[JeroenVanheuverswyn]

http://bigyearwp.com/

3 Swedish guys will be doing a WP Big Year next year.
So after 2 world big years, and an ABA Big Year, something else to look forward to next year.

[Paul Higson]

Fantastic.

Will be following this with great interest.

[Paul Chapman]

The itinerary is relatively comprehensive. The trips appear to give plenty of time to pick up the targets in most places. I wonder how much twitching they intend to do?

http://bigyearwp.com/itinerary/

All the best

[Paul Higson]

Would be great if the WP list could be coded, like the ABA, ( or is it already ? ), then see where they plan/hope to see the Code 4 and 5 birds.

[dantheman]

Originally Posted by Paul Chapman

The itinerary is relatively comprehensive. The trips appear to give plenty of time to pick up the targets in most places. I wonder how much twitching they intend to do?

http://bigyearwp.com/itinerary/

All the best

Quick glance, fourth destination down (in caps) looks interesting

Can't be much extra available?

[JeroenVanheuverswyn]

Originally Posted by dantheman

Quick glance, fourth destination down looks interesting

Going off planet? Can't be much extra available?

I would assume North of Sweden => Northern Sweden
Though North of Sweden there is some Norway before you go into Polar Bear country...

[dantheman]

They've missed out Britain! (Shetland etc and the random yanks - but that may be twitching, to fit in, and you can't be everywhere at once).

Kuwait pops up twice, but returns (one or both winter periods) for Cape Verdes, Azores, Israel and Egypt (+ Kuwait again) at least would maximise the chances of longer staying rarities that turn up. But bump up the cost/miss other things?

Jan and Feb should be a lot busier imo - unless they are planning on using that time for local birding/twitching some of the above.

[dantheman]

Originally Posted by JeroenVanheuverswyn

I would assume North of Sweden => Northern Sweden
Though North of Sweden there is some Norway before you go into Polar Bear country...

Me being bad = Mars. Still in the solar system, but ...

[Paul Chapman]

Originally Posted by Paul Higson

Would be great if the WP list could be coded, like the ABA, ( or is it already ? ), then see where they plan/hope to see the Code 4 and 5 birds.

Paul

The Netfugl list designates 'true rarities' with an asterisk:-

http://www.netfugl.dk/wplist.php

I anticipate that you are referring to the regular species that are range restricted (eg Atlas Flycatcher, Dupont's Lark, Zino's Petrel, etc) or regular rarities (eg Ring-necked Duck, Pectoral Sandpiper, etc) - the equivalent of Code 2 and 3 on an ABA system. Code 4 and 5 species in a WP context would be the likes of Hermit Thrush and Eastern Crowned Warbler.

All the best

[JeroenVanheuverswyn]

Originally Posted by Paul Chapman

Paul

The Netfugl list designates 'true rarities' with an asterisk:-

http://www.netfugl.dk/wplist.php

I anticipate that you are referring to the regular species that are range restricted (eg Atlas Flycatcher, Dupont's Lark, Zino's Petrel, etc) or regular rarities (eg Ring-necked Duck, Pectoral Sandpiper, etc) - the equivalent of Code 2 and 3 on an ABA system. Code 4 and 5 species in a WP context would be the likes of Hermit Thrush and Eastern Crowned Warbler.

All the best

For sure they won't manage all equivalent of lvl 1-2-3. Since at least one species (Algerian nuthatch) is kind of off-limits for everyone. And wondering if 8 days of "Suthern Europé (Spain, Italy, France)" will cover for all the island endemics in the Mediterranean Sea.

[JeroenVanheuverswyn]

Someone should send their plans to John and ask if he has plans in 2018 ;-)

[Nutcracker]

Originally Posted by dantheman

They've missed out Britain!

Very sensible, I don't blame them at all - what could they get here, that they can't get more easily elsewhere? Ireland and the Azores are just as good or better for seabirds and "the random yanks", and for the rest, a country that's had its wildlife most comprehensively wrecked of anywhere (see State of Nature report), and may well have its borders closed to EU passport holders by next year anyway.

[Jos Stratford]

Ongoing issue for future attempts on this record will be defining the borders of the WP. Standard BWP? Dutch? Hadoram Shirihai's upcoming?

Personally would follow the latter to include Iran and the whole Arabian peninsula, but these guys are following the first. Either way, will be an interesting one to follow. Far more than the global one in my book.

[Jos Stratford]

Originally Posted by Nutcracker

... may well have its borders closed to EU passport holders by next year anyway.

