While pursuing a record of one kind (again), I figure there are a few more that could potentially be taken down.
According to the ABA Big Day Report, the following are Big Day (for those non-birders, birding like a bat out of hell for 24 hours, and living on a steady stream of legal, liquid stimulants and fast food, all in the hopes of seeing as many species as possible) records for British Columbia. Even being stuck on an island, we have potential to beat a few of them:
January - 127
February - 131
March - 105
April - 163
May - 202
June - 162
July - 176
August - 120
September - 136
October - 121
November - 117
December - 121
To me, the March, August, and October records look particularly doable, and I would definitely welcome anyone that wanted to join in on taking a run at one of them! (or any of them, or all of them, just for fun!)
A Big Day is a bit about birding, and a lot about strategy and the thrill of the chase. Also, you never know what will turn up. Jeremy G mentioned a few weeks ago that everytime we do a "Big-ish" or straight up Big Day, we always turn up some great birds, and he isn't sure why we don't do them all the time! (Field work in Fort Mac and Golden may have something to do with it Jeremy.... just sayin').
Being that this blog is also dedicated to Victoria Birding in general, and a little beyond the boundaries of our fair city, I am going to create another tab of Big Day and Big Year Records, and yet another for local highlights. There used to be a list floating around of month by month records, if anyone may know where to find it, please let me know! Or, in the absence, if you have pulled off an amazing Big Day or Year within BC, also drop me a line and it will go on the list barring a bigger one coming to light.
The weather and chum are all set, and the boat full for tomorrow's Rocky Point Bird Observatory fundraising Mini-Pelagic with Capt Russ Nicks from Sooke Coastal Explorations. Hopefully the birds will cooperate, and I will have some tales and photos to regale you with tomorrow.
Good birding (and listing)!
Awwww... your world list is so cute!
ReplyDeleteSeptember and August shouldn't be too hard to break. On 01 September of this year, I got 100 species in only 12 hours (on the bike and avoiding most hotspots.
ReplyDeleteThe September record was smattered already at 149 by Chris Charlesworth, Michael Force and Kyle Fitzpatrick in the Okanagan. Personally, I'd take the October record. Cheers.
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