[BF NewsCaster]

A bird which is rarely seen in the UK is spotted on the River Severn at a nature reserve in Gloucestershire.

More from BBC News...

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Surely the classic 'twitching' headline?

[Xenospiza]

Do you really think so?
http://www.expressandstar.com/2006/1...see-rare-bird/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/4678735.stm
http://www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/1286675
http://archive.thisisbradford.co.uk/...27/191570.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/tw...y-1261516.html
http://www.louthleader.co.uk/news/Tw...are.3765791.jp
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...n-visitor.html
http://www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/1286679
http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/nort...9310-22600326/
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/tw...r-1119220.html
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...n-Norfolk.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/a..._feature.shtml
http://www.arranbanner.co.uk/news/fu..._to_Arran.html
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1407045.html
http://archive.thisisoxfordshire.co..../21/98062.html

[sparrowbirder]

What a joke...wouldnt even mind if it was that rare,,think this only made the news because of where it is..must have a good PR department at Slimbridge.seems to be more of these headlines appearing..sometimes they just make you cringe....

[Jos Stratford]

Originally Posted by sparrowbirder

What a joke...wouldnt even mind if it was that rare,,think this only made the news because of where it is..must have a good PR department at Slimbridge.seems to be more of these headlines appearing..sometimes they just make you cringe....

Beats me why so many complaints every time something hits the press.

a. this article is not designed for birders or twitchers, but the general public. In this light, what is so wrong with it, how is it a joke? Yes, it has the same style of headline as many earlier, but so too are headlines for any other news item repeated if that news topic occurs with regularity.

b. the article, if you read it, doesn't state it is especially rare, just 3rd for Gloucestershire - seems reasonably written in fact. And if it gives Slimbridge some PR, all the better.

c. if this type of article so offends, I can only assume there are some sensitive souls out there.

[Xenospiza]

Originally Posted by Jos Stratford

if this type of article so offends, I can only assume there are some sensitive souls out there.

I'm definitely not offended, just bored! I'll make my way back to the gull roost any minute now (to prove my point...)

[birdboybowley]

Must admit, forgiving the predictable headline, this was, as Jos stated, quite well written and factually correct for the media!

[sparrowbirder]

Originally Posted by Jos Stratford

Beats me why so many complaints every time something hits the press.

a. this article is not designed for birders or twitchers, but the general public. In this light, what is so wrong with it, how is it a joke? Yes, it has the same style of headline as many earlier, but so too are headlines for any other news item repeated if that news topic occurs with regularity.

b. the article, if you read it, doesn't state it is especially rare, just 3rd for Gloucestershire - seems reasonably written in fact. And if it gives Slimbridge some PR, all the better.

c. if this type of article so offends, I can only assume there are some sensitive souls out there.

Who said I was offended,just stating a point of view,sounds like im not the sensitive one,just that this and similar articles makes us all seem like bearded, fair isle jumper wearing wallies!! But thats only a point of view this is a "Forum " after all

[Jos Stratford]

Originally Posted by sparrowbirder

Who said I was offended,...

Expressions such as 'What a joke', 'makes you cringe' might suggest mildly so, but no worries.

Regardless of the headlines (and I think it is only birders and twitchers who find the headline odd), I'd rather see bird news making the press than not.

[Jos Stratford]

Originally Posted by sparrowbirder

just that this and similar articles makes us all seem like bearded, fair isle jumper wearing wallies!!

So what would be better? 'Birdwatchers drive to see rare bird'? Sounds rather bland and I don't quite see how that might change the image the public have, not that believe the earlier headline should lead to wellies and beards

Or maybe 'Normal Persons with an interest in Ornithology travel to see an American Vagrant'?

[sparrowbirder]

Offended..maybe the wrong word to use,embarrassed maybe,bored reading the same old stories churned up over and over again dont know possibly,anyway I need to give up this forum lark and get out birding more,,6 odd years is enough for any mortal soul to take...

[Stranger]

Twitchers flock.
Does six people constitute a flock?
Thats how many were in the Zeiss hide this morning.

[Monahawk]

Originally Posted by Jos Stratford

Beats me why so many complaints every time something hits the press.

a. this article is not designed for birders or twitchers, but the general public. In this light, what is so wrong with it, how is it a joke? Yes, it has the same style of headline as many earlier, but so too are headlines for any other news item repeated if that news topic occurs with regularity.

b. the article, if you read it, doesn't state it is especially rare, just 3rd for Gloucestershire - seems reasonably written in fact. And if it gives Slimbridge some PR, all the better.

c. if this type of article so offends, I can only assume there are some sensitive souls out there.

Got to agree with you on these points Jos. Some folks are never happy unless the bird is ultra rare.

However some newspapers do sensationalise some bird stories to the point of absurdity and ridiculous reporting.

An example of this was an article written in my local rag The Northern Standard about 5 years ago. The article in question was about a Grey Wagtail which had been visiting someones garden. The reporter[ who I happen to know, but knows zilch about birds] stated in his headline,'Rare bird visits garden in Glaslough.' He took a pleasing photo of the wagtail and backed up his headline by stating that Grey Wagtails are extremely rare in Ireland and continued to write further twaddle.

I got a few questions from friends wanting to know if Grey Wagtails were rare. I just had to tell them they weren't. They are quite common here.

I met up with the reporter some time later and asked him where he got his info from. He laughed and said it was from someone else who knew nothing really about birds, but he thought it would make a good story or space filler in the paper.
He said he was sorry he had not approached me beforehand, but I think I would have spoilt his sensationalism.

I would quite like to see a Wilsons Phalarope. Not had one yet.

[username]

Twittering tweeting twitchers foolishly flapping in an utter flutter take flippin flight for a fairly rare feathery phalarope.....

[Sancho]

I´d certainly rather see a headline about folks going to see a bird, whether rare or not, than one about "Loads of people killing each other for bizarre reasons like Politics or Religion".

[colsworld]

Originally Posted by Stranger

Twitchers flock.
Does six people constitute a flock?
Thats how many were in the Zeiss hide this morning.

Is there a proper name for a collection of twitchers, as in the animal world? A huddle of twitchers perhaps? A sweat?, a gaggle? a throng? (maybe not with just six though).

[Stranger]

Originally Posted by colsworld

Is there a proper name for a collection of twitchers, as in the animal world? A huddle of twitchers perhaps? A sweat?, a gaggle? a throng? (maybe not with just six though).

With the trouble we had seperating the Phalarope from the other waders perhaps a "confusion" would be apt.

[CornishExile]

Originally Posted by colsworld

Is there a proper name for a collection of twitchers, as in the animal world?

A collective noun.

ce

[Farnboro John]

A "stress" of twitchers?

John

[Gastronaut]

A profanity of twitchers?

[username]

A bunch of *****

ps....

[Jos Stratford]

Originally Posted by username

A bunch of *****

ps....

[DavidinParis]

A "dip" of twitchers?

[nickderry]

A spasm of twitchers?

[Ilya Maclean]

A "string" of twitchers?