Bird list - How many have you seen????

Hi BTO_Birdman Thanks for the reply And to all the other replys. You asked about  Marsh tit & willow tit, Chiffchaff & willow warbler, I can see why you questioned it as they are very hard to tell apart from looks alone if only saw for a short while but they were all identified by song & call also sight & were video recorded for later identification. If I'm not 100% sure it doesn't go on my list. The willow warbler was singing his heart out which i recorded, i did the same for the others really. what i do is take my camcorder everywhere & nearly all the birds i have seen have been recorded on the camcorder. So i have all the info i need for later identification plus there is sound, i also look at online videos to check identification with my clips & sounds etc. Also i pause frame by frame while looking through field guides & i read about the bird i'm looking at & look at where & when it was sighted also wether it was spring, winter etc. Also check wether it's juvenile, male, female or in moult. Then when i'm 100% sure it's added to my list. Most time i know what it is as i've read all my field guides a few times, But I still check. I have also got software on my iphone with bird sounds & pics which is quite handy. I have memorised most of the sounds & can pick them out when i'm out & about. There's another field Guide version for iphones with video. sound, pictures etc, so i'll get that next not cheap though ;) I know there's still loads to learn & i can't wait till my list is up to a few hundred. I like the sound of the walks you mention 40-60 new birds sounds good. I'm looking into joining a bird club there's one by me that will allow access to a few reservoirs with hides. I never actually started with a list, one day i just looked through my field guides & ticked each page in the top corner of every bird i have seen then wrote them down, that was last year. I missed out on an osprey at poole harbour in july. we went to Dorset & Tenby visiting relatives when we had a week off, so I checked local bird sightings & there was an osprey around Poole harbour so we went to RSPB arne (very nice I didn't want to come away) & Poole harbour never saw him though. checked website next day he was there!  When we came home there was one at Venus pool which i missed again oh well maybe next year! Saw loads of kites on way back from Tenby through the Brecon becons & at usk reservoir, also sparrowhawks in forest we walked through at a national trust place :) As for feeders yes i have them. I'm in a semi rural area end terrace so not a big garden about 10m2 gravelled area to side of house but i have Peanuts, fatballs, sunflower hearts, mixed seed & mealworms. All hanging from a rosebush. The sparrows had 3 broods this year there's up to 12 sparrows a day on the feeders. During the year we also get blue tit, great tit, long tailed tit, robin, dunnock, wren, magpie, starling, blackbird, collared dove, woodpigeon. There are greenfinch, chaffinch & goldfinch about but not on our feeders. We go to Cannock chase a lot as we only live ten mins away. But not seen half the things i want to see when i'm there, like crossbills i know they are there but not seen them yet. We do have a pushchair with us when we go so can't go off the path looking if you know what i mean. Most birds on my list are on my camcorder hear are a few clips i have recorded: Long eared owl sitting on a branch 2ft off ground about 10ft away from me on a sunny afternoon, juvenile & adult peregrine, peregrine seeing off a buzzard by the nest, red kites, buzzard mobbed by magpies, sparrowhawks flying, juvenile sparrowhawk feeding after adult drops food off, kestrels, 7 cormorant drying their wings, bullfinch, black tailed godwits etc etc... What i'll do when my pc is back online after we move house i'll start uploading the videos to YouTube so you can all see them i'll put a link on here, might take some time though ;)   Sorry for the long post but hope I answered some of your questions :)

Nisus said:

