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2016 - World Yearlist Record Attempt (1 Viewer)

John Cantelo

John Cantelo

Well-known member
It seems that, like buses, attempts on the world record for the best annual list comes in twos or threes. For those addicted to following Noah's achievements here's something to look forward to next year -http://www.arjandwarshuis.com/#biggestyear
 
One to follow for sure! He's taking a somewhat different route with the first 3 months in Australasia (UAE, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand), limited time in the Western Palearctic (Netherlands, Israel, Spain) and Nearctic (USA, mostly southern), and a comparable route in Africa (Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Madagascar, South Africa, Ghana). This gives him nearly a month extra in the most productive Neotropical region (Suriname, Brazil, Argentinia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico). Of course he has the benefit of Noah going first so he can tweak his itinerary.
 
A very simplistic possibly flawed analysis suggests that the key differences are:-

Noah's unique locations
Antarctica & Falklands - 7 days
Iceland - 1 day
Norway - 4 days
Turkey - 4 days
Cameroon - 9 days
Myanmar - 7 days
China - 6 days
Taiwan - 3 days
Borneo - 6 days

Arjan's unique locations
Netherlands - 4 days
Sri Lanka - 5 days
Java - 3 days
Israel - 3 days
Ethiopia - 7 days
Malawi - 7 days
Surinam - 7 days
Cuba - unknown duration

Of the overlapping locations, the differing approaches and locations in India/Sri Lanka stand out as does the shorter period in Madagascar, the longer period in Ghana and the shorter period in Australia. I'll try and do something a bit more considered.

All the best
 
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Cuba

A good addition - but not worth more than 2-3 days. I think I saw all the gettable endemics (bar one) in my first two days a couple of years ago; flying in from / back to Cancun which is I guess what Arjand will do? I would guess 40 unique species is possible if he picks up more widespread Caribbean species.

cheers, alan
 
At the moment on a very rough fagpacket analysis (attached), what surprises me is how little time he is spending in Asia and much time he is spending in Central & North America. I reckon this may well be a pretty close run thing if Noah keeps up his pace over the next month in particular.........

Any other thoughts?

All the best

Paul
 

Attachments

  • Fagpacket Analysis.xlsx
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I'm really surprised about his approach in europe. i would have done it in a similar way like Noah and feel like he's gonna see less stuff in the WP than Noah, eventhough he should have a home field advantage here.
However I'm not an expert and I might be wrong

Maffong
 
Maffong said:
I'm really surprised about his approach in europe. i would have done it in a similar way like Noah and feel like he's gonna see less stuff in the WP than Noah, eventhough he should have a home field advantage here.
However I'm not an expert and I might be wrong

Maffong
Click to expand...

I think the winter and spring big days in the Netherlands will get a few species that Noah did not get. Iceland and Norway for Noah will have added some that Arjan will not get and Turkey will possibly win out over Israel.... I suspect shortening Spain is correct.

WP & OSME Comparison
Noah
Iceland - 1 day
Norway - 4 days
Turkey - 4 days
Spain - 6 days
UAE - 1 day
Total - 16 days

Arjan
Netherlands - 4 days
Spain - 4 days
Israel - 3 days
UAE - 2 days
Total - 13 days

All the best
 
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An update on Arjan's Neotropics schedule:
1 week Suriname
3.5 weeks Brazil (northwest, east, Atlantic forest, Pantanal, Cristalino)
Extended stay in Argentina, main focus on the north
3.5 weeks Mexico incl. Yucatan
1 week each in Panama, Costa Rica & Guatemala
2 days Jamaica
2 days Dominican Republic
3 days Cuba
 
Paul Chapman said:
A very simplistic possibly flawed analysis suggests that the key differences are:-

Noah's unique locations
Antarctica & Falklands - 7 days
Iceland - 1 day
Norway - 4 days
Turkey - 4 days
Cameroon - 9 days
Myanmar - 7 days
China - 6 days
Taiwan - 3 days
Borneo - 6 days

Arjan's unique locations
Netherlands - 4 days
Java - 3 days
Israel - 3 days
Ethiopia - 7 days
Malawi - 7 days
Surinam - 7 day
Dominican Republic - 2 days
Cuba - 3 days
Click to expand...

Edited for today's developments with the current record holder in Sri Lanka.

