ABA Big Year 2019 (1 Viewer)

[Muppit17]

John took a quick look at the Forum and saw Tikli's list of needs. John has Atlantic Puffin and Black Guillemot, so he'll be adding those in, backdated.
The Deans got the Starthroat.

Joe

If he got these two, I'm surprised the missed Great Cormorant at the same time.

Nit sure how his missed Heerman's Gull on the last trip to California. I thought I saw that the McQuades saw 300 or so when they got back to the pier!

 

[Tikli]

John's currently on 749, he got some nice birds from Hatteras pelagic:
Bermuda Petrel (3)
Fea's Petrel (3)
White-faced Storm-petrel (3)
and some more common birds from Florida.

Here's current list of John's missing Code 1, Code 2 and continental species (those he has Hawaii only but could be seen elsewhere):

Code 1 - 12
Northern Bobwhite
Surfbird
Purple Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Heermann's Gull
Great Cormorant
Barred Owl
Hammond's Flycatcher
Pinyon Jay
Clark's Nutcracker
Cassin's Sparrow
Scott's Oriole

Code 2 – 21
Steller’s Eider
Spectacled Eider
Himalayan Snowcock
Spruce Grouse
Sooty Grouse
Least Grebe
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Dovekie
Buller's Shearwater
Short-tailed Hawk
Spotted Owl
Boreal Owl
Elegant Trogon
Green Kingfisher
Thick-billed Kingbird
Island Scrub-Jay
Northern Wheatear
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Cassia Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill
Audubon's Oriole

Missing continental (Hawaii only) – 12
Spotted Dove (2)
White-tailed Tropicbird (2)
Red-tailed Tropicbird (3)
Mottled Petrel (2)
Juan Fernandez Petrel (3)
Bulwer’s Petrel (3)
Wedge-tailed Shearwater (2)
Leach’s Storm-Petrel (1)
Great Frigatebird (3)
Red-footed Booby (2)
Short-eared Owl (1)
Eurasian Skylark (2)

 

[Paul Chapman]

Presumably John's is still a photo yearlist thus explaining some of the commoner misses?

All the best

 

[Muppit17]

John's currently on 749, he got some nice birds from Hatteras pelagic:
Bermuda Petrel (3)
Fea's Petrel (3)
White-faced Storm-petrel (3)
and some more common birds from Florida.

Here's current list of John's missing Code 1, Code 2 and continental species (those he has Hawaii only but could be seen elsewhere):

Looks like he has back added Hammond's Flycatcher from January! Now well beyond 750 and still plenty of easy ones to catch up with.

 

[trptjoe]

Paul,
I don't believe the photo aspect has anything to do with the missing species. He simply has gaps he needs to fill, but he's sticking with his game plan (which worked well in 2016) of going after the rarities. Thanks to Tikli, John entered three species that he thought he'd entered. As of today, John became the first person to hit 750 twice, as he's now at 750+2. EDIT: three more yesterday puts him at 753+2, passing Christian's Big Year.
The Continental totals are fun to see: Gaylee is at 713+2, Richard is at 713+1 and John finally caught them, at 715+2! In the past few days they've passed Benton Basham, Al Levantin, Steve Perry & Brandon Reo. John passed Bill Rydell and caught Dan Sanders & Greg Miller. Next up are Sandy Komito (721) and Lynn Barber (723). The McQuades hit 680 (677+3).
Joe

 

[Brian J Small]

In the write up of the two pelagic at Hatteras (26/27 July) - http://seabirding.blogspot.com/2019/07/july-26-27-2019-summer-northeasterlies.html - Scopoli's Shearwater was seen and photographed (and Leach's Petrel). Did John miss them or are they not 'split' in US?

Brian

 

[Muppit17]

In the write up of the two pelagic at Hatteras (26/27 July) - http://seabirding.blogspot.com/2019/07/july-26-27-2019-summer-northeasterlies.html - Scopoli's Shearwater was seen and photographed (and Leach's Petrel). Did John miss them or are they not 'split' in US?

Brian

Not split...........yet

 

[trptjoe]

I should check with him and see if he wants me to pop that in the provisional section (if he saw it).

Joe

 

[Muppit17]

Still don't know how John has missed Heermann's Gull.

Nearly every photo of the Nazca Booby has Heermann's all around. I cant believe that he hasn't seen one on any of his visits to the California coast.

