2020 a good year for ‘Big Year’ records
- Bruce Glick: Gone Birding
- January 6, 2021
- 1987
The year that just ended was difficult for all of us, in many ways. Amazingly, numerous birders set new records during 2020. Some of these records took place locally, others were state-wide and some even included all of the United States or just the lower 48 states.
Starting locally, Jon Cefus and Kent Miller continued their quest for finding at least 200 species of birds in each of the Bobolink Area counties. Previously, they had been successful in Stark, Noble, Carroll, Tuscarawas and Guernsey. This past year they found 207 species in Harrison County. During 2021 Kent and Jon are concentrating on Coshocton County.
There have already been Big Year attempts in Coshocton County. Often, this is done without a vehicle and is called a Bicycle Big Year. Bennie Yoder set the record of 206 in Coshocton County. I recently learned that in 2020 two birders tied the 206 record. Kent and Jon will try for over 200 this year, but not on bicycles.
Holmes County has been a location for Big Year attempts in the past. As far as I know, the bicycle record was 223 until this year. During 2020 John Mark Hershberger’s Bicycle Big Year in Holmes County resulted in him biking over 5,000 miles. John Mark grew up around birders and birding in the Mt. Hope area. His new record of 235 species in 2020 should provide incentive for local birders for years to come.
One of the favorite geographic areas for a Big Year has been the 12-county Bobolink Area. During 2020 Lucas Weaver completely obliterated the Bicycle Big Year record with a total of 287 species of birds. Previously, the record had been in the 270s and had been broken a number of times over the last decade by some of the best birders in the area. Two-hundred-eighty-seven would be a great record for a birder using a vehicle and having nothing else to do except chase birds.
Lucas and other birders this year have been fortunate 2020 was an excellent year for finding rare birds. 2020 started off with the winter months devoid of northern finches, but the last months of the year brought an influx of the rare birds needed for a record year. It also helps communication is much better now than in earlier years, making it possible to find out about a rare bird in time to see it.
Many birders have done Big Years in the state of Ohio. In 2020 Leslie Sours, Dan Sanders and Doreene Linzell all topped 320 in Ohio. Dan and Doreene have consistently reached the 300 mark in Ohio, year after year. There may have been others doing Ohio Big Years I’m not aware of. It takes a lot of time and travel to chase birds all over the state.
Meanwhile, the person I consider the best birder in Ohio, Jen Brumfield, was pursuing another Big Year in her home county of Cuyahoga. Jen had already set a record that seemed unbeatable, but that wasn’t the case. Near the end of December, Jen found number 278, an amazing number of birds for one county.
I recently learned Ohio birder Jeremy Dominguez tied the record of 322 species in the lower 48 states. That’s also quite a record because it means missing out on all the species found in Canada and Alaska.
Best wishes to each of you as you enjoy the birds in 2021.
Good birding.
Bruce Glick can be emailed at bglick2@gmail.com.