Neil Hayward's ABA 2013 Big Year (1 Viewer)

[brd]

Hey all, figured I'd start a thread about the amazing run by Neil Hayward for the 2013 ABA Big Year. Competetive birding is something I've developed a passing interest in since (of course) reading the book and seeing the movie of the same name, Kenn Kaufman's Kingbird Highway, and my own forays into listing and events.
So I've been very interested to follow Hayward's "Accidental Big Year". He's up to 710 just heading into fall migration.
Now I realize that he's still a very long way to Komito's record, but is anyone else surprised that he would find himself that far along after only deciding to do a real big year months into the year? Not too many people have ever gotten to 700, even after a full year endeavor.
I wonder how much this sort of competition is being changed by the advent of internet birding, specifically eBird. Will eBird usher in a new generation of 700-clubbers? Then, of course, the immediacy and vetting of internet rare bird information.
Anyway, thought I'd mention it. Anyone have any guesses as to how many he'll get?

 

[brd]

I should clarify that I don't mean to demean his birding ability by talking up the internet. He's obviously an extremely capable and driven birder. What I've learned from birding is that you only see birds if you go look for them, and he has certainly been doing that!

 

[Mysticete]

will have to read this...wasn't aware of anyone making a serious run at a big year this year, although that might be due to maybe this attempt only getting serious in the latter half of the year?

he is heading up to Alaska...which should make or break his attempt to beat the record, especially if he didn't go in spring.

 

[ptickner]

I didn't see anything that led me to think that this was late starting Big Year attempt. Why are you thinking that he decided late to do a real Big Year? His first blog post from January talks about his Big Year, and by the end of February he almost at 300 birds and multiple big trips, including AZ, pelagics out of WA, and Alberta. If you click on his list, he has it by chronological order.

Mysticete - He's already been to Alaska 3 times this year, in May to the Kenai Peninsula and the Pribilofs, in June to Nome, and in August to St. Lawrence Island.

He's giving it a heck of a try! He has his "Needed" birds posted, so take a look at it and see if anyone can help him. I wish him the best of luck!

 

[brd]

I'm with you, definitely rooting for him, he's a good writer and birder, very fun to read. Although I guess the 710 is the number after the trip. Sounds like a tough pace to beat Komito. I did like in his recent post that he describes hanging out with the other two big year guys up in Alaska, they should make a movie about that!
And ptickner, the reason i thought he was late starting a "real" big year is mainly from his own words: http://accidentalbigyear2013.blogspot.com/2013/05/introduction.html
Obviously he did have a post back in January, so it seems that maybe the contradiction is that in his mind he was doing a big year for himself, and along the way of finding a lot of good birds, figured he should really make a run at it. Or, who knows, maybe its the same tension described elsewhere, of not wanting to clue the competition in too early! Or fear of announcing something so early as to have it be a letdown if it didn't work out.
Regardless, its a great blog, and I'm hooked on it. Also interesting to see that, as he sees it, the 13-member 700 is going to be up to 16 by the end of the year (I guess its already up to 14).

 

[brd]

In other news, apparently there are 16 people over 500 for the year on ebird! And my ranking in the ABA is 12070. I guess I have some work to do...

 

[kitefarrago]

Thanks for pointing us to this enjoyable blog!

And ptickner, the reason i thought he was late starting a "real" big year is mainly from his own words: http://accidentalbigyear2013.blogspot.com/2013/05/introduction.html
Obviously he did have a post back in January, .

There's only one post for January (describing the first bird of the year), and then nothing until 7 posts in April, so it's clear the blog was started well into the year. Maybe he'll get the chance to write more about what happened in the first few months once the year's over and he has recovered.

The description in the link given above is quite believable, isn't it? You go for a birding trip, manage to see a lot of species, manage to do the same again, and eventually the idea of doing a big year crystalizes. Most people don't have the flexibility to just suspend their normal lives without any planning, so presumably this is quite rare, but he seems to be able to do that.

Andrea

 

[auchinbowie]

Can someone please explain the geographic boundaries for the ABA list? I assume it reaches from the Dry Tortugas to the Pribilofs, the Mexican border forming part of it? Pelagics go out of terretorial waters so how far from shore is included? The edge of the Continental Shelf or mid-ocean or....? Does it include Canada? Hawaii? If someone is keeping private lists they can set any boundaries they wish but "competitions" presumably have set limits.

There must be rules as to the species accepted. A field guide to Miami could be sub-titled, "Parrots of the World". Are introduced species and escapes in or out? I have wondered about these points since seeing most of the film. I am also interested in knowing how a definitive count can be determined. It takes years for the BRRC to rule on records of some rarities. Presumably the same issue applies in the US? Is this down to participants' discretion?

