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

Just out of interest how many different species of birds have any of you seen so far? Ok i am 33 & 3yrs ago i got interested in birds of prey when i was abroad so i bought a few books read them back to front And from there i basically got intetested in all types of birds. When i was on the internet most of the time was researching birds, I joined the RSPB, went to reserve's around the country, i've been reading every book I can get my hand on for the last 3 years everything to do with birds of prey & everyday birds. Now everwhere i go it's like a bug i am always listening & looking i can tell a bird in flight in a second or from a song or call. But i'm no expert, yet :) Ok so here it is my list so far is 80 different bird species. I personally think it should be higher. What do you all think? i wish I had more free time to go birding but my job & family life don't allow it at this moment in time.
  •  

    Hi,

    I've been at it awhile so I've seen about 3000 species. Just over 400 in Britain.

     

    S

     

    For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides,  binoculars, scopes, tripods,  etc - put 'Birding Tips'   into the search box

  • seymouraves said:

     

    Hi,

    I've been at it awhile so I've seen about 3000 species. Just over 400 in Britain.

     

    S

     

    Some interesting figures seymouraves.

    You must have dedicated most of your life to bird watching! or have you worked in Ornithology?

    I'm fascinated how you have achieved those figures. 

    3000 species, you must have also travelled around the world, the estimated bird species in the world is over ten thousand. Amazing that you have seen a third of them.

    Over 400 in Britain, again you must be one dedicated birder!

    To be able to afford and have the time to travel the length & breadth of the British Isles to see so many species and happening to be in the right place at the right time fascinates me!

    Truely amazing that you have recorded more than three quarters of the birds ever recorded in Great Britain, some birds having only ever been recorded in the earlier part of the last centuary!

    The official list of bird species recorded in Great Britain By The BOURC

    Category A, B, C species

    Total no. of species on British List (cats A, B, C) 587 (at 01 January 2009)

    http://www.bou.org.uk/recbrlst1.html

    • Bufflehead
    • Eskimo Curlew
    • Canvasback

    Just three of the rarer species recorded

    The list makes very interesting reading for any birder, a lot of the rarer and scarcer birds having only ever been sighted and recorded once in the last hundred years!

    And having only ever been sighted in locations from the Shetlands, Outer Hebrides, Western Isles, Isle of Man, Ireland and some very remote Observatories.

    Buzzard

    Nature Is Amazing - Let Us Keep It That Way

  • Well Buzzard, you clearly are a man to keep one eye on! This is another gem. I started down the list feeling quite good about my sightings, then reached the sea birds and things took a serious dive! I will, although not while the sun shines, count as honestly as I can sightings through my life time!  

    Great info again, nice one, you point out very well the need to keep records. 

    John :-)

    For viewing or photography right place right time is everything. I'd rather be in the right place with poor kit than have the best kit and be in the wrong place.

  • Unknown said:

    Well Buzzard, you clearly are a man to keep one eye on! This is another gem. I started down the list feeling quite good about my sightings, then reached the sea birds and things took a serious dive! I will, although not while the sun shines, count as honestly as I can sightings through my life time!  

    Great info again, nice one, you point out very well the need to keep records. 

    John :-)

    Morning Highland McHale

    Glad you found the list of some interest.

    The other thing I failed to mention is, some the recordings have only been made by fishermen several miles from our shores!

    If you have the time select some the rarer birds from the list and do a google search in the UK.

    My search normally consists of the following eg: Sightings of Bufflehead in the British Isles

    The search results could be numerous!  again reading through them makes very interesting reading.

    Another resource site I use daily is the BirdGuides website, this includes the BOURC British List of species.

    It gives any level of birder a wealth of knowledge.

    Here's the link, http://www.birdguides.com/species/default.asp?menu=menu_species 

    I hope you will find this site as useful as I do.

    Buzzard

     

     

     

     

     

    Nature Is Amazing - Let Us Keep It That Way

  •  

    Hi,

    My profile has some details.

    I started watching my local patch as a teenager and went on County bird club, YOC RSPB coach trips to good places etc.  I have log books going back to 1975. Back then good notes were imperative because the field guides were fairly basic compared with today:) We learned our ID the hard way :)  Nowadays I digi-scope as well. 

    A bunch of us used to share a car and go away at weekends- sleep in the car and bird etc :) Then we did the same across Europe. Then the USA .

    I watch Titchwell and its environs as my local patch- I like to start the year by getting 100 on january 1st and then see what comes my way. I find I see more if I move about slowly and take my time - I normally don't leave east anglia but still see about 220 spp a year  in  Britain  that way.

    S

    ps- I've never been to Fair Isle :)

    For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides,  binoculars, scopes, tripods,  etc - put 'Birding Tips'   into the search box