birding-aus

John Weigel

To: 'Eric Jeffrey' <>
Subject: John Weigel
From: Peter Shute <>
Date: Fri, 20 May 2016 00:26:25 +0000
I'll take your word for that, I've only read one (incomplete) line from the 
book.

Peter Shute

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Eric Jeffrey 
> Sent: Friday, 20 May 2016 10:02 AM
> To: Peter Shute <>
> Cc: Anne Brophy <>; Denise Goodfellow
> <>; birding-aus <>;
> Tim <>
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] John Weigel
>
> Not sure that is true, although it has been a while since I read it. More to 
> the
> point, he was competing with someone else that year, who actually out-
> listed him. So the change was in the midst of a fierce competition. He has not
> tried again, even though he is by all reckoning one of the best field birders 
> in
> the country, as well as an ardent conservationist.
>
> Eric Jeffrey
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On May 19, 2016, at 7:41 PM, Peter Shute <> wrote:
> >
> > It might be true that Kaufman's attitude changed, but from the tiny
> relevant snippet of the book that I can see in the google search, it would
> appear that his attitude only changed after he'd beaten the previous record.
> I wonder if it would have changed if he hadn't.
> >
> > Peter Shute
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Anne Brophy 
> >> Sent: Friday, 20 May 2016 7:44 AM
> >> To: Denise Goodfellow <>
> >> Cc: Peter Shute <>; birding-aus
> >> < aus.org>; Tim <>
> >> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] John Weigel
> >>
> >> Hi Denise & Peter,
> >>
> >> I found the nicest part of the story was the gradual change in
> >> Kaufmann from being driven by the one goal of 'numbers' to the
> >> inability to separate these 'numbers' from the magnificence of birds
> >> and nature as a whole. I'd expect, or hope, many who do a big year
> >> would have such a revelation. Maybe that was left in the 70's though...
> >>
> >> His description of Sky Larks on San Juan and his time spent on
> >> Gambell, are worth the price of the book alone!
> >>
> >> Kind regards,
> >> Anne
> >>
> >> On 20 May 2016, at 12:19 AM, Denise Goodfellow
> >> < <> >
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>    And is the effort always worth? Kenn Kaufman wrote (p. 284) that
> >> “the larger (his list) grew the less important or even interesting it
> seemed.”
> >>
> >>
> >>    Denise Lawungkurr  Goodfellow
> >>    PO Box 71
> >>    Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841
> >>    043 8650 835
> >>
> >>    PhD candidate, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW.
> >>
> >>    Founding Member: Ecotourism Australia
> >>    Nominated by Earthfoot for Condé Nast’s International  Ecotourism
> >> Award, 2004.
> >>
> >>    With every introduction of a plant or animal that goes feral this
> >> continent becomes a little less unique, a little less Australian.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>    On 19 May 2016, at 9:10 pm, Peter Shute <
> >> <> > wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>        I haven't read Kingbird Highway, but I see that it's set in 1973.
> >> I believe Roy Wheeler and Kevin Bartram, who did their Australian big
> >> years not that long after, also didn't drive.
> >>
> >>        I think it would be impossible to break the record these days
> >> without a driving licence, and a lot of time and a lot of cash, let
> >> alone the organisational and birding skills and luck that have always been
> required.
> >>
> >>        Given the increasing difficulty of breaking the record, can
> >> these attempts continue indefinitely? Surely a time will come when
> >> the personal cost won't be worth the tiny chances of beating the
> >> record. And surely, as the record gets harder to beat, the temptation to
> take "shortcuts"
> >> will increase, and with it the need to provide the proof that is
> >> being asked of John Wiegel. It's a big ask to expect someone to get a
> >> photo of every bird, and as we saw in a recent Victorian big year,
> >> even a photo can be insufficient proof.
> >>
> >>        Are big years becoming impractical?
> >>
> >>        Peter Shute
> >>
> >>        Sent from my iPad
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>            On 19 May 2016, at 3:12 PM, Anne Brophy
> >> < <> > wrote:
> >>
> >>            Have just finished reading 'Kingbird Highway' by Kenn
> >> Kaufman. What a wonderful tale of an early 'big year' and the culture
> >> of American birding it describes. What more, the whole year was
> >> completed when the author was barely in his twenties and he
> >> hitchhiked the whole way. Highly recommended read!
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>                On 19 May 2016, at 1:12 PM, John Harris
> >> <
> <>
> >> >
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>                Hi Alastair,
> >>                I thought the whole "Big Year" was about not putting
> >> it out there publicly
> >>                that you are doing it!! Having read "The Big Year", it
> >> seemed that the best
> >>                strategy was to remain quiet about whether "you" were
> >> doing a big year and
> >>                let others who may be doing one also make up their own
