Big Year 2012 Congratulations

["David McDonald (personal)" <>]

Mark asks  about rules for personal lists. A source is the Birdlife Australia Rarities Committee (BARC) http://www.tonypalliser.com/barc/barc-home.html .

The national totals list is here: http://www.tonypalliser.com/totals.html : 'A fun page devoted to those that have seen 600 or more bird species within Australia and its Territories including: Christmas, Heard, Lord Howe, Macquarie and Norfolk Islands but not Antarctica.' It gives inclusion rules.

The ACT totals list is here: http://actlisters.canberrabirds.org.au/totals.htm : 'A site at which birders who have observed 150 or more wild bird species in the Australian Capital Territory may have their totals listed.' It also gives inclusion rules. Pls note that not all the 2012 totals have been finalised. You are welcome to contact me to have your details added to the ACT totals list if you have recorded more than 150 species in the ACT, or to update your details if you have not recently done so.

Regards - David

From: Mark Clayton [m("bigpond.com","chollop7");">]
Sent: Tuesday, 1 January 2013 9:09 AM
To: 'Scott Ryan'; m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");">
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Big Year 2012 Congratulations

 

G’day Scott and all,

 

Do you know what Brendan’s “top” species were?

 

Just out of curiosity, are there any rules or “governing bodies” that vet records for these sorts of exercises or is the whole thing done on “trust”? I know when I have done “twitchathons” that there are rules to be followed, and that teams I have been in have followed these rules completely. Does anyone know what the OFFICIAL record is for the ACT, where records of vagrants etc have been through the rarities committee?

 

So far my ACT 2013 list is ............... Australian Magpie and Pied Currawong but I did sleep in this morning – I can hear a Common Blackbird calling, does that count?. That’s 208 (207 with the blackbird) to go to beat Brendan ....!!!

 

Happy New Year all,

Mark

 

From: Scott Ryan [m("yahoo.com.au","scottscritters");">]
Sent: Tuesday, 1 January 2013 7:42 AM
To: m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");">
Subject: [canberrabirds] Big Year 2012 Congratulations

 

Happy New Year, Canberra Birders!!

 

Just a quick note to say a big congratulations to Brendan Sheean on his first crack at an ACT 'Big Year'.

 

I believe his final tally was 209, a very impressive total, & I believe second only to Milburn for the year.

 

Well done to all & happy birding for 2013. Lets hope this year may bring us some rarities again :-)

 

Scott Ryan