Hi BTO_Birdman Thanks for the reply And to all the other replys. You asked about  Marsh tit & willow tit, Chiffchaff & willow warbler, I can see why you questioned it as they are very hard to tell apart from looks alone if only saw for a short while but they were all identified by song & call also sight & were video recorded for later identification. If I'm not 100% sure it doesn't go on my list. The willow warbler was singing his heart out which i recorded, i did the same for the others really. what i do is take my camcorder everywhere & nearly all the birds i have seen have been recorded on the camcorder. So i have all the info i need for later identification plus there is sound, i also look at online videos to check identification with my clips & sounds etc. Also i pause frame by frame while looking through field guides & i read about the bird i'm looking at & look at where & when it was sighted also wether it was spring, winter etc. Also check wether it's juvenile, male, female or in moult. Then when i'm 100% sure it's added to my list. Most time i know what it is as i've read all my field guides a few times, But I still check. I have also got software on my iphone with bird sounds & pics which is quite handy. I have memorised most of the sounds & can pick them out when i'm out & about. There's another field Guide version for iphones with video. sound, pictures etc, so i'll get that next not cheap though ;) I know there's still loads to learn & i can't wait till my list is up to a few hundred. I like the sound of the walks you mention 40-60 new birds sounds good. I'm looking into joining a bird club there's one by me that will allow access to a few reservoirs with hides. I never actually started with a list, one day i just looked through my field guides & ticked each page in the top corner of every bird i have seen then wrote them down, that was last year. I missed out on an osprey at poole harbour in july. we went to Dorset & Tenby visiting relatives when we had a week off, so I checked local bird sightings & there was an osprey around Poole harbour so we went to RSPB arne (very nice I didn't want to come away) & Poole harbour never saw him though. checked website next day he was there!  When we came home there was one at Venus pool which i missed again oh well maybe next year! Saw loads of kites on way back from Tenby through the Brecon becons & at usk reservoir, also sparrowhawks in forest we walked through at a national trust place :) As for feeders yes i have them. I'm in a semi rural area end terrace so not a big garden about 10m2 gravelled area to side of house but i have Peanuts, fatballs, sunflower hearts, mixed seed & mealworms. All hanging from a rosebush. The sparrows had 3 broods this year there's up to 12 sparrows a day on the feeders. During the year we also get blue tit, great tit, long tailed tit, robin, dunnock, wren, magpie, starling, blackbird, collared dove, woodpigeon. There are greenfinch, chaffinch & goldfinch about but not on our feeders. We go to Cannock chase a lot as we only live ten mins away. But not seen half the things i want to see when i'm there, like crossbills i know they are there but not seen them yet. We do have a pushchair with us when we go so can't go off the path looking if you know what i mean. Most birds on my list are on my camcorder hear are a few clips i have recorded: Long eared owl sitting on a branch 2ft off ground about 10ft away from me on a sunny afternoon, juvenile & adult peregrine, peregrine seeing off a buzzard by the nest, red kites, buzzard mobbed by magpies, sparrowhawks flying, juvenile sparrowhawk feeding after adult drops food off, kestrels, 7 cormorant drying their wings, bullfinch, black tailed godwits etc etc... What i'll do when my pc is back online after we move house i'll start uploading the videos to YouTube so you can all see them i'll put a link on here, might take some time though ;)   Sorry for the long post but hope I answered some of your questions :)

Hi Nisis,

thanks for your response and information on your birding techniques.

The use of a camcorder is very beneficial, especially at feeding stations, reserves and in hides. It also appears that you have gained alot of experience and knowledge by using this method.

Joining a local birding group will hopefully bring you some dividends.  Find out about local events and guided walks.

The RSPB site often has guided walks, try the link below it maybe of some help!

www.rspb.org.uk/datewithnature/

Try Nyjer seeds to bring the Gold Finch down to your feeders and the other finches may follow!

www.arkwildlife.co.uk/acatalog/info_DYIS_00.html

The above link is for a supplier I have used to purchase Goldfinch Flockers and Nyjer seed, the prices are reasonable.

It also sounds like you are visiting the right habitats and again with time your species list will grow.

Visit local parks especially ones with ponds or lakes as these should have anywhere between 20 - 30 species.

Local graveyards are another stomping ground for many birders, as they often have a mixture of trees and shrubs that attract a lot of birds, they are also quiet places.  Landfill sites, gravel pits and sewage farms are other areas to consider!

Keep me upto date with your progress.

Regards Paul

Unknown said:

Good luck, Oystercatcher!

I started birdwatching in 1985 and by 1999 I had seen 200 UK birds. So to celebrate the new millenium I decided to try to find 200 birds in the year 2000. It meant a lot of travelling, but I got to see new and familiar places and I went with different friends so have great memories. Titchwell, Welney, Benacre and many other places. I got number 200 in November - a Ferruginous Duck in Ware, Hertfordshire. And finished the year on 203. All of the birds were in England. The Farne Islands was the very very best place. But the White Tailed Sea Eagle at Benacre was the very very very best bird!

