The Elusive One

[jay1964]

What is the most common bird that you have had problems adding to your list? You know the ones - they are so common that they never get a special mention but always seem elude you.

It took me about 4 years to see my first Water Rail ( it had always been out in the open until just prior to my arrival) another bird that gives me problems is the Cuckoo - you hear them everywhere but how many times are they seen.

[Goshawk]

Silly as it seems mine are Reed Warbler and Spotted Flycarcher. I do get them in the end (allthough I never saw a spotted fly at all last year) but they elude me on most of my visits to find them.

[HokkaidoStu]

‚l‚™ UK list is missing quite a few "common" birds:

Black Throated Diver, Nightingale, Woodlark and Velvet Scoter all spring to mind. I've also never seen Goshawk, Red Kite and Chough as well as some regional specialities such as Cirl Bunting, Ptarmigan and Capercaillie. There are also big gaps in my seabird list. Now I no longer live in the UK I may never see them I guess though I've seen several of the above elsewhere.

It took me until last year to get my first UK Grasshopper Warbler and ages too to get Barn Owl.......never had a problem with Cuckoo though.......

If you live in the north and aren't into travelling round to list birds I suppose such gaps are inevitable.......

I reckon there must be quite a few birders now who have Black Lark on their list but not Woodlark ( I have neither! ).

[Tannin]

Owl.

Any owl.

(sigh)

[Edward]

I reckon there are about 30+ breeding UK birds which I haven't seen anywhere but as I don't bird in Britain more than a couple of days a year then that's understandable.
There is one bird which has been seen around 3,500 times in Iceland which I have yet to see, Pomarine Skua! What's more there's a bird which BREEDS here, with more than 100,000 pairs which I haven't seen, Leach's Petrel. Hope to rectify that in August.
I only saw my first Pied Flycatcher last year (in Iceland of all places)and Redstart this year (in Spain). Tree Pipit still eludes me! I imagine these three species are ten-a-penny throughout most of Europe.

E

[chris murphy]

I've still yet to see L.S.Woodpecker. It's something that I just keep missing and there's not that many of them here ooop north. Another one is Lady Amhersts Pheasant. I managed to get Chough and Nightingale on my travels this year (I actually saw Thrush Nightingale long before I caught up with Nightingale.) There's a thread to start. Has anyone seen a rare species before it's much commoner relative. ie. seeing Black lark before Skylark!???

[Edward]

Hi Chris, I think there was a thread about seeing rare species before common species. The man on Scilly who saw Siberian Thrush before Redwing etc. The chap I know in Iceland who saw Reed Warbler (about 10 records), Icterine Warbler (third record) and Barred Warbler (60 or so records) before Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chifchaff (each with several hundred records in Iceland).

E

[CJW]

I well remember the days before seeing my first Wryneck. Despite being on the east coast during several 'falls', I could never seem to catch up with seeing just one of a plethora of reported Wrynecks. Until in 1982, and completely fed up with dipping out, I let it be known on the Scillies that I would buy lunch and beer for anyone who could show me a Wryneck! Several birders took to me sites on the islands where birds had been seen 'that morning' all to no avail. Then came the day, when doing the breakfast dishes (I'm in touch with my feminie side!) in our digs on Scilly, that a Wryneck hopped out onto the small lawn right in front of me - saved me a bl***y fortune!

[Jasonbirder]

For a long time Long-eared Owl and White-tailed Eagle were my "holy grails", being the last two British breeding birds I needed to see...

Everytime I ventured up to North-west Scotland for the White-tailed Eagles was a pointer for the weather to turn foul, I visited Skye, Wester Ross and the Wintering site at Gruinard to no avail spending hours in the pouring rain waiting for my target, but luckily I put this "bogey" to rest getting excellent views of an adult at Gruinard Island in beatuiful sunshine this this spring.

Still its a 10 hour+ drive from Nottingham to the White-tailed Eagles so perhaps its understandable that i struggled to get to grips with them. Less forgivable is Long-eared Owl, spending much of my winters birding in Lincolnshire and East Anglia surely it was only a matter of time before I connected with one?