 

[Tikli]

John got Nazca Booby (Code 4) and Surfbird (1) from California and is currently in Arizona, where he caught a coded species he dipped in January, a Rufous-capped Warbler (3) plus Spotted Owl (2), Thick-billed kingbird (2), Scott's Oriole (1) and Cassin's Sparrow (1). Total at the end of July is 757.

 

[edenwatcher]

Heermann's gull now added. Up to 760.

Rob

 

[Tikli]

Heermann's gull now added. Up to 760.

Rob

Including another previously dipped species: Mexican Violetear (Code 3). Clearly on a roll!

 

[Muppit17]

Including another previously dipped species: Mexican Violetear (Code 3). Clearly on a roll!

I suspect, but have to wait for the blog, that he dipped the Starthroat in Arizona. White eared Hummer and Elegant Trogon should also have been Arizona targets before skipping to Texas. So may not be quite the roll it looks.

 

[Muppit17]

John got Nazca Booby (Code 4) and Surfbird (1) from California and is currently in Arizona, where he caught a coded species he dipped in January, a Rufous-capped Warbler (3) plus Spotted Owl (2), Thick-billed kingbird (2), Scott's Oriole (1) and Cassin's Sparrow (1). Total at the end of July is 757.

Another thing to note, is that finally John is ahead of where he was in 2016. (758 vs 756 at the end of July).

Of course with his trip to Hawaii, direct comparison is not simple and he should be even further ahead to be equivalent. However in 2016 he only added 5 in August and 3 in September. With 2 in the first day of August, hopefully he should better that this time.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Paul,
I don't believe the photo aspect has anything to do with the missing species. He simply has gaps he needs to fill, but he's sticking with his game plan (which worked well in 2016) of going after the rarities. Thanks to Tikli, John entered three species that he thought he'd entered. As of today, John became the first person to hit 750 twice, as he's now at 750+2. Joe

Joe

Noted. He just seemed to have a far higher proportion of mainland Code 1 and 2 species outstanding at this stage presumably because of his need to return to Australia during the year?

Another thing to note, is that finally John is ahead of where he was in 2016. (758 vs 756 at the end of July).

Of course with his trip to Hawaii, direct comparison is not simple and he should be even further ahead to be equivalent. However in 2016 he only added 5 in August and 3 in September. With 2 in the first day of August, hopefully he should better that this time.

Muppit17

I get as at now:-
2016 - 756
Code 1 - 477
Code 2 - 191
Code 3 - 57
Code 4 - 24
Code 5 - 7

2019 - 760
Code 1 - 481
Code 2 - 191
Code 3 - 60
Code 4 - 22
Code 5 - 4
Pending - 2

The difference is essentially that he has replaced mainland Code 1 and 2's in 2016 with Hawaiian ones so far this year (albeit with 10 Hawaiian Code 3's). Broadly in line but arguably with a clearer opportunity to be more comprehensive in Hawaii with a clean up trip?

All the best

 

[Tikli]

a little analysis of John Weigel 2019 vs. 2016

John is missing 97 species he saw in 2016:
1 lump (Thayer's Gull)
6 Code 1
14 Code 2 + 16 Hawaiian Code 2
25 Code 3 + 7 Hawaiian Code 3
17 Code 4
11 Code 5

On the other hand, John has seen 22 species he has not seen in 2016:
7 Code 3 + 1 Hawaiian Code 3
9 Code 4
3 Code 5
2 Provisionals
+ he might see one species that was not split in 2016 (Cassia Crossbill, Code 2)

He's currently 75 species behind. If he sees all Code 1 and 2 species (37), he's still needs 38 coded species.

 

[Tikli]

A list of missing non-Hawaiian species that John saw in 2016 but has not seen yet this year. If you spot errors, please tell! Codes are from ABA checklist 8.0.5, I had some errors previously.

Code 1 - 6
Northern Bobwhite (1)
Purple Sandpiper (1)
Great Cormorant (1)
Barred Owl (1)
Pinyon Jay (1)
Clark’s Nutcracker (1)
(+ Leach's Storm-Petrel and Short-eared Owl missing Continental ABA)

Code 2 - 14
Spruce Grouse (2)
Sooty Grouse (2)
Least Grebe (2)
Dovekie (2)
Buller’s Shearwater (2)
Short-tailed Hawk (2)
Boreal Owl (2)
Elegant Trogon (2)
Green Kingfisher (2)
Island Scrub-jay (2)
Northern Wheatear (2)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (2)
White-winged Crossbill (2)
Audubon’s Oriole (2)
(+ Spotted Dove, White-tailed Tropicbird, Mottled Petrel, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Red-footed Booby and Eurasian Skylark missing from Continental ABA)

