MEGA - Vagrant Budgie in Shetland (2 Viewers)

[Odonate]

At least according to this outstanding piece of journalism!!

O

 

[dantheman]

Wow, didn't see that one on the list of predictions for the uk list. :eek!: Maybe a mod could move this thread to the 'rare bird information' subforum where it belongs?

 

[Pete Mella]

Can I be the first to make the "Is it on the UK400 Rare Bird Alert Page yet?" joke?

 

[VC65_Birder]

The best bit is the "from Austrailia" graphic, showing a lovely Red-billed Gull, from Oz! Maybe there is more to this story than meets the eye ;-)

 

[Chlidonias]

"Although rarely seen in the wild in Britain, one migrant was rescued after being found floating half a mile off the coast of Brixham, Devon, in July last year."

 

[Larry Sweetland]

With the onset of climate change, we can perhaps expect some other nomadic Australian outback birds to occur in the UK more frequently. Perhaps even Grey Honeyeater?

 

[edenwatcher]

What about the recent breeding of zebra finch?

Rob

 

[birdboybowley]

My god....who writes this sh*t???? And more to the point, how much do they get paid for it....??? Scary - does make you wonder how much of the news on subjects we know nothing about is just as much crap?

 

[Jacana]

i hope they're going to submit the record, must be a BBRC rarity considering that "The budgerigar is a native of Australia and rarely found in the Shetlands"

 

[maltese falcon]

Well then, I think I can add this delightful little feller, who was in my yard not to long ago, to my life list.....and to the list of birds of the WP.

 

[snowcap]

I wonder if the UK400 club will grant a special " license"" to this bird in a similar way to the House Crow.

 

[Odonate]

I wonder if the UK400 club will grant a special " license"" to this bird in a similar way to the House Crow.

Oh don't be absurd.... everyone knows that Budgies frequently utilise planes and not vessels!!!

O

 

[Odonate]

Scary - does make you wonder how much of the news on subjects we know nothing about is just as much crap?

If you want to get really scared, read the book Bad Science by Ben Goldacre about (amongst other things) how the media pick and chose what they report about the medical sciences in order to create the most appealing (shocking) story.

I'm a Biochemist/Pharmacologist and probably more than 90% of all medical science stories in the non-specialist press manage to significantly distort published findings/the truth. Any articles starting "Miracle Cancer Cure from (insert whatever species you like here)" are normally the worst. Stories such as the MMR vaccine causing Autism, bird/swine flu and MRSA contaminations in hospitals have also often completely ignored facts and large volumes of scientific literature that show the opposite or the journalists have done their own invalid experiments!

Simple rule of thumb - if the Express get excited about it, don't worry as it is likely to be harmless!!

O

 

[hollis_f]

If you want to get really scared, read the book Bad Science by Ben Goldacre about (amongst other things) how the media pick and chose what they report about the medical sciences in order to create the most appealing (shocking) story.

I'm a Biochemist/Pharmacologist and probably more than 90% of all medical science stories in the non-specialist press manage to significantly distort published findings/the truth. Any articles starting "Miracle Cancer Cure from (insert whatever species you like here)" are normally the worst.

You got it dead right there. Here's a list of all the things that the Daily Mule has claimed causes or cures cancer - often they'll do both.

 

[chris butterworth]

Hmmmm. I see even ladettes can cause mouth cancer. It's a good job I'm to old to get involved with them seeing as I smoke and drink - there again B :smoke: :girl: = :-O :-O :-O
Chris

 

[jurek]

:-O :-O :-O :-O :-O

Seriously, vagrancy potential of Budgies and Zebra Finches is underestimated. Windswept islands like Faroes or Helgoland, where people keep no cage birds, have surprising lists of parrots, estrild finches, glossy starlings etc. After escaping, they must have flown mighty distance over the sea to get there.

 

[JTweedie]

This was reported in the Daily Record as well, but at least they don't assume that the bird is a wayward bird: http://bit.ly/bioKSb

 

[Chlidonias]

With the onset of climate change, we can perhaps expect some other nomadic Australian outback birds to occur in the UK more frequently. Perhaps even Grey Honeyeater?

or Black Grasswren?

 

[deborah4]

Are Gull-assisted vagrants accepted by the BBRC? Or more importantly, by the UK400isters? (Presumably the Budgie didn't get it's Trill until hitting the deck rather than being fed en route)

 

[birdboybowley]

or Black Grasswren?

Hey less of it!!! That bird is the Lord Voldemort of the avian world to me!!! It shall not be named!