[obol] Big Year credibility

[Russ Namitz]

If listing does not interest you, please DELETE now.

As some of you know, I'm doing a Big Year in Oregon this year.  A friend of 
mine from Maine coaxed me into this stating that he needed to get out and 
bird his own state more often and that the best motivation for this was to 
compete in a Big Year in our respective states.  We would compare 
percentages of the state's official state list at the end of the year.  
Lucky for me, Oregon added at least 6 more birds to the state list this 
year.

Anyway, he asked if I was going to tell the birding public or keep it quiet. 
  I said that I would probably report my official year list to our Oregon 
Birds publication at the end of the year.  He suggested not waiting until 
the "last lap" to alert the birding community.

So, at the risk of self-aggrandizing, I'm doing a Big Year.  I'm at 349.  I 
made it into the top ten.  I may get 5-6 more birds, but winter is the 
busiest time of the year for me.  I'm pretty satisfied.  Without Malhuer in 
September or Joseph/Enterprise in the winter, there was no hope for breaking 
any records.

There is a third friend in this competition.  He is from Virginia.  He broke 
the Big Year record 2 years ago for that state, but didn't tell anybody.  
Everybody's list is their own.

Good birding,
Russ Namitz
Coos Bay