First bird of 2004 .

[jada dulo]

Well , what was it ? ... I arrived at work at about 7am and I could clearly hear two Tawny Owls , but I couldn't see them ... but as I walked across the car park , Wren !! , flew off in front of me . About 5 seconds later two female Blackbirds .

... and , what was your total score for today and what was your best bird ?
My score was 26 species today , but I have worked a split 17hr shift !!! so that aint too bad really .
And my best bird today was , well I thought it was going to be the flock of about 30 odd Goosander I saw on the Severn but no , it was 2 Peregrines !!! that flew across the by-pass on my way home , excellent .

( Just read Darrell's thread , whoa !! what a day , I bet that beats almost ANY day I did last year .... 5 species there are ticks for my life list !! Well done ).

Happy New Year all .

[robinm]

I predicted greenfinch. I was wrong - a skulking female blackbird. As I look out of the wndow now it is the only bird I can see - nothing is moving in this awful weather.

[IanF]

Blackbird x 4 males

accompanied by

Goldfinch x 2
Robin x 1

[John N]

Male Blackbird and 2 Blue tits.

[Bluetail]

My prediction was right: Goldfinch (7 of them on my feeders).

Jason

[Jane Turner]

Mine was a gull... I think LBBG imm, but to be honest I couldn't focus on it... both LBB and Herring gull a few seconds later. Can't remeber what I predicted...actually can't remember my name just now!

[Surreybirder]

collared dove
gsw (on peanut feeder)
blue tit
greenfinch
etc etc

[Andrew]

First was in order . .. . Robin, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Coal Tit and Starling. Blinds are shut now as I'm off birding.

[malgos]

Goldfinch on the feeder and Blackbird (male) in the shrubs. We,ve got a good covering of snow here in West Yorks.
Malcolm

[pduxon]

Carrion Crow, predicted bird Starling was second followed by House Sparrow, Blue Tit and Greenfinch

[John Marshall]

Skein of Greylags flying past my bedroom window just after seven

[desgreene]

Mine was 3 Starlings.

[Elizabeth Bigg]

I posted my answer in the thread started by Pete, but I might as well put it here as well. ;)

I had forgotten all about this - I thought the first bird I would see this morning would be a robin, but no - my first sighting was two great tits on separate feeders at opposite sides of the garden.

[satrow]

Fieldfares for me....

Andy.

[GreatHornedOwl]

Had a lousy look at something sparrow- or finch-like that streaked past at treetop height. Then, a Carrion crow (Corvus corone) flew up in the distance.

Happy New Year to you all.

[seb_seb]

Woodpigeon :|.....about 40 of em.

[Michael Frankis]

Tawny Owl for me, flew into the tree directly above my head in response to my imitation hooting (works every time!!). In the dark at 07.10 this morning.

Michael

[Surreybirder]

I see on Manitobabirds yahoogroup that Harv Lane started his New Year with a roost of 10 bald eagles... beats collared dove!

[dennis]

White-throated Sparrow(3) from my kitchen window.

dennis

[alan_rymer]

My first birds:-
Through the bedroom window: Blackbird
From the car: Carrion Crow.
My walk: Cormorant.

Seen no Starlings or House Sparrows today, Strange!.

[GreatHornedOwl]

Tawny Owl for me, flew into the tree directly above my head in response to my imitation hooting (works every time!!). In the dark at 07.10 this morning.

Michael


Do you always hoot in the morning, Michael ??? Why ??? :) :eat:

[Andrew]

Tawny Owl for me, flew into the tree directly above my head in response to my imitation hooting (works every time!!). In the dark at 07.10 this morning.

Michael
Can you send me a tape recording of your hooting? I could do with one!

[Geoff Brown]

As predicted

a few housesparrows, then greenfinches and almost immediately a starling.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

My first was a Magpie followed by Black-headed Gull.

[birdman]

Male Blackbird.

[Brian Stone]

Blackbird calling first thing then House Sparrow on feeders. 31 other species appeared in and around the garden during the day. 20th was a Lesser Redpoll - a nice male. Good bonus for the start of the year.

