Gave me the bug, a fantastic leader who captivated me from day one, putting me on the slippery slope to where I am today. Looking back on it, going on that first meeting was probably my single biggest life-changing event.
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Teenage Birdwatching Holiday (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter simmojunior
- Start date
Gave me the bug, a fantastic leader who captivated me from day one, putting me on the slippery slope to where I am today. Looking back on it, going on that first meeting was probably my single biggest life-changing event.
Jacana
Will Jones
Very true about the morning, and that's what I did. I didn't have access to bird calls or a strong torch in the evenings which put paid to any owl watching, apart from when I hired Yotin in KNC. Any other owls I jammed in the early morning.
jogresh
Bimble and patch
Jeez have you guys not got a life? This thread is about young birders continuing their interest, not swapping notes on your shabby Thai hol! Yep i went to Khao Yai but dint look for Masked Finfoot! Fair play to Charlie Hesse for thinking outside the box! That sounded shouty but wasn't!
Anyway if you're a young birder, sorry but sort yourself out, sorry but that's the way it is. Ask for guidance off a local respected dude. I birded from 15 onward on my own and you certainly learn your birds... life list might take a back seat tho! As i said before get a group together and go to Spain, it's great birding and fun too. I hate to say it but when i was a young birder i was starved of contact, desperate to discuss the latest sightings... But you do learn to separate your Marsh Tits from your Willow, etc.!!!
ATVB.
Anyway if you're a young birder, sorry but sort yourself out, sorry but that's the way it is. Ask for guidance off a local respected dude. I birded from 15 onward on my own and you certainly learn your birds... life list might take a back seat tho! As i said before get a group together and go to Spain, it's great birding and fun too. I hate to say it but when i was a young birder i was starved of contact, desperate to discuss the latest sightings... But you do learn to separate your Marsh Tits from your Willow, etc.!!!
ATVB.
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jimmyg
Good game boys, good game!
True story. If you're slagging off Phoenix its because you're a near-adult birder not a wildlife enthusiast, so just do it! Admittedly I've had it easy with my brother and a couple of close friends being birders, but as soon as I learnt to drive we were off on our own on a week's trip to Scotland B
(sleeping in a Citroen Saxo not recommended - get something bigger). Its not easy trying to organise something for all the young birders as they're spread all over - we had a vague attempt a year or so ago - so I'd suggest finding someone quite close to you.birding maniac
Michael M
Hi, just latched onto thiis thread. I know loads of young birders who would love this sort of thing, including me. I am a member of my local Phoenix, and it is not as bad as it seems to be made out, although there does seem to be people who have a slight intrest in it, but we all associate with like minded people within the group. Shame that your 'holiday' doesn't include users down to some younger birders, eg 15 and 14 year olds
louisfh
Well-known member
True story. If you're slagging off Phoenix its because you're a near-adult birder not a wildlife enthusiast, so just do it! Admittedly I've had it easy with my brother and a couple of close friends being birders, but as soon as I learnt to drive we were off on our own on a week's trip to Scotland B
I see your point about Phoenix, although it doesn't interest any of my friends (admittedly only about 4 of them are even RSPB members!) and I do feel sometimes like its not the sort of group which particularly suits anyone. Its certainly not for younger birdwatchers, although being a fairly small group and the RSPB having more of an image of general conservation I perfectly understand that. However, it also doesn't appeal (from my personal experience) to those people of its target age with a general interest in nature. Although thats probably another topic, and you're right, the RSPB try and I shouldn't be so quick to dismiss their efforts.
And as for just do it, I certainly will do once I get my license!
gropperwinch
Well-known member
I don't really understand the appeal of Phoenix to anyone. It patronises young birders, and spends most of the time desperately trying to make the people who do read it interested in wildlife by the most boring methods e.g. how to make your liver Carnon neutral or how to build a nest box for a woodlouse. This might be interesting when you're six, but by the time you're a teenager, I think most people would rather the magazine was actually about wildlife, not eco-nestboxes! Mind you, most people who subscribe to phoenix probably have hippy parents who want their children to be the interested in wildlife cos they read in their meditation book it soothes the soul, but they are too lazy to go out and show their kids wildlife, so they just get them the cheapest magazine which is vaguely related to it!
mountain man
Guest
Potentially the greatest single sentence I've ever read on Birdforum.
gropperwinch - I salute you! :gh:
gropperwinch
Well-known member
:smoke:thanks mate, my book entitled '359 reasons why I want to slice the throats of every parent who forces their children to read Phoenix magazine' will be coming out in all bad bookshops within the next millenia:smoke:
Surely you realise the problem of trying to cater the needs/wants of people from 12-18? The change you go through in that time period are massive. So it is very unlikely that the RSPB can put something into the pheonix mag that suits both a 12 year old and an 18 year old.
Just wondering, how old are the current teenagers moaning about the pheonix club?? My guess would be towards the top end of that age group and starting to take birding more seriously than when they were 12.
It would be great if they could still organise something like this. But I fear society no longer lends itself to such activities. Even if someone on here was to organise a holiday/trip, if something went wrong a claim would be coming your way. It really is a shame it has come to that sort of thing. You have also got to think, while you might be perfectly respectable and serious birders, you might get people on the trip who are just there for a week away from their parents and are intent on just messing about.
Best thing for it is to pick a few people, either from on here or who you know already, orgainse buying a cheap tent and going off birding for a weekend or week. Either get your parents to drop you off or take the train. That way you know who is going to be there, that you will all take your birding seriously (yet still have a laugh of course) and you are not dependent on what activities the trip organiser has planned for you. ie. if something turns up you can go twitch it. Get about by foot, bus or taxi and pick where you want to go each day. Either that or pick someone who has a car and chip in for petrol money.
While it would have been good if you can organise a group into double figures sharing a hotel, the logistics and organisation of it would be a nightmare.
Just wondering, how old are the current teenagers moaning about the pheonix club?? My guess would be towards the top end of that age group and starting to take birding more seriously than when they were 12.
It would be great if they could still organise something like this. But I fear society no longer lends itself to such activities. Even if someone on here was to organise a holiday/trip, if something went wrong a claim would be coming your way. It really is a shame it has come to that sort of thing. You have also got to think, while you might be perfectly respectable and serious birders, you might get people on the trip who are just there for a week away from their parents and are intent on just messing about.
Best thing for it is to pick a few people, either from on here or who you know already, orgainse buying a cheap tent and going off birding for a weekend or week. Either get your parents to drop you off or take the train. That way you know who is going to be there, that you will all take your birding seriously (yet still have a laugh of course) and you are not dependent on what activities the trip organiser has planned for you. ie. if something turns up you can go twitch it. Get about by foot, bus or taxi and pick where you want to go each day. Either that or pick someone who has a car and chip in for petrol money.
While it would have been good if you can organise a group into double figures sharing a hotel, the logistics and organisation of it would be a nightmare.
gropperwinch
Well-known member
I realise that this is partly probably my own experience of it, but I would have quite happily gone on a trip with 18-year olds for the sake of going birding. It beats the crap out of going up to Norfolk with loads of middle aged men! I was just as serious at birding when I was twelve as I am now (admiteedly I am still only 14). But when I was twelve I was out on my bike all the time birding, I found my first local rarity aged twelve (a Goshawk), and found my first good local birds, some Bearded Tits that all hung around for ages and gave all the locals a chance to appreciate them for the first time in 10+ years, aged eleven. But that is just my experience, I see your point that I am probably the exception to the rule.
