missed chances (1 Viewer)

O

O.Reville1989

I started off with nothing and I've still got some

• Jun 24, 2011

• #1

Having not birdwatched for a few years there are species which I have missed and probably will never get.
Are there any species that were/are extremely rare to your area that you have missed? Can be for any reason. example: missed black and white warbler in Norwich due to broken foot!
Cheers.

 

S

simmojunior

Well-known member

• Jun 24, 2011

• #2

I really regret that two years ago I never went to see the Brown Shrike at Staines. It was only an hour and a half away by public transport but I did not go because I did not want to start "twitching". I now do look for birds that have been reported locally or about that distance away but have not, as I feared it would lead to at that time, started long distance twitching. I cannot believe how silly I was being then.

 

B

birding maniac

Michael M

• Jun 24, 2011

• #3

Hmmm, theres has been numerous rarities that i have heard about after they left.
I said I would twitch quite a way for green heron, but not to say cornwall. The next one after I said that was in Cornwall.
Ive missed local birds eg Stone Curlew and spoonbill simply because I wasn't allowed to go.

 

Jeff Hopkins

Just another...observer

• Jun 24, 2011

• #4

Missed a redwing about 40 miles from my home by 5 minutes, due to some little old lady driving 30 mph in a 45 zone.

 

J

James_Owen

Well-known member

• Jun 24, 2011

• #5

Mine my take some beating.

Holidaying at Dawlish Warren when I was in my early teens and too cool to take a walk to the bird hide with my dad. He came back and told me a bloke in there had put him onto a semi-palmated plover (2nd ever record for Britain I think?). If I only I'd known at the time. Bloody hormones.

 

C

Cheshire Birder

Well-known member

• Jun 24, 2011

• #6

birding maniac said:

I said I would twitch quite a way for green heron, but not to say cornwall. The next one after I said that was in Cornwall.

Click to expand...

Can you say you will not twitch a Green Heron in Cheshire now then please?

CB

 

Mysticete

Well-known member

• Jun 25, 2011

• #7

Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush in the Black Hills last summer. It arrived right before my Japanese fellowship and was only the third or so record away from the US (and the first away from South Texas!)

 

O

O.Reville1989

I started off with nothing and I've still got some

• Jun 26, 2011

• #8

Some fantastic stories! Real tales of heartbreak!
I think for me as well stopping birding for 5 years is my biggest missed opportunity. I'm pretty happy for my list considering I've only done 7 years serious birding but when I think of the birds I've missed it does get to me!
End of the day I think it was to the benefit of my future that I did stop, but does bug me sometimes.

 

Adam W

Well-known member

• Jun 26, 2011

• #9

Glacous Winged Gull and Slender Billed Curlew(or perhaps not) spring to mind.

 

S

Steve Lister

Senior Birder, ex County Recorder, Garden Moths.

• Jun 26, 2011

• #10

The first twitchable Stone Curlew for Leics and Rutland in donkeys years turned up on MOD land on April 20th this year - the day I had arranged to take my father into hospital in York. It was very frustrating helping with arrangements for limited access knowing there was no way I would be able to take part. Still need it for my county list.

Steve

 

Mark Newsome

Born to seawatch...

• Jun 29, 2011

• #11

I was offered a place on a Morocco trip years ago but declined because of other committments. I thought, "I'll get there and see the Slender-billed Curlews sometime soon, they're there every year..."
Bad move on my part.

In the UK, I really couldn't be bothered going to see the Baillon's Crake at Sunderland in 1989 as I was only interested in local patch birding at Flamborough at the time. Now I've moved up to the Sunderland area and every tells me how it was pecking at their shoelaces and tripping over their tripods, I feel rather left out.

 

Last edited: Jun 29, 2011