So because I like birds so much I have kept a spreadsheet of everyones birds and how many we have.
Here are some interesting things so far.
- We have photographed a total of 274 different species so far
- Sue is in the lead with 132, closley followed by Alex at 127, then Devon on 104, Pip on 94 and Dale on 61
- We have all photographed:
- Australian Pelican
- Little Corella
- Pacific Black Duck
- Great Egret
- Superb Fairywren
- Hardhead
- Laughing Kookaburra
- Grey Teal
- Welcome Swallow
Unique Birds - (None of the others doing the challenge have photographed them)
- Sue has photographed 55 unique birds
- Pip has photgraphed 13 unique birds
- Dale has photographed 16 unique birds
- Alex has photographed 24 unique birds
- Devon has photographed 28 unique birds
Ahahah and I thought that I was an obsessive :-) Nice one Dev, that is actually very interesting. Will be cool to see that summary at the end of the comp.
Thanks, Dev, interesting results. Apologies. I am about to post a few more ... just to keep you busy.
Statistics, statistics and bloody statistics. I seriously like that you've taken the trouble Devon, thanks. Hoping to score a few more soon, but the weather is s**t, we have a severe weather warning for strong winds and cold temperatures, while some of our northern counterparts are baking. That's our magnificent country for you!
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
I confess to checking fire reports as well as weather before venturing too far as bushland or wetland is the usual habitat that I am planning to explore. WInd does not help as even with the bird still the tree moves! Rug up, Dale.
Thanks Dev, that is really interesting. I was wondering how many total species we'd all sighted. I'm having trouble finding much time to get out and about atm, damn life stuff is taking up too much of my time. And like Dale in Tassie, Victoria's weather lately has made things tricky (though i'm not complaining given what's going on in NSW and Qld).
Anyway, 274 is a pretty good collective effort. I wonder if we can get to 400? That's be almost half of all Australian birds!
So here are the stats so far up to beginning of December.
Let me know if there are any other thing you would like to know
Thanks Dev. Very interesting.
Thanks Dev. I am surprised we have only 21 overlaps! 305 different species in a couple of months is pretty impressive.
It IS cool to see those stats, thanks. Looking at the birds we've all captured, it is of course a BIBY-classics list - except of course the sea eagle, which is a real surprise. I'm not surprised to see Sue's long list of unique birds (given her travels and grand total) but you have a very high proportion of unique birds too Dev, nice.
How about the leaderboard as of that date?
I've been well outstripped by Sue, and Dev has overtaken me too, but I'm not dead yet :-) I won't get much for early December as I'll be in the USA for a week or so and those birds don't count! However, I have my Tassie trip coming up end Dec, and eBird tells me there are 150+ birds in Tassie not on my life list, let alone photographed. Discounting most of the pelagics, and all of the rarities there are still 60-70 species there that are new to me, and I might hope to add a good few of those. I'll give it a crack.
Yes, I think we can keep adding to the final numbers and overlaps. Tassie trip will add to your selectio, Alex as will the new set-up.
Dev has had the advantage of the Tropical warmth and its unique birdlife while I had travel adding to my grand total. However, I think we have demonstrated what is out there to be found if you only look. Hopefully, there are plenty more to come.
Thanks guys, I do like seeing those stats.
Sue the 21 species are the ones that we have all photographed
There are another 32 which only 4 of us have taken photos of and are waiting for the fifth.
For you Alex.
Dale has 69
Pip has 110
Alex has 136
Devon has 155
Sue has 185
It has certainly gotten me out more and visiting old favourite spots for specific species. For example on the weekend I was in Caboolture and knew of a spot that has Fuscous Honeyeaters (Sheepstation Creek). I went there and in order to familiarize myself with their call I played it. Immediately 2 Fuscous Honeyeaters showed up. I thought about testing my luck and playing a Night Parrot call to see if I would get that too. lol
Alex if you are doing a Tassie trip, you will well and truely overtake me. But know this my friend, I will not go down quietly . . . mwa ha haa. In all seriousness, I want to do a Tassie trip again next year so I am looking forward to seeing what you find. Are you going to Bruny Island as all 12 endemic species can be found there? I got 10 out of the 12 a couple of years ago when I went to Bruny and a whole heap of lifers when I went on the Pelagic at Eaglehawk Neck. Albatrosses coming out of the wazoo!
Nice going Dev. Love that everyone is still in the hunt, although my current target is the hundred. Hamstrung by weather and birds not being where they are supposed to be?
Still enjoying what opportunity I get. Also still hoping for a pelagic trip, but with severe weather warnings, 3-5 metre swells, and my fishing buddy who works 6 days a week, who knows (maybe for the big year 2020 challenge)?
