World Yearlist Record Attempt (1 Viewer)

Paul Chapman · Apr 9, 2015

I only noticed this attempt this evening and I have no world birding experience but a simple comparison of the Distribution of Bird Species map in the inside cover of my copy of Clements makes the route seem pretty optimal:-

http://noahstrycker.com/

http://www.audubon.org/features/birding-without-borders

He is looking to 'crush' the record of 4,341 species. That said, in this photo, he does not appear to be wearing bins:-

http://www.audubon.org/news/day-96-sugar-highs

I've done the odd twitch without binoculars at short notice. I hope he's remembered them. Looking forward to having a good look around the website and blog.

All the best

Richard Klim · Apr 9, 2015

Paul Chapman said:
...in this photo, he does not appear to be wearing bins:-
http://www.audubon.org/news/day-96-sugar-highs
I've done the odd twitch without binoculars at short notice. I hope he's remembered them.

When Noah hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2011, he managed to lose his Leica bins on Day 42/43, but Leica sent a new pair as replacement, free of charge (Day 87). Hopefully not a regular habit...

noahstrycker.com/pct/

Paul Chapman · Apr 10, 2015

I get the feeling this total could be pretty hard work to beat if he gets to the end of year as planned. On the back of an envelope, I had a look at the breakdown of species by continent in the current record:-

Antarctica - no days - 0
South America - 84 days - 1,388
North America - 41 days - 695 (125 days - 2,083)
Europe - 84 days - 250 (209 days - 2,333)
Africa - 86 days - 1,092 (295 days - 3,425)
Asia - 41 days - 508 (336 days - 3,933)
Australasia - 30 days - 408 (366 days - 4,341)
Total - 366 days - 4,341

On the same envelope, this was my estimate of this plan:-

Antarctica - 7 days - 53
South America - 95 days - 1,908 (99 days - 1,961 so far)
North America - 57 days (159 days)
Europe - 16 days (175 days)
Africa - 78 days (253 days)
Asia - 91 days (344 days)
Australasia - 21 days (365 days)
Total - 365 days

These are my interpretations of some of the continents and of course, widespread species will invalidate comparisons to a degree but you can't help but feel that 68 days less spent in Europe will stand him in good stead! He does not appear to be targeting Scottish Crossbill. Maybe that can be his more difficult challenge next year....

All the best

Tiraya · Apr 11, 2015

I would have thought scottbill was so difficult to find let alone identify that the time would be better spent somewhere tropical where there are chances at several new birds for the list.

Paul Chapman · Apr 11, 2015

Silverwolf

I have no doubt that the route chosen is logistically excellent. I refer to it as 'pretty optimal' in post 1 and reinforce that with the analysis in post 3. If it can be completed, it gives a crack at perhaps 5,500-6,000 species? So my reference to a disputed Scottish (sub)species was intended to be humorous.

All the best

Dave Ball · Apr 11, 2015

Only 16 days in Europe?

...but he'll need at least two to see Lady A's

Paul Chapman · Apr 11, 2015

I'm sure they'll be an easier tame one somewhere 'in the wild native range' that all the world listers go for to feel worthy despite the fact that it's fed by some monks. 3

All the best

Nutcracker · Apr 11, 2015

Paul Chapman said:
He does not appear to be targeting Scottish Crossbill. Maybe that can be his more difficult challenge next year....

It'll likely have been struck off the world list by then :king:

Tiraya · Apr 14, 2015

Paul Chapman said:
Silverwolf

I have no doubt that the route chosen is logistically excellent. I refer to it as 'pretty optimal' in post 1 and reinforce that with the analysis in post 3. If it can be completed, it gives a crack at perhaps 5,500-6,000 species? So my reference to a disputed Scottish (sub)species was intended to be humorous.

All the best

My attempt at a response that was both sarcastic and an attempt to sound like I was adding to to the thread flew over your head. Or was it Scotch mist?

Paul Chapman · Apr 14, 2015

Silverwolf - No worries! I'm easily confused.

This thread will be a slow burner. In light of the different routes taken, I don't think a true comparison is really possible until Noah has completed his Americas leg (Antarctica, South, Central and North America) on 8th June. At that point, it will be possible to compare his total with the Americas total from the current record - 2,083.

