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ABA Big Year 2019 (1 Viewer)

Muppit17 said:
Has anyone figured out John's plans?

His latest post appears to suggest that he is about to embark on a 5 day pelagic from San Diego. Is this the 2-6th September trip?

Is this in addition to the Hawaiian plans or have they had to be abandoned?

If these form the anchors then it would appear that there are another 2 weeks of sweeping up, then the San Diego trip, then Alaska (Gambel/St Pauls), then Hawaii at the end of October.

He is averaging one new species per day through August, which is good going this late in the year.
Click to expand...

That sounds about right. Below are the missing Code 1 and Code 2 birds.

If he can get Buller's Shearwater from San Diego pelagic and couple missing from Alaska (Spurce Grouse, Northern Wheatear, White-winged Crossbill(??)) he still needs trips to
- east coast (Purple Sandpiper, Great Cormorant, Dovekie)
- Texas (Least Grebe, Audubon's Oriole)
- Florida (Short-tailed Hawk)
And somewhere for Pinyon Jay (which he dipped on previous California trip) and Boreal Owl.
So these + pelagic(s) + Hawaii + twitching.

Code 1 - 3
Purple Sandpiper
Great Cormorant
Pinyon Jay

Code 2 - 9
Spruce Grouse
Least Grebe
Dovekie
Buller’s Shearwater
Short-tailed Hawk
Boreal Owl
Northern Wheatear
White-winged Crossbill
Audubon’s Oriole
 
John's latest blog post, mainly about the difficulty of finding Pinyon Jay, but at the end he reveals that next it's Alaska.

https://birdingyear.com/fear-no-bird/
Although the Pinyon Jay fear was replaced with euphoria, another, even scarier thought emerged – I’d completed my hit-list of resident birds for the summer, and had nowhere left to go – but north to Alaska. My 2016 Fall Alaskan experiences hadn’t been easy, and I’d sort of compartmentalised the need to spend so many weeks on the islands hoping for westerly winds to blow a few Asian migrants off course and into ABA territory. Gulp.

But first a much anticipated (American) family reunion in the Ozarks of Arkansas – and the anticipation of breaking up my Alaska-time this time around, with Pacific coast pelagic birding trips, including an all-in gamble that a ‘repositioning’ cruise from Vancouver to Los Angeles would validate my decision to skip the ten Cal-coastal one-day pelagic trips I undertook in 2016. Desperate time do call for desperate measures, and I admit that due to extrinsic circumstances, this year’s effort has shaped up to be a bit of a crap shoot. But I’m feeling lucky.
Click to expand...

Alaska wish list:
Steller’s Eider (3)
Spectacled Eider (3)
Smew (3)
Spruce Grouse (2)
Common Ringed Plover (3)
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (3)
Ivory Gull (3)
Ross’s Gull (3)
Northern Wheatear (2)
Eyebrowed Trush (3)
White Wagtail (3)
Red-throated Pipit (3)
Rustic Bunting (3)
White-winged Crossbill (2)
+ of course some Code 4 and Code 5 birds.

Now at 776, +23 (not seen in 2016) and -83 (seen in 2016 but not seen in 2019).
 
Any intel on when the McQuades (or anyone else) will be arriving at Gambell? It's been a bit underbirded this year, with Lehman missing the spring and not due there till September. And I assume John will be getting there late thanks to the Searcher pelagic. There are two groups slated to show up on the 31st, but speaking as a fantasy birder (and thinking of birds like Ringed Plover that are gone by Sep) that's a bit too late for comfort...
 
trptjoe said:
The McQuades are heading to Alaska at the end of August. Nome, St. Paul & Gambell, though I don't know the order.
Joe
Click to expand...
Another posting and the short term itinerary seems to be set. Alaska for the next 6 weeks or so with Pelagics out of San Diego (murrelets, storm-petrels & Bullers?) and then the repositioning cruise (not sure what the targets are. Seems like he is heading to Gambell/St Paul now!

Also John has reached a milestone (of sorts)- he now has the same number of species he saw until the end of Nov 2016 (just before the acceleration in Hawaii). The next few weeks should indicate where is going to end up.
 
Muppit17 said:
Another posting and the short term itinerary seems to be set. Alaska for the next 6 weeks or so with Pelagics out of San Diego (murrelets, storm-petrels & Bullers?) and then the repositioning cruise (not sure what the targets are. Seems like he is heading to Gambell/St Paul now!

Also John has reached a milestone (of sorts)- he now has the same number of species he saw until the end of Nov 2016 (just before the acceleration in Hawaii). The next few weeks should indicate where is going to end up.
Click to expand...
Here's the blog post of John's Alaska plans.
https://birdingyear.com/family-time-then-quick-swoop-in-anchorage-before-gambell/

He got two common birds near Anchorage: Spruce Grouse (2) and White-winged Crossbill (2). Now at 778, +23, -81.