All the best
 
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John Cantelo said:
It seems that, like buses, attempts on the world record for the best annual list comes in twos or threes. For those addicted to following Noah's achievements here's something to look forward to next year -http://www.arjandwarshuis.com/#biggestyear
Click to expand...

Don't see any discussion of how he is going to offset the carbon produced by his unnecessary travels in the article. This should be mandatory for anyone contemplating such a carbon-intensive project in the era of global warming. If he's not going to do it, he should find some other project to raise money for his worthy cause.

[EDIT: As Paul points out below, he is planning an offset. I reviewed article before posting and searched for key terms, but not the ones that found the right passage. In any event, my main goal was to raise awareness--as I note in my post below--since it had not yet been mentioned in this thread.]
 
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Jim M. said:
Don't see any discussion of how he is going to offset the carbon produced by his unnecessary travels in the article. This should be mandatory for anyone contemplating such a carbon-intensive project in the era of global warming. If he's not going to do it, he should find some other project to raise money for his worthy cause.
Click to expand...

It is difficult to imagine that someone would post this comment without taking the following two minimal steps first:-
1. Click on the link; and
2. Search for the word 'carbon'.

Nevertheless I quote the result of those steps:-

'Of course I am fully aware that travelling around the world for a whole year will leave a significant carbon footprint. Therefore, I will follow a carbon offset program with my sponsor ATPI.'
 
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Jim M. said:
Don't see any discussion of how he is going to offset the carbon produced by his unnecessary travels in the article. This should be mandatory for anyone contemplating such a carbon-intensive project in the era of global warming. If he's not going to do it, he should find some other project to raise money for his worthy cause.
Click to expand...

If you are going to set these restrictions on someone else's next 365 days of birding, I hope that you are also taking the same approach.
 
I can't imagine the five days Noah spent between Iceland and Norway were very profitable numerically?

Surely those five days could have been utilised better in a more prolific region, what is at either place that can't be pulled in elswhere, can't think of anything?

Andy
 
Paul Chapman said:
It is difficult to imagine that someone would post this comment without taking the following two minimal steps first:-
1. Click on the link; and
2. Search for the word 'carbon'.

Nevertheless I quote the result of those steps:-

'Of course I am fully aware that travelling around the world for a whole year will leave a significant carbon footprint. Therefore, I will follow a carbon offset program with my sponsor ATPI.'
Click to expand...

Just 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' isn't it?

No different to e.g China or the USA buying a forest in Chad (just an example, not sure they have?) so they can burn more coal at home?

I stand ready to be educated......


Andy
 
andyadcock said:
I can't imagine the five days Noah spent between Iceland and Norway were very profitable numerically?

Surely those five days could have been utilised better in a more prolific region, what is at either place that can't be pulled in elswhere, can't think of anything?

Andy
Click to expand...

Andy

I think you're wrong there. I think that his WP strategy was almost spot on. Too many days in Spain when he should have done a big day in say Estonia. He added 314 species in 16 days in Europe (including Turkey) which was as good as South America for additional species per day but it could have been 330 in say 13 days.

It is the prospects of a return that are important rather than how prolific the region - 260 additions in 27 days in Columbia evidences that he overstayed because he had done so well elsewhere in South America. Before the year started, who would have said to him - 'don't stay in Columbia too long!'....

All the best
 
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andyadcock said:
Just 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' isn't it?

No different to e.g China or the USA buying a forest in Chad (just an example, not sure they have?) so they can burn more coal at home?

I stand ready to be educated......


Andy
Click to expand...

No idea. My response was simply to the claim that there was no discussion on carbon offsetting which was simply wrong. For me addressing global warming without population reduction is just about making one species more comfortable whilst habitat destruction etc continues to devastate biodiversity.

All the best
 
In my view the possible suggestions thrown up by analysis of Noah's approach to date - which was never publicised as attempting to maximise his return - have been:-
(i) The initial 5 day indulgence in Antarctica - which he did for personal reasons rather than the record;
(ii) Too long in Columbia;
(iii) Too long in Mexico;
(iv) Too long in USA or more accurately not using the same length for going north say a quick Alaska trip;
(v) Not using that time for say a couple of days in Cuba and possibly elsewhere in the Caribbean;
(vi) Two days too many in Spain and he should have fitted in a big day in Eastern Europe; and
(vii) Working out how to use the time saved for more geographical spread in Africa eg Ethiopia and Asia/Oceania eg Sumatra, Java, Moluccas and Solomon Islands.

All the best
 
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