dmark@acsu.buffalo.edu (David Mark) (08/30/90)
September is almost upon us. So, to inspire you to run out and dash about
from pre-dawn to post-dusk, trying to see as many species of birds as
possible (such an effort is known to birders as a "Big Day"), I thought
I would list September records from "The Pettingell Book of Birding
Records", 1986, Austin: American Birding Association.
===========================================================================
Interestingly, the WORLD RECORD Big Day for any month (up to 1986) was
set in September!
331 species! September 5, 1982, by Ted A. Parker II and Scott Robinson,
in a 1-square-mile area in Manu National Park, southeastern Peru.
September record for the US:
174 September 30, 1982, by Richard Stallcup and Jules Evans,
in Northern California.
September record for Canada:
154 September 1, 1980, by Rudolph Koes, Dennis Fast, and George
Holland, in southeastern Manitoba.
Other country September records listed in TPBOBR (details can be posted on
request.
Panama 296 25 Sept 1979 Canal Zone
Australia 143 29 Sept 1984 Darwin area, N.T.
September Records for US States and Canadian Provinces:
Alabama 151
California 174
Colorado 144
Connecticut 120
D.C. 96
Hawaii 54
Illinois 117
Minnesota 91
Nevada 60
New Mexico 105
Texas 153
Washington 95
British Columbia 122
Manotoba 154
Newfoundland 106
Nova Scotia 121
Ontario 111
For the other states and provinces, no September "Big Day" total has been
reported to the ABA, or sent to Noel Pettingell, or published where Noel
could find it.
And by the way, Noel Pettingell is working on compiling a second edition
of the book, so if you have set any records lately, be sure to let Noel
know, or send them to me and I'll print them and mail them to him.
David Mark
dmark@acsu.buffalo.eduandrewt@cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor) (09/02/90)
In article <34191@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> dmark@acsu.buffalo.edu (David Mark) writes: > ... I would list September records from "The Pettingell Book of Birding >Records", 1986, Austin: American Birding Association. ... >Other country September records listed in TPBOBR (details can be posted on >request. > >Panama 296 25 Sept 1979 Canal Zone >Australia 143 29 Sept 1984 Darwin area, N.T. Its a bit silly to compare northern September and southern September totals. It should be Australian March and for March its likely to be over 200. The highest Aust. big day I've heard of is 222 by Chris Corben around Brisbane (don't know which month). It should be possible to do a bit better than 143 in September too. Big days aren't popular here. The only place I've done one is New York in May (169). Andrew
dmark@acsu.buffalo.edu (David Mark) (09/02/90)
In article <1166@cluster.cs.su.oz> andrewt@cluster.cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor) writes: >>Other country September records listed in TPBOBR >> >>Panama 296 25 Sept 1979 Canal Zone >>Australia 143 29 Sept 1984 Darwin area, N.T. > >Its a bit silly to compare northern September and southern September totals. >It should be Australian March and for March its likely to be over 200. When John McKean wrote to us 28 March 1985, he included State records, but not monthly records per se. In temperate Australia, wouldn't the September (= early spring) records likely be HIGHER than March (=late summer, early fall), especially since such a small proportion of Australian birds are migrants. Anyway, NO state record in Australia was set in March, whereas the September figure above is the highest Northern Territory "Big Day" that was known to John early in 1985. (Around Darwin, the birds are probably easiest to find, although the weather most uncomfortable, just at the start of the "wet", in late October, before roads become too boggy.) >The highest Aust. big day I've heard of is 222 by Chris Corben around Brisbane >(don't know which month). Glen Ingram (a participant along with Corben and Anita Smyth) sent that to me with the total as 221, and it was indeed done in the Brisbane area, October 19, 1985, i.e., in spring. (Like April 19 in the American south.) Maybe the total increased a posteriori due to a "split". ============================================================================= >>Panama 296 25 Sept 1979 Canal Zone And for the tropics, month of the year and "season" per se means almost nothing. It is wet-dry that matters, or, in the case of the American tropics, when the temparate migrants are there, namely northern "winter" from perhaps September to March. But October-January is the rainy reason in central America, difficult to bird, so perhaps February-March would be best there. Interestingly, the "world records" by month as of late 1985, in the "Pettingell Book of Birding Records", are from North America for the northern spring and summer, and for tropical areas otherwise: Jan 255 Panama Feb 290 Kenya Mar 208 Papua New Guinea Apr 243 California May 246 Texas Jun 187 Manitoba Jul 170 California Aug 172 Arizona Sep 331 Peru Oct 278 Peru Nov 308 Kenya Dec 288 Zambia Of course, this reflects, among many other things, (a) the information fields of the compilers of the PBOBR, with a tremendous North American bias; (b) the fact that Big Days are a very "American" activity; and (c) the fact that Americans bird in the tropics mostly in our winter. David Mark dmark@sun.acsu.buffalo.edu
andrewt@cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor) (09/03/90)
In article <34561@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> dmark@acsu.buffalo.edu (David Mark) writes: >In temperate Australia, wouldn't the >September (= early spring) records likely be HIGHER than March (=late summer, >early fall), especially since such a small proportion of Australian birds are >migrants. Shorebirds generally arrive October-November, most of them would be missing in September. You will miss other migrants in September too. October-Novemeber is the go but few of these birds would have left by March 1 though some will be harder to find. If you can find 221 in October you should manage 200 in early March. >Glen Ingram (a participant along with Corben and Anita Smyth) sent that to >me with the total as 221, and it was indeed done in the Brisbane area, >October 19, 1985, i.e., in spring. (Like April 19 in the American south.) >Maybe the total increased a posteriori due to a "split". More likely Chris Corben managed 222 since 1985, my info is 2nd hand so I'm not sure. Incidently I believe the world big day record is now for Kenya not Peru. Andrew
dmark@acsu.buffalo.edu (David Mark) (09/03/90)
In article <1171@cluster.cs.su.oz> andrewt@cluster.cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor) writes: > >Incidently I believe the world big day record is now for Kenya not Peru. > >Andrew Back in 1985, the Kenya group claimed the "World Record" at 308, discounting the 331 Peru total. The Peru total includes a large but indeterminate number of heard-only birds. American Birding Association "Big Day" rules place no limit on heard birds, but require that 95% of the birds must be 'observed' (seen or heard) by ALL participants. The "Kenya Rules" require only 90% to be observed by all team members, but limit heard-only birds to at most 10%. So, the Kenya group claimed that their 308 on 25 November 1984 was the World Record. And the Kenya 308 might not qualify under ABA rules, if the shared total was under 293. And, the Kenya group used an airplane. (The British have different Big Day rules again. I think they require 100% to be observed by all participants, but allow 'scouts' to help the team during the Big Day [absolutely forbidden under American rules!]) But they may have had a Big Day with over 331 species in Kenya some time in the last six years. Anyone out in net-land have information on that? David Mark dmark@sun.acsu.buffalo.edu
wander@csa2.lbl.gov (ADRIAN WANDER) (09/04/90)
In article <34603@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>, dmark@acsu.buffalo.edu (David Mark) writes... > >But they may have had a Big Day with over 331 species in Kenya some time in >the last six years. Anyone out in net-land have information on that? > >David Mark >dmark@sun.acsu.buffalo.edu According to a recent article on Kenya in Birding World Vol 3 No 4 (May 1990) the world record big day is 342 set in Kenya in 1986 by Terry Stevenson during the international 'Great Safari Bird Rally'. However, I believe that this probably involved the use of an aircraft. Adrian.