BY 2019 - Racing to the finish

[pedro maia]

These are the standings with little less than 2 months to the end of the year:

 

@michael-ibk - 512

@TonyQ - 438

@Kitsafari - 431

@Tdgraves - 427

@PeterHG - 354

@xelas - 343

@Galana - 291

@Dave Williams - 280

@pedro maia - 240

@Soukous - 211

@mvecht - 195

@Peter Connan - 173

@Alex Rogers - 168

@lmSA84 - 133

@Zim Girl - 108

@Treepol - 74

@Lyss - 19

@roseclaw - 8

 

Michael has a strong lead and I think the danger for him comes from TonyQ and Kitsafari (Tdgraves said she doesn´t have many more birds from Kruger and Dave said he wasn´t very succeful there), unless somebody else in the front still has a trip scheduled until the end of the year.

 

I hope I dind´t make any mistakes on the count.

[PeterHG]

Thank you for the update on the standings @pedro maia !

46 minutes ago, pedro maia said:

unless somebody else in the front still has a trip scheduled until the end of the year.

This may well be the case ;). However, processing the photos before the end of the year will be another matter......

[Galana]

44 minutes ago, PeterHG said:

However, processing the photos before the end of the year will be another matter......

As in previous years there is no time limit, within reason, for posting the photos, only the date by which they must have been taken. How long does it take to crop a photo anyway?

I think I am correct in this, so where are you going Peter?

 

[pedro maia]

I´m also curious Peter.

[PeterHG]

On the 24th of November my wife and I will join an 18-day group tour to Colombia. Focus will be on nature and birding. We've never really travelled in a group before, but it's only ten people, so we may survive the experience. 

1 hour ago, Galana said:

How long does it take to crop a photo anyway?

I must confess I do a little more than just cropping , but I'll try and process a bunch on the ipad when we're travelling. I'll post them anyway, either here or in a trip report or both. We are really looking forward to the trip, a first visit to South America.

[michael-ibk]

Wow, Columbia - I think we are all toast then. Scythebill tells me that Columbia would be the Country with the most possible birds in the world for me, about 1600 to get there! Sounds like a great trip @PeterHG, and I will be very curious how you like it since Columbia has been on my mind as well lately.

[Kitsafari]

@18 days!  @PeterHG well then you are highly  likely on the way to the top spot on the podium unless michael works very hard over the next 10 weekends. 😀

[pedro maia]

That seems like a great trip Peter, I just hope you and your wife survive to the other 8 people (I must confess that I would seriously doubt about doing such a group trip ).

[TonyQ]

I have just looked at an article about Columbia which says it has a bird list of 1878 birds, so we could be looking at a winner

[PeterHG]

Well, I have no doubt that it is going to deliver lots of birds I haven't seen yet and that's exciting. To put things into perspective: on the last two similar trips with the same organization some 350 species were spotted in 18 days. If I'm able to photograph 220-250 of them I'd be more than happy. A hardcore birding trip with a lower average age () of the participants could easily score more, but we like this, more easygoing, setup better. And it's more affordable...

[PeterHG]

45 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

Scythebill tells me that Columbia would be the Country with the most possible birds in the world for me, about 1600 to get there!

For me, Scythebill promised 1578 lifers. I'll keep you posted on the trip; it definitely sounds like a country you would want to visit.

[pedro maia]

27 minutes ago, PeterHG said:

Well, I have no doubt that it is going to deliver lots of birds I haven't seen yet and that's exciting. To put things into perspective: on the last two similar trips with the same organization some 350 species were spotted in 18 days. If I'm able to photograph 220-250 of them I'd be more than happy. A hardcore birding trip with a lower average age () of the participants could easily score more, but we like this, more easygoing, setup better. And it's more affordable...

 

So you´re aiming to a BY total at 600+.

 

[Galana]

Wow. that should get the numbers moving along a bit.

Have a great trip.

[wilddog]

@Galana what is the  'within reason' timescale. I accept that pictures taken with 2018 to 2019 are acceptable but I should there be a cut off date at some point after December 31st for when they can still be posted on the Big Year 2019.

 

 

[PeterHG]

15 minutes ago, pedro maia said:

So you´re aiming to a BY total at 600+.

Well that would be more species than I've ever seen in a year, let alone photographed, so I'll happily retire after that..

[michael-ibk]

20 minutes ago, wilddog said:

@Galana what is the  'within reason' timescale. I accept that pictures taken with 2018 to 2019 are acceptable but I should there be a cut off date at some point after December 31st for when they can still be posted on the Big Year 2019.

 

I was in Peter´s situation with my Big Year 2016, returned from a (very productive) Rwanda/Kenya trip in December. It takes a lot of time to go through all photos, work with IDs and do the necessary pp. I finished end of January back then, and think end of February would still be a reasonable cut off date, especially if Peter comes home with a couple hundred birds.

[TonyQ]

I think the cut off date is when he gets round to posting them

[Tdgraves]

We don’t do rules in the BY  

[wilddog]

End of Feb sounds good @michael-ibk

 

I must say impressive numbers so far and good to see so many participants.

 

Wont be long until the Big Year 2020 gets underway. 😊

Edited October 21, 2019 by wilddog

[PeterHG]

Thanks all for the supportive reactions! This is why it's so much fun participating in this thread. I'll just have to wait and see how fast things are going when we're back. We have a bit of a 'luxury problem' with the aftermath of the Colombia trip. For a long time after we had booked it looked as if the trip would have to be cancelled because there were only 3 participants and a minimum of 6 were needed. The Agency told us in fact that we should not count too much on a positive outcome. As we both really wanted to go away for some time in winter we decided, together with my sister, brother and their partners, to book a flight to South Africa and visit Marloth and Kruger. My wife and I will go a few days earlier to try and do some birding near Johannesburg. Then, of course, 7 more people suddenly decided to go ahead and book a Colombia trip. It was on. So now we return from Colombia on the 12th of December and leave again for 3 1/2 weeks SA on 13th of January..... I wish all my problems were like this, though......

 

[TonyQ]

@PeterHG

well that gives you a month to post your 1800 birds!

[pedro maia]

That’s tough for your competitors Peter, you can win this year with the Colombia trip and you’ll put pressure on them right in the beginning of 2020 .

[xelas]

Ahh, the ghost has escaped the bottle ! BTW to my knowledge there is still option to join that same tour; I have promised Zvezda skies and start (or whatever she likes) but to no avail . So we will have to wait for Columbia till 2021 (hint hint @michael-ibk ).

 

End of February is a vailed timeline, although if me, I would not object even a later date. Only problem will be following two Big Years at the same time  ... what a splendid problem that will be ! 

[PeterHG]

I have cancelled all Christmas family gatherings. I told them there was urgent work to be finished by then 

[Galana]

7 hours ago, wilddog said:

@Galana what is the  'within reason' timescale.

Lord Denning, (Master of the Rolls) once defined reasonable as "What it appears to be to the man on the top of a Clapham Omnibus"

Tweedledum, and Dee once said anything can mean whatever you want it to mean. Would 1st December be 'reasonable?'

I go with Tom!

It's not hard and fast as @Tdgraves says.

But I personally would think 31st Jan a good enough cut off. Nobody has answered my Q, "How long does it take...?"

If ECB's count then surely a cropped photo will do for the others. BY is to photo as many birds as possible in 12 months. There ain't no prizes. It is not "Wildlife Photographer of the Year" with a bucketful of post processed enhanced bird portraits.