> >> mind about your
> >>                intentions.... So much different to over here, where
> >> birding folk are happy
> >>                to get on board with someone's efforts as was shown
> >> with Sean Dooley's "Big
> >>                Twitch" and John's own efforts.
> >>
> >>                Cheers.
> >>
> >>                John
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>                *Yours in all things* "*GREEN"*
> >>
> >>                *John Harris BASc, GDipEd*
> >>                *Croydon, Vic*
> >>                *Director - Wildlife Experiences Pty Ltd*
> >>                *Principal **Zoologist/**Ecologist*
> >>                *Nature Photographer*
> >>                *Wildlife Guide*
> >>
> >>                *www.wildlifeexperiences.com.au
> >> <http://www.wildlifeexperiences.com.au>
> >> <http://www.wildlifeexperiences.com.au>*
> >>
> >>                *www.facebook.com/wildlifeexperiences/
> >> <http://www.facebook.com/wildlifeexperiences/>
> >>
> >>    <http://www.facebook.com/wildlifeexperiences/>*
> >>                
> >> <>
> >> <
> >> <> >*
> >>                *www.flickr.com/photos/wildlifeexperiences
> >> <http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildlifeexperiences>
> >>
> >>    <http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildlifeexperiences>*
> >>                *0409090955*
> >>
> >>                *Past President, Field Naturalists Club of
> >> Victoria*
> >>                *(www.fncv.org.au
> >> <http://www.fncv.org.au> <http://www.fncv.org.au/>)*
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>                    On 19 May 2016 at 11:14, A Smith
> >> < <> > wrote:
> >>
> >>                    G’day Tim,
> >>
> >>                    Thanks for the link.
> >>
> >>                    I think you may be over stating things a bit. I
> >> have followed Olaf since 1
> >>                    January and nothing that I have read has slandered
> >> John. Like anyone doing
> >>                    a big year Olaf wants to know who the competition
> >> is. That said, I assume
> >>                    John (like me) is a fairly novice North American
> >> birder  and therefore he
> >>                    should expect to have his sightings queried. Great
> >> that he has the photos
> >>                    and hopefully he’ll find time to blog.
> >>
> >>                    Regards
> >>                    Alastair
> >>
> >>
> >>                    On 18 May 2016, at 20:17, Tim
> >> < <> > wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>                    Hi All,
> >>
> >>                    As some are aware but others may not be John
> >> Weigel is doing an
> >>
> >>
> >>                    American big year in true Weigel fashion. He has
> >> not been home since late
> >>                    December and won't be until January 17. You can
> >> follow his blog here
> >>                    although at present it's simply a running list as
> >> his time is consumed by
> >>                    chasing rarities that has not stopped
> >> http://www.birdingfordevils.com/?m=1
> >>                    !
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>                    He hadn't published his list until several days
> >> ago and since doing so
> >>
> >>
> >>                    it's fair to say he has been slandered by his
> >> competition who wasn't aware
> >>                    John was doing the big year 2016 and Is perhaps
> >> caught a little by
> >>                    surprise. He has even had his sightings
> >> questioned! See here
> >>
> >>    http://olafsbigyear.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/free-nipple.html?m=1
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>                    Johns previous Australian 'big years'
> >> have left no doubt about his
> >>
> >>
> >>                    credibility.  He photographed almost every single
> >> bird! He has done the
> >>                    same this year but has been unable to edit his
> >> 40,000 photographs and post
> >>                    them. He will in due course.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>                    The year is shaping up to be the stuff movies are
> >> made of!! He's also
> >>
> >>
> >>                    raising funds for Devil Ark (Tasmanian devil
> >> breeding facility) throughout
> >>                    the year).
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>                    John is currently on the world famous Attu chasing
> >> Megas and cannot
> >>
> >>
> >>                    respond at present. I encourage Australian birders
> >> to follow the action and
> >>                    support John!
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>                    He is a great bloke and I trust this group will
> >> enjoy following and
> >>
> >>
> >>                    Aussie take it internationally!
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>                    All the best!
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>                    Sincerely Tim Faulkner
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>                    Sent from my iPhone
> >>                    <HR>
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