Really? You amaze me Nutcracker, they will manage to get into Mauritania, Kuwait, Israel, etc, etc, but be barred from the UK? Could you please refrain from repeatedly posting this kind of false bollocks in as many unrelated threads as you can.

[Nutcracker]

It's what the UKIP conference was pressing for a couple of days ago, "make sure of a hard brexit", complete disassociation from Europe; several prominent govt. ministers the same.

[Paul Chapman]

Originally Posted by JeroenVanheuverswyn

For sure they won't manage all equivalent of lvl 1-2-3. Since at least one species (Algerian nuthatch) is kind of off-limits for everyone. And wondering if 8 days of "Suthern Europé (Spain, Italy, France)" will cover for all the island endemics in the Mediterranean Sea.

The reality is that this will surely be more flexible than that. You've got a defined list of targets - some of which will be time of year and country or even location specific - and some will be a case of sweeping up when necessary if they are getting away on you. I suspect that flexibility built in for twitching but taking the opportunity when available to knock off other species that do require a specific element will be important if you want to set a challenging bar.

All the best

[Jos Stratford]

Originally Posted by Nutcracker

It's what the UKIP conference was pressing for a couple of days ago, "make sure of a hard brexit", complete disassociation from Europe; several prominent govt. ministers the same.

It is nothing to do with a Western Palearctic Big Year, it is nothing to do with reality. And, as you well know, regardless of how the negotiations go, borders are not going to close to tourists. The UK will still be in the EU next year anyhow, so all you say is even more tosh.

Why not leave your views on Brexit to the Brexit thread?

[Nutcracker]

Originally Posted by JeroenVanheuverswyn

And wondering if 8 days of "Suthern Europé (Spain, Italy, France)" will cover for all the island endemics in the Mediterranean Sea.

Originally Posted by Paul Chapman

The reality is that this will surely be more flexible than that. ...

There's quite a lot of gaps in their itinerary, which will presumably be used for flexible coverage of island endemics, etc. - 18-31 Jan, 22-28 Feb, 9-17 Mar, 11-24 Jun, etc.

Not sure ending the year in Iceland is so good an idea though, very limited daylight, for very little potential return

[andyadcock]

Originally Posted by dantheman

They've missed out Britain! (

Hardly a surprise with just 1 endemic and that's taxonomy dependant.

Andy

[andyadcock]

Originally Posted by Nutcracker

There's quite a lot of gaps in their itinerary, which will presumably be used for flexible coverage of island endemics, etc. - 18-31 Jan, 22-28 Feb, 9-17 Mar, 11-24 Jun, etc.

What list are they using, they don't all accept the Iberian splits do they?


Andy

[Nutcracker]

Originally Posted by andyadcock

What list are they using, they don't all accept the Iberian splits do they?


Andy

On the page

Rules: We will follow the list maintained at http://www.netfugl.dk/wplist.php

[lewis20126]

A few thoughts:

100% photographed should be easily achievable

Why no Scottish Crossbill? :)

I would future proof on taxonomy

Agree that should future proof geographically, so including Arabia, Iran etc

Cheers, Alan

[timsg80]

Wow, this will be super exciting to follow. What a fantastic few years of Big Years it has been! What is a reasonably realistic target number of species for them? 750? From what I can remember, the current record is around 700?

[Nutcracker]

Originally Posted by lewis20126

Why no Scottish Crossbill? :)

I would future proof on taxonomy

Because future proofing on taxonomy will accept that it doesn't exist

Though it's on the current Netfugl list . . . so they could try for it . . but would it waste too much time trying to find something that isn't there?

[Maffong]

I'll be super excited to follow their blog and how they will be doing. However I've got certain remarks to their blog so far, as I'm quite disappointed with it so far.
1) The information given is very rudimental. They don't tell us anything about themselves and their background. What taxonomy does netfugl use? (Could look it up, but they might aswell just give us half a sentence more) How will they approach vagrants? Will they use local guides? etc...

2) Their spelling should really be double checked. I notice, they aren't native speakers, but come on... "Mars" "Catagory C" "Suthern Europé" "Kazakstan"

3) Will they even blog about the Big Year or will the netfugl list be everything we get? What other social media will they use?

4) As far as I know at least L.G. Evans has already done a WP Big Year with 704 species seen.
"To our knowledge, no one has ever attempted a full Big Year in the WP region – that is what we’ll be doing in 2017."

Maffong