Let us know your total each month.

Cheers

Frank

Thanks Frank - The WTSE must have been a fantastic sight. All mine will also be in England inc Golden Eagle. I'm having a week's holiday at Leighton Moss in April so i'll drive up to Haweswater for the Eagle.

Life list (UK) 177

Local patch 79

I am not a twitcher, although I will confess to twitching one bird - an Iberian Chiffchaf but as it was only 20 minutes from home, I had a day off work and the children were at school it was a good opportunity.

I do like to keep a list and also keep records of my observations, these can be a good source of information to look back over and remember good days out and records of when the first Swallow, Chiffchaff, Redwing etc etc arrive.

I am especially interested in recording my local patch and do this for the BTO Bird Atlas, my local patch is loosely defined as an area of about one square mile mainly to the north of my house and is a mix of farm land, flood meadow, carr, reed bed and a sewage works (don't knock it - a reliable source for Pied and Grey Wagtails and even the occasional Green Sandpiper in Winter).  Other interesting species for my local patch include Little Egret, Egyptian Goose, Honey Buzzard, Water Rail, Snipe, and Common Crane (which is also on my Garden list!).  I have also recorded White-fronted Goose just outside my local patch.

Hi ND

Exactly .....  twitcher is one of the worst expressions going - mostly from people who do not understand bird watchers... or birds at all.

Wow an unusual Chiff Chaff.  It would make anyone's day as it a little out of the ordinary, and twitcher is your real birding name just for that moment of time.  As you say the children are at school so it is in your favour  to go birdwatching.  Great sightings by the way! {thumbs up}

Rather than having a conversation in cyberland (though it is good to discuss experiences) I much rather be out and about. So it is back to Titchwell this weekend, and after that back for an outing or three with my local birding group once or more when possible.

Love to hear more about your BTO work, ND {smile}

Regards

Kathy and Dave

Unknown said:

Life list (UK) 177

Local patch 79

I am not a twitcher, although I will confess to twitching one bird - an Iberian Chiffchaf but as it was only 20 minutes from home, I had a day off work and the children were at school it was a good opportunity.

I do like to keep a list and also keep records of my observations, these can be a good source of information to look back over and remember good days out and records of when the first Swallow, Chiffchaff, Redwing etc etc arrive.

I am especially interested in recording my local patch and do this for the BTO Bird Atlas, my local patch is loosely defined as an area of about one square mile mainly to the north of my house and is a mix of farm land, flood meadow, carr, reed bed and a sewage works (don't knock it - a reliable source for Pied and Grey Wagtails and even the occasional Green Sandpiper in Winter).  Other interesting species for my local patch include Little Egret, Egyptian Goose, Honey Buzzard, Water Rail, Snipe, and Common Crane (which is also on my Garden list!).  I have also recorded White-fronted Goose just outside my local patch.

Origins of the word twitcher can be found here

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/aug/18/conservation

Hello Blackbird

The Iberian Chiffchaff looked like a........err, Chiffchaff, fortunately there were some 'real' twitchers about to identify it by it's slightly different song.

Back to Titchwell again?  You can't keep away, The weather forecast is much better for this weekend, there has been a juvenile Spoonbill about for most of the week between Titchwell and Thornham, not always a good idea to build your hopes up as normal spoonbill behaviour is to stand on one leg as far away from the path as possible with your head tucked under your wing and then move very slightly when you think nobody is looking, for ages I didn't even realise they had heads, they just looked like a stick of candy floss in the distance.  Hopefully the Snow Buntings will be a bit more obliging this weekend.

If you're interested in the BTO Bird Atlas you can find out more with this link http://blx1.bto.org/atlas/ Even if you don't want to undertake a timed tetrad visit or if all the local ones have been allocated, anybody can register and submit roving reports, if you do you will be able to access information about your local area and see what birds other people have seen there, you may well be surprised what is about, somebody has reported Brambling on my local patch but I haven't.

hi ND

Thank you for your information {thumbs up}

I will post on my own thread now

Regards

Kathy and Dave