Informal Contest- Highest Species Count in ONE Sitting- Lets Hear it ! (1 Viewer)

[Bino Steve]

Hi everyone, a FUN, informal contest here:
. What is your HIGHEST Species (subspecies ok too) ticks/count in ONE day, ONE patch.
. Rules: ( because we all love rules right?)
- No driving around the patch, or big backpacking trips that covered a large area, as this may exclude some folks from winning.
- Just ONE Sun up to Sun down period only.
- Seen or Heard o.k. , as long as positive I.D.
- if you want more rules, well, too bad..
So, do you think you have a high count? The record?
Let's see your number !

 

[kb57]

The no driving or long hikes rule is good - while many of us have done a 'big day', it usually involves a reasonably high amount of travel. I think my record for one place, without travelling around, is Bharatpur in India back in 1982, but I'd have to dig out my old notebooks and see if I still have the day count. I've just moved house so this may not be easy! I even got to the nature reserve by cycle rickshaw, so I guess it was a 'green' list too...
I recall it was definitely only two figures, around 92 I think, so others will easily beat that. I've had bigger totals elsewhere, but always involving travel between sites.

 

[foresttwitcher]

I believe someone did a seated watch from next to the visitor centre / car park at Minsmere (Suffolk, UK) a few years ago and got an impressive number but I can't remember what the figure was.

 

[Mono]

I once did a bird race with some friends at RSPB Titchwell. It was most species in 1 hour. I managed 77.

 

[Bino Steve]

Nice numbers, thanks for joining. Tell your friends to add their totals.

 

[kb57]

I believe someone did a seated watch from next to the visitor centre / car park at Minsmere (Suffolk, UK) a few years ago and got an impressive number but I can't remember what the figure was.

I think my #2 single site day list is from Minsmere back in the '70s, but unfortunately those notebooks are long lost.

 

[WalterRayle]

I did a five hour walk on my local patch on Friday morning and notched up 89 species, and half an hour of the walk was in the darkness to get on site for first light. A similar walk around the same patch during the first lockdown brought me 92 species.
I've also had an autumn day sitting in a single hide and recorded 59 species from it.

 

[pbjosh]

My best days were always solo efforts walking all day at great sites on the E slope of the Andes or in the Amazon. I never really tried for a big day nor focused on species count, and kind of wish I had at some sites in Ecuador or Peru when I was well versed in the bird song there.

What is HUGELY impressive to me is this eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S24475056

 

[kb57]

My best days were always solo efforts walking all day at great sites on the E slope of the Andes or in the Amazon. I never really tried for a big day nor focused on species count, and kind of wish I had at some sites in Ecuador or Peru when I was well versed in the bird song there.

What is HUGELY impressive to me is this eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S24475056

I think 345 is going to be hard to beat...

 

[Xenospiza]

I don't think walking 18 km is really qualifies as "sitting" though!

143 species from the Breskens migration watchpoint (10 May 2001) is a bit more like it. I am not sure that has been beaten in the Netherlands.

 

[pbjosh]

The original post didn‘t actually specify sitting, it just said one day, one patch, no big backpacking trip and no vehicles. I routinely walk 10-20km, sometimes up to 30, in a full day of birding in what I would consider to be „one patch,“ though I realize others might not walk that far.

I have probably never had a seated list that lasted over 2 hours or so or had more than 40-50 birds as I get terribly bored sat at a hide or stakeout and would much rather keep moving (usually slowly but not always) and see what I come across.

 

[Bino Steve]

Hmmmm, I'll let the jury of your peers decide on the mega walking count, but my title does say 'ONE SITTING' so... maybe an asterisk on that walking count. But , keep it fun and friendly.

 

[pbjosh]

Hmmmm, I'll let the jury of your peers decide on the mega walking count, but my title does say 'ONE SITTING' so... maybe an asterisk on that walking count. But , keep it fun and friendly.

Heh what‘s a thread title when you can read right past it

My best count for one SITTING will be pretty poor indeed… too much ADHD perhaps!

 

[Bino Steve]

This is all in good fun. I just wanted to make it fair for older folks or handicapped. Just glad people are responding, and I have no idea what counts could be out there.

 

[cajanuma]

This is all in good fun. I just wanted to make it fair for older folks or handicapped. Just glad people are responding, and I have no idea what counts could be out there.

The concept of "Big Sits" has become pretty popular lately. I know the 150 barrier was reached at Cape May (Big Sit, Big Success!) but I don't know if others have done better since

 

[pbjosh]

The concept of "Big Sits" has become pretty popular lately. I know the 150 barrier was reached at Cape May (Big Sit, Big Success!) but I don't know if others have done better since

Makes you curious what could be achieved at a key migration point on a good day in La Guajira, CO, the Yucatan, S Texas, Israel, or some excellent wetland site on the E Asian flyway.

How many have you had in a great day on Linosa? Obviously you don‘t have the diversity of resident birds and I guess it might be wader poor but I‘m curious?

 

[Bino Steve]

150 is amazing. I think 50 would be good even.

 

[MKinHK]

My record, from for my old San Tin fishponds patch in Hong Kong, is 102 species on 20-odd hectares of fishponds plus the 15 minute walk to and from the road on January 1 this year. The details are here: San Tin Fishponds (and beyond), Hong Kong

Cheers
Mike

 

[Bino Steve]

Oooo, more Hong Kong stories...one of my favorite places... huge count there Mike.

 

[cajanuma]

Makes you curious what could be achieved at a key migration point on a good day in La Guajira, CO, the Yucatan, S Texas, Israel, or some excellent wetland site on the E Asian flyway.

How many have you had in a great day on Linosa? Obviously you don‘t have the diversity of resident birds and I guess it might be wader poor but I‘m curious?

I think our best day was 72 species (31.10.21) but there are basically 6 resident landbirds and zero wetland habitat so high species counts are tough. But our species list that day included RF Bluetail, Olive-backed Pipit, Rustic & Little Buntings, YBW, Common Rosefinch and Marmora's Warbler among others so we can't complain

I would love to spend some time vagrant-hunting or otherwise watching migration in La Guajira!