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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Young Birder (6 Viewers)

Abberant Robin;) and a Common Tern from Minsmere today, no lifers, no year ticks, no trip report (but photo's on blog) cos i've got a week of gcse's starting monday:eek!:
Cheers
Steve

Crackin shot of Nightingale there Steve, i got some at Paxton pits, but none as good as yours! I've got a week of exams this week as well, probably spendin more time revising.
 
Hi!
Some of you have asked me how it is to be a birder in Malta. Of course it can be splendid in migration, but here is another aspect of being a birder down here: http://www.birdlifemalta.org/view.aspx?id=99 .
This same birder was shot at, at his local patch by a hunter once last autumn, luckily not injured seriously.
Other birders have been threatened that they'd better clear off while out in the countryside. I myself was birding in my parent's fields when hunters threw stones in my direction: a signal to clear off!!! ( i obviously foned the police as additionaly it was the closed season but they got away) .
It is disgusting to think that some hunters think they can do what they like in malta by doing vandalistic attacks and just because they carry guns!!!

Martin
 
Thanks to a kind lift from J.G (and despite having French and History exams today...) I saw the Trumpeter Finch yesterday at Blakeney Point at 7:35pm. A cracking bird and well worth the effort!

Connor
 
Good day out in Cornwall on Sunday with Henerz.
Spoonbill on the Hayle Estuary, as well as a few waders.
At Lands End, no sign of the Short-toed Lark, but found Turtle Dove, Chough and Manx Shearwater. 2 Basking sharks and 2 grey seals offshore. A few other bits and bobs around, Gannet, Kittiwake, Tree Pipit, Fulmar etc. The Turtle Dove came in off the sea along with 11 Collared Doves, the only real sign of migration other than a dozen or so Whitethroats.
Joe
 
Thanks to a kind lift from J.G (and despite having French and History exams today...) I saw the Trumpeter Finch yesterday at Blakeney Point at 7:35pm. A cracking bird and well worth the effort!

Connor

Thats insane, showing well?, how are the exams going? 7 down, 6 to go for me, before i'm up in scotland, can't wait...

dragging the post back on topic and shamelessly plugging his blog...
 

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Thats insane, showing well?, how are the exams going? 7 down, 6 to go for me, before i'm up in scotland, can't wait...

dragging the post back on topic and shamelessly plugging his blog...

Completely insane but it did show quite well. Yeah exams are going well thanks, only interna thankfully (apart from Maths)

I found Scotland fantastic (only been once, couple of years ago) I'm sure you will have a really great time

Cheers,

Connor

p.s you know you want to visit my blog ;)
 
Thats insane, showing well?, how are the exams going? 7 down, 6 to go for me

The trip was very insane! :eek!: Got home at 4:45 out again at 5. Picked up Connor at 5:30 and were at the Trumpeter Finch by 7:30! Stayed for about 10 minutes (!) and eventually arrived home and had dinner at 10! No time for revision (wouldn't have done any anyway!):-O.
The French exam went surprisingly well though! As for the Trumpeter Finch, it showed well and I got a couple of record shots where you can only just tell its a Trumpeter Finch so I won't post them on here!
Cracking evening out though and we'll probably remember it for a very long time.

P.S. Connor went insane on the walk back along Blakeney. I believe the words he said were "Did anyone else just hear the Tardis?" :-O:-O:-O
 
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Moving swiftly on... was that a Bonaparte's gull on Springwatch last night? Thought there was a lot of black on the shoulder, but I didn't see black on the crown...
 
Moving swiftly on... was that a Bonaparte's gull on Springwatch last night? Thought there was a lot of black on the shoulder, but I didn't see black on the crown...
LOL you watch Springwatch? ;)
Yeah it was, according to Steve and a few others who were watching. Simon King watching a bird that isn't quintessentially British. Imagine that ;)
 
LOL you watch Springwatch? ;)
Yeah it was, according to Steve and a few others who were watching. Simon King watching a bird that isn't quintessentially British. Imagine that ;)

Just because you don't watch it it doesn't mean no one else can you know. I've only seen it 3 times this series, but I think it's the best one yet. Before I was into birds I enjoyed the 1st series alot, and then the 2nd was quite good, 3rd was dreadful. Both series of autumnwatch have been rubbish IMO lol.

In the end I got 5 lifers in orkney which was nice:

Corncrake (heard only), Golden Oriole (heard only), Bluethroat (self-found), Black Guillemot and Hooded Crow

The bits in brackets are only for Joe really because he likes to know every detail about every bird I see just in case I am stringing it. ;)

Tom
 
LOL you watch Springwatch? ;)
Yeah it was, according to Steve and a few others who were watching. Simon King watching a bird that isn't quintessentially British. Imagine that ;)

Slight misrepresentation there, springwatch is rubbish, I dont watch it, however my dad did call me down to catch the bit on scotland. I thought it was a Little Gull 2bh. Yes I know, please confiscate my bins while i'm not looking.

