-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ABA Big Year 2018 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter trptjoe
- Start date
Farnboro John
Well-known member
guy_incognito
Well-known member
Olaf posted a number of 723 for the lower 48, which is the highest on ABA Listing Central. I don't recall what John got (or if he posted that number?).
Farnboro John
Well-known member
The 700 Club should get another chair ready, as Nicole is getting close to procuring a seat at the table! She's at 696 (694 + provisional Mistle Thrush & House Crow). She removed the non-listed parakeet from her eBird list, so the number you see (accounting for the House Crow) is accurate.
The Deans are at 640 (they're cleaning up Colorado birds) and Dan is at 607. He's getting ready to head west.
I'm attaching the updated Continental sheets, too, as Al Levantin graciously sent the species list for his 1998 Big Year. Special thanks to Mark Obmascik for connecting Al and me.
At this point I have all but five of the 700+ Big Year lists on my sheets. Not bad.
Joe
The Deans are at 640 (they're cleaning up Colorado birds) and Dan is at 607. He's getting ready to head west.
I'm attaching the updated Continental sheets, too, as Al Levantin graciously sent the species list for his 1998 Big Year. Special thanks to Mark Obmascik for connecting Al and me.
At this point I have all but five of the 700+ Big Year lists on my sheets. Not bad.
Joe
Last edited:
The 700 Club has a new member! Saltmarsh Sparrow becomes the 700th species or the year (not counting the House Crow) for Nicole Koeltzow! Technically 699+1 (Mistle Thrush), but it would feel like 700 to me if it were my Big Year!
The Deans are at 647, as they continue to clean up in Colorado.
The Deans are at 647, as they continue to clean up in Colorado.
My last update before I get out of Chicago for a week; we're heading to New England. Ten or more possible lifers, though it's not technically a birding trip (really, Cheryl, it's not...). Moose Bog, Mt. Katahdin, the Whales & Puffins pelagic out of Bar Harbor (we tried to do that one years ago and got fogged out) and maybe a Little Egret on the way out.
Nicole is at 704+2, the Deans are at 655 and Dan is at 609. Their numbers should be very interesting to see by the time I get back, as they're all in serious clean-up mode.
Stay cool, all!
Joe
Nicole is at 704+2, the Deans are at 655 and Dan is at 609. Their numbers should be very interesting to see by the time I get back, as they're all in serious clean-up mode.
Stay cool, all!
Joe
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Presumably tidying up summer visitors is all there is to do (that or photograph butterflies) in North America right now, same as here? How long does the pause last?
John
John
Mysticete
Well-known member
Let us know how it goes! Hoping to hit up Maine next summer for a birding trip (still need some of those North Atlantic ABA birds, despite living in NY for a couple of years).
A fine trip with six lifers and a number of whiffs. The short version:
Moose Bog, Vermont - a great place with four possible lifers (Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, Gray (Canada) Jay, Boreal Chickadee). Whiffed on all four, but a great place. Nesting warblers, but I get them all in migration in Chicago. I'll get the four species on the Sax-Zim trip one of these winters.
Mt. Katahdin - climbed it via the Saddle Trail. Heard Bicknell's Thrush on the way down, serenading me for ten minutes straight. Missed it on Mt. Washington a number of years ago, so I was happy to finally get it.
Whales & Puffins Watch out of Bar Harbor - lifer Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, Common Murre & Manx Shearwater. Never been sick on a boat in my life. They warned us that it'd be little rougher than usual. It was; 1/3 (at least) got sick, including me (but my wife was fine). So I missed the two Cory's at the front of the boat. From now on, Dramamine and the wrist bands no matter what. Lesson learned.
Scarborough Marsh - Love this place; both sparrows on the Eastern Trail, per usual. We did not get the Little Egret, but a knowledgeable woman at the Audubon Center tipped me off that Roseate Terns could be found at the fisherman's pier at the east end of the marsh. Found two for my sixth lifer of the trip.
Joe
Paul Chapman
Well-known member
Joe
Thanks for the continued updates. I managed one from four at Moose Bog, Vermont being Gray Jay. That said my biggest highlight was bumping into Greg Miller which as a massive fan of The Big Year was my highlight of the entire trip. (Sad I know.)
All the best
Thanks for the continued updates. I managed one from four at Moose Bog, Vermont being Gray Jay. That said my biggest highlight was bumping into Greg Miller which as a massive fan of The Big Year was my highlight of the entire trip. (Sad I know.)
All the best
Nicole is up to 724 +2, moving ahead of Sandy Komito and Lynn Barber. She makes the Top 15, which got her on the Wikipedia Big Year page.
The Deans are at 692 and are getting ready to be the first birders to do back-to-back 700+ Big Years. They claim to still be enjoying it, even though Dick and pelagics don't get along well.
Joe
The Deans are at 692 and are getting ready to be the first birders to do back-to-back 700+ Big Years. They claim to still be enjoying it, even though Dick and pelagics don't get along well.
Joe
Joe
As others have said - thanks for your efforts in keeping track. I see from ebird that Nicole has headed via the Curlew Sand in NC to Arizona to mop up species in Arizona - Sulphur-bellied Fly and Varied Bunting already secured and I guess Gray Vireo is the next target.
Two questions I would welcome your thoughts on:-
Hawaii - is she going and when is optimal to do so?
How does she compare with the other top listers in terms of status at this time of year?
The only benchmark I have is Yve Morrell who I believe was on 713 at the end of July and didnt go to Hawaii until mid-september. She also added virtually nothing in August and this suggests that the next month would be better for Hawaii as the options are better for vagrants in September elsewhere.
Paul Chapman
Well-known member
As at now?
John Wiegel - 756 - http://www.birdingfordevils.com/p/this-is-listing-of-species-so-far.html
Olaf Danielson - 752 - http://olafsbigyear.blogspot.com/2016/07/more-of-everything.html
All the best
John Wiegel - 756 - http://www.birdingfordevils.com/p/this-is-listing-of-species-so-far.html
Olaf Danielson - 752 - http://olafsbigyear.blogspot.com/2016/07/more-of-everything.html
All the best
Thanks Paul - it suggests that Nicole is truly behind and mainly on the higher code species. There is no consistency on the best time to go to Hawaii from what I can see. Most there seem to be sedentary so anytime things are quiet on the mainland.
Joe, I think this shows just how little I understand about ABA listing. In the Western Palearctic context the thought of taking time out of prime migration season to hit a remote and resident based area would be viewed as mad. Especially as surely code 4 and 5 species must be the targets in the fall migration?
It prompts more questions in my mind.
- Is October viewed as late for the fall migrants (now viewed as peak in WP)?
- Are there many code 4&5 seen in Hawaii?
- Where is optimum to base yourself in the last quarter?
Similar threads
