Michael‘s Seventh Year

[michael-ibk]

998/Z33) Olive Thrush (Turdus olivaceus) / Kapdrossel

 

Vumba Mountains, 1/11/2022. Continuing this streak of super-thrilling species. It apparently did not care more for the rain than we did.

 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2022 by michael-ibk

[Galana]

Another nice set and I know you are not doing sets but please don't let number 1000 be a bloody bulbul/brownbul/greenbul!.

[michael-ibk]

1 minute ago, Galana said:

Another nice set and I know you are not doing sets but please don't let number 1000 be a bloody bulbul/brownbul/greenbul!.

 

But I had such a nice Borebul coming up!

[michael-ibk]

999/Z34) Ashy Flycatcher (Muscicapa caerulescens) / Hartlaubschnäpper

 

Vumba Mountains, 1/11/2022. Not much more exciting than Greenbuls or Thrushes I´m afraid.

 

 

 

[Galana]

You just cannot stop here.

[michael-ibk]

I won´t.

 

KRACHA-KRACHAAAAAA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM-CRASHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-BUNGBONGBUNGBONG-KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!

 

(In case you did not know, that´s the sound heard when crashing through the Big Year stratosphere. )

 

1000/Z35) Southern Carmine Bee-Eater (Merops nubicoides) / Scharlachspint

 

Mana Pools, 27/10/2022. One of my absolutely favourite birds. There are few things I love more than sitting with a colony and watching Scarlet flashes of colour buzz around me.

 

 

 

[Thursday's Child]

Stunning bird, stunning achievement

[PeterHG]

I heard the crash all the way over here. What an incredible score and of course a fitting bird to celebrate it with. Great photos!! Congratulations on reaching a number the rest of us can only dream of. I’ve really enjoyed seeing all your contributions from exotic and not so exotic places. Thanks for posting and sharing all of them. That must have been harder work than the travels…..;)

[Tdgraves]

Wow! Just wow! A stunning achievement with a truly stunning (and difficult) BIF. Well done

[TonyQ]

Wow. Beautiful.

When I started the Big Year, I never imagined it possible that I would be congratulating someone on reaching 1000 birds in one year.

I have enjoyed following your progress and have admired your determination, skill and commitment (knowing that I have none of these three characteristics)

This must call for a celebration - we will raise a glass to you. (unless of course you are up before dawn to get another rare addition?)

[michael-ibk]

Thank you - we just enjoyed a well-deserved glass ( if I can say so myself) of - egg liqueur!

 

(Well, it´s almost Christmas.)

 

Maybe a Whisky to follow.

[xelas]

59 minutes ago, Galana said:

but please don't let number 1000 be a bloody bulbul/brownbul/greenbul!.

Michael is not like me !

 

36 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

KRACHA-KRACHAAAAAA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM-CRASHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-BUNGBONGBUNGBONG-KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!

 

That sounds like the sound of the firework from the Sydney bridge at New Year! 

 

Both Zvezda and I are congratulating you for this fantastic achievement! All those days of birding and later of browsing through thousands of photos, flipping the many bird guide books and lastly, to process and to post them all ... lead you to reach this phenomenal BY result. Don't drink all the egg liqueur and/or whisky by yourself. The hangover can be dramatic.

[BRACQUENE]

What a way to reach and celebrate that incredible Thousand ; one of my favorites as well and in flight they are so graceful: amazing !!

[Kitsafari]

When I see a bird on a wire while in a car travelling with a bird guide, I would tell the guide how my friend would stop for every bird, even those on the wire , in the grasses, hopping unseen from a twig to a twig. And see what an astonishing result that has gotten him in 2022? 

 

Psst. when will you do a Noah Strycker's Global Big Year?

 

 

 

PS. incredibly beautiful African emerald cuckoo!! and as always incredibly amazing shots of the carmine in flight!

Edited December 20, 2022 by Kitsafari

[xelas]

33 minutes ago, Kitsafari said:

when will you do a Noah Strycker's Global Big Year?

 As soon as he will be retired ... or sooner !

[Soukous]

Once the target had been announced there was no doubt - in my mind anyway - that you would achieve it. Even so it is a phenomenal achievment. Huge congratulations Michael.

i don't dare try to guess how many hours you've spent sitting in front of your computer sorting and processing this massive collection.

Is the target for 2023 going to be even higher, or will you perhaps try and fit some work in next year?

[wilddog]

Congratulations @michael-ibkA fantastic achievement. 

[Galana]

Hearty congratulations on the target achieved. A lot of hard work has gone in to that and the Air miles must have almost paid for  a new trip.

I also knew you could be trusted not to put up an LBJ for such a prestigous milestone. What next, an Emperor Penguin? I shall join you with a glass of Highland Park tonight and not care that it is not the week end.

[pedro maia]

It´s done, after your return from Ecuador it was clear that reaching 1000 would be a piece of cake for you but what an achievement Michael, congrats!!!

 

What about now, is there a void in your life?

[Zim Girl]

Fantastic achievement, Michael.  The last carmine picture is a stunner and worthy of the 1000th bird.

I just told Adrian, he said, 'bloody well done, but he needs a new hobby!'

[Peter Connan]

Wow! What a magnificent effort and achievement!

 

Well done!

[michael-ibk]

On 12/19/2022 at 9:42 PM, Thursday's Child said:

Stunning bird, stunning achievement

 

I feel honoured you are delurking for this Sheila.

