Al Levantin, Birding in Tanzania and one of the three original birders in the book The Big Year. Eventually, they persuaded the Garfield County Commissioners to keep the area protected, but the company can still reapply later. Do you have any formal bird-related education background? A lot. You start at 70 and it's hard!. Pelagic birding trips shot in Tofino, British Columbia, look a lot like the real things in Monterey Bay and Newfoundland. In its 50 . In that year three birders, Sandy Komito, Al Levantin and Greg Miller, chased Komito's record of 721 birds. Well, in 1998 Al Levantin did what for many North American birders is a dream unfulfilled - he did a North American Big Year (seeing as many species as possible in North America in one year). There are lots of birds to see here, but Tekces favorite are the bald eagles, which used to nest right in front of her house. That little snippet of arm you can see on Greg's right shoulderthat piece of arm belongs to Jack Black. Many birders know Mr. Levantin from the book The Big Year, in which his quest to see a record number of species in North America was chronicled. For now, Tekce continues to enjoy the company of the resident eagles. I started as a Boy Scout, and that's where I got interested, he said. Another guy grew so broke from chasing so many birds that he maxed out five credit cards and lived for four days in the Dakotas on nothing more than a jar of Jif peanut butter and a bag of Mr. Salty Pretzels. So those are black-billed magpies, he said. The year, 1998, when the book takes place was a special year indeed. This is Larsons fifth or sixth Christmas Bird Count. A: The movie is a comedy and Im very pleased to have Steve Martin play my part. Provisional species were new to the ABA Area and so not on that years ABA checklist, and are still awaiting listing by the state records committee and ABA Checklist . It looks like this leader doesn't have any trips planned. C: What bird have you not seen in North America that you really really think you should have seen by now? The author writes about what its like to have his book made into a major motion picture featuring some of Hollywoods biggest stars. The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) and the Roaring Fork Audubon Society held their counts Dec. 18 and 19. in the world? It didnt take them long to spot their first birds. The annual citizen science project helps researchers get a better idea of how birds are doing in the face of threats such as climate change and human development. Do you feel that technology in today's world makes doing a Big Year easier? Theres no more running through airports to catch a plane to Harlingen just as it pulls away from the gate; the new post-9/11 travel restrictions did away with that. Miller was the first to attempt a Big Year while holding down a full-time job. What is your relationship today with Mark Obmascik, Sandy Komito, and Al Levantin? A hairy woodpecker, that is. One birder on the scene was local student George Waaler. 66 years. Hes a great guy and, obviously, an incredible birder. What happens when you take them off? April 13, 2004 12 AM PT. How he manages to compete against two wealthy retirees with nothing but time makes up the book's most poignant and satisfying plotline.
We only saw 2,725 individual birds and 61 species. Youll still see him on a road bike grunting up steep hills with his gang, two or three times a week. My wife asked me not to hike up the mountain without someone accompanying me on the trip to find the Colima Warbler. Every year around Christmas time, local residents join tens of thousands of people across the Western Hemisphere to record all the birds they see or hear within a 15-mile radius. Benton Basham - 710 (1983) 27. Where in Ohio would you say is the most under-birded place that may have great untapped potential? Bokram and a small group of women have been assigned by ACES to count as many birds as they can in the Snowmass Village and Woody Creek areas. Posted on December 7, 2012 by greg miller. It was started in England, and all the royalty would go out on a huge hunt, Larson said. Popularized in North America, big years are commonly carried out within a single U.S. state or Canadian province, or within larger areas such as the Lower 48 contiguous . Many years later, I did what is called a big year, where you spend the whole year looking to find as many species as possible.
