ABA Big Year 2016 (1 Viewer)

[dantheman]

Olaf was in Texas on 22nd and 23rd:-


He really needs those rarities. Neil recorded 50 Code 3 & above species that Olaf is yet to record:-


All the best

Blog post up awhile - http://olafsbigyear.blogspot.co.uk/

Guess he still has to get those 'local endemics', but yes it's presumably rarities he really has to get and try and go for the rarer residents when migration quietens down a little later in the season?


Was wondering if the first (winter period) has been an average/below average year for the ABA area for rarities (only 2 code 5's?) - anyone have a handle on that?


And the breakdown of Neil's; presume a good proportion could still fall (Alaska/southern spring overshoots/next winter) in time ... ??

 

[Paul Chapman]

Code 4 - Little Stint yesterday:-

http://ebird.org/ebird/top100?locInfo.regionCode=aba&yr=cur

He has lost me a bit on the numbering since Semipalmated Sandpiper but I suspect:-
599 - Hook-billed Kite
600 - Black-capped Vireo
601 - Golden-cheeked Warbler
602 - Eastern Wood Pewee
603 - Bullock's Oriole
604 - Lesser Nighthawk
605 - Elf Owl
606 - Colima Warbler

All the best

 

[dantheman]

Was going to ask if there was a weekly round-up of rarities in the US along the lines of the UK RBA or BirdGuides offerings.

To partially answer,

Found this weekly roundup for last week; http://blog.aba.org/2016/04/rare-bird-alert-april-22-2016.html on the ABAblog, but it seems a bit random as to whether there are previous weeks available to me ...

Delving a little further -

http://birding.aba.org/maillist/EB

From today's sightings, under the impression that

Buff-collared Nightjar (Arizona)
White-eared Hummingbird (Arizona)
Sky Lark (British Columbia)
White Wagtail (Oregon)
Little Egret (Maine)
Marsh Sandpiper (California still)

are all coded birds out there he needs along with a few other regulars(?) (Rb Tropicbird, 5-striped Sparrow etc)

 

[Captain_of_Crunch]

..

Skylark is an introduced resident on Vancouver island so should be gettable if he is visiting Seattle/Washinton state. Edit: Unless there is a genuine vagrant as well?

 

[Jos Stratford]

Olaf has recorded 15 species that Neil did not record:-

....
California Condor
....

I think Neil did see California Condor, but it was not ABA tickable prior to this year.

 

[Paul Chapman]

I think Neil did see California Condor, but it was not ABA tickable prior to this year.

Cheers - yes aware of that. I changed 'see' to 'record' when I should have said 'count'.

He also saw Egyptian Goose. I was playing by the ABA Rules notwithstanding the fact that they make no sense!

All the best

 

[Paul Chapman]

Skylark is an introduced resident on Vancouver island so should be gettable if he is visiting Seattle/Washinton state. Edit: Unless there is a genuine vagrant as well?

Already seen as number 292.

All the best

 

[Mysticete]

Blog post up awhile - http://olafsbigyear.blogspot.co.uk/

Guess he still has to get those 'local endemics', but yes it's presumably rarities he really has to get and try and go for the rarer residents when migration quietens down a little later in the season?


Was wondering if the first (winter period) has been an average/below average year for the ABA area for rarities (only 2 code 5's?) - anyone have a handle on that?


And the breakdown of Neil's; presume a good proportion could still fall (Alaska/southern spring overshoots/next winter) in time ... ??

My sense is that this winter has been pretty average. Most the "expected" birds have shown up with a few rarer things. Alaska is going to be the real test, because birding is so weather dependent there, and winds going the wrong direction during any short stay could result in rather dismal results. Also, can't really "twitch" bering sea birds due to plane schedules. A great run of Asian strays needs to coincide with his visit.

 

[Mysticete]

Cheers - yes aware of that. I changed 'see' to 'record' when I should have said 'count'.

He also saw Egyptian Goose. I was playing by the ABA Rules notwithstanding the fact that they make no sense!

All the best

I think it's mostly so they can be judged without the tally changing from year to year. Especially if not everyone keeps equally good notes or if some people who have competed have passed away or who are otherwise not able to update scores.

 

[njlarsen]

I am not really interested, but if I were, things seen before a split that were identified to subspecies should definitely count twice after a split.

Niels

 

[dantheman]

A new blog post up -

http://olafsbigyear.blogspot.co.uk/

It's tough at the top!

 

[Paul Chapman]

A new blog post up -

http://olafsbigyear.blogspot.co.uk/

It's tough at the top!

Needs to toughen up a bit! He plainly remains with a very good shot but a surprising lack of reference to pelagics?

Down to 54 Code 1 & 54 Code 2 remaining.

All the best

 

[lewis20126]

poor decision on the vireo - should have gone immediately; think it was there at least 3 days?

cheers, a

 

[Paul Chapman]

poor decision on the vireo - should have gone immediately; think it was there at least 3 days?

cheers, a

Indeed but when Adrian Webb set the British record he dipped the Long-tailed Shrike.

All the best

 

[lewis20126]

Indeed but when Adrian Webb set the British record he dipped the Long-tailed Shrike.

All the best

Never charter a fishing boat when more robust alternatives are available

cheers, a

 

[dantheman]

Reading the blog it looks like a combination of bad luck and bad judgement and a prior commitment - missing 3 Code 5's (if the Tufted Flycatcher was still out there??) due to a pre-arranged trip to Texas for a couple of days must hurt (although he was targeting a couple of Code 3's out there, mostly successfully - 3 out of 4). Bad luck in the timings of the only new code 5's to turn up when they did ... although it should be predicted the whole time should be kept free.

The 'what-ifs' ... he'd turned back but it wasn't seen again ... (More challenging than a World Record Attempt probably)

All a learning process for when he does it again properly next year ...

 

[Paul Chapman]

Antillean Nighthawk and Roseate Tern this morning:-

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29214413

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29214279

All the best

 

[Mysticete]

Needs to toughen up a bit! He plainly remains with a very good shot but a surprising lack of reference to pelagics?

Down to 54 Code 1 & 54 Code 2 remaining.

All the best

yeah I think these recent blogs kind of highlight issues I have in Olaf's attempt vs the last few. Neil Hayward's and John Vanderpoel had active blogs that were positive and fun to read. Olaf's seems to have a much more negative view of the whole affair, which keeps me from fully rooting for him. I get needing to vent at times, but you are currently on track to beat the record and are doing an activity that very very few people ever get a shot at in the States, a serious attempt at the big year record.

The shot at the aba blog for including the nudity disclaimer is especially irritating. Yes...they kind of have to do that, because you have nudity on your blog, and the last thing they want is for readers to click on that link while at work and get in trouble.

 

[njlarsen]

So, 12 minutes in a location, and only one bird identified?? (yes to all identified birds included)

Niels

 

[dantheman]

So, 12 minutes in a location, and only one bird identified?? (yes to all identified birds included)

Niels

Apparently so!

http://olafsbigyear.blogspot.co.uk/

Florida for half a day, but looks like he's headed home now. Battery charging and all that ...