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Norfolk birding (39 Viewers)
- Thread starter Edward woodwood
- Start date
Rare Bird Alert
rarebirdalert.co.uk
Goosanders
Responding to the comments about Goosanders not being newsworthy.
The decision to limit or cease sending news of certain species is always a difficult one and not one we take on a whim.
I think a little bit of an insight into the job of a birdnews operator would be useful to put such matters into context.
On a single day our birdnews team has been known to send over 700 messages or to put it another way 1.37 messages every minute for 16 hours! The gathering and sending of this news involves answering phone calls, checking hundreds of emails, monitoring dozens of Twitter accounts, calling all the birdlines multiple times a day (we are the only info service to do this) as well as checking the other news providers for the other bits and pieces we need.
Once gathered the team then need to decide if its worth reporting, if it likely to be a genuine and reliable report and then type the message or if it is a repeat message modify it with the new details.
Sometimes they have to do all this when dealing with a first for Britain, or on a day with multiple high quality rarities and megas which always lead to a large amount of phone calls from subscribers.
Granted some of the above examples are at the extreme end of things and there are many days when it is much quieter. However I hope it gives people an insight and understanding of exactly what’s involved in running a birdnews service like ours. One in which the entire team take great pride in trying to provide the best possible service for all our subscribers.
To return to the specific case of Goosanders we can understand how, on a given day, at a given site the decision not to "tag" on 20 birds at the end of a Smew message might seem a strange one. The problem we are faced with however is that by reporting them on this occasion (even tagged onto another message) the next time someone on their local patch finds Goosander they would expect us to broadcast it as we put them out before elsewhere. For them personally this might be a good bird but in the context of all of the above we have to draw the line somewhere. Multiply this across the UK with many different species and you can begin to see the kind of problem we are then faced with.
It goes without saying no system is perfect and we know ours is no exception. We always appreciate feedback from subscribers about such matters and we do discuss these issues in depth amongst the team to ensure we are striking the right balance. Only yesterday myself and the birdnews operator who was working spent some time talking about this very case (before it was mentioned on here I might add) to make sure we were still happy with our current approach.
I would certainly endorse guernsey_dave's suggestion about sending your records to BTO BirdTrack.
Granted it doesn't address your specific point about them being on your pager but this is all the more reason to do it as it means such occurrences do get added to the records which will be around long after we have all gone. Looking at Birdguides records though it looks like they have a similar approach to Goosanders so sending them direct to BTO might be best but I am sure BG will correct this if I have got this wrong.
I hope the above helps set in context our approach and shows that we are always trying to provide birders, whatever their interest level, the best possible service given the time and resources available.
Brian Egan
General Manager
Rare Bird Alert
Responding to the comments about Goosanders not being newsworthy.
The decision to limit or cease sending news of certain species is always a difficult one and not one we take on a whim.
I think a little bit of an insight into the job of a birdnews operator would be useful to put such matters into context.
On a single day our birdnews team has been known to send over 700 messages or to put it another way 1.37 messages every minute for 16 hours! The gathering and sending of this news involves answering phone calls, checking hundreds of emails, monitoring dozens of Twitter accounts, calling all the birdlines multiple times a day (we are the only info service to do this) as well as checking the other news providers for the other bits and pieces we need.
Once gathered the team then need to decide if its worth reporting, if it likely to be a genuine and reliable report and then type the message or if it is a repeat message modify it with the new details.
Sometimes they have to do all this when dealing with a first for Britain, or on a day with multiple high quality rarities and megas which always lead to a large amount of phone calls from subscribers.
Granted some of the above examples are at the extreme end of things and there are many days when it is much quieter. However I hope it gives people an insight and understanding of exactly what’s involved in running a birdnews service like ours. One in which the entire team take great pride in trying to provide the best possible service for all our subscribers.
