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2017 Western Palearctic Big Year (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter JeroenVanheuverswyn
- Start date
lewis20126
Well-known member
Paul
Thanks - I'm further convinced the Kuwait bird must be a Pale Sand Martin. I'm no clearer on the status / appearance of birds in India and China but that is not relevant to the discussion of this record!
Great to see the Swedish team bagging lots of wintering vagrants - certainly a welcome improvement to the original itinerary and suggests they may set a respectable total for future challengers. :t:
cheers, alan
DMW
Well-known member
Svalbard in January would indeed be a very odd decision - does it even get light at this time of year? I'm not quite sure what the rationale is behind visiting Svalbard at any point in their year: from what I understand, Ivory Gull is erratic these days, and there is a twitchable one in Germany. I guess it's a way of being absolutely sure of Little Auk. Otherwise, the only likely species I can think of that is vaguely useful is Sab's Gull, and I think that is only semi-reliable by taking a cruise to the northern part of the island. Perhaps they are hoping the Spectacled Eider reappears!
Farnboro John
Well-known member
The Hooded Merganser is only just West of Glasgow - maybe an hour and a half diversion (if you get straight on it) from a conventional route North via M6-M74-A9.
John
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Alwin van Lubeck
Member
Ah Paul,
that would indeed make a lot more sense. Although, going for the current Ivory Gull would also make sense...
DMW
Well-known member
True enough - I'm sure they will want to be able to look back on the year and have a lot of incredible memories rather than just a very long list of birds.
Although I think I would still want to visit Svalbard at a time of year when I can actually see it
Paul Chapman
Well-known member
And good to see them leaving the Scottish islands off their itinerary. It really would be prohibitively expensive and difficult. A respectable 700-720 odd is what they need to set. :t:
All the best
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
Today's birds just posted:
St Andrews, Fife:
232 Fulmar
233 Purple Sandpiper
234 Surf Scoter
Back to Sweden:
235 Hooded Crow
St Andrews, Fife:
232 Fulmar
233 Purple Sandpiper
234 Surf Scoter
Back to Sweden:
235 Hooded Crow
Farnboro John
Well-known member
I know: I was just indicating going over there isn't really a guide to where else they might be going in Scotland. :t:
John
DanielDoer
Well-known member
True enough - I'm sure they will want to be able to look back on the year and have a lot of incredible memories rather than just a very long list of birds.
Although I think I would still want to visit Svalbard at a time of year when I can actually see it
Yes but it is clear that they won't go now (!) to Svalbard! I just told them on facebook that many of you suggested that they could skip there visit to Svalbard (the planned one in early summer) if they get the ivory gull in Germany. And they answered that they thought about going to Germany, but they want to go to Svalbard (but in summer of course). And I think that it us no hidden agenda to visit it. They are planning a Big Year with great observations and good memories. But they won't hurry as Arjan did...
I personally would exactly do the same if I would ever do a Big Year!
And according the Pink-footed Goose in GB: you really have a very strange island!! Looking for the odd Whitefront within Pink-footed - that is really upside down compared to central Europe...
DMW
Well-known member
I might well do the same too! However, if the logistics aren't too complex, and the Ivory Gull is still present, I think they would be well-advised to go see the bird in Germany anyway. First rule of twitching... go! I'm not sure it is guaranteed in Svalbard.
Sadly, my island (Jersey) isn't so strange... Whitefronts are more or less a vagrant here, and Pink-feet are an even rarer vagrant!
DanielDoer
Well-known member
DanielDoer
Well-known member
I think it isn't as important for their year list whether they go on a twitch tour to NL and Germany now. More important would be, if they just have family time until the flight to Morocco in the beginning of February or whether they will do some twitching now in Sweden as well. Aren't there still Siberian Accentors around at the moment?
DanielDoer
Well-known member
The head pattern and the coloration of the upper chest (e.g. no clear breast band) as well as the moult status with darker new inner primaries are underlined. And some more features I now forget...
I hope it helps as well!
If they're in Sweden, surely all they have to do is pop over that bridge to get the Accentor in Denmark (if there aren't any left in Sweden), and from there it's no great distance to Schleswig (at least according to Palmerston, Prince Albert and that German professor) and the Ivory Gull(s).
They should be fine as long as they avoid Saga Norén.
They should be fine as long as they avoid Saga Norén.
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
Checked up - 360,000 Pink-footed Geese wintering in Britain :t:
Compare 3,000 European Whitefronts, 13,000 Greenland Whitefronts, 40,000 Greylags, and a few hundred Beans.
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
Only just noticed, surprised no-one else has mentioned it yet . . .
http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/igoterra-ticks/
OOOPS!!
Oh dear!
http://www.bigyearwp.com/index.php/igoterra-ticks/
OOOPS!!
Oh dear!
JeroenVanheuverswyn
Well-known member
They are a bit north of Stockholm, so only 600km drive to that bridge.
Guess they planned some owls and Scandinavian birds on the feeders first (Siberian Jay, Grey-headed Chickadee, Redpolls)
