Paul Chapman
Well-known member
I think that on any basis, it is accepted that their current total is already the record so every addition in due course will push that record higher:-
http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/igoterra-ticks/
All the best
-
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2017 Western Palearctic Big Year (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter JeroenVanheuverswyn
- Start date
I think that on any basis, it is accepted that their current total is already the record so every addition in due course will push that record higher:-
http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/igoterra-ticks/
All the best
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
I still think that, given a good year for rarities and a bottomless budget, a better planned, more concerted effort could reach 800 and that would stand for some time if achieved?
Cue rich American / Australian
I could also be talking s***.......:t:
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Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
No birding oligarchs out your way then Andy?
No birders full stop, have literally never, seen anyone else birding in Russia.
People will often stop us to ask what we're doing with bins and camera, especially if I'm arse up on the trail trying to photograph a bug, they generally think we're a bit mad.
It's strange though as especially in winter, almost everyone feeds birds.
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Paul Chapman
Well-known member
Andy
I think that you need to be careful what basis you are using. IOC gives them maybe 20-25 more than Netfugl. I'd need to look back to see what would have been possible this year so far. I suspect that 780 would probably be exceptional on IOC. They've not missed much and it has been a very good year for vagrants.
All the best
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Paul,
I only dip in and out of this thread but I get the impression that they've missed quite a bit either by bad luck or bad planning?
I did also add a caveat to my comment in that I could be talking s***
A
dantheman
Bah humbug
This year/750/800 ...
Think the guys have already done exceptionally well. That 3 birders made it thus far already with that total is outstanding.
Future efforts may well come in a year in which rarities do not fall so well. 2017 seems to be an outstanding year on the Azores - may not happen for the next 5, who knows. They've also connected well with many other rarities.
Any birds after 750 in any year become increasingly difficult - 1 day birds require great luck in being in the right place to twitch in the first place. Two day birds at opposite ends of the WP (say a rare thrush in Scandinavia, and a mega in Israel occur for two days only at the same time) become rather tricky to successfully connect with both. Even a 3 day bird occuring in any location becomes awkward if in the middle of a trip to anywhere special (islands or countries requiring special arrangements).
To prioritise rarities over regular WP birds to that extent that any trip gets interrupted for a one bird twitch starts to bring in it's own problems and stresses - birds get missed and it could become a serious of non-sensible dips and exhausting travel with the associated mental stress that can cause.
A private jet may help of course! But still ...
Think the guys have already done exceptionally well. That 3 birders made it thus far already with that total is outstanding.
Future efforts may well come in a year in which rarities do not fall so well. 2017 seems to be an outstanding year on the Azores - may not happen for the next 5, who knows. They've also connected well with many other rarities.
Any birds after 750 in any year become increasingly difficult - 1 day birds require great luck in being in the right place to twitch in the first place. Two day birds at opposite ends of the WP (say a rare thrush in Scandinavia, and a mega in Israel occur for two days only at the same time) become rather tricky to successfully connect with both. Even a 3 day bird occuring in any location becomes awkward if in the middle of a trip to anywhere special (islands or countries requiring special arrangements).
To prioritise rarities over regular WP birds to that extent that any trip gets interrupted for a one bird twitch starts to bring in it's own problems and stresses - birds get missed and it could become a serious of non-sensible dips and exhausting travel with the associated mental stress that can cause.
A private jet may help of course! But still ...
Maffong
Well-known member
Of the 846 species recorded this year already I believe these were absolutely impossible to get.
