New Victorian Big Year Record Set

By Birding-Aus, on January 1st, 2015

Dear Birding Aus community, I’m finally very proud and excited to officially announce that 2014 saw me set a new Big Year record for the state of Victoria. In 365 days, I managed to see 401 different species (IOC) across the state and in pelagic waters. I’m yet to count up all of the kms, costs etc but a few quicks stats include 10 pelagics, 50+ days away from home, 1100 eBird list submissions, 40+ days sea watching, 30 visits to the WTP, 2 flat tyres, 0 road killed animals and at least 30 packets of sherbet lemons. Highlight birds include White-cheeked Honeyeater, Black Bittern, Elegant Parrot, House Crow, Long-billed Dowitcher, Soft-plumaged Petrel, King Quail, Red-lored Whistler, Arctic Tern, Cape Gannet, Plum-headed Finch, Blue Petrel, Australian Bustard, Regent Honeyeater, Brown Skua, Red-chested Buttonquail, Orange-bellied Parrot, Striated Grasswren, Mallee Emu-wren, Australian Little Bittern, Tawny Grassbird, Osprey, American Golden Plover, Black-eared Miner, Beach Stone-curlew, Australian Painted Snipe, Ruff, Broad-billed Sandpiper and Long-toed Stint to name a few. Biggest bogeys and dips would include Crimson Chat, Plains-wanderer, Pied Honeyeater, Greater Sand Plover, Striated Heron, Eastern Grass Owl and that Red-necked Phalarope that decided to appear once I was safely out of the country. I’d like to give a massive thanks to the huge number of people, supporters, family and friends who were involved in this adventure in one-way or another. I’d like to give a special mention to Owen Lishmund , Scott Baker , Tim Bawden , Kevin Bartram , Rob Farnes, Tim Nickholds , Steven Davidson , Jeff Davies , Simon Starr , Rohan Clarke , Mike Carter , Michael Ramsey and Tim Dolby . Most importantly a enormous thanks and love to my very understanding girlfriend Clancye Milne for tolerating, supporting and understanding of this very selfish endeavour. Lastly, some serious admiration and acknowledgement to Paul Dodd and Ruth Woodrow for their mammoth effort in setting the previous record in 2010 of 392 species. Your commendable labours are to be acclaimed and respected – for it set the bar so high, I spent majority of the year thinking it was unbeatable. Check out the blog: http://jamesmustafabirding.blogspot.com.au Happy birding and new year to all!

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jamesmustafamusic

January 1, 2015 at 5:28 pm

Hi John, Good question. I gained 21 birds on pelagics this year, but 6 saw of those birds during sea watching sessions over the years. So without birds I only saw on pelagics – that’d bring me down to 386 species IOC Best John On Thu, Jan 1, 2015 at 3:01 PM, John Harris < wildlifeexperiences@gmail.com> wrote: — All the best, James Mustafa 0400 951 517 http://www.jamesmustafajazzorchestra.com

sonja.ross7

January 1, 2015 at 2:24 pm

Yes, congratulations, James, and thanks again for sharing some of the challenges involved with us at the BirdLife Melbourne Carlton meeting. What will you do with all that spare time??????? Sonja

wildlifeexperiences

January 1, 2015 at 2:01 pm

Congratulations James, As the “first” Vic Twitch record holder of 335 in 2006, it is interesting to see the list now over 400. I don’t think I have that many on my life list for Victoria (yet…)!!! I am interested to see how many you saw without the pelagics. In 2006 Tim Dolby, Greg Oakley, Fiona Parkin, Stuart Dashper and myself set about doing the “Vic Twitch” after Sean Dooley’s inspirational Big Twitch. We didn’t count birds seen on pelagics (due to the difficulty of getting spots on the boats) to be fair for everyone, hence my interest in your non-pelagic score. Regards John. *Yours in all things* “*GREEN”* *John Harris BASc, GDipEd* *Croydon, Vic* * Director – Wildlife Experiences Pty LtdPrincipal Ecologist/Zoologist* *Nature Photographer* *Wildlife Guide* *wildlifeexperiences@gmail.com < wildlifeexperiences@gmail.com>* *0409090955* *President, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria* *(www.fncv.org.au )* On 1 January 2015 at 13:37, James Mustafa < jamesmustafamusic@gmail.com> wrote:

peter

January 1, 2015 at 1:58 pm

Congratulations, James. That will take some beating. Just curious, how many of the 401 were lifers for you? Peter Shute ________________________________________ Sent: Thursday, 1 January 2015 1:37 PM Dear Birding Aus community, I’m finally very proud and excited to officially announce that 2014 saw me set a new Big Year record for the state of Victoria. In 365 days, I managed to see 401 different species (IOC) across the state and in pelagic waters. I’m yet to count up all of the kms, costs etc but a few quicks stats include 10 pelagics, 50+ days away from home, 1100 eBird list submissions, 40+ days sea watching, 30 visits to the WTP, 2 flat tyres, 0 road killed animals and at least 30 packets of sherbet lemons. Highlight birds include White-cheeked Honeyeater, Black Bittern, Elegant Parrot, House Crow, Long-billed Dowitcher, Soft-plumaged Petrel, King Quail, Red-lored Whistler, Arctic Tern, Cape Gannet, Plum-headed Finch, Blue Petrel, Australian Bustard, Regent Honeyeater, Brown Skua, Red-chested Buttonquail, Orange-bellied Parrot, Striated Grasswren, Mallee Emu-wren, Australian Little Bittern, Tawny Grassbird, Osprey, American Golden Plover, Black-eared Miner, Beach Stone-curlew, Australian Painted Snipe, Ruff, Broad-billed Sandpiper and Long-toed Stint to name a few. Biggest bogeys and dips would include Crimson Chat, Plains-wanderer, Pied Honeyeater, Greater Sand Plover, Striated Heron, Eastern Grass Owl and that Red-necked Phalarope that decided to appear once I was safely out of the country. I’d like to give a massive thanks to the huge number of people, supporters, family and friends who were involved in this adventure in one-way or another. I’d like to give a special mention to Owen Lishmund , Scott Baker , Tim Bawden , Kevin Bartram , Rob Farnes, Tim Nickholds , Steven Davidson , Jeff Davies , Simon Starr , Rohan Clarke , Mike Carter , Michael Ramsey and Tim Dolby . Most importantly a enormous thanks and love to my very understanding girlfriend Clancye Milne for tolerating, supporting and understanding of this very selfish endeavour. Lastly, some serious admiration and acknowledgement to Paul Dodd and Ruth Woodrow for their mammoth effort in setting the previous record in 2010 of 392 species. Your commendable labours are to be acclaimed and respected – for it set the bar so high, I spent majority of the year thinking it was unbeatable. Check out the blog: http://jamesmustafabirding.blogspot.com.au Happy birding and new year to all!

Birding-Aus

New Victorian Big Year Record Set

4 comments to New Victorian Big Year Record Set

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