This is perhaps going to sound preachy, but if Gary really wants this record, given that he "only" needs another 126 birds he is going to have to stop concentrating on cycling all over the place and start biting the bullet that if a bird takes two or three days, then the effort has to be put in until he has nailed it. In context, getting Grey Partridge and Pinkfoot while missing three key targets is meaningless. A dip on Golden Pheasant means being back there that evening and back there the next morning etc.
I might also question the route being taken because leaving the South coast at the New Forest to cycle across what he described as a bird-free zone instead of continuing into Sussex where Corn Bunting and Grey Partridge could have easily been knocked off at The Burgh before heading up to family around NE Hampshire over about the same distance, seems very odd.
Could we see the overall forward plan to give it some BF pontification? It seems to me that there is very little doubt that the amount of knowledge on here far exceeds that which Gary is making use of. It might also enable locals to have a sensible amount of time to think of helpful sites, instead of last-minute emails and texts when one is doing something else.
Perhaps a D-Day Invasion level of planning is against the British tradition of amateurism, but personally I prefer a successful blitzkrieg to a Captain Scott disaster.
Anyway, the very best of luck to Gary and any help I can give is always at his disposal.
John
Hi John,
I will do my best to tell you of the route plan. Fully concur with your feelings about the misses but I needed to get to Norfolk asap. As for the golden pheasant, unless it becomes a piece of roadkill it should be there, or another in Norfolk, when i return to East Anglia for the 13 or so specialities available there in May. Concerning this I just hope that this May has more easterlies than last year. for commitment to other specialities I am pleased that persistance paid off with the Choseley Rough-legged buzzard.
As
So the route....
March - north along the east coast as far north as necessary to get the available birds. In the next two days I will reach Flamborough (presently at Boston, Lincs) for hopefully Richard's pipit and then onto Filey for the surf scoter.
Red and black grouse are targets, as well as common birds and early migrants.
April - once the talk at the RSPB AGM is concluded then it is back to east Anglia.
May - East Anglia and surrounding counties - wherever a rarity required turns up I am prepared to put the mileage in to get it. (average so far this month is 34 miles a day) Lengthening daylight hours will allow that to increase.
June-July - east or south coasts and rarities between the two. If for instance a white-winged black turns (sorry) up in say a more central county then I may go for that. I intend to be very flexible over this.
August. - after a commitment to Countryfile at Blenheim Palace I will be cycling as fast as possible to any bird along the east coast north of Lincs in order to get to Aberdeen for the ferry to Shetland/Fair Isle before the end of the month.
September/October - Shetland & Fair isle (Orkney if a bird of quality turns up
November - December Wherever birds I need are available I will get there. Last year december involved getting to the phalaropes at Oxford, a hoopoe in Staffs after shorelarks and RLB in Norfolk.
When I get the chance i will publish the monthly total targets and target species.
Thanks for your comments John. Very motivational. BCNU