To return to the specific case of Goosanders we can understand how, on a given day, at a given site the decision not to "tag" on 20 birds at the end of a Smew message might seem a strange one. The problem we are faced with however is that by reporting them on this occasion (even tagged onto another message) the next time someone on their local patch finds Goosander they would expect us to broadcast it as we put them out before elsewhere. For them personally this might be a good bird but in the context of all of the above we have to draw the line somewhere. Multiply this across the UK with many different species and you can begin to see the kind of problem we are then faced with.
It goes without saying no system is perfect and we know ours is no exception. We always appreciate feedback from subscribers about such matters and we do discuss these issues in depth amongst the team to ensure we are striking the right balance. Only yesterday myself and the birdnews operator who was working spent some time talking about this very case (before it was mentioned on here I might add) to make sure we were still happy with our current approach.
I would certainly endorse guernsey_dave's suggestion about sending your records to BTO BirdTrack.
Granted it doesn't address your specific point about them being on your pager but this is all the more reason to do it as it means such occurrences do get added to the records which will be around long after we have all gone. Looking at Birdguides records though it looks like they have a similar approach to Goosanders so sending them direct to BTO might be best but I am sure BG will correct this if I have got this wrong.
I hope the above helps set in context our approach and shows that we are always trying to provide birders, whatever their interest level, the best possible service given the time and resources available.
Brian Egan
General Manager
Rare Bird Alert
Lightthiscandle
David Bryant
I had a Raven fly over calling at Hassingham this morning: first I've seen in Norfolk for a couple of years.
Neil Lawton
Neil
Goosanders
I think Brian's and Rare Bird Alerts position is fair they have to draw the line somewhere, though to find a flock of 20 Goosanders in Norfolk would make anyones day I am sure.
Suspect 20 Goosanders at Wells would be a new record count for Holkham NNR.
Records sent into Birdtrack are fed into the county's records system, but if you don't send them to the BTO, email them to Dave and Jacquie Bridges the county recorders at [email protected]. Spreadsheet form is best, info included should be species, location, date, number and comments (ie direction, sex etc) these can then be easily fed into the years data base and save a lot of work inputting.
http://norfolkbirderinthailand.blogspot.com/
I think Brian's and Rare Bird Alerts position is fair they have to draw the line somewhere, though to find a flock of 20 Goosanders in Norfolk would make anyones day I am sure.
Suspect 20 Goosanders at Wells would be a new record count for Holkham NNR.
Records sent into Birdtrack are fed into the county's records system, but if you don't send them to the BTO, email them to Dave and Jacquie Bridges the county recorders at [email protected]. Spreadsheet form is best, info included should be species, location, date, number and comments (ie direction, sex etc) these can then be easily fed into the years data base and save a lot of work inputting.
http://norfolkbirderinthailand.blogspot.com/
Where aborts are they? I wouldn't mind having a punt at photographing some goosander.
O.Reville1989
I started off with nothing and I've still got some
Killer Whale reported past sheringham this morning!
Fantastic if it was close enough to photogragh/digiscope.
Fantastic if it was close enough to photogragh/digiscope.
At least 20 Goosanders this morning on the boating lake (Abrahams Bosom) near the car park showing very well. Should have taken a decent camera!
Appreciate your problems RBA but 20 on a relatively small water was a worthwhile sight. Mind you a Killer Whale would have been better!!
Appreciate your problems RBA but 20 on a relatively small water was a worthwhile sight. Mind you a Killer Whale would have been better!!
willowgrouse
Well-known member
Salmon-breasted 'padders'
All sounds reasonable to me. However, it doesn't take away the fact that you will have to go a long way to beat a stunning drake goosander in the 'looker' charts. So, just go find 'em yourself.
Some news from Titchwell in Paul's absence:
Red-throated diver - 440+ (incl 391 west in 30 mins)
Peregrine - 1
Hen Harrier - 1 ringtail
Avocet - 1
Spoonbill - 2
Goldeneye - 55
Velvet Scoter - 2
Long-tailed duck - 6
Sawbills - zilch
Thornham
Rough-legged buzzard
All sounds reasonable to me. However, it doesn't take away the fact that you will have to go a long way to beat a stunning drake goosander in the 'looker' charts. So, just go find 'em yourself.