Just because you don't watch it it doesn't mean no one else can you know. I've only seen it 3 times this series, but I think it's the best one yet. Before I was into birds I enjoyed the 1st series alot, and then the 2nd was quite good, 3rd was dreadful. Both series of autumnwatch have been rubbish IMO lol.

In the end I got 5 lifers in orkney which was nice:

Corncrake (heard only), Golden Oriole (heard only), Bluethroat (self-found), Black Guillemot and Hooded Crow

The bits in brackets are only for Joe really because he likes to know every detail about every bird I see just in case I am stringing it. ;)

Tom

Heard only? why do you tick heard only birds? and you might want to decide if your lists on 238 or 231. Nice one with the Bluethroat, shame it wasn't a Purple Sandpiper, we all know how you love your precious 'order'.

ps, does anyone actually like the bubo website, or is it just me that finds it complicated, slow and illogical?
 
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Woah, cool it with the Springwatch dissing dudes! It's ledge - if you didn't see it last night go on BBC iplayer and check out the matrix pheasants right at the end... do it...! I thought the red deer were class on Autumnwatch. Sim and I both thought it was a little gull as well;)

Bluethroat, I'm gripped! Well played! I tick heard-only birds too, but they go straight on my 'to see again' list (that way I get the tick and don't feel bad about about having rubbish views - I mean, who wants 5 slav grebes flying past at 3/4 distance in winter plumage!).
 
Heard only? why do you tick heard only birds? and you might want to decide if your lists on 238 or 231. Nice one with the Bluethroat, shame it wasn't a Purple Sandpiper, we all know how you love your precious 'order'.

ps, does anyone actually like the bubo website, or is it just me that finds it complicated, slow and illogical?

Well...on the heard-only subject there is only one bird on my British list I haven't actually seen and that is Quail. I've heard at least 7 or 8 and I'm doing some limited survey work type thing (like I did with Firecrests...) in some likely looking areas in north-west Norfolk. So far I've had 2 singing birds, but seeing them- impossible!

'order'?! What?

Bubo- Probably on balance a good sight. Found it confusing at first but getting used to it now, although it can still be annyoing...
 
I'm not that keen on BUBO really.

compared to other websites like birddiary or birdtrack it is harder to use. and it doesn't really interest me because i'm not that interested in looking through other people's lists

re heard only - although i usually count heard only birds it doesn't give the same satisfaction as seeing them. i think with something like a corncrake it is so hard to see and the sound is what it is known for, which is why i would tick it. but ticking something is different to getting good views of it, which is what i aim for really.
 
There are some birds that are very hard to see (quail is fairly hard but Ive seen my fair share!). Also Spotted Crake and Corncrake!Owls obviously unless they're migrants or are hunting in daylight. Come to think of it, Ive never had decent views of Tawny Owl.
Everyone - its time for a recount - what are your British lists on?!?
Mine is currently on 285 after the Trumpeter Finch on Blakeney on Monday - cracking bird!
 
'order'?! What?

The order in which you should see birds, like getting rare birds before the common stuff, tom laughed at me for getting red breasted merganser and jack snipe in the 220's and firecrest and goshawk cos he saw those when he hadn't been birding 'long'. Bit of friendly revenge in order (never say anything to me that you may regret in the future, I never forget stuff and when I smell a wind up...);)

I'm not that keen on BUBO really.

compared to other websites like birddiary or birdtrack it is harder to use. and it doesn't really interest me because i'm not that interested in looking through other people's lists

re heard only - although i usually count heard only birds it doesn't give the same satisfaction as seeing them. i think with something like a corncrake it is so hard to see and the sound is what it is known for, which is why i would tick it. but ticking something is different to getting good views of it, which is what i aim for really.

Thanks for dodging the major question.

There are some birds that are very hard to see (quail is fairly hard but Ive seen my fair share!). Also Spotted Crake and Corncrake!Owls obviously unless they're migrants or are hunting in daylight. Come to think of it, Ive never had decent views of Tawny Owl.
Everyone - its time for a recount - what are your British lists on?!?
Mine is currently on 285 after the Trumpeter Finch on Blakeney on Monday - cracking bird!

You've seen Quail:eek!:, I dont tick birds by call, but thats the only one I would consider doing it with because all the other stuff like corncrake, oriole are gettable with time and effort.

My list- 234, water tight solid.

ps- another topic for banter, what is this thread for/whats it's point?
 
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