Possible pelagic targets:
Guadalupe Murrelet (3)
Craveri's Murrelet (3)
Red-billed Tropicbird (3)
Buller's Shearwater (2)
Flesh-footed Shearwater (3)
Least Storm-petrel (3)
 
And continuing on John's Big Year: he's got photographs of 729 species and some missing are common birds, so the count is expected to be higher. If John's old blog page is correct, he got 774 photographed species in 2016.

Is there an official record of photographic Big Year?
 
On the basis of John having gone to Gambell (?) it is interesting to see the first records coming through from there on the 28th/29th.

In terms of his personal targets the following are on the current listings
Northern Wheatear
White Wagtail
Olive-backed Pipit
Red-throated Pipit
Pallas's Reed Bunting
& potential Dark-sided Flycatcher

No idea how many John is connecting with
 
I don't know anything for certain just yet, but I believe that the McQuades would have easily gotten to 700 yesterday. The Deans should be there, too, and we know John was planning to attend the party. Should be fun, with Gambell getting off to such a great start!

Joe
 
I just received this from David McQuade: "We did it! We went over 700. I’m at 701 + 2 and Tammy is at 702 +2.
You can add Rock Sandpiper to her list. I unfortunately got back too late to the scope to see the ROSA before they flew away. I’m not too worried. I know we’ll get them again over the next 2 weeks, but officially she got to 700 about 30 minutes before I did. Lol"

Two new members of the 700 Club!

Joe
 
John's first Alaska report:
https://birdingyear.com/fall-alaska-pt-1/

He caught all species Muppit17 mentioned apart from Dark-sided Flycatcher. Two species not seen in 2016:
Olive-backed Pipit (3)
Pallas's Bunting (5)

and an unidentified mystery bird:
https://birdingyear.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Mystery-bird-20190826-05010400668JRW_2163.jpg

He also twitched Common Ringed Plover in California.

Now on 784, next a five day pelagic trip from San Diego. He's also trying to organize a four day Hawaii pelagic in middle of October.
 
Muppit17 said:
Would you tick it - or accept it with that photo?

I agree with you that it looks likely, but .......
Click to expand...

No mention of size, behaviour, etc that I can see. I do not know possible lookalikes in that image that could be in Alaska but elements of it look pretty convincing whereas the extent of the ear coverts and white throat look a bit incongruous. Mind you - only seen the species twice:-

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S32569124

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S32570540

All the best
 
Tikli said:
Possible pelagic targets:
Guadalupe Murrelet (3)
Craveri's Murrelet (3)
Red-billed Tropicbird (3)
Buller's Shearwater (2)
Flesh-footed Shearwater (3)
Least Storm-petrel (3)
Click to expand...

From the searcher blog https://www.bajawhale.com/2019/09/ it looks as though John should have seen all the targets on Tikli's list (except maybe the Flesh-footed Shearwater). It doesn't seem that anything rarer was seen that John still needed - Nazca Booby, Townsend Storm-petrel and Cook's Petrel all seen but already on his list.

Also seems that he didn't miss much by leaving Gambell so quickly
 
Muppit17 said:
From the searcher blog https://www.bajawhale.com/2019/09/ it looks as though John should have seen all the targets on Tikli's list (except maybe the Flesh-footed Shearwater). It doesn't seem that anything rarer was seen that John still needed - Nazca Booby, Townsend Storm-petrel and Cook's Petrel all seen but already on his list.

Also seems that he didn't miss much by leaving Gambell so quickly
Click to expand...

Looks like he missed Least Petrel also. He's added both murrelets, Buller's Shearwater and Red-billed Tropicbird. Guadalupe Murrelet is a plus-species (not seen in 2016).

Still missing from Alaska (compared to 2016):
Whooper Swan (3)
Steller's Eider (3)
Spectacled Eider (3)
Smew (3)
Far Eastern Curlew (4)
Jack Snipe (4)
Pin-tailed Snipe (5)
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (3)
Ivory Gull (3)
Ross's Gull (3)
Dusky Warbler (4)
Common Chiffchaff (5)
Eyebrowed Trush (3)
Siberian Accentor (4)
Rustic Bunting (3)

John's at 788, +26 -74
 
Updated lists with John's additions. The McQuades and Deans have added a bunch, but I don't yet have those specifics.
Joe
 

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Tikli said:
John's at 788, +26 -74
Click to expand...

So where are the bets on 49 more - following 32 plus another 17?

Great Cormorant
Purple Sandpiper
Least Grebe
Audubon's Oriole
Short-tailed Hawk
Dovekie
Boreal Owl
Java Sparrow
Red-crested Cardinal
Oahu Amakihi
White-rumped Shama
Red-vented Bulbul
Rose-ringed Parakeet
White Tern
Chestnut Munia
African Silverbill
Maui Alauahio
Hwamei
Hawaiian Duck
Anianiau
Kauai Amakihi
Kauai Elepaio
Red Junglefowl
Gray-backed Tern
Indian Peafowl
Oahu Elepaio
Mariana Swiftlet
Akohekohe
Maui Parrotbill
Akekee
Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush
Akikiki

All the best
 
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