What's happened? (1 Viewer)

M

Marcus Conway - ebirder

Well-known member

• May 7, 2009

• #1

There's a Pallid Swift at Seaforth. I need it. A lifer. But I am not bothered, and I'm not sure I am even going to go for it.

Can someone tell me what's happened? Just 6 months ago I was picking up Alder and Amur. Yet, I've been out birding everyday for the past month or so, mostly at dawn, picking up all the summer migrants on the local patches. So I still have the bug, bigtime. So maybe it's just a one off? If it was in God's Own it would be different? Does everyone go through feelings of apathy or just us birders who dabble in the twitch?

Have I have become a birder? Will I soon become a dude? Where are those robins? 3

 

Hotspur

James Spencer

• May 7, 2009

• #2

I think some birds just fail to fire the imagination and there is a distance*rareness*attractiveness equation that we all do mentally in deciding whether to go for rares. If you were on 349 or 399 I reckon you'd soon go mate but its a swift albeit a coffee brown as opposed to dark brown one. You have probably seen loads in Europe but its tricky here which is why you feel you should go but dont want to.

 

Farnboro John

Well-known member

• May 8, 2009

• #3

You only saw the Amur by accident, it wasn't a result of the twitching bug!

John

 

Lightthiscandle

David Bryant

• May 8, 2009

• #4

I empathise!
I get more of a blast these days from a Turtle Dove in my garden than I used to get from driving 200 miles to see a Yank wader. I do think (old man talk alert!) that pagers and alert services have removed some of the mystique: no fun hanging with fifteen year-olds with bigger lists than you, but who can't identify a female Siskin! Having said which, I still get a rush from seeing a new bird in Norfolk / Suffolk....

 

M

Marcus Conway - ebirder

Well-known member

• May 8, 2009

• #5

Farnboro John said:

You only saw the Amur by accident, it wasn't a result of the twitching bug!

John

Click to expand...

That's true John - insert Brown Shrike... :t:

 

Pete Mella

Getting there...

• May 8, 2009

• #6

I'm not sure I'd travel far to squint at a swift that's a bit paler than the others

 

ColinD

Well-known member

• May 8, 2009

• #7

I think that we all go through these spells. What puts me off these days is the thought of the drive. I just can't be bothered battling my way through traffic. The Collared Flycatcher in Dorset looked a beauty, but what a drive from Merseyside.

Regarding the Pallid Swift, yes it is just a sandy brown swift, but they so rarely stick around and show so well, that it's a real opportunity to twitch one with reasonable confidence of it still being there when you arrive, and it gives you a great opportunity to get to grips with the identification of the species.

Still there this morning according to Birdguides..... Go on, you know it makes sense.

 

POP

Registered User

• May 8, 2009

• #8

But of course it is in the North West would you be so interested if it was at Portland? just a thought .

POP

 

ColinD

Well-known member

• May 8, 2009

• #9

POP said:

But of course it is in the North West would you be so interested if it was at Portland? just a thought .

POP

Click to expand...

If you're referring to the Pallid Swift, then no, personally I wouldn't travel to Portland to see it. I probably wouldn't even travel half that distance. I was just trying to explain why it is worth seeing if you're interested in rarities. It's about as nailed on certainty as any Pallid Swift you're ever likely to hear about, so it's an opportunity not to be missed if you care about seeing the species in the UK.