Lazy Birder

[birdman]

Well… I said in my "Hello" that I am a fair-weather birder. I didn't mention that I am also a lazy birder – who has never taken notes, or kept a list (shame on me!)

All my lists are in my head… until now.

As I've never done this before, I don't know what my total will be (So I'm even more excited than you!!!) – and to be on the safe side, I've not included anything that's in my head on the "Maybe" or "Unidentified sp." List – except for Marsh and Willow Tit, where I'm pretty convinced I've seen both, but put them down as 1 tick. I have included the location for any species that I have seen memorably, or only in one location, or once only.

Although in many cases I might use different names I've used the BOU official list for species names.

So here goes, in a BirdForum exclusive…

(List moved to end of thread on 22/05/03)

Grand Total - 157 (well there you go!)

[Tammie]

That's pretty impressive! :)

[alanhill]

A very impressive list - but my question is this if you don't mind: how do you get 'bold' and 'italics' in your text?

[Reader]

Birdman

You have one that I have yet to see, the Black Woodpecker, but then again I haven't been to Slovenia or any of the Baltic states. That is one of the birds I would like to see and one day I plan to go to the Pyrenees to see if I can find one.

I would think hard on your Scotland trips. As you went to a couple of Lochs are you sure that you didn't see any other divers about and have forgotten about them?

[cjay]

Bold & Italics? write it in Word then cut & paste?

[birdman]

Tammie, Thanks, although I think I have some way to go before I'm hitting with the big boys!

alanhill and JacobC, For bold and italics I used [,B,] and [,I,] (no commas of course) and turned them off with [,/B,] and [,/I,]. I did it manually (!!!) to make the list a bit more readable - normally I wouldn't bother! Don't think Copying and Pasting from Word works.

John J, I was very lucky with the Black Woodpecker. It was my first trip abroad since being a child, and I hoped I would see one. Anyway, I heard a "Green Woodpecker" a couple of times whilst walking through the woods and, whether it had its eye on me and my partner, I don't know, but it seemed to be moving with us. Then, as we entered a clearing, it swooped from a tree, and glided down (low enough to see the red crest) and across before disappearing again. I turned to share my rapture (it was magnificent sight after all) with my partner, only to see her 20 yards behind me crouched over a small flower which, I have since pointed out on numerous occasions, was going nowhere! She missed the whole thing.

We've never seen another, even though we have revisted the same place 3 more times since. Fortunately, we both saw the Nutcracker on one of the revisits, and were fortunate enough to be able to spend a good 15 minutes watching it as it went about its business in the leaf litter.

[birdman]

To answer your other question, John J, regarding Divers.

You're right to suggest there's a memory problem occuring here! I do have the vaguest recollection of Black-Throated, and I may also have witnessed a Great Northern overflying Covenham Reservioir, but I'm not sure enough for me to feel comfortable "declaring" them.

For the record, other vague recollections and unsubstantiated sightings (ie, there was no-one experienced enough with me to verify what I saw!) - Red-necked Grebe (somewhere in the UK), Unidentified Skua (Dunnet Head), Unidentified Meadow/Rock Pipit (by Loch Ruthven), Possible "Chough" (Slovenia), "Great Grey Shrike" (Spurn), "Shore Lark" (Filey Brigg), "Scoter" (Bridlington Bay), "Stilt" (Aiguamolls), Hobby, Red Kite, Honey Buzzard (all UK), Whinchat (Cornwall), LBJ (Currently taking regular skulks around my garden) and an "Ooh what was that?" (Slovenia).

I doubt any of these would stand up in a court of law!

[Yve_M]

Birdman
I was in the middle of posting a reply yesterday when the whole thing crashed :o(
So here goes again, since we are into confessions, Hi my name is Eve and I'm a non-lister. There I've said it, I feel better, I think. Great List Birdman, I can only dream for some of those. Yes I saw your raven tick, thanks for responding to my post on those.

[jeff]

Originally posted by alanhill
A very impressive list - but my question is this if you don't mind: how do you get 'bold' and 'italics' in your text?

If you can't remember the square brackets stuff, just use the formating buttons under the smilies.

BIU Size Font Color? etc.

[birdman]

I'm happy to report that I can add

(Addition moved to end of thread on 22/05/03)

to my life list

[Yve_M]

Didn't take you long to get into the list making habit huh?

[Gaye Horn]

My gosh for a birder just recently adopting the bird creed you have done a very impressive list and I am totally impressed with you and your first!!!
Congratulations and now the good news is you must keep it current!!!!!

[birdman]

Yes Eve, this listing is becoming habit-forming!!!

Gaye, I'll make additons as and when appropriate. Definitely been lucky to be in the right place at the right time on many occasions. Quite a few of my sightings have been once only - and involved a fair amount of travelling (for someone who lives on a pokey island) - so I also hope to re-see plenty of the above.

[birdman]

As mentioned elsewhere, I am able to include

(Addition moved to end of thread on 22/05/03)

on my UKList!

[marcus]

Birdman
I know I should just look this up myself, but is the Slavonian Grebe....no, I don't think so. Excuse me.

[birdman]

Hi marcus...

If this is what you're asking, you might know it as Horned Grebe.

[marcus]

I was just wondering Birdman. All the birds on your life list look like they are from Europe. Have you ever been over here? North America? I'll check your list again.
Marcus

[birdman]

Never had the good fortune to take a trip Stateside.

Of course, from a birding point of view, we're talking of almost everything being a lifer.

I happened to pick up a second-hand copy of Nat. Geog. Field Guide to the Birds of North America - so I can see what I'm missing out on.

Elsewhere on the Forum I've mentioned my envy at those of you who see hummingbirds, and I would also like to catch sight of a Roadrunner.