Code 3 - 25
Whooper Swan (3)
Common Pochard (3)
Steller’s Eider (3)
Spectacled Eider (3)
Smew (3)
Himalayan Snowcock (3)
Berylline Hummingbird (3)
White-eared Hummingbird (3)
Common Ringed Plover (3)
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (3)
Curlew Sandpiper (3)
Craveri’s Murrelet (3)
Ivory Gull (3)
Black-headed Gull (3)
Ross’s Gull (3)
Yellow-footed Gull (3)
Red-billed Tropicbird (3)
Flesh-footed Shearwater (3)
Least Storm-Petrel (3)
Gray-headed Chickadee (3)
Eyebrowed Trush (3)
White Wagtail (3)
Red-throated Pipit (3)
Rustic Bunting (3)
Flame-colored Tanager (3)
(+ Red-tailed Tropicbird, Bulwer's Petrel and Great Frigatebird missing from Continental ABA)

Code 4 - 17
Barnacle Goose (4)
Common Shelduck (4)
Plain-capped Starthroat (4)
Northern Jacana (4)
Far Eastern Curlew (4)
Little Stint (4)
Jack Snipe (4)
Black-tailed Gull (4)
Yellow-legged Gull (4)
Kelp Gull (4)
Blue-footed Booby (4)
Tufted Flycatcher (4)
Dusky Warbler (4)
Redwing (4)
Siberian Accentor (4)
Streak-backed Oriole (4)
Blue Bunting (4)

Code 5 - 11
Graylag Goose (5)
Common Scoter (5)
Pin-tailed Snipe (5)
Amazon Kingfisher (5)
Nutting’s Flycatcher (5)
Variegated Flycatcher (5)
Pine Flycatcher (5)
Cuban Vireo (5)
Sinaloa Wren (5)
Common Chiffchaff (5)
Pine Bunting (5)

 

[Muppit17]

The difference is essentially that he has replaced mainland Code 1 and 2's in 2016 with Hawaiian ones so far this year (albeit with 10 Hawaiian Code 3's). Broadly in line but arguably with a clearer opportunity to be more comprehensive in Hawaii with a clean up trip?

All the best

Paul

I agree in principle, but my point still remains that Hawaii gave John a notable boost at the end of 2016 (in 11 days in December ). As he has already seen over forty species there, the next visit is not going to have the same impact on a return. There is nowhere he is going to find the same return of 50 or so species in less than two weeks. So even if he is slightly ahead on numbers he is IMO going to find it more difficult to match his 2016 pace from here until the end of the year.

In terms of Hawaii, I guess he could get between 10-20 species by island hopping- and I was interested with his comment on the likely success of a pelagic. Not sure I understand which species he is focusing on that cant be seen off California in the fall.

Does anyone know when his planning to return to Alaska?

 

[kitefarrago]

In terms of Hawaii, I guess he could get between 10-20 species by island hopping- and I was interested with his comment on the likely success of a pelagic. Not sure I understand which species he is focusing on that cant be seen off California in the fall.

Does anyone know when his planning to return to Alaska?

It so happens that he made some comments about this in the latest blog entry: He thinks he's going to get above 52 for Hawaii, and he's trying to organize a multi-day pelagic.

He also mentions that his overall success will rely on `a reasonable Fall season for Alaskan vagrants', and it seems he expects to spend a significant amount of time there.

Andrea

 

[Paul Chapman]

a little analysis of John Weigel 2019 vs. 2016

John is missing 97 species he saw in 2016:
1 lump (Thayer's Gull)
6 Code 1
14 Code 2 + 16 Hawaiian Code 2
25 Code 3 + 7 Hawaiian Code 3
17 Code 4
11 Code 5

On the other hand, John has seen 22 species he has not seen in 2016:
7 Code 3 + 1 Hawaiian Code 3
9 Code 4
3 Code 5
2 Provisionals
+ he might see one species that was not split in 2016 (Cassia Crossbill, Code 2)

He's currently 75 species behind. If he sees all Code 1 and 2 species (37), he's still needs 38 coded species.

Tikli

I believe that it is 23 additional species to 2016 - 2 Hawaiian Code 3 being Juan Fernandez Petrel & Bulwer's Petrel.

All the best