Alex, I really hope you enjoy your Tassie trip, and yes Inala (Bruny Island) is the place to go, with I believe something like 94 species sighted at some time on the property. Don't forget to keep an eye out for our "Breeding Endemics", being the Swift Parrot (several nest sites at Inala) and of course the ultimate goal for any Australian Birder - the Orange Bellied Parrot (extremely unlikely, unless you journey to Melaleuca in the Southwest National Park). Not sure if your day tripping or overnighting on Bruny. If your day tripping, be sure to get to the Bruny Island Ferry very early Boxing Day, as the wait can be several hours on busy public holidays.
Daughter and grandson visiting from Melbourne soon, so a 6 year old in tow might cause some challenge in itself.
Happy Birding everyone.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Yes, really looking forward to the Tassie trip. I'm driving down (via ferry) and spending 2 weeks camping around Tassie - a big circuit like this:
Devonport - Waterhouse Conservation Area (NE) - Chain of Lagoons (Bicheno) - Hobart - Bruny Island (Cloudy Bay) - Lake King William (Central) - Strahan / Macquarie Harbour (W) - Arthur Pieman (NW) then back to Devonport via Burnie/Fern Glade for platypus.
Hobart is just a restocking stop, for the rest of it we'll camp for a few days in each place and explore on foot / by 4x4. It isn't a birding trip by any means (my family has very little interest) but I'll be able to get in a bit of birding every day, and I'm taking 1 full day to go birding by myself - booked in for a guided walk (my first) with the Inala crew on Bruny - I think its likely that they will get me a great overview of the Bruny birds and a few endemics.
Thanks for the tip Dale - we'll be on Bruny from Xmas eve until the 27th, camping down at Cloudy Bay, so we shoud be good. I won't be getting to Melaleuca, that looks like a whole adventure in itself! One of these days, I'm trying to pursuade my better half that Tassie would make a good place to live one day - then I can get out to all these remote spots :-) Enjoy having your granddaughter along, you might have to give up on photographing and concentrate on brainwashing her into being a bird-lover :-)
Dev, I'll certainly be hoping to get a good few of the Tassie endemics on Bruny, also a few birds of prey and sea-birds as I'm very light on those. I'd love to do an Eaglehawk pelagic, but its not going to happen on this trip (can only spend so much time away from the family chasing birds) - and I'd probably be better off doing it once I've improved my BIF skills a lot more. So next year I might do a couple of ex-Sydney pelagics as well as practise my camera skills, and when I'm reasonably competent then try some of the more challenging boat trips. Anyway, there are so many birds I haven't yet seen, I'm not going to focus too hard on finding any one, simply enjoy seeing and photographing anything I come across.
Actually, the best part of this trip is that 1 week is before NY, one week is after - so I'll try to cram as many birds into both weeks as I can, and set myself up well for next year as well as this comp :-)
Devster, hope your camping is going well, and looking forward to the final stats when you have time. If you can, it would be great to publish the final numbers and we can close this off.
Admin I think I need help.
I posted something previous but nothing seems to be showing up but when I go to edit it, it's there.
I did the post from Word option
Dev, I think that the table may be the issue so here is your message without the table. You might be able to right click on it and alter the formating to suit.
OK So here are the final stats. Here are some of the stats.
Sue - The winner with 203 bird species & had 50 unique birds
Dev - 2nd with 197 bird species & had 47 unique birds
Alex - 3rd with 183 bird species & had 24 unique birds
Pip - 4th with 134 bird species & had 12 unique birds
Dale - 5th with 73 bird species & had 5 unique birds
A total of 350 different species of birds were photographed
There were 28 species we all photographed
Awesome, thanks for that. An impressive total.
350 species in 4 months? Not too shabby, i'd have thought and just the 5 of us.
Thank you Dev.
Great effort all, thanks for playing, I have had a ball looking at all your wonderful photos, and putting a few in as well. Definitely looking forward to 2020.
Dev, Alex has added a late entry, so he has 183 with his Yellow Throated Honeyeater. Doesn't affect the species count, but will reduce my unique bird count to 4. Very happy for Alex to take 1 off me haha.
A total of 137 unique birds, think that's pretty special in itself!
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
I think that is a most impressive number for just 5 people to achieve over 4 months and only 28 in common. Interesting statistics. Thank you collating Dev.
I had best draw up next year's spreadsheet as it could be very hard to keep track over 12 months. Keep safe & enjoy the birding.
This is amazing! You guys! Seriously well done. And Dev thanks so much for keeping track - has saved me a lot of time!
Just to keep it correct, I edited the number for Alex to 183. Pity about the table but we all have a copy in the email; thanks Dev for all that work.
Well you all ran the comp and kept track of the totals with absolutely no help from me - and I get all the glory of officially declaring Sue the winner!
Congratulations Sue!
I've got a little Birds in Backyards prize pack I would like to send to you. Do you mind messaging me your address and I will get it in the post for you.
Thanks, Holly, I will do so, Good to see the interest generated by the challenge --- the Big Year is off to a great start and has already attracted a new player.
Thanks again to Dev for keeping track and Alex for the suggestion.
I have just received a lovely package from Holly... a bag of goodies. Thank you.
My pleasure Sue - congratulations again on your win