovon.nl/nl/soort/1664

Many thanks. Interesting. I've never been aware of anyone listing them. A lot easier than Islay or the west coast of Ireland.

All the best

 

[Maffong]

No one was aware of the Parrotbills either, but they got them anyway. The fact that the dutch don't count the introduced species makes it much harder to find info about these species there. Plus in this case it wasn't realized these two form two very different species until very recently, thus few people differentiate between them

 

[Andy Adcock]

Algeria (Nuthatch and Firefinch, maybe even Silverbill. Travelling seems to be possible and not too dangerous?!)

I thought I read that they'd already done the Nuthatch, am I going senile?



A

 

[Maffong]

Somebody else saw it (Peter Kaestner et al) a while back. I just posted it here to show that it was indeed a viable option for them

 

[Th. Stegmann]

Actually it's 668 as Thayer's Gull is no longer recognized by IOC as distinct species. Also the Amazon has now been included in the IGoTerra list

Maffong

Depending on the "rules", if there are any?

They saw the Thayer's Gull on 1st of March when it was a bona species according to IOC.

So: Is a "Big year" (maybe in contrast to a life-list) a snapshot or are the results rewritten in all eternity?

Greetings

 

[DMW]

How have they missed Cory's Shearwater?

 

[Th. Stegmann]

If there's nothing to twitch they could go to
Iceland (certainly more sunlight now, than in November)

Or maybe Northern Scandinavia/Varanger for Yellow-billed Diver, Steller's Eider, Siberian Tit, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Gyrfalcon?

But I suppose they plan both in November to avoid the mosquito-masses in summer...

Greetings!

Edit: Interesting how the colour of the bill of the "Big Diver/Loon" changes depending where you are or what language you speek... I ment WHITE-billed Diver (vs. Yellow-billed Loon; in Germany the colour is also "yellow"... Gelbschnabeltaucher)

 

[Paul Chapman]

How have they missed Cory's Shearwater?

I don't think they have but they appear to be taking a cautious approach to the identification. The odd thing about that in my view is that it seems far easier to be confident of Cory's than Scopoli's


All the best

 

[Maffong]

Or maybe Northern Scandinavia/Varanger for Yellow-billed Diver, Steller's Eider, Siberian Tit, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Gyrfalcon?

But I suppose they plan both in November to avoid the mosquito-masses in summer...

Greetings!

Edit: Interesting how the colour of the bill of the "Big Diver/Loon" changes depending where you are or what language you speek... I ment WHITE-billed Diver (vs. Yellow-billed Loon; in Germany the colour is also "yellow"... Gelbschnabeltaucher)

Varanger is planned for later in the year, I guess they have their reason for that, eventhough I'd do it differently.
About the names: Yellow-billed Loon is actually right here, since they are using IOC nomenclature

 

[Captain_of_Crunch]

Many thanks. Interesting. I've never been aware of anyone listing them. A lot easier than Islay or the west coast of Ireland.

All the best

Lissadell, with its long returning Cackling Geese is barely an hours drive from Knock Airport which is served by Ryanair. It is about 2 hours from Dublin so in either case an easy day trip. Would certainly beat ticking even more 'plastics', plus a chance of rareties elsewhere in Ireland.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Lissadell, with its long returning Cackling Geese is barely an hours drive from Knock Airport which is served by Ryanair. It is about 2 hours from Dublin so in either case an easy day trip. Would certainly beat ticking even more 'plastics', plus a chance of rareties elsewhere in Ireland.

And where I have seen it (in addition to a Category A interior-type Greater Canada Goose).

I do need it for Britain though.

All the best

 

[Captain_of_Crunch]

And where I have seen it (in addition to a Category A interior-type Greater Canada Goose).

I do need it for Britain though.

All the best

:t:

On a different matter, the BB Albatross was observed feeding off Sylt yesterday evening. A very interesting account of this was posted on the ornitho.de page:

"aben den Albatros heute erstmalig beim Jagen beobachtet; von mindest. 20:00-21:00 Uhr stieß er stoßtauchend aus ca. 20 m Höhe auf die Wasseroberfläche (ca. 50-100 m vom Ufer/ Strand entfernt). Das Manöver leitete er mit einer zackigen Wende ein, dessen Eintauchvorgang eine Wasserfontäne von ca. 1,5 m verursachte. Trotz des kaum vorhandenen Windes manövrierte er sehr wendig und schnell. Er scheint sich in der Umgebung von Sylt also recht ordentlich versorgen zu können. Insgesamt macht er äußerlich einen fitten Eindruck."

Roughly translated, the observer describes the Albatross flying c20 meters over the surface of the sea, and plunge diving after a sharp turn. This was done in relatively calm conditions.

Does this match the experience of those who have seen the species in its native range?

 

[lewis20126]

..and plunge diving after a sharp turn. This was done in relatively calm conditions.

Does this match the experience of those who have seen the species in its native range?

I've seen quite a lot of Albatrosses and cannot recall seeing one 'plunge dive' (fully below surface from an aerial start). They will 'lunge' into the water to pick up sinking bits of food but tend to feed on the surface - of course most of the circumstances I've seen them in are a bit artificial (chumming, behind trawlers etc) so perhaps they do plunge dive on occasion?

cheers, alan

 

[Nutcracker]

No personal experience (never seen an albatross!), but they certainly do dive, that's why there's so much of a problem with long-line fisheries - they get trapped on hooks deep below water and drown.

I've not seen any figures for how deep they can go, but as an aside, Sooty Shearwaters can dive to 60 metres as measured by depth gauges - something that came as a big surprise to me when I read it.

 

[jurek]

Anybody looked for history of that albatross?
When it first appeared off Europe? Is there any evidence other than dates, it is the same bird in Germany, Britain, Norway etc? Any plumage or moult detail? Were there other individuals seen during that time (I seem to remember some immatures)? Is it Holger or Helga - which sex builds a nest? Chance to bring it a mate? Is it really true that albatrosses cannot easily cross calm belt of ocean around Equator - apperance of other albatrosses in North America and Pacifics seem to contradict it?

 

[pbjosh]

No personal experience (never seen an albatross!), but they certainly do dive, that's why there's so much of a problem with long-line fisheries - they get trapped on hooks deep below water and drown.

I do not believe they are diving for the bait on long lines but rather taking it as the lines are set and then are drowned as the lines sink. Bycatch exclusion, where used, is extremely effective. It consists of streamers near the setting lines to scare birds as well as pressure sensitive hooks that are sheathed at the surface and deploy when water pressure triggers their release.

I have never seen an Albatross plunge dive like a booby, but they do sort of swim under a bit going after sinking food. I imagine this is just a bit of semantics/translation, the bird flying higher in calm conditions and dove to the surface or just below in pursuit of food.

 

[wcb]

Despite searching, I am unable with Google to establish if The Thug Life code sets out the approach to be taken to Elegant Tern twitches. This is perhaps surprising as Tupac being 'East coast' would presumably have needed to twitch one whilst his 'West coast' adversaries would have been more familiar with the species on their local patches. :king:

(I hope that I have my cultural references correct.)

Not quite, Paul. Even though Tupac was born in New York and raised in Baltimore, he was based on the west coast (hence his "California Love" choon). He would therefore have been very familiar with Elegant Terns, no doubt.