Ross's Gull
Chimney Swift
American Robin
White-throated Sparrow
Masked Booby
Short-billed Dowitcher
Western Sandpiper
South Polar Skua
Black-billed Cuckoo
White-throated Needletail
Pacific Swift
Siberian Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Baltimore Oriole
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-capped Petrel
Black-headed Heron
White-backed Vulture
Siberian Blue Robin
Mugimaki Flycatcher
That makes 20 species. About the same number would have only been possible with the right timing, luck and perseverence. And probably again the same number were overlapping where you'd have had to choose which one to chase. So I believe that even with John Weigels tactics of chasing everything rare, no matter how expensive and time consuming it would still be close to impossible to achieve 800. I believe 770-780 will be the ultimate barrier that will seem impossible to beat
Ross's Gull
Chimney Swift
American Robin
White-throated Sparrow
Masked Booby
Short-billed Dowitcher
Western Sandpiper
South Polar Skua
Black-billed Cuckoo
White-throated Needletail
Pacific Swift
Siberian Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Baltimore Oriole
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-capped Petrel
Black-headed Heron
White-backed Vulture
Siberian Blue Robin
Mugimaki Flycatcher
That makes 20 species. About the same number would have only been possible with the right timing, luck and perseverence. And probably again the same number were overlapping where you'd have had to choose which one to chase. So I believe that even with John Weigels tactics of chasing everything rare, no matter how expensive and time consuming it would still be close to impossible to achieve 800. I believe 770-780 will be the ultimate barrier that will seem impossible to beat
Ross's Gull might well fall in the coming winter months, as could a Junco (got to be a few wintering American species this winter, surely).
Which American Robin are you referring too? (not the hoax claim from Scotland?).
I don't see Tawny Eagle in that list (reported from Morocco earlier this spring).
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Just had a quick look at their list, I thought that Golden Nightjar and Sudan Golden Sparrow were pretty gettable in Morroco these days but they weren't seen, can't see Desert Sparrow or Mahgreb Lark on their list either but it was just a quick look.
Is there a way to see their list in a systematic order?
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Paul Chapman
Well-known member
Andy
No criticism from me. I've got a spreadsheet at home and I'm only guessing at the answer until I look at that!
Maffong
I'd bet on that still being present as it is the site of a previous long-stayer with few serious birdwatching visits. But again I'm only guessing!
All the best
Paul Chapman
Well-known member
Andy
They have seen all of those. The easiest way is to click on their list link - http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/igoterra-ticks/ - and just use Ctrl + F to find on the page. Beware of course different nomenclature.
All the best
DanielDoer
Well-known member
I totally agree with you, Richard!
I think it's quite easy to criticize them while sitting comfortably at your desk. I personally have never experienced such a bad day in birding/twitching as their black Saturday in mid Oct on Corvo when they dipped literally every (!) mega species found on that day. And I used to go to the famous German rarity island Heligoland for almost every autumn in the 1990s. But I never dipped more than one rarity in a day (and mostly also in a week). And that weren't such megas as their dips on Corvo. So I can partly understand why they left Corvo earlier after that depressing experience. They shouldn't just say that they were bored by Corvo, because it doesn't really fit to their experiences (as far as I can tell from the very distance)...
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Maffong
Well-known member
I'm referring to an American Robin that was reported from Spain earlier this year (24th March). The Black-headed Heron was also seen on two days, but was found only in the evening and disappeared early the next day and has remained elusive since. I'm not sure if the Tawny Eagle couldn't have been gettable if someone had searched for it immediately after it's discovery.
DanielDoer
Well-known member
Have they stopped with entering every observation here:
http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/igoterra-ticks/ ?
Because the last entry was the Azores Bulfinch on 19th Oct. And I had the impression before that they focused in the Azores almost just to enter new year species there...
http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/igoterra-ticks/ ?
Because the last entry was the Azores Bulfinch on 19th Oct. And I had the impression before that they focused in the Azores almost just to enter new year species there...
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
If I'm reading their website properly they were in Ireland yesterday (Co.Cork), I can't see anything they need on the sightings page of the IrishBirding site though.
Paul Chapman
Well-known member
Indeed. Negative news on the Grey-cheeked Thrush which was presumably their target? If they had gone to the Scillies for the Dusky Warbler, then they'd have been in the right place for a Grey-cheeked Thrush today. That and the stunning photos of the Bay-breasted Warbler on Corvo yesterday may mean that as a result, they walked into the nearest Irish pub and hit the Murphy's for as long as they could before they fell over...........
All the best
dan pointon
Can't Stop
Now heading to Sweden for Two-barred and Dusky Warblers.
