2017 Western Palearctic Big Year (9 Viewers)

[DanielDoer]

I view this element of the trip as similar to Noah Strycker's Antarctica leg. That is being done to make the experience complete. I anticipate that they could have seen all the species already this year more easily. I suspect if someone sets out to break their record then they won't do this leg.

All the best

But there is one big difference between Noah's Antarctica trip and their visit of Svalbard: while you have to skip regions and therefore species during a worldwide attempt, you should not let go of "regular" WP species during a WP Big Year. So apart from the great landscape and experiences there (they just appreciated their views of Walrusses - correct word for more of them? - on facebook) Svalbard is good to visit for some specialties within birds as Ivory gull as well.

 

[Paul Chapman]

But there is one big difference between Noah's Antarctica trip and their visit of Svalbard: while you have to skip regions and therefore species during a worldwide attempt, you should not let go of "regular" WP species during a WP Big Year. So apart from the great landscape and experiences there (they just appreciated their views of Walrusses - correct word for more of them? - on facebook) Svalbard is good to visit for some specialties within birds as Ivory gull as well.

Which was twitchable in the early part of the year and part of their rationale in not going for it was that they were going to Svalbard. A circular argument?

All the best

 

[Nutcracker]

Walrusses - correct word for more of them?

Hippopotamus ➜ Hippopotami, so Walrus ➜ Walri 8-P

No, not really! Walrusses or Walruses is correct :t: 3

 

[DMW]

Is there anywhere else accessible in the WP where Little Auk is guaranteed on any given day of the year?

 

[Maffong]

Not sure, but it's pretty straightforward on Heligoland in late October and early November and there are other places where it's reliable, though of course not throughout the year

 

[DanielDoer]

Which was twitchable in the early part of the year and part of their rationale in not going for it was that they were going to Svalbard. A circular argument?

All the best

Yes, you could be right. But they seem to avoid twitching in Germany (see Ivory Gull, Black-browed Albatross!) for some odd reasons. Hopefully it is just some coincidence and they do not avoid my beautiful home country as a whole ...

 

[DMW]

Not sure, but it's pretty straightforward on Heligoland in late October and early November and there are other places where it's reliable, though of course not throughout the year

Sure, Little Auk isn't a difficult bird in the UK if you have the time to wait for the right conditions, but can you rock up to Heligoland on, say, 1st November, and be more or less certain that you will see a Little Auk regardless of the wind direction? Or might you have to wait several days for the right winds?

What I'm getting at is that Svalbard might not be such a luxury destination as has been suggested.

 

[DMW]

Plus it avoids the need to visit Germany

 

[DanielDoer]

Plus it avoids the need to visit Germany

Feeling very sorry that I provoked "with seeing eye" (as we say in German) that statement... :-( :-( :-(

 

[Captain_of_Crunch]

Is there anywhere else accessible in the WP where Little Auk is guaranteed on any given day of the year?

Depends on how you define 'accessible'. It formerly bred in Iceland, and I don't know how easy it is to see there in winter or as a non-breeding summer visitor.

Further breeding populations based on BirdLife maps are on Jan Mayen, Bear Island (Bjornoya), Novaya Zemla and Franz Josef Land, all of which you can visit by cruise ship in a given year. Independent travel would be possible to each as well, but I suspect Russian helicopters/ice breakers are not cheap to hire :-O

According to their Itinerary it is another week of playing 'Otter' before moping up Mediterranean endemics in mid/late July. Hopefully they will catch up on a few blog posts and pics of some very fascinating travel in recent weeks.

 

[flownek]

Not sure, but it's pretty straightforward on Heligoland in late October and early November and there are other places where it's reliable, though of course not throughout the year

Pretty straightforward I wouldn't say. They are common in some years on Heligoland, but in other years not. From the 10+ of my visits to the island at that time of the year I saw them on 3-4 trips. And even then it was not a daily sight.

 

[Frenchy]

If they're not within easy reach (ie a few hundred metres) of a Little Auk in the UK in the autumn, then they're not trying hard enough.

 

[Paul Chapman]

If they're not within easy reach (ie a few hundred metres) of a Little Auk in the UK in the autumn, then they're not trying hard enough.

Although in the highest contemporaneously documented British & Irish yearlist (Adrian Webb in 2000), Adrian succeeded in missing Little Auk.

All the best

 

[Nutcracker]

Little Auk is more variable in numbers than any other bird on the UK list. In Northumbs, numbers can vary from one or two in a whole winter, to 28,000 in a day. Nothing else with such variation.

 

[DanielDoer]

Nice write-up with fantastic pics of Svalbard:
http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/2017/07/12/svalbard/

They mention the German Ivory Gull in the beginning! And a very nice sentence in the end: "if you are lucky all the time - then it's skills!"

 

[Frenchy]

Although in the highest contemporaneously documented British & Irish yearlist (Adrian Webb in 2000), Adrian succeeded in missing Little Auk.

All the best

He wasn't trying hard enough

 

[Frenchy]

Little Auk is more variable in numbers than any other bird on the UK list. In Northumbs, numbers can vary from one or two in a whole winter, to 28,000 in a day. Nothing else with such variation.

I guess if you want to guarantee anything, then going to the breeding grounds makes sense. And as awesome as Svalbard surely is, on a year list attempt it makes little sense. Save the time and money for living between UK and Corvo in the autumn.

 

[flownek]

Astonishing they were allowed to bring a gun from home into Svalbard, so they could freely walk outside the settlements. I just try to imagine what would happen if I try to approach a German airport with a gun...

 

[flownek]

I guess if you want to guarantee anything, then going to the breeding grounds makes sense. And as awesome as Svalbard surely is, on a year list attempt it makes little sense. Save the time and money for living between UK and Corvo in the autumn.

In terms of money I guess you're right. But on the other hand there is not very much to do at this time of the year. A trip to Corvo in July doesn't make too much sense.

 

[Paul Chapman]

In terms of money I guess you're right. But on the other hand there is not very much to do at this time of the year. A trip to Corvo in July doesn't make too much sense.

Recent other options for the time:-
Black-browed Albatross
Grey-tailed Tattler
American Royal Tern
Amur Falcon
Elegant Tern

Alternatively Shikra in Azerbaijan (with possibly Caspian Tit) or some of the North Atlantic seabirds where there is a question mark on their timing later in the year?

They've decided to do it their way and this is not a criticism. It is the first attempt and a truly pioneering effort by three great guys with a fantastic happy go lucky and cheerful attitude. Maximum respect.

Still an Ivory Gull sitting in a field in Germany counts as plus one just the same as one in Svalbard and an Egyptian Nightjar pointed out to you by a Bedouin in Morocco counts just the same as finding your own at Jahra Outfall. By doing a year list, it is simply a numbers game.

All the best