 

 

On 12/19/2022 at 9:45 PM, PeterHG said:

I heard the crash all the way over here. What an incredible score and of course a fitting bird to celebrate it with. Great photos!! Congratulations on reaching a number the rest of us can only dream of. I’ve really enjoyed seeing all your contributions from exotic and not so exotic places. Thanks for posting and sharing all of them. That must have been harder work than the travels…..;)

 

Thanks Peter. Well,  I was privileged enough to get to three very bird-rich countries this year, not to mention some good little "sidequests" in Europe. That was all fun. The processing admittedly not so much - or not always at least.

 

On 12/19/2022 at 9:47 PM, Tdgraves said:

Wow! Just wow! A stunning achievement with a truly stunning (and difficult) BIF. Well done

 

Thank you!

 

On 12/19/2022 at 9:48 PM, TonyQ said:

Wow. Beautiful.

When I started the Big Year, I never imagined it possible that I would be congratulating someone on reaching 1000 birds in one year.

I have enjoyed following your progress and have admired your determination, skill and commitment (knowing that I have none of these three characteristics)

This must call for a celebration - we will raise a glass to you. (unless of course you are up before dawn to get another rare addition?)

 

I´d rather say stubborness, "click-a-thousand-and-one-shot-will-be-half-decent- and not having a life because of processing photos. So just consider yourself lucky you are not as stupid as me Tony.

 

 

On 12/19/2022 at 10:15 PM, xelas said:

Michael is not like me !

That sounds like the sound of the firework from the Sydney bridge at New Year!

Both Zvezda and I are congratulating you for this fantastic achievement! All those days of birding and later of browsing through thousands of photos, flipping the many bird guide books and lastly, to process and to post them all ... lead you to reach this phenomenal BY result. Don't drink all the egg liqueur and/or whisky by yourself. The hangover can be dramatic.

 

Nobody can be like you Alex!

 

Thank you - I would have needed you much earlier in my life to warn me about the perils of drinking. I fear now it´s too late, the damage is already done.

 

On 12/20/2022 at 7:33 AM, BRACQUENE said:

What a way to reach and celebrate that incredible Thousand ; one of my favorites as well and in flight they are so graceful: amazing !!

 

Thank you Peter.

 

On 12/20/2022 at 7:51 AM, Kitsafari said:

When I see a bird on a wire while in a car travelling with a bird guide, I would tell the guide how my friend would stop for every bird, even those on the wire , in the grasses, hopping unseen from a twig to a twig. And see what an astonishing result that has gotten him in 2022?

Psst. when will you do a Noah Strycker's Global Big Year?

PS. incredibly beautiful African emerald cuckoo!! and as always incredibly amazing shots of the carmine in flight!

 

Oh come on Kit, surely I am not that bad? Am I?

 

Ok then, point taken.

 

You know I have read that book, and thought "What a maniac!"

 

And then I thought "Hm, maybe a sabbatical....".

 

 

On 12/20/2022 at 11:13 AM, Soukous said:

Once the target had been announced there was no doubt - in my mind anyway - that you would achieve it. Even so it is a phenomenal achievment. Huge congratulations Michael.

i don't dare try to guess how many hours you've spent sitting in front of your computer sorting and processing this massive collection.

Is the target for 2023 going to be even higher, or will you perhaps try and fit some work in next year?

 

Work is overrated Martin, I try to keep it to an absolute minimum.

 

Truth be told, my target for 2023 is to take as few photos of birds as possible. (Which might be quite a difficult task for me.)

 

On 12/20/2022 at 12:11 PM, wilddog said:

Congratulations @michael-ibkA fantastic achievement. 

 

Thanks Linda!

 

On 12/20/2022 at 1:04 PM, Galana said:

Hearty congratulations on the target achieved. A lot of hard work has gone in to that and the Air miles must have almost paid for  a new trip.

I also knew you could be trusted not to put up an LBJ for such a prestigous milestone. What next, an Emperor Penguin? I shall join you with a glass of Highland Park tonight and not care that it is not the week end.

 

Thanks Fred. Emperor Penguin would be super. I´ve said before I will go to Antarctica next year, just because there are no more than a couple dozens of birds on a trip like that.

 

On 12/20/2022 at 1:22 PM, pedro maia said:

It´s done, after your return from Ecuador it was clear that reaching 1000 would be a piece of cake for you but what an achievement Michael, congrats!!!

What about now, is there a void in your life?

 

You do know you´re to blame for all of this Pedro.

 

Thank you, I can get on with life even though it´s very hard now.

 

And I still have to post the remaining Zim birds.

 

On 12/20/2022 at 2:04 PM, Zim Girl said:

Fantastic achievement, Michael.  The last carmine picture is a stunner and worthy of the 1000th bird.

I just told Adrian, he said, 'bloody well done, but he needs a new hobby!'

 

Thank you Angie. Any suggestions for my new hobby?

 

On 12/20/2022 at 6:54 PM, Peter Connan said:

Wow! What a magnificent effort and achievement!

Well done!

 

Thanks Peter!

Edited December 21, 2022 by michael-ibk

[xelas]

26 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

I would have needed you much earlier in my life to warn me about the perils of drinking.

As if you would have listen to me . The point was, left some drops also for me !

[michael-ibk]

Fair point. I will leave some alcohol for you next week.

[Zim Girl]

14 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

 

Thank you Angie. Any suggestions for my new hobby?

 

Adrian suggested stamp collecting!!

Personally, I think you should make a start on butterflies