But no, and multiple visits to the Boston Roost site brought no results, perhaps they didn`t really exist or were figments of other birders imaginations. I saw the Snowy Owl at Felixstowe in Winter 2001 but still Long-eared Owl eluded me....
I thought my luck was going to be in when I twitched the Pallid Harrier at Elmley, a breeding Pair were being seen frequently in scrub near the reserve centre, but no!

I finally, finally caught up with Long-eared Owl this spring, visiting a roost after I had seen the Sardinian Warbler at Holme next-the Sea, and what do you know...after enjoying fantastic views of a perched bird...what did I see lurking deeper in the scrub? You`ve guessed it...another one! Just like buses eh, wait ages for one and another comes along right behind it!!

[Hanno]

I have quite a few birds that took me years to see: Black Stork, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, all kinds of Parrotbills (starnge selection, I know, but I have lived/worked in a number of countries over the years). What is rather strange though is that, once I have seen a particular bird I took ages to find, I seem to keep on tripping over it on every subsequent trip, a phenomena that has been confirmed to me by fellow birders.

Currently high on the list: Little Forktail. Seen by everybody that comes up to Sapa, except me.

[Beverlybaynes]

Two big bugabears for me for a very long time were the Barred Owl and the Pileated Woodpecker -- both of which I've now seen quite a few times. It's as if you must do a long, protracted Holy Grail search before the Bird Gods will relent with a sighting.

My current grail is a Long-Eared Owl, the only relatively common 'winter' owl found in Indiana that I haven't found yet.

And a Snowy Owl, too -- altho finding them here in Indiana in winter is a bit more problematic. We are south of their usual range by a good distance, but a couple are usually found each year. The habitat around here is fairly good for it -- the farmland to the east of the city is rather inviting, being all drained swamplands, so it's very flat and stretches for miles. Covered in snow, it's quite tundra-like at times.

Another Holy Grail for me is the Ovenbird, one I've heard many times -- and they do nest at a local park -- but I've yet to find one! And their numbers are decreasing here so . . . .

[Edward]

Oh, Beverly, don't mention Snowy Owl! That's a bird which is probably ever-present in Iceland but has a tendency to inhabit places only accessible by 4WD. I've spent many an hour in places where they have recently been reported, sitting and gazing across the tundra-like wilderness, patiently waiting for one to go on its hunting rounds. And I'm still waiting.

E

[jay1964]

Edward I saw a snowy owl from a bus, whilst travelling back to Reykjavik from Gullfoss.

[Charles Harper]

My most recent elusive species, that is the one I had been consciously looking and looking and looking for here in Japan, was the Japanese Waxwing, which I so wanted to see in order to complete at least one family of birds before I die, the Bombycillidae. I've seen plenty of Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings of course, in North America, but for 13 years I had been unable to connect with a waxwing here. Their status is 'uncommon and sporadic in winter', but they have always been seen somewhere around (including a mysterious spring kill of several hundred birds in the central mountains a couple of years ago-- a virus or bad berries or something-- that made all the papers), except in my vicinity.

Finally got one this spring-- no, got six! The sigh of relief could be heard in Seoul, I think.

[esmondb]

Originally posted by Tannin
Owl.

Any owl.

(sigh)

Ha ha, I know what you mean. Up until last year I had never seen a wild owl of any description. I finally broke my duck with little owl last July. This year I've seen short-eared owl and last week (in Grenada) I saw my first barn owl, three to be exact, but still yet to see a tawny owl, which shouldn't be difficult in the UK, unless your name is Esmond, it seems.

[Edward]

Thanks Jay1964. You see it's all about being in the right place at the right time! They are about. I also know a British birder who came here and found an Ivory Gull without any trouble - I've yet to see one. Jay if you can remember any details about this Snowy Owl, location, date, etc. then it would be great if you could send me a Private Message.

E

P.s. Congrats on the Bombycillidae Charles. How about something more challenging next, like Hydrobatidae or Sylviidae?

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Esmond,
If you get up my way at all, I can show you a Tawny at its roost.

Hi Edward,
I think most people will be happy to settle for something a mite easier, like say Pandionidae. I think that's the only one I've got the whole family.

Michael

[HokkaidoStu]

How about Dippers?

I`ve seen 3 of them...think there are 4 ( or is it 5?)...I have the European and American ones as well as Brown Dipper here in Japan ( I saw a Dipper in the Himalaya which I think was this one-but I believe there are 2 species there ).

