birdmeister
Well-known member
It appears that Nicole got the Great Black Hawk in Maine.
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ABA Big Year 2018 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter trptjoe
- Start date
Here's the update. I need to get an update from Dan, who's added 31 species since my last contact with him. The thing to celebrate is the fact that the Deans became the first birders to have back-to-back 700+ ABA Big Years!
Regarding Hawaii: my opinion (worth every cent it costs) is that nobody knows the best time to go to Hawaii as this is such a new wrinkle. All the previous Big Year birders who included Hawaii knew they were taking a chance at missing some vagrants, but it was outweighed by the 50+ species that Hawaii could produce. To get 800+ you need Hawaii.
Joe
Regarding Hawaii: my opinion (worth every cent it costs) is that nobody knows the best time to go to Hawaii as this is such a new wrinkle. All the previous Big Year birders who included Hawaii knew they were taking a chance at missing some vagrants, but it was outweighed by the 50+ species that Hawaii could produce. To get 800+ you need Hawaii.
Joe
Time for a new update, as ABA has officially added four species to the checklist. This knocks down most of the Big Year birders' provisionals, with the exception of the Black-backed Oriole. Nicole has House Crow on her list, but I have no idea if ABA is even considering that one.
I'll need to add the 2018 birders into the Continental lists, but that'll happen soon.
Yve Morrell officially (well, as official as it gets for me...) moves into third place for the New ABA!
Joe
I'll need to add the 2018 birders into the Continental lists, but that'll happen soon.
Yve Morrell officially (well, as official as it gets for me...) moves into third place for the New ABA!
Joe
Dan Gesualdo checked in with an update: 667 species in the Lower 48. All traveling done by car (or pelagic), no flying!
Nicole's eBird number is accurate, as her Mexican Duck was actually in Mexico (go figure).
News flash! The Black-backed Oriole was added to the ABA Checklist, so the book on 2017 is now closed. The lists have been adjusted, and congrats go out to Yve Morrell, who now has the third-best ABA Big Year!
Joe
Nicole's eBird number is accurate, as her Mexican Duck was actually in Mexico (go figure).
News flash! The Black-backed Oriole was added to the ABA Checklist, so the book on 2017 is now closed. The lists have been adjusted, and congrats go out to Yve Morrell, who now has the third-best ABA Big Year!
Joe
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I see that Nicole is now in Gambell and I guess that her overall total is going to be dependent on the rarity season here. She seems to have mopped up a few missing species eg Steller's Eider and Yellow-billed Loon quickly and picked up Sharp-tailed Sandpiper as a code 3.
Paul Chapman
Well-known member
Joe
Massive thanks as always.
Getting very impressive indeed. Less than 20 behind John Weigel now at that stage who only added 3 in September......
Any Code 1's and 2's still to collect?
I hope to have a look at your spreadsheets at the weekend but not had a chance to do so yet.
All the best
Massive thanks as always.
Getting very impressive indeed. Less than 20 behind John Weigel now at that stage who only added 3 in September......
Any Code 1's and 2's still to collect?
I hope to have a look at your spreadsheets at the weekend but not had a chance to do so yet.
All the best
Thought she also added Townsend's Storm Petrel?
If I read Joe's spreadsheet correctly (no guarantees there) - only Code 1 & 2s left are in Hawaii, except Yellow Rail & Smith's Longspur. Although additionally White-tailed Tropicbird and Wedge-tailed Shearwater are possible on lower 48 pelagics.
Paul Chapman
Well-known member
I think you're right.
She did, back in July. It's on my sheets.
She added Arctic Warbler yesterday (a Code 2), so now she's down to Yellow Rail and Smith's Longspur, along with all the Hawaiian species.
Joe
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There's been a slight change to some of the top numbers, as Indian Peafowl isn't countable for any Big Year prior to 2018. Here's the pertinent language from the ABA Big Year Rules:
"Each species counted must have been on the ABA Checklist during the Big Year, with the following exception: A non-exotic species encountered that is new to the ABA Area can be retroactively counted for the Big Year if and when that species is added to the ABA Checklist and if the bird seen represents the accepted new ABA record or is another individual of the species seen after the initial record. Any ABA Area Big Year lists submitted to the ABA must be in accordance with these rules.”
http://listing.aba.org/big-year-rules/
"Each species counted must have been on the ABA Checklist during the Big Year, with the following exception: A non-exotic species encountered that is new to the ABA Area can be retroactively counted for the Big Year if and when that species is added to the ABA Checklist and if the bird seen represents the accepted new ABA record or is another individual of the species seen after the initial record. Any ABA Area Big Year lists submitted to the ABA must be in accordance with these rules.”
http://listing.aba.org/big-year-rules/
The biggest change appears to be that Nicole has launched (9th Sept) crowd funding appeal of $10k to help fund the final months. Don't think I have seen this before from any other "competitors"
Weekly update: the Deans have moved up to 717, passing Bill Rydell, Dan Sanders and Greg Miller with a pelagic that garnered Great Skua, Manx Shearwater, Razorbill and Atlantic Puffin. This also means they've completed all the Continental Code 1 species, which is always a good trick. The other three Code 1 species are in Hawaii, and the Deans are not heading to the islands.
Joe
Joe
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