World Yearlist Record Attempt (4 Viewers)

[Paul Chapman]

Surely this isn't cricket?

Must be a 365 day year not 366, the clock must be set and run from a certain place.

Curious to know the answer now.

Andy

Do you require Arjan to sit out 29th February next year?

Personally I've no problem with working east to west and using leap years to maximise 'time'.

In any event, Noah would simply be returning to similar time zones to when he started.

All the best

 

[lewis20126]

Alan

I still think that he might just do it.

Not sure 30 is realistic from Fiji - certainly in 48 hours:-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_birds_of_Fiji

I suspect it is on the wrong side of the time/reward split for record-setting?

t

hmm, c25 what I guess are easy-ish island endemics / non overlaps on Viti Levu, if you discount rare LLWarbler and PB Parrotfinch etc; I'm not sure if you can get to / from Vanu Levu / Kadavu very rapidly to make either worth it, but certainly not sufficient birds on those in any event.

cheers, alan

 

[Nutcracker]

Surely this isn't cricket?

Nope, it's birding. Different game altogether. 8-P

 

[Paul Chapman]

hmm, c25 what I guess are easy-ish island endemics / non overlaps on Viti Levu, if you discount rare LLWarbler and PB Parrotfinch etc; I'm not sure if you can get to / from Vanu Levu / Kadavu very rapidly to make either worth it, but certainly not sufficient birds on those in any event.

cheers, alan

Fair enough. With transport not a problem, the majority of the 'main island' endemics easy enough and indeed a number of non-endemics not (currently) seen elsewhere, it looks like a pretty productive omission. Maybe the 'perfect' strategy would have been a selective island hop back to the states if that was possible?

(Flying time Auckland to Houston looks like about 14 hours saving 19 hours on time changes and to Hawaii looks like about 9 hours flying time to save 23 hours? Have I done that right? Has he read Around the World in Eighty Days? http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4667312/)

All the best

 

[Nutcracker]

But do the required flights exist, anyway? No use if going to Hawaii means going via Los Angeles, or hiring a private jet . . . :eek!:

 

[timsg80]

But do the required flights exist, anyway? No use if going to Hawaii means going via Los Angeles, or hiring a private jet . . . :eek!:

Direct flights from Brisbane! I think it's 6-7 hours...

 

[Andy Adcock]

Do you require Arjan to sit out 29th February next year?

Personally I've no problem with working east to west and using leap years to maximise 'time'.

In any event, Noah would simply be returning to similar time zones to when he started.

All the best

Just clue me in Paul, is he starting and finishing in the the same time zone, if he is this is a pointless discussion as no time will have been gained?

If they all do it differently (all two of them!) the two records cannot be compared. It would end up like the marathon where there can be no official World record as each course is different. How on earth can a 366 day record beat a 365 day record......very lateral Paul.

Surely if applied strictly, the clock would start running at the start point and when the clock at that start point is excatly 365 days on, the time is up passepartout?

I think your 'lister gene' has become dominant Paul.

Andy

 

[lewis20126]

That's a valid point Paul and it makes a nonsesense of the whole thing to use different criteria. Just clue me in Paul, is he starting and finishing in the the same time zone, if he is this is a pointless discussion as no time will have been gained?

If they all do it differently (all two of them!) the two records cannot be compared. It would end up like the marathon where there can be no official World record as each course is different. How on earth can a 366 day record beat a 365 day record......very lateral Paul.

Surely if applied strictly, the clock would start running at the start point and when the clock at that start point is excatly 365 days on, the time is up passepartout?

I think your 'lister gene' has become dominant

Cheers, a

Andy

Suspect he will try and break both the 365 and "year of any length" records to satisfy pedants.

Cheers, a

 

[Mysticete]

Just clue me in Paul, is he starting and finishing in the the same time zone, if he is this is a pointless discussion as no time will have been gained?

If they all do it differently (all two of them!) the two records cannot be compared. It would end up like the marathon where there can be no official World record as each course is different. How on earth can a 366 day record beat a 365 day record......very lateral Paul.



Andy

I am frankly skeptical any big years (regional or global is actually) are comparable across years, due to differences in taxonomy, access, habitat quality, knowledge, bird distribution, weather between one year or the next, etc.

I would certainly consider those to have a bigger influence than whether someone was able to milk a few extra hours or a day because of manipulation of time zones.

Basically year to year numbers just give you a rough approximation of how well different people do to one another.

I mean....what if he had started on a leap year

 

[Nohatch]

Off to a decent start in Queensland...33 additions gives him an average of 15.9 sp/day to reach the magic number: it's going to be close!

 

[Paul Chapman]

Two days blogs to be updated but day 341 now there:-

http://www.audubon.org/news/day-341-surprising-find-inside-oil-palm-plantation

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=2150

http://www.audubon.org/news/the-species-list

How gripping is the Owl picture for world listers?