Levantin and his wife, Ethel, recently visited the film production set in Vancouver and enjoyed watching the action from the seat of Steve Martins directors chairs. It is amazing that I have lived this long and not stopped and really paid attention to what was around me, Wender said. Will birding ever be the same? When bird watchers get cutthroat. Met him in person for the first time this year and he is the most down to earth, kind, excitable fella. RFA treated us to lunch at a local restaurant where we shared stories of our exciting day with the birds. Help or learn about birds at a virtual or in-person event. This was his second Christmas Bird Count, and he was hoping to see a northern pygmy-owl this year. This is important for planning, logistics, and ultimately, efficiency in the field. Obmascik said his initial interest in the story was based more on the mens obsession than on the subject of birding, which to the outsider may seem quite dull. Please nominatethat person by sending me an, The Birders Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds, Birdfinder: A Birders Guide to Planning North American Birding Trips. Mailing Address: Al Levantin, retired executive and Aspen resident, is unknown in the world of competitive birding, but he has the cash and has done the homework to catch Komito. The first Bicknells I ever saw was in Central Park and I saw another subsequently in the park. Contrary to the movie The Big Year it was Gregs father that got him into birding at that early age. How else to explain how three very different characters from very different walks in life chose to embark upon this journey during the same 12-month period? }
This was a chance to write about people I actually liked. And did you really straight-faced lie to Komito about your total at one point to shut him up? Others started a Big Year in some big birding hot spot; Levantin insisted on being with his wife for New Year's. Others hired guides to ease the discovery of rare birds; Levantin wanted to find everything himself. C: A bird that is near and ear to my heart as someone who grew up in the Catskill Mountains is the Bicknells Thrush, and it is not mentioned once in the book. Al Levantin has retired extremely rich after serving on the board of a chemicals company. Two other birders, Sandy Komito and Al Levantin also did Big Years the same year as Greg and also broke the 700 mark. As enjoyably chronicled by Obmascik, all three went to punishing lengths to tally the highest number of bird species encountered for the year. . The book followed three men on a quest for a Big Year - a competition among birders to see who can see and identify the greatest number of species of birds in North America (north of Mexico) in a calendar year. He was great.. Levantin has been doing the Christmas Bird Count for 40 or 50 years now. Here is the Bird Calls radio archive of Saturday, Oct 29, with guest Al Levantin, one of the three original birders about which "The Big Year" book was written. The group spotted 42 species for the Christmas Bird Count in a single day. You start at 70 and it's hard!
Do not download, copy, reproduce or distribute the images posted on these pages (this site) without the permission of the owner of the photo. After all, its hard to imagine three otherwise sane men choosing to do one thingand one thing onlyfor an entire year. I just read The Big Year in the last month and loved it! . The main difference between 1 and 2 is range. Oct 29 Bird Calls, As always, thanks for checking in with Bird Calls Radio. . This leaning tree is their favorite tree because right underneath the hunting is the best.
To this day people ask me to autograph their books. What is it about a tiny creature that makes a grown mans mouth gape? Obmasick asked rhetorically. The nest has moved a little ways upriver now, but Tekce said the eagles still come here to fish. Hes gone around the back. Local help is also desirable to maximize your time. A: My encounter with a Mountain Lion in Big Bend. Sandy had 4 weeks on Attu in 1998. Reading about them, however, is unquestionably a joy. Anytime the ponds freeze up, the kingfishers move to the river, and when the river freezes up, they head south, Filby said. In the book, two birders, Al Levantin of Colorado and Sandy Komito of New Jersey, made pilgrimages to the bog in their quest to spot the most bird species in a single calendar year. The Big Year was 1998, the protagonists were Sandy Komito, a roofing contractor from New Jersey; Al Levantin, a well-heeled businessman; and Greg Miller, a software jock for a nuclear power plant. C: Is there anything else you want to add? He has always been smitten by the birding bug and loves to get outside. Boosted by contagious camaraderie, we were fortified enough to face the 0-degree temperature outside. There, in a forsaken valley not far from the Arctic Circle, they built a striking replica of the ramshackle World War II barracks that birders in my book had relied upon in Attu. Birds that had never been seen in quantities or single sightings of such species were being recorded, Obmascik said. Face to face at last, they come clean on their totals, and the story turns again. 2. John Spahr - 704 (2010) . Its certainly not a documentary. All words, images, and opinions are the property of their respective authors unless stated otherwise. He was great.
On another Rosy-Finch note, local birder Al Levantin has invited me to his house, which is probably the best spot in the world to see Brown Capped Rosy-Finches, as well as the other two species. Skip to secondary content. When I started working on my book The Big Year, I often had to assure people that this quirky tale of competitive birdwatching was really true. Pledge to stand with Audubon to call on elected officials to listen to science and work towards climate solutions. . At first, I started comparing the book to the movie. We divided our 15-mile-diameter circle into eightsections and were able to cover several different habitats, including pinyon-juniper woodlands, spruce and fir forests, wetlands, mostly-frozen ponds, riparian areas, downtown Carbondale, and birdfeeders in a few areas. Every year around Christmas time, local residents join tens of thousands of people across the Western Hemisphere to record all the birds they see or hear within a 15-mile radius. margin: 0.4cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;
That might have been that but for an innocuous footnote that revealed his year's tally, a piddling 572, and that waved on the page like a checkered flag. We believe in leaving the smallest possible footprint on the environment while maximizing the positive economic impact on local communities. There were 25 early birds who gathered on December 17, 2022, for RFAs 47th annual CBC. Bouncing from coast to coast on frenetic pilgrimages for once-in-a-lifetime rarities, they brave broiling deserts, bug-infested swamps, and some of the lumpiest motel mattresses known to man. I go to places most people havent heard of, Levantin said this week with a hearty laugh. We also delighted in seeing 20 Snow Geese fly over downtown Carbondale and 35 Pinyon Jays at a local feeder.