Charles-there were loads of Japanese Waxwings up here last winter-maybe an influx into Japan ( they were lifers for me too )?

[Michael Frankis]

Dippers: 5 species
One in Europe & western Asia, one in eastern Asia (overlapping in the Himalaya), one in North America, two in South America

Michael

[HokkaidoStu]

Oh well. 60% there......

[Edward]

Hi Michael, yes Pandionidae, I'm with you on that one, it must be my only complete family. Perhaps we could start a new thread - which family would most like to complete. I think it's a toss up between Coraciidae - Rollers, and Maluridae - Fairy-Wrens, Grass-Wrens and Emu-Wrens.
Then again Accipitridae...or how about Spheniscidae...too hard to decide.

E

[Hanno]

Hmm, got Pandionidae, Struthionidae (Ostrich), Scopidae (Hamerkop), Opisthocomidae (Hoatzin), Steatornithidae (Oilbird). and Upupidaue (Hoopoe, which most of you must have surly seen).

Agree with Edward, Coraciidae would be great, seen seven out of the twelve so far.

Sylviidae? Are you kidding. I am happy when I can accurately identify a couple of them, never mind completing the family:-(

[Charles Harper]

..or Muscicapidae, Emberizidae, Tyrannidae... scary, they are.

Lessee, I got, yep-- Pandionidae. And Anhingidae, Aramidae, Bombycillidae (I said before), Peucidramidae, and Coerebridae. That's it, if they haven't been lumped into bigger families. Looks like I got a lot of work ahead of me.

[Michael Frankis]

Originally posted by Hanno
Hmm, got . . . . and Upupidae (Hoopoe, which most of you must have surly seen).

Hi Hanno,

Depends on how many species of Upupa you accept - if one (U. epops), yes, but not if you treat U. marginata and/or U. africana as distinct species

Michael

[Charles Harper]

No waffling, Michåel, how do you treat them?

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Çhârlès,

Never been to Africa, so never needed to think about it! Lynx HBW treats them as just one species, but they acknowledge that many do split them, and the reasons cited seem good, so I suppose if I had to form an opinion, I'd go with the splitting trend.

Michæl

[rile's]

Any Swan...should get a few in Alaska in a week.
Pine Siskin
Crossbill
Sparrows..a few different species

I also know what ya mean about the Owl's.
I have 4 species now and have heard 3 more this spring that I didn't see, but it took a lot of work for me to see one.
Riley

[cjay]

"Common" Redstart & the Common migrant Hoopoe.

CJ

[Hanno]

Hi Michael,

Even if they were split, I would still have the family, as I have seen both marginata and africana. However, the jury still seems to be out on wheter to split them, with marginata having the best chance. A lot of the African birdbooks do split africana, but the bird seems awfully close to epops, both in looks and call; so a split is maybe not justified.

[marcus]

I have seen each speices of swalllow found here in the east. Only one Bank Swallow.

[birdman]

My Elusive One is not that common around here as a rule, but there were a large number of (Bohemian) Waxwing sightings around these parts this year... and did I see one?

Did I 'eckers like!

[Swift]

I know a few ringers who have done a fair bit of ringing in Africa the one who iv'e had a decent conversation with regarding African Hooppe just laughs it out.
He reports that dimensionaly wise the bird can have 1 wing from both species!!!!
Obviously further work is required.

[columbidae]

My three are

1. Acadian flycatcher, very common here in spring and summer but just can't seem to see one;
2. Wood thrush, and
3. (not original but) owl, any owl...

[pauco]

hi jay 1964
water rail no problem cuckoo a right bas---d to get.
bert

[Mark D]

Hi all,

I remember trying desperately to find Tawny Owl on my patch when i was a preteen kid. My mate and I used to venture out with sandwiches and a flask and wait for darkness in our local woods but never managed them. We did manage to scare ourselves silly with all the strange noises out there though.
Happily now Tawny is an annual tick and not all that difficult (appologies to those who have yet to see one).

More up to date, I have just added Sabine's Gull to my life list having travelled down to Suffolk to view the adult at Lowestoft.
This was a bird that I have not really chased but felt I should have seen one by now. A bird that is missing is Storm Petrel which I'm hoping to make some effort this year to find

I don't have any really common stuff left to see here in the UK.

