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
<https://www.facebook.com/owen.lishmund>, Scott Baker
<https://www.facebook.com/scott.baker.71>, Tim Bawden
<https://www.facebook.com/CorwinCaelin>, Kevin Bartram
<https://www.facebook.com/kevin.bartram.1422>, Rob Farnes, Tim Nickholds
<https://www.facebook.com/shermaaaaan>, Steven Davidson
<https://www.facebook.com/steven.davidson.5686>, Jeff Davies
<https://www.facebook.com/jeff.davies.3572>, Simon Starr
<https://www.facebook.com/simon.starr.94>, Rohan Clarke
<https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008554777551>, Mike Carter
<https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008495313016>, Michael Ramsey
<https://www.facebook.com/mickaramsey> and Tim Dolby
<https://www.facebook.com/tim.dolby.7>. Most importantly a enormous thanks
and love to my very understanding girlfriend Clancye Milne
<https://www.facebook.com/clancye.milne> for tolerating, supporting and
understanding of this very selfish endeavour.
Lastly, some serious admiration and acknowledgement to Paul Dodd
<https://www.facebook.com/paulgdodd> and Ruth Woodrow
<https://www.facebook.com/ruthhwoodrow> 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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