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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">" . . . I assume you are referring to the curious standings for birds seen in Washington in 2023."</span>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">Ha! I was doing a quasi-Big Year in 2019. Not necessarily going for the Number One spot in the ABA area, as there was no way I could compete against the Deans and McQuades - good people all - who could rack up 750+ species in a year.</span>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">My goal that year was to bump my ABA list by 75 Lifers (I ended up with 91!), but toward the end of the year I was told to check the "Top 100" and found myself in competition with another birder for the "Top 10" Honours.</span>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">I'd just edged another gentleman in mid-December with the Cape Disappointment Rustic Bunting (my No. 610 for the year), and checked the "Top 100" to find that 2 other birders had apparently waited until the end of the year to submit their eBird lists, bumping me down to the 12th spot.</span>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">I was initially nonplussed, until upon sober reflection I remembered that I had had one Heck of a Birding Year ! ! ! Nobody remembers who comes in 10th. And, even if I had been in contention for a "first", the memories of all the birds seen, including chases of the species 'missed', and the wonderful places and habitats I got to visit in the US & Canada were, indeed, memories for a Lifetime.</span>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">That said, I concur with Steve H that the matter may well be resolved by the eBird folks, and here's wishing Liam the best as his quest for the 2023 Washington Big Year continues!!</span>
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