[Michael W]

About 20 California Quail, followed by many Dark-eyed Juncos.

Michael

[christineredgate]

Two crows,followed by a pair of gulls.No self respecting bird should be flying around in these weather conditions!!
Christine.

[bukem]

Living in London I had predicted a pigeon, the odds seemed impossible to beat but I was pleased see starlings first. Also last week on the 27th there was a huge heron sat on a roof top across the street. It looked a bit tatty with some wing feathers missing but a lovely big thing nether the less.

[Larry Lade]

First bird of 2004 here in Ottawa, Illinois, USA, was a European Starling. I predicted American Crow, they did not come by until later in the day.

[Gorgon]

First birds in order were:
Rainbow Lorikeet
Noisy Miner
Common Koel (also the last for 2003 as 1 called after the first loud fireworks at 8:30PM)
Australian Magpie
(all heard before getting out bed through the open window - no cold winter dawn here)
First bird seen was probably Red Wattlebird, with Indian Myna a quick second.
Cheers,
Peter

[Alastair Rae]

Starling for me - first time in 20 years! We hauled ourselves out into the rain and in four wet hours only managed 46 species. Bittern was the highlight.

[Tero]

Best bird Jan 1, Sharp Shinned Hawk, perching.

[marcus]

While walking to work, the first bird I saw this year was a Ring-billed Gull. The second were 3 male and 1 female Mallard.

[jada dulo]

Well , I ended Jan. 1st with 26 species but a trip out to my local patch today has increased my year score to 48 !!! ... not bad so far . Best bird today would be a split between Kingfisher and Little Owl !

[Bluetail]

I'm on 64 so far. Not brilliant, but I do have 6 American birds on the list (not counting a certain, rather peculiar pipit).

Jason

[jada dulo]

Well done Jason , I'm off all next week and I have 2 or 3 trips ( locally only ) out planned and I hope to get one or two good birds . There is a Great Grey Shrike still being seen up on the Clee Hills ... so fingers crossed . Plus a couple of reservoirs and the odd woodland walk should add a few more to the list , I'm still lacking quite a few commomn birds .

[Charles Harper]

What I said (I think): Large-billed Crow from my hotel window.

[jada dulo]

Got Tawny Owl on the way home from work pushing year list to 49 species !! Went for a walk with the dog and I could hear what sounded very much like a Goldcrest , but failed to see it . Still , all next week to dig in to some serious birding . Little Gulls , a lone 1st w Iceland Gull , a lone 1st w Ring-billed Gull and up to 5 Yellow-legged Gull are being seen on a couple of local ( ish ) site's in the last couple of days , so I may have myself a 'Gull-day' !

[Tim Allwood]

good luck with the gulls next week Jada

i used to really enjoy gull watching when I lived inland - saw my first glauc for a few years today and it brought back all those memories of standing in the cold watching white-winged gulls at midlands reservoirs - but at least you have michahellis and cachinnans yellow legs to look at now too. Trying to pick out the more northerly Herring subspecies adds to the fun too....

[Bluetail]

Trying to pick out the more northerly Herring subspecies adds to the fun too....Oh no it doesn't!:bounce:

Jason

[Edward]

Snow Bunting was the first species on my 2004 year list. Saw 34 species on 1 January which is not bad at all for mid-winter in Iceland. Good birds included White-tailed Eagle, Gyr Falcon, Merlin, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Goldeneye, Jack Snipe and Coot (yes it's a decent bird in Iceland!)

E

[Gill Osborne]

Female Chaffinch followed by male Blackbird, 2 Collared Doves, 9 House Sparrows,3 Magpies,2 Starlings and a single Robin.

My excuse for this 'pathetic' list...I've had a really bad bug since Christmas and all birding has been restricted to what I see from the house....not a happy bunny!!!
Better now though so off out tomorrow afternoon after work for some 'proper' birding before it gets dark!

GILL XXX