 

[Mysticete]

yeah I quickly glanced at blogging posts from May and didn't see anything for Alaska, so I assumed he hadn't gone until fall...apparently it's just that he hasn't been posting regularly as some past big year people

As far as the ABA area goes, it's basically Canada, Alaska, the Lower 48 states, and offshore to I think 200 miles. Hawaii, Bahamas, Bermuda, and Mexico are not included.

 

[Mysticete]

It will be interesting to see if he beats the record. John Vanderpoel in 2011 got 744..the record is I think 745.

Since 2011 we have had Xantus Murrelet and Sage Sparrow split (adding +2 available birds), and 4 exotics (Nutmeg Mannikin, Purple Swamphen, Nanday Parakeet, and Rose-faced Lovebird). All but Guadalupe Murrelet should be "easy", so that is an extra 5 birds to "beat" the record.

 

[birdboybowley]

....so that is an extra 5 birds to "beat" the record.

But did the record-setter see these birds in the course of his year....? Surely if he did then his figure should be raised accordingly?

 

[ptickner]

I never thought about new species being added. There have definitely been more "splits" than "lumps" lately, and more exotics have gone on to the official list. On the other hand, you really can't get to Attu anymore, so maybe it works out evenly.

 

[Mysticete]

In general, ABA records remain static at the close of the year. Past Big Year winners can't count splits or exotics that postdate their big year. The only exception would be first records.

Technically...I am pretty sure most of those exotics were either not present or no where near established when Sandy Komito beat the record

 

[birdboybowley]

Past Big Year winners can't count splits or exotics that postdate their big year...

Well that's just stupid!! If Neal sees the same amount as the current holder and includes the new splits whereas previous guy saw them too but can't retrospectively add them kinda makes the whole system void, no? Surely they have to all go by the same species delineations otherwise the true figure will never be.....true?! Just seems really odd to me, kinda like me saying I'll have to go see the bird that's been split again even though I saw it and noted it when 'just' a subsp - but then again Sandy may never have seen the birds that have since been split so my whole point is moot!!

 

[brd]

In general, ABA records remain static at the close of the year. Past Big Year winners can't count splits or exotics that postdate their big year. The only exception would be first records.

Technically...I am pretty sure most of those exotics were either not present or no where near established when Sandy Komito beat the record

Mostly true, although Sandy did add three birds to his list after retroactively having the records of certain rare birds approved by state committees and then the ABA. He also interestingly adds that splits can't count while you're alive, but your family can petition after you're dead (I am envisioning Thanksgiving at the Komito household: "Daaad, c'mon, you said you wouldn't ask us anymore about petitioning the ABA after you die!"), as he relays in this interview.

Splits would be tough, as you would have to confirm that you saw both subspecies retroactively.

And the main question is, if splitting doesn't change the number, does lumping? If neither can change the number it seems more fair.

 

[fugl]

Well that's just stupid!!

Well, yeah! Welcome to the wacky world of "competitive" birding.

 

[Mysticete]

Well...obviously this is a debated subject:

http://blog.aba.org/2011/12/the-big-big-year-debate-whats-the-number-to-beat-anyway-1.html

I think part of the argument is the simple difficulty of maintaining a list over time. Especially since I think it used to be a lot harder to keep up with all splits, so judging whether birder X actually saw every split is difficult. The other issue with exotics is it is still debated by birders whether you can count an exotic seen before the addition to the checklist.

At any rate...lists across years are not comparable years anyway, even beyond the taxonomy/exotic issue. Access issues (cough Attu cough), the spread of listserves/rarebird alert, ebird, Changes in list area, improved knowledge of vagrancy/population dynamics, change in gas price/airline policy, etc all make records from twenty years ago not really comparable to those made today.

 

[Isurus]

So as at 8 October he's sat on 720 (+ 2 provisional firsts) as against Komito's 745(+3) - will he get there?

 

[Farnboro John]

So as at 8 October he's sat on 720 (+ 2 provisional firsts) as against Komito's 745(+3) - will he get there?

No.

John

 

[Mysticete]

John Vanderpoel had 726 around this time last year, and closed the year with 744, just short of the record.

He has several birds left to get which shouldn't be too difficult (assuming he has kept his needs list up to date on his website

Easy birds he still needs: Sagebrush Sparrow, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Whooping Crane, Sprague's Pipit

That would put him at John's spot

Regular birds that he has good chances to get I would say our Masked Duck, American Flamingo, Hook-billed Kite, Ivory Gull, Aplomado Falcon and Rufous-backed Robin.

Somewhat tougher but still possible:

White-cheeked Pintail, Yellow-legged Gull and White-throated Thrush

So assuming he gets everything above, that's 735...If it's a really great fall vagrant wise he could get within striking distance of the record, although it's going to take a lot of work, planning, and luck.