I suspect the North America total (695) from the current record is higher than he may achieve as he will have seen more of the birds initially in South America?

It looks as if he will be streaks ahead but that can only be really judged once his pace of progress picks up again on leaving Columbia.

All the best

Tiraya · Apr 14, 2015

Must be really awesome having the chance to do something like that. I'm coping with my sub 700 life list. Wish I had money for even a small fraction of those trips he is doing.

kitefarrago · Apr 15, 2015

To be fair to Noah as far as I can tell he's doing it as low cost as he can, sleeping on floors in people's homes or in budget hotels, and being taken around by local birdwatchers. The previous record holders did take part in commercial tours (not that there's anything wrong with that!), but it seems to me that Noah's costs are mostly flights, and subsistence is quite low.

His first few days on an Antarctic cruise he worked as a guide, so he didn't have to pay for that himself. In that sense sombeody who can take a year out, is willing to make the contacts, and do the planning, probably doesn't require that much capital to try to follow in his footsteps (although I assume the `making contact with local birdwatchers' bit will get harder if more people try to follow that model).

Andrea

dantheman · Apr 15, 2015

kitefarrago said:
(although I assume the `making contact with local birdwatchers' bit will get harder if more people try to follow that model).

Or easier ... in the states at least it seems to be the done thing to help people out as much as you can, and perhaps the same goes for US contacts in S America?

Be interesting to see how much it does cost in the end (and what he achieves!

)

Paul Chapman · Apr 19, 2015

Amused to see he got Great Blue Heron on the evening of Tuesday 14th April - ignoring the time difference that was when Ashley Fisher was finding Britain's second on St Mary's.... His bird in Panama will have caused far less fuss!

The pace has picked up again and he's now diverted from Panama to Jamaica - yet another country - and he's almost past the total achieved for the whole of the Americas in the current record:-

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

http://www.audubon.org/features/birding-without-borders

All the best

Jim M. · Apr 19, 2015

Big years in general, and a global big year in particular, are the most carbon-intensive type of birding there is. So the timing of this attempt seems poor to me. Until there is some means to attempt it with a small carbon footprint, I'd like to see big years become part of birding's past. My two cents.

Paul Chapman · Apr 19, 2015

Jim M. said:
Big years in general, and a global big year in particular, are the most carbon-intensive type of birding there is. So the timing of this attempt seems poor to me. Until there is some means to attempt it with a small carbon footprint, I'd like to see big years become part of birding's past. My two cents.

Jim M

Read his comments on the route taken, carbon off-setting etc:-

http://www.audubon.org/magazine/january-february-2015/welcome-birding-without-borders

It is the fifth para from the bottom - I cannot cut and paste.

All the best

Richard Klim · Apr 19, 2015

Paul Chapman said:
I cannot cut and paste.

Paul, I unfairly imagined that lawyers spent most of their fee-earning time engaged in cutting and pasting.

Paul Chapman · Apr 19, 2015

Richard Klim said:
Paul, I unfairly imagined that lawyers spent most of their fee-earning time engaged in cutting and pasting.

So you can imagine my disappointment when I couldn't do so from that website. 3

All the best

davercox · Apr 19, 2015

Richard Klim said:
Paul, I unfairly imagined that lawyers spent most of their fee-earning time engaged in cutting and pasting.

They have 'people' to do that kind of thing (I know, my stepdaughter is one).

Nutcracker · Apr 19, 2015

Paul Chapman said:
It is the fifth para from the bottom - I cannot cut and paste.

Cut'n'paste works for me no problem!

It sounds like a lot of flying, but a year is a long time to trace one methodical circuit of the globe. Contrasted with the quick overseas vacations taken by many birders, the environmental impact of this project seems less extreme—or at least more efficient. Traveling with a purpose carries other benefits, too; in my view, if everyone could visit just one other country, the world would become more humane. Still, I know I will be responsible for burning a lot of fuel in 2015, so I have joined a carbon offset program. It’s not a perfect system, but in theory my net carbon footprint during this trip will be zero.

World Yearlist Record Attempt (1 Viewer)

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