Mark

[sparky77]

Hi,
for me its got to be leaches petrel and longtailed skua, have seen most other seabirds including wilsons petrel and little shearwater. I'll have to head up to the west of Ireland this Autumn to rectify the problem.

[Harry Hussey]

Hi Sparky77,
Little Shearwater?In IRELAND?Lucky so-and-so!
Have Leach's and Long-tailed Skua myself:the Bridges are your best bet(haven't failed with Leach's in season,and have only once not had LT Skua there(and even then,a dark juv.DID pass that day,but was only ID'd as LT from digital photos that Killian Mullarney took!))
Send me a private message:if you are an Irish birder then I'm bound to know you(one would presume!).Did you go for the(admittedly non-awe-inspiring)Redhead on Cape?
Harry H

[Andrew Marrison]

Desperate to see a tawny owl.
Thogh Mark D, I'd rather have the apologies from the tawny owl,
I keep getting woken up at 3am by it's hooting!
I'm sure it sits on my garden fence taunting me

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Andrew,

Try hooting back at it. If you can do it convincingly, he'll come to you. I've had Tawnies fly a yard past my face, investigating who was invading his territory, while I was hooting out of my bedroom window.

Michael

[ArnelGuanlao]

My current nemesis bird is Cassin's Vireo. They're supposed to be fairly common around here in the spring and summer months, but try as I might, I can never seem to find one. I've had some close calls, some glimpses of birds that might have been Cassin's Vireos, but nothing definitive.

My previous nemesis bird was Pine Siskin, but I finally managed to add that one to my list this past March.


Arnel Guanlao

[Hanno]

Michael,

Your neighbours ever wonder what you are doing, hooting out of your bedroom window at 3:00 in the morning?:-)))))

[Hanno]

Scratch the elusive one, finally saw Little Forktail. Of course, now I need to come up with a new elusive:-(

[fede]

For over a year since I started, my elusive was the Boat-billed Flycatcher, a fairly common urban bird. The problem is it closely resembles its cousin, the Great Kiskadee. Only differences:
olive back (BBF) vs. olive to brown back (GK)
slightly heavier bill in BBF
white superciliaries meet on forehed of GK, don´t on BBK's
All of which can´t be distinguished in poor light and seen from below, as I often found them.
Voice is very different, but you don´t always catch'em screamin!
Then early this year a BBF perched just 3m away at eye level, chirring as I walked through a bridge on the university´s campus: "Here I am, see?"

[Larry Lade]

I have four species that are my nemises birds. Evening Grosbeak, White-tailed Ptarmigan, Bohemian Waxwing and Montezuma Quail. I have made repeated trips from Missouri to the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado for the ptarmigan but have had no success in finding one. I talked with one of the park rangers and he just laughed and said I had probably walked by five or six of them. They sit tight and are hard to spot. I went to Minnesota for the grosbeak but they were not to be found. Then I spent two days looking for the Montezuma Quail in southeastern Arizona and again I missed. I always check out the groups of Cedar Waxwings I see, but there has never been a Bohemian in with them. I suppose that "the missed bird" is part of the allure of watching birds, so I'll keep trying.
Larry

[Larry Lade]

On the subject of Owls. I keep a year's count of the birds I see in Missouri. Last year and this year I got the full compliment of owls to be seen in our state. Great Horned, Barred, Eastern Screech, Long-eared, Short-eared, Northern Saw-whet, Snowy and Barn. The Barn Owl is not easily found in Missouri nor are the Long-eared, Short-eared, Snowy or Northern Saw-whet. They are not found in our state in some years. I guess I was just blessed the last couple of years to get to see all eight species.
Larry

[Lewis]

Luckily I aspire to see species that are relatively (supposedly) common in my neck of the woods. I've never seen a yellow-headed blackbird. Also, we get a great influx of various gull species in the winter and winter-to-winter I'm a-workin' on my gull id skills. I aim to confidently see a glaucous gull. I pretty confidently saw a glaucous-winged gull this winter past.

Beyond these hopefully achievable goals, a painted bunting would put a big dumb smile on my face.