Some news from Titchwell in Paul's absence:
Red-throated diver - 440+ (incl 391 west in 30 mins)
Peregrine - 1
Hen Harrier - 1 ringtail
Avocet - 1
Spoonbill - 2
Goldeneye - 55
Velvet Scoter - 2
Long-tailed duck - 6
Sawbills - zilch
Thornham
Rough-legged buzzard
Ian Simons
Member
On Wells boating lake (Abrahams Bosom) 11.30-13.30 I had 22 Goosander (14 males + 8 females) also 5 redhead Smew. The Smew flew off several times and only a maximum of 3returned. Their departure coincided with a crow or pigeon scarer firing in the fields towards Holkham. Also whilst walking around Holkham a Woodcock flew to cover after I disturbed it from it's hiding place.
Peter Dolton
Well-known member
think that should read Stowbridge.
Some details...
Saddlebow...bridge @ TF609157.....looking N... 7 Smew incl 2 drakes.
South side 4 Redheads
Bridge @ TF609140 southside...2 redhead's
Bridge @ TF602113 Wiggenhall St Mary Magdlen...5 Smew (2 drakes) looking South
Bridge @ TF605070 Stowbridge looking South...1 Redhead
I also checked all the other bridges down to Denver sluiceand alsoTottenhill and Pentney but did not locate any more smew.
I checked all the bridges along Middle Level Main Drain from Outwell to Kings Lynn and could only locate 3 redheads @ TF558083 Rungays Bridge.
Penny Clarke
Well-known member
Does anyone know anymore about or who saw the Killer Whale off Sheringham this morning please?
Wish it had been me:eek!:
Wish it had been me:eek!:
Andy in Norfolk
Active member
All these Goosanders and Smew are great of course but I'm surprised no-one's commented on the reported Titchwell Red-throated Diver count (from Willowgrouse) - a truly staggering (if not unprecedented) total for the west of the county
Neil Lawton
Neil
Red-throated Diver
I remember seeing around 300 Red-throated Divers moving off Holme in the 1990's, the Titchwell count is more like the numbers seen from Sheringham and the east coast. Have long given up trying to work out the reasons for Red-throated Diver movements off north-west Norfolk.
Interesting that no influx of Slavs or Red-necked Grebes so far, assume the Baltic is still relatively ice free?
http://norfolkbirderinthailand.blogspot.com/
I remember seeing around 300 Red-throated Divers moving off Holme in the 1990's, the Titchwell count is more like the numbers seen from Sheringham and the east coast. Have long given up trying to work out the reasons for Red-throated Diver movements off north-west Norfolk.
Interesting that no influx of Slavs or Red-necked Grebes so far, assume the Baltic is still relatively ice free?
http://norfolkbirderinthailand.blogspot.com/
Adie Martel
Member
Managed to get some birding in yesterday(just recovering from MAN FLU).....great views of 24 gooseanders18 males 6 females at Earsham gravel pit,most of the pit was frozen but the gooseanders mixed in with some cormorants were fishing in the bay(near a pull in)watched them for about twenty minutes.Then moved on to Whitlingham LARGE BROAD to find the red head smew showing well near the canoe center. Looking through my prievious logs this is the most gooseanders INLAND i have seen.
Neil Lawton
Neil
Black-necked/Slav Grebe
On birdguides, Black-necked Grebe Kelling 10:03, Slav Salthouse 10:04, Black-necked Weybourne 10:45. Two birds or more likely one, Black-necked or Slav?
http://norfolkbirderinthailand.blogspot.com/
On birdguides, Black-necked Grebe Kelling 10:03, Slav Salthouse 10:04, Black-necked Weybourne 10:45. Two birds or more likely one, Black-necked or Slav?
http://norfolkbirderinthailand.blogspot.com/
O.Reville1989
I started off with nothing and I've still got some
I would imagine the Black-Necked at Kelling is also the Weybourne bird at 10:45, it did say drifting east.
As for the Slav, would imagine differerent bird.
