What's your fantasy bird?

[Andy Hall]

In the wake of the Tufted Puffin I wondered what would be people's dream bird to find on their local patch?

[John Cantelo]

At the moment ..... it has to be Tufted Puffin!

[bitterntwisted]

I can't imagine anything rating higher than a scan of the patch and a scream of "Puckin' Fufted Tuffin!!!!" either.

Amur Falcon would be alright, though.

Realistically, Firecrest.

Graham

[Jane Turner]

I'm holding out for a Bushchat

[Penny Clarke]

Finding one of these on Blakeney Point:t:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0A9eaHUFZc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6rW9ZpiBBA&NR=1

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I have a bit of a fantasy about finding a drake Spectacled Eider at Girdle Ness. I'd probably settle for a Steller's at a push though. Maybe even a female.

[Jane Turner]

I'd also quite like to find a Gray's Gropper, though I'd not expect that on my local patch

[teamsaint]

Little Bittern

[tjbirdofprey]

ummm i have quite alot: id love to find a montagus harrier on migration, my own Collared fly at my local patch would be nice aswell as a Pratincole Sp and..... i could go on forever:-O

[Andy Hall]

Some good ones there, particularly the bushchat. Personally a Pallas's Leaf Warbler in the plantation near me would be nice on a fresh early November morning.

[MCspudd]

Mine would be red-backed shrike

[Edward]

I'm with Andrew, Spectacled Eider.

[Andrew]

Black Kite would do me.

[Ben Rackstraw]

Pallas's Gull

[Pete Mella]

I not inundated with realistic ones in my neck of the woods, but I'd be chuffed with a hoopoe or a night heron.

[Fat Paul Scholes]

A male White throated robin, At Girdle ness, in late May.

[Sean F]

Maria Sharapova.

[The Hairy Highlander]

Maria Sharapova.

DAMN!!! sean, you beat me to it....

Bittern at Loch Gelly for me or scotlands first Pacific Diver at Kinghorn.

[G Anderson]

One that would make me suddenly unwell would be a Scottish Wallcreeper!

[Farnboro John]

Black-throated Blue Warbler. Or maybe Cerulean Warbler, which seems to be stonking in any plumage!

John

[Allan Hobbs]

Roc.


Well you did say fantasy bird ;)

Allan

[John Cantelo]

What a disappointing lack of imagination!

To trump the Tufted Puffin - which is where this thread is coming from - the bird has to meet certain criteria -
1) - it has to be a first for Europe or the WP (which rules out most suggested contenders).
2) - it has to be totally 'off-the-wall' -Tuftie was predicted, but not widely so.
3) - it has to be really exotic - another 'also ran' Yank warbler (it'll be in autumnal plumage too!) just won't cut the ice.
4) - it cannot have any potential as an escapee to muddy the waters - so no ducks which must be a good thing anyhow.
5) - it must be bloomin obvious to identify - we definitely do NOT want another SBC (or a Gray's Gropper come to that!)
6) - it has to have a certain mythic quality - that is it should get all birders positively drooling with desire - so out goes Sharapova.

No, in my opinion it can only be one bird, a bird that is a MEGA on a global scale and would make the frenzy over the Tuftie a mere ripple of interest, some will say my choise is a fantasy too far, but I say let's fantasise big time ....... Ladies and gentlemen I give you ....... SPOON-BILLED SANDPIPER!!

[Edward]

Black-throated Blue Warbler.
John

It would be nice on the year list, it has to be said.

[skink1978]

A Great-horned Owl (ringed last year in Florida).

[jacana]

azure tit

is that suitably mythical?

[Hedgeland]

a shoebill

[rockfowl]

I'd also quite like to find a Gray's Gropper, though I'd not expect that on my local patch

So would I !

[Peter C.]

Roc.


Well you did say fantasy bird ;)

Allan

That's much more like it!

I agree with John: if we're going to be talking fantasy birds, let's go all out!

Mine would be a Bachmann's Warbler, spotted just before it hits a mist net, at the Breakwater (ringing) Station, LPBO.

(I would, naturally, have be the ringer-in-charge at the time...)|^|

Peter C.

[Sean F]

Lets be serious.

Okay not a WP first, but a Black-shouldered Kite appearring in my bins would probably cause me to keel over.

Surely the definiton of a cosmic mind f****r!

[Jos Stratford]

azure tit

is that suitably mythical?

They breed in toilets!

