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Young Birder (2 Viewers)

Welcome to all the above youngsters, I didn't get into birding till I was 18 but found it led me into all the UK's best wildernesses and eventually broadened my interest in nature to include mammals, butterflies, moths and dragonflies as well.

There's no need to get into twitching early, the best thing is to learn common birds thoroughly first, then you will get more from a rare bird sighting. I advise keeping a notebook from day one and write down as much as you can without getting fed up with it: in twenty years time it will prompt your memories as well as settling arguments in the pub. I have not missed a day's entry in the last five years so I have an even chance of an alibi in any encounter with the Law as well!

Good birding

John

507 British Isles (503 strict BOU) not year-listing this year, garden list 96 (mostly fly-overs)
 
Hi All,

Only just noticed this thread, good to see so many young birders around.... although I already know Dan and Josh (other hardcore 'kidlisters'). If you want to persue Snetsinger's record (though someone else now seems to be top) then the best piece of advice to becoming a world birder / lister; when picking a University - go to UEA! In my first term highlights included:-
October
Isabelline Wheatear (Languard), Paddyfield Warbler (Torness), Hoopoe (Boulmer), Laughing Gull (Featherstone), Long-tailed Skua (Sheringham), Daurian Shrike (Montrose).
November
Semi-palmated Sandpiper (Grutness, self-found), Chimney Swift and Desert Wheatear (Holy Island), Little Swift (Cromer), Grey-cheeked Thrush (Potter's Bar), Upland Sandpiper (Kingston Seymore), White-rumped Sandpiper (Salthouse) Desert Wheatear (Caister)
December
Sociable Plover (Rainham), Buff-bellied Pipit (Frampton)

All this is 'cause (to my knowledge) it's the only University with a birding and twitching scene. There are around 25 active birders based on campus, and until recently there was proper bird club. Before going to Uni I did'nt really twitch more that 70 miles, but it's really changed my perspective on british birding... as for world stuff - I also spent 4 weeks in Peru!
Apologies for the long, boring list but I just wanted to show a sample of the amount of birding it allows!
 
Clubs, Birdfair, volunteering and jobs

Anyone on this thread going to the Birdfair at Rutland Water?

http://birdfair.org.uk/

A great day out amongst fellow birders and an excuse to splash out on all sorts of books and gear, persuade your relatives to buy you an early Christmas or birthday present! Attend lectures on all sorts of exotic birding topics and some UK themes too.

B :) The Birdforum stand is hosting gatherings of people from all over the country.

My 12 year old daughter likes the outdoor life and has her own bins, boots and a tent. You don't meet many young female birders, they seem to be rarer than young male birders.

Josh (Wrexile) is a member of the Peterborough Bird Club, he and Will Bowell are the youngest and keenest birders in the club. We only have one woman under 30 in the club.

I started birding at the age of 9 as a YOC member on Anglesey, carried on in the Solihul Bird Club and have been a member of the Peterborough Bird Club since 1999.

I've been fortunate enough to work for the RSPB, the Nature Conservancy Council, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and English Nature, soon to become Natural England, over the years. Careers in nature conservation are notoriously difficult to get into but volunteering for a local wildlife trust, joining the local British Trust for Conservation Volunteers group or summer volunteering for the RSPB can be a help in doing so together with the right college qualification.

Good luck with your birding.
 
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Simon M said:
when picking a University - go to UEA! In my first term highlights included:-
October
Isabelline Wheatear (Languard), Paddyfield Warbler (Torness), Hoopoe (Boulmer), Laughing Gull (Featherstone), Long-tailed Skua (Sheringham), Daurian Shrike (Montrose).
November
Semi-palmated Sandpiper (Grutness, self-found), Chimney Swift and Desert Wheatear (Holy Island), Little Swift (Cromer), Grey-cheeked Thrush (Potter's Bar), Upland Sandpiper (Kingston Seymore), White-rumped Sandpiper (Salthouse) Desert Wheatear (Caister)
December
Sociable Plover (Rainham), Buff-bellied Pipit (Frampton)

WOW! Gotta put some serious consideration into that in a few years!
 
Chris Monk said:
Anyone on this thread going to the Birdfair at Rutland Water?

