Bill, et. al.

Since most of the rarities are still around, anyone for a Big February?

Congrats to all.

George

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Hubick" <>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 9:54 AM
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Four Marylander's break the Maryland Big January Record


> Hi Everyone,
>
> Nearly all of us who suffer from the addiction of birding are familiar 
> with the temporary madness known as a Big Day and a Big Year. The grueling 
> intensity of a Big Day pushes physical and mental limits, its logistical 
> details so complex as to be absurd. At its competitive limits, it requires 
> that participants master the most subtle calls and distant IDs. On the 
> other extreme, a Big Year is a cruel test of one's tenacity. Keeping 
> focused after missing that Olive-sided Flycatcher for the 11th time 
> requires a special brand of obstinacy.
>
> But there is a more twisted form yet, and you can count on Maryland 
> birders to celebrate it--the Big January. You see, at the end of a Big Day 
> there is sleep. In a Big Year, you can save a few white-winged gulls or a 
> Lapland Longspur for December. To pursue a record Big January, the insane 
> competitor must see nearly everything--plus a lot of rarities--and under 
> patently miserable conditions. Searching for low-density wintering species 
> such as Sora and Seaside Sparrow is a real challenge, but a decidedly 
> rewarding one.
>
> This year, a handful of Maryland birders fell victim to Big January 
> Madness, and set out to break Marshall Iliff's record of 178 species set 
> in 1998 or 1999. The second place record of 177 species was set by Matt 
> Hafner in 2003.
>
> Jim Stasz hit the ground running in 2009, and by the end of January 1st, 
> he had picked up Rufous Hummingbird, Baltimore Oriole, Yellow-throated 
> Warbler, Eurasian Wigeon, and Red-necked Grebe. Others had productive 
> days, but they weren't fully infected just yet. Their illness might be 
> described as "Reasonable Big Year Fever." Then on January 3rd, four of us 
> decided to launch an impromptu attack on the January Big Day record of 138 
> species set by Jim Stasz, Matt Hafner, Marshall Iliff, and George 
> Armistead. I joined Jim Brighton, Mikey Lutmerding, and Ron Gutberlet for 
> one of our craziest days, and somehow we managed to see 134 species--so, 
> so close! We had also caught Big January Madness.
>
> This explains why you might have seen reports from any of these lunatics 
> from Washington and Worcester Counties in the same day, and why an 
> Orange-crowned Warbler was chased like it was a Lazuli Bunting. I kept 
> pace briefly, but surrendered after my schedule could not absorb a 
> 15-minute-notice trip to Massachusetts. And then there were four.
>
> Jim Stasz, Jim Brighton, Ron Gutberlet, and Mikey Lutmerding carried on, 
> all of them supposedly still attending jobs and meeting social 
> obligations. Their vehicles' odometers begged for mercy. Wawas ran out of 
> caffeinated beverages. Cruel text messages boasted triumphantly of Great 
> Egrets and Saltmarsh Sparrows.
>
> Finally, it was January 31st and the four were spread out from Garrett to 
> Worcester. Stasz is summoning grouse from the mountain tops in 7 degree 
> weather and Jim Brighton is driving from Queen Anne's to southern 
> Worcester via Triadelphia.
>
> And then the results were in. They ALL won.
>
> Stasz crushed the record by 11 species with an incredible total of 189, 
> followed as closely as possible by Jim Brighton with 188. Ron Gutberlet 
> came in with 184 and Mikey Lutmerding with 182.
>
> Jim Brighton said, "Even though it was an awesome month for rarities, I 
> believe that it might have been possible to at least match the record 
> without all the rarities." Not so any longer. Future competitors will have 
> to pick the right year and out-insane the quite insane. Of course, if you 
> are the type of person who is prone to such a thing, you just became more 
> interested. We all agree with Stasz that someday someone will break 200.
>
> A partial list of the non-annual January rarities: Tufted Duck, Barrow's 
> Goldeneye, Dovekie, Razorbill, American White Pelican, Snowy Owl, Rufous 
> Hummingbird, Northern Shrike, Yellow-throated Warbler, Dickcissel, Lark 
> Sparrow, White-winged Crossbill, and Common Redpoll. A much longer list of 
> great birds could easily be compiled to include eiders, white-winged 
> gulls, rails, and the other 'expected' rarities.
>
> SELECTED MISSES - I asked each of them about their misses.
>
> Jim Stasz: Brown Pelican, Harlequin Duck, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, 
> Glossy Ibis, Common Yellowthroat. Others that might have been possible: 
> Northern Fulmar, Manx Shearwater, Green Heron, Blue-winged Teal, Northern 
> Goshawk, Sora, Common Moorhen, Black Rail, Piping Plover, Laughing Gull, 
> Little Gull, Black-headed Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Atlantic Puffin, 
> both murres, Blue-headed Vireo, Northern Shrike, Nashville Warbler, 
> Yellow-breasted Chat, Painted Bunting, Clay-colored Sparrow, Le Conte's 
> Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Yellow-headed Blackbird, 
> Brewer's Blackbird, Hoary Redpoll, Red Crossbill, Evening Grosbeak.
>
> ** Of these, I know that the following were seen by some of the others: 
> Harlequin Duck, Common Yellowthroat, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Goshawk, 
> Sora, Common Moorhen, Northern Shrike, and Red Crossbill.
>
> Jim Brighton: Brown Pelican, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, 
> Glossy Ibis, Peregrine Falcon, Northern Bobwhite, Western Sandpiper, Least 
> Sandpiper, godwits, Black-headed Gull, Little Gull, Razorbill, swallows 
> other than Tree, Blue-headed Vireo, Nashville Warbler, Lincoln's and 
> Clay-colored Sparrows, Brewer's Blackbird, Baltimore Oriole, Common 
> Redpoll.
>
> Ron Gutberlet: Red-necked Grebe, Brown Pelican, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, 
> Little Blue Heron, Glossy Ibis, Ring-necked Pheasant, Northern Bobwhite, 
> Golden Eagle, Least Sandpiper, godwits, Black-headed Gull, Little Gull, 
> Razorbill, Blue-headed Vireo, Nashville Warbler, Lincoln's and 
> Clay-colored Sparrows, Brewer's Blackbird, Baltimore Oriole, Common 
> Redpoll.
>
> Mikey Lutmerding: Red-necked Grebe, Brown Pelican, Snowy Egret, Little 
> Blue Heron, Glossy Ibis, Ring-necked Pheasant, Northern Bobwhite, Golden 
> Eagle, Long-billed Dowitcher, Least Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Little
> Gull, Dovekie, Snowy Owl, Blue-headed Vireo, Nashville Warbler, Lincoln's 
> and Clay-colored Sparrows, Brewer's Blackbird, Baltimore Oriole, Common 
> Redpoll.
>
> Of course this also means that all four of them are better positioned than 
> anyone has ever been to beat the full state Big Year record.
>
> Please join me in congratulating these four madmen for raising the bar on 
> Maryland birding insanity. Amazing job, guys!
>
> Bill
>
> Bill Hubick
> Pasadena, Maryland
> 
> http://www.billhubick.com