• 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.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

ABA Big Year 2019 (1 Viewer)

keeneone said:
Steller's were seen in Gambell last week, he may not have updated. He could also photograph Steller's Eider while on St Paul Island, and Spectacled Eider when he goes to Barrow for Ross's Gull. He got Gray-headed Chickadee in November 2016 outside of Kotzebue, Alaska so I wouldn't be surprised if he tries that spot again.
Click to expand...

If I have got this right, Stellers was available at Gambell and Nome and Spectacled on Gambel whilst John was around, but no evidence he connected. No records of either on St Pauls this fall are on eBird.

I noticed from Joe's spreadsheet, that no one on a big year has connected with the Chickadee since 2016, and John was the only one that year. In addition it made me look at the other code 3 that this relates to, but only where they are resident. It appears that these are all in Hawaii, including Laysan Duck, Millerbird, Laysan Finch, Nihoa Finch - are these off limits?
 
John's stated destination of Middle Bank Seamount for his (hopeful) October pelagic trip is <100 km from Nihoa Island, where the Nihoa Finch and Millerbird both occur -- however, my understanding is you'd need a special research permit from the USFWS to land there. The same applies to Laysan Island I believe. Even further out the archipelago, Midway Island does have a human presence and welcomes a few visitors now and then under strict constraints. Probably it's only a matter of time before a Big Year birder arranges a trip out there -- aside from Laysan Duck and Island Canary, the seabird payoff could be very substantial with e.g. Bonin Petrel and Little Tern far easier to find there than anywhere else in the Area.
 
Here's the update, as of this morning. The Deans are the first to complete the Continental Code 1 birds for the year.

Joe
 

Attachments

  • ContinentalBigYears2019.xlsx
    175.2 KB · Views: 49
  • ContinentalBigYears2019ByCode.xlsx
    661.6 KB · Views: 41
  • NewABABigYears2019.xlsx
    131.1 KB · Views: 34
  • NewABABigYears2019ByCode.xlsx
    614.2 KB · Views: 33
Muppit17 said:
John's predicted tick-fest does not seem to have materialised yet on St Paul.

I assume he has picked up Sharp-tailed Sand. The Jack Snipe seems to have gone AWOL.

Seems an OBP has been found so perhaps not all lost yet.

Any news on the Boreal Owl?
Click to expand...

Latest additions:-
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Jack Snipe
Boreal Owl

Ten additions needed together with the following 31 'expected':-
Great Cormorant
Purple Sandpiper
Least Grebe
Audubon's Oriole
Short-tailed Hawk
Dovekie
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
 
Last edited:
The Deans added five already on St. Paul: Red-legged Kittiwake, Mottled Petrel, Red-faced Cormorant, Jack Snipe & Common Snipe. Also, due to California's acceptance of Yellow-Chevroned Parakeet they've added it as a provisional. Richard Dean has now set a new personal record with 746 (+3), beating 2017's 745. Gaylee is at 745 (+4), with 747 as her 2017 total.
Amanda is on St. Paul and John arrives soon, if he isn't already there.

Joe
 
John's latest blog post, about dipping Flesh-footed Shearwater on a repositioning cruise: https://birdingyear.com/sea-voyages-and-boreal-owls-september-21-26/

He's also worried about Least Storm-Petrel.

However, I can’t say that about my designated Fall repo adventure of last week, which was intended to clean up just one species – Flesh-footed Shearwater. This leaves me two ‘regular’ west-coast year-birds short: the big bad shearwater from northerly waters, and Least Storm-petrel from southern waters, especially off San Diego. For the former, I can’t make any of the dates currently on offer from the northern California operators (Debi and Alvaro), so I’m probably going to book a berth on another of the two upcoming repo trips from Vancouver to LA during the next month or so. So far as the later is concerned, 2019 is shaping up as one of those years, according to San Diego seabirder Dave Povey, as one in which the annual arrival of Leasties from the warmer waters of Mexico is either very delayed, or may not happen at all. To date, there has only been one report so far this year, and that was for a single bird. I’m resigned to the possibility that this is a species that I may well miss out on during this, my second ABA Big Year.
Click to expand...

At least he got the Boreal Owl!

He's at 796, +30 -70.
 
Updated lists for all five!
I'm missing one from the McQuade's eBird number, but we'll get that figured out.
Richard Dean passes Neil; Gaylee passes Sandy and catches Neil!
Joe
 

Attachments

  • NewABABigYears2019.xlsx
    131.1 KB · Views: 33
  • NewABABigYears2019ByCode.xlsx
    614.4 KB · Views: 37
Last edited:
trptjoe said:
Updated lists for all five!
I'm missing one from the McQuade's eBird number, but we'll get that figured out.
Richard Dean passes Neil; Gaylee passes Sandy and catches Neil!
Joe
Click to expand...
Looks like John has left St Paul.

Seems Dean's are staying longer..Unless left yesterday.

Grey Wagtail & Eye-browed Thrush are new arrivals. Will need confirmation on who caught up with them- if any of the big yearers.
 
Looks like John has gone to Barrow.

He has added Spectacled Eider.

I thought it was too early for Ross's Gull, can anyone with experience confirm or otherwise.

I note that there was a report of an Ivory Gull in the area, but no other needed species. Is it too late for Steller's Eider there?
 
It's not unusual for Ross's to show up in numbers in the first week of Oct -- e.g., in 2017 there were already 300+ being reported on Oct 6. The winds aren't favorable at the moment but that seems likely to change around Thursday. Not sure how long John will be staying.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 2 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

Hamhed
Hawaii - Part One - The Big Island
2
Replies
20
Views
3K
Hamhed
Hamhed
T
ABA Big Year 2018
6 7 8
Replies
145
Views
34K
trptjoe
T
Lerxst
A global Big Year while working full-time (?)
4 5 6
Replies
113
Views
26K
foresttwitcher
foresttwitcher
wolfbirder
Morocco Marvels and Meanderings 21 - 28 March 2023
2 3
Replies
41
Views
5K
wolfbirder
wolfbirder
wolfbirder
Hardcore Madeira Madness - 15 - 20 June 2022
2 3
Replies
59
Views
9K
wolfbirder
wolfbirder

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top