But from the photos posted by out American and Canadian members, I can see there is plenty more to make me jealous!!!

[LuBird]

I don't have a list either birdman,but after seeing yours,I am going to give it a try,not out here in public,but in a book I will start and keep by the computer. I feel envy of your list and sightings and am going to set mine up using your same format.

I would surely like to see your list here Gaye,if it isn't on this thread or another already!!! Wewn I visit you, I will bring my list, 'cause I am certain you will see to it I get some Lifers.
Now that you are making me into a world traveler, I am going on a Caribbean Cruise at the end of October this year too and I plan on taking my list that I don't have yet with me:)))))) I am definitely going to turn that Cruise into a Birding Cruise!!!!! I can't see myself playing Shuffle Board for entertainment,can you?

[Gaye Horn]

Lu you are going to keep a list? an actual list? Well that is a new thing and good for you!
You can add so many birds to that list here and then continue on that fabulous Cruise you are going to go on... good for you!!!6 weeks or so now!!!

[LuBird]

This forum is having a most strange affect on me Gaye!!! Imagine,me, keeping a list,participating in polls! Who knows? Meybe I will eventualy post my list here. I am even taking pics for pic contest,not that any will ever be entered,but it's just the fact this forum makes me think about it.Scary,huh? I will bring my list with me when I come,if the Terrorist don't blow the plane up first. You show me yours and I'll show you mine:t:

[birdman]

If I may just interject, ladies, I can confirm that the Forum has had such an effect on me also. As you know, this was my first "List", and I too have entered that polls, and just in the last 24 hours, added photos to a couple of threads - soon to be moved to the Gallery.

All very spooky!

[Reader]

LuBird

These strange effects you are having is testimony to a good forum. There are so many things that you can participate in that it makes you want to try different things.

I have purchased Digital camera equipment solely down to this forum. Seeing the quality of the photos coupled with people like Andy Brights descriptions on how to use them highlighted areas I never thought I would ever be involved in. Photo contests that will test your capabilities and make you realise your faults and how to correct them is something else this forum is good at.

Information exchanges on this forum are remarkable with so many members that are willing to help with advice. This forum will go from strength to strength and we all will benefit from it enormously.

I think that the only proviso in having such a good forum is the fact that as long as you can put in as well as take out information then this forum will flourish. After all there isn't a birder that knows everything. We all have something to learn and this forum is a good teaching medium used properly.

[LuBird]

These are such reassuring post replies Birdman and John J. Thank You! I see how participation is part and parcel to the success you speak of here so eloquently. I will try very hard to keep my self-conciousness in check for it usually takes over and I just fade away.

[Reader]

LuBird

You just keep on doing what you are doing now and enjoy. Already I bet you have learned things you never thought of and yet this forum is really still in its infancy. Goodness knows what you will have learned, or participated in, when this forum really gets going.

We haven't even started yet!!!!!

[birdman]

As noted in my thread today, I am chuffed to add the following to my Lazy Birder Life List

(Addition moved to end of thread on 22/05/03)

[Swift]

Last lifer added Grey Headed Lapwing -Thailand number 3,061 , if you start keeping a world list etc etc it becomes infectious!!!!!!!!

[birdman]

3000+ species... now that would really be something!

[birdman]

Thanks to the recent North Bash, I am able to add Whimbrel and Spotted Flycatcher to my Life List.

If I've counted correctly, 151 UK birds + 10 seen elsewhere = 161 in total.

(List updated and moved to 26/07/03)

[Goshawk]

Well you have one I have seen abroad only once, but not in Britain, the Quail. Hard bird to find at the best of times and two that I have never seen, Nutcracker and Black Woodpecker. Both would be a welcome addition to my lists.

[birdman]

The Black Woodpecker is a superb bird - everything you would expect it to be.

The Nutcracker was far more handsome than in any of my guides!

[birdman]

Finally got round to updating my list for the addtions of the last few weeks

If I've counted correctly, 162 UK birds + 10 seen elsewhere = 172 in total.

(Moved to end of thread 08/11/03)

Just noticed that I have added 15 lifers to the list this year!

[pauco]

hi birdman
you lucky so&so were did you get your tick for the honeybuzzard?
glad to see you are starting a list and what a start.
bert

[birdman]

No Honey Buzzard bert... just plain Common.

But I can understand your confusion, as I am using all those awful Common this and Common that names that we Brits hardly ever use!

Soon as I get the Honey Buzzard... I'll let you know!

[Charles Harper]

Hey, Birdman-- you'd better get yourself some listing software. That list is going to get unmanageable pretty soon, especially if you go back to the Continent.

[dennis]

Hi Birdman.

Just a note to say keep up the good work! I love a good list. Hope you can make your way to the States. Then you WILL need listing software.

By the way....a quick count shows that 76 of your species would be lifers for me.

dennis

[Hanno]

Without trying to plug any particular software, I have been using Bird recorder for windows for years, and am very happy with it. With a list fast aproaching 1,500, I couldn't possibly keep track without some software.

[Larry Lade]

It is a good idea to keep a list even though those memorable "first sightings" are vividly impressed in our minds. As one gets more birds on their list and as one becomes older it becomes a little more difficult to remember "when and where" of the various birds.

[birdman]

Well, whilst moving the list, I've removed Common Quail... the more I learn about this game (no pun intended!) the more I realise I probably saw young partridges rather than quail.

Also, I'm gradually adding photolinks, where they exist - mostly for my benefit, but just in case anyone's interested. (I know they're a bit ropey, but they're all my own work!!!)

And due to the length of the list (because of the embedded links... not the number of species!) I am attaching it as a text file.

Total numbers now... UK 160, ROW +10 = 170

[birdman]

Great Northern Diver added...