[JTweedie]

The mythical Hawfinch! :)

[Andy Hall]

In the spirit of John's reappraisal of the thread, I want to up my choice to Solitary Vireo at Flamborough on Thursday. My patch for five days! : )

[Jos Stratford]

A Limpkin on the little marsh just south of Marloes would be pretty cool.

[John Cantelo]

Too many Great-horned Owls are in captivity to get a serious look in .... unless it had an American ring on its leg. Azure Tit is sufficiently mythical, but, in my opinion, fails to come up to the 'Tufted Puffin' standard as it's too 'common' in a European context,

[pshute]

Night Parrot, please, with photos to prove it.

[Jaff]

A Dodo would be rather interesting!

Meanwhile back in reality, something impressive and striking as opposed to some stupid LBJ or Gull. Not terribly grandiose but I'd really like a Gyr Falcon or Snowy Owl to visit my neck of the woods.

[Pagan Birder]

Id say Grays Gropper, being a Great Reed Warbler sized locustella would be pretty obvious to identify ;) and can you just imagine the horror when someone posts a pic from somewhere on the East coast on the ID forum saying 'Little Stint with deformed bill?...Norfolk...2 weeks ago...long gone...etc' ??! ;)

Erm, personally id have Red-legged Kittiwake or Brown Booby off Sussex somewhere. One blindingly obvious but regular right at the other end of the WP, and the other rare as Rocking Horse...erm.. faeces, but could easily be overlooked!

Jan

P.s. I have actually seen a Kittiwake with red legs in Britain, but no it definately wasnt to be (i.e. it was a Black-legged in every way except the legs). Ruddy thing! I did read somewhere afterwards that B-L Kittiwakes with red legs do occur infrequently though, so at least proved I wasnt going mad(der) ;)

[steveo]

In the realm of possibility Two birds that have been seen within 30 (probably less) miles of my yard. Gyr and Snowy. Please don't make me choose. Imagine in the dead of winter roamimng the forests and fields looking for waxwings and crossbills and boo yaaa it would be f#### great.

[John_WA]

Night Parrot, please, with photos to prove it.

Beat me to it!

[The Hairy Highlander]

Well then, lets see.........Well, seeing as the North east/west passages are opening up and allowing mind blowing vagrancy to happen, the ULTIMATE bird to find on any patch has to be.............STELLER'S SEA-EAGLE!!!! Yes please.8-P

[Microtus]

I think Amur Falcon would fit the bill for me. A nice adult male.

[postcardcv]

No, in my opinion it can only be one bird, a bird that is a MEGA on a global scale and would make the frenzy over the Tuftie a mere ripple of interest, some will say my choise is a fantasy too far, but I say let's fantasise big time ....... Ladies and gentlemen I give you ....... SPOON-BILLED SANDPIPER!!

I'm with you on that one - an absolute dream bird

[username]

I believe that slender billed curlew is a 'fantasy' bird.....?!

ps...realistically tho....i'd settle for a white wing lark....[now that 'black' has fallen]...!

[chris butterworth]

A generous one that owns a brewery or failing that a bl**dy Petchora Pipit.
Chris

[Andy Hall]

My Flamborough trip bird has been downgraded to Lapland Bunting

[Tero]

Oxpecker.

[ColinD]

In the wake of the Tufted Puffin I wondered what would be people's dream bird to find on their local patch?

It has to be drake Spectacled Eider. Drake Harelquin would be nice as well and following the events of the past few days, Tufted Puffin has now joined this elite group of birds that I would be happy to travel anywhere in the UK to see, with minimal notice.

[Beverly Stayart]

The Tufted Puffin.

[Jaff]

The OP said "to find on your local patch" and I stick by what I want but in the interest of something a bit spicier how about a male American Redstart. ;)

[James_Owen]

Yellow-nosed Albatross at Carsington Water would be nice, I missed the last one by a day or so.

[Pagan Birder]

How about Horned Puffin? ;)

Mourning Warbler would be pretty damn nice too

Jan

[Microtus]

The OP said "to find on your local patch" and I stick by what I want but in the interest of something a bit spicier how about a male American Redstart. ;)

Ha! In my patch it would have to be a Black Redstart.

[Monahawk]

Oh for Nightingales to be singing their little hearts out in the spring, here in the valleys of the wee drumlin hills of Co. Monaghan. Alas fat chance of that ever happening. But I can fanticise can't I.

[StuartReeves]

Almost up there wiith John Cantelo's Spoonbilled Sandpiper: Siberian Crane...