On the time zone changes, 365/366 days, etc, etc, I am sure the effects are de minimis. I think that The Biggest Twitch lost two hours - starting in Arizona and finishing in Ecuador? No idea on Birding Without Borders as I get confused by Antarctica time zones. (That's a phrase I never ever anticipated using!) Rare for me to be less OCD about something than someone else.

All the best

 

[lewis20126]

I am frankly skeptical any big years (regional or global is actually) are comparable across years, due to differences in taxonomy, access, habitat quality, knowledge, bird distribution, weather between one year or the next, etc.

Taxonomy can be corrected after the event (possible as NS logs a full list on EBird for all sites) whilst the other variables are simply the "playing conditions". To extend the cricketing metaphor, these are no different to the wind speed and direction, cloud cover, knowledge of opponents bowling action and so on. The variables may affect the total score but that is part of the game - it doesn't mean we are unable to compare one result with another.

cheers, alan

 

[lewis20126]

Two days blogs to be updated but day 341 now there:-

http://www.audubon.org/news/day-341-surprising-find-inside-oil-palm-plantation

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=2150

http://www.audubon.org/news/the-species-list

How gripping is the Owl picture for world listers?

Very - it is a new stakeout this year but suspect it will be a regular in future but may depend on just one or two birds.

cheers, a

 

[Andy Adcock]

This is typical of Palm Oil plantations, they attract rats to the fallen fruits which then attract Owls but sadly little else.


Andy

 

[Paul Chapman]

hmm, c25 what I guess are easy-ish island endemics / non overlaps on Viti Levu, if you discount rare LLWarbler and PB Parrotfinch etc.

cheers, alan

Yep. I get 43 breeding species on Viti Levu currently (including those two) that he has not seen so far - though a few of the seabirds at least he should get on the Australia leg.

All the best

 

[Brian J Small]

I don't want to poop on anyone's parade, and am in as much awe as the rest of us, but having just come back from Sri Lanka (my 5th visit) I am very surprised that he saw Sri Lanka White-eye at Kithulgala. I just don't see it here and asked the guides I know in SL and they haven't either.

5109 Black-capped Bulbul 11/4 Sri Lanka Kithulgala
5108 Sri Lanka White-eye 11/4 Sri Lanka Kithulgala
5107 Orange-billed Babbler 11/4 Sri Lanka Kithulgala

Can anybody enlighten me?

Brian S

 

[Andy Adcock]

I think that in many places on this tour, he's been at the mercy of guides and has perhaps been a little too happy to accept ID's fed to him?

Don't want to question his ability as a birder, I'm sure he's competent but there are several families where ID is problematic to say the least e.g the African Pipits which can be almost impossible without the call and some Leaf Warblers

With Brian here and don't want to pour scorn on his achievement but I've looked askance at a few of his records.

Perhaps he simply hasn't had time to review some of his sightings and may revise them retrospctively?

I'm sure there are plenty of well intentioned errors in my trip reports as well btw!

Andy

 

[timsg80]

He's posted his ebird checklists for today and he's headed north and got some fantastic species, including Red-necked Crake and Noisy Pitta (both heard only), Sarus Crane, White-browed Robin and Lovely Fairywren. I'm not sure exactly how many additions it will be. It will be interesting to see if he carries on north tomorrow up towards Cape York!

What is truly amazing is that his first checklist of the day states that he started at 5.50am, and his last states that he finished at 8.10pm. That is over 14 hours of birding!!! How does he have the energy??!!

 

[Andy Adcock]

I used to work hours like that when I had a morgtgage to pay and my job was nowhere near as much fun!!


Andy

 

[Paul Chapman]

I don't want to poop on anyone's parade, and am in as much awe as the rest of us, but having just come back from Sri Lanka (my 5th visit) I am very surprised that he saw Sri Lanka White-eye at Kithulgala. I just don't see it here and asked the guides I know in SL and they haven't either.

5109 Black-capped Bulbul 11/4 Sri Lanka Kithulgala
5108 Sri Lanka White-eye 11/4 Sri Lanka Kithulgala
5107 Orange-billed Babbler 11/4 Sri Lanka Kithulgala

Can anybody enlighten me?

Brian S

Brian

I suppose the reality is that posting species and sightings live allows ongoing day by day peer review in contrast to people claiming a number only and at no stage publishing the detail. Something that has happened elsewhere within birding yearlist records!

The relevant blog entries are here - including the name of the local birder and an organisation - if you are interested:-

https://www.audubon.org/news/day-308-leaving-mainland

https://www.audubon.org/news/day-309-rained-out

https://www.audubon.org/news/day-310-looks-chicken

In addition, he has always been responsive to comments on the blog.

Presumably someone could access the e-bird data as well which would suggest whether it was a spreadsheet error?

All the best