Possibly. Certainly going to Rutland sometime this month, doubt it will coincide with the Birdfair though unfortunately, due to things already arranged. Shame really.

PS Sorry for boring everyone silly by posting four posts in a row, although at least I didn't make this PS an extra post
 
The Barn Owl said:
Possibly. Certainly going to Rutland sometime this month, doubt it will coincide with the Birdfair though unfortunately, due to things already arranged. Shame really.

PS Sorry for boring everyone silly by posting four posts in a row, although at least I didn't make this PS an extra post

Actually, I take that back.

Going on Saturday now, probably gonna meet up with Menzie there
 
The Barn Owl said:
Hi Hubert,

In Britain the current name is Lesser Sand Plover, in fact I've never heard of a Lesser Mongolian Plover.
Sam
There alternative name is Mongolian Plover, stemming from the bird's Latin name: Charadrius mongolus

Btw, I'm a young birder as well (16 yrs)
 
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Jurij Hanžel said:
There alternative name is Mongolian Plover, stemming from the bird's Latin name: Charadrius mongolus

Cheers, must make the effort to learn Latin names sometime. Picked a few up, but it would certainly be good to discover what they mean
 
Very simply.

Age: 17
No. of years birding: About one
No of birds seen: around 140
No of birds seen this year: around 136
Rarest birds seen: green heron & stilt sandpiper.
Birds I want to see: Hawfinch and slavonian grebe. (will see them this winter)

I like seeing new birds, but I'm not fussed when it comes to numbers.

Most of my birding is done on my own, although I do occasionally meet up with other birdwatchers. (I did arrange the BF welsh bash afterall).

I also went up a hill, called hope mountain the other day, saw 4 buzzard, 3 kestrel and 2 mistle thrush.
 
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Simon M said:
when picking a University - go to UEA! In my first term highlights included:-
October
Isabelline Wheatear (Languard), Paddyfield Warbler (Torness), Hoopoe (Boulmer), Laughing Gull (Featherstone), Long-tailed Skua (Sheringham), Daurian Shrike (Montrose).
November
Semi-palmated Sandpiper (Grutness, self-found), Chimney Swift and Desert Wheatear (Holy Island), Little Swift (Cromer), Grey-cheeked Thrush (Potter's Bar), Upland Sandpiper (Kingston Seymore), White-rumped Sandpiper (Salthouse) Desert Wheatear (Caister)
December
Sociable Plover (Rainham), Buff-bellied Pipit (Frampton)

Although if you want a proper education..... ;)
My geography is a bit rusty, but I could have sworn last time I looked on a map I lived closer to half of those birds being in Liverpool than someone in Norwich! I can see the advantage of being there for the Little Swift; the Desert Wheatear; the Wr Sand maybe. The LT Skua is pushing it a bit.. But the rest! You might as well go to Coventry Uni - at least it's central. Hehehe. :D

As for all this spelling lark, so long as it sounds right when you read it out loud. That's my philosophy anyway. But I speak funny (apparently), so sometimes that doesn't always work.
 
Menzie said:
Although if you want a proper education..... ;)
My geography is a bit rusty, but I could have sworn last time I looked on a map I lived closer to half of those birds being in Liverpool than someone in Norwich! I can see the advantage of being there for the Little Swift; the Desert Wheatear; the Wr Sand maybe. The LT Skua is pushing it a bit.. But the rest! You might as well go to Coventry Uni - at least it's central. Hehehe. :D

As for all this spelling lark, so long as it sounds right when you read it out loud. That's my philosophy anyway. But I speak funny (apparently), so sometimes that doesn't always work.

Sounds good to me! Already central... great for the RSPB day trips... anywhere in England and Wales.

You speak funny... oh, dear, he tells me after we've arranged to go to the Birdfair together. You need to learn to speak propa, like what I do
 
The Barn Owl said:
Sounds good to me! Already central... great for the RSPB day trips... anywhere in England and Wales.

You speak funny... oh, dear, he tells me after we've arranged to go to the Birdfair together. You need to learn to speak propa, like what I do

So long as you appreciate the subtleties of a monotonic voice, everything will be just fine :gn:
 
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