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Longest twitch by public transport? (1 Viewer)

andyadcock said:
So flying to say Sweden for a Hawk Owl or Sibe Tit wouldn't count?
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It would depend on whether it's rare or out of range where you're flying to wouldn't it?

I'm sure we could argue all the live long day as to what constitutes a twitch, but I'm sure most would agree that it involves a rare bird in some capacity, which has been found and reported, which people then go for on the basis of said report.

I can't see how going to Hungary for saker lines up with that.

I could therefore travel to Antarctica tomorrow for Snow Petrel. Am I twitching it or just birding abroad?

Owen
 

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Pariah said:
I'm sure we could argue all the live long day as to what constitutes a twitch, but I'm sure most would agree that it involves a rare bird in some capacity, which has been found and reported, which people then go for on the basis of said report.

I can't see how going to Hungary for saker lines up with that.

I could therefore travel to Antarctica tomorrow for Snow Petrel. Am I twitching it or just birding abroad?

Owen
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The qualifying twitch was the Albatross, the other birds were incidental and mentioned as an aside and it's been surpassed by Sb Curlew anyway.

When I wrote the OP, I was really only expecting UK twitches to be recalled but as I didn't specify that, I can't really complain.

Beds to Fair Isle seems to have the UK title at the moment?
 
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The way I see it is a twitch is if your going out your way to see an unusual bird even if on a local patch but you would't have gone otherwise on that day.
 
a_j_steele said:
The way I see it is a twitch is if your going out your way to see an unusual bird even if on a local patch but you would't have gone otherwise on that day.
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Agreed. If a decent bird turns up on your doorstep it still constitutes a twitch in my book if you go specifically for a particular bird that would not normally be expected to be there. At any given twitch there will both local birders and those that have travelled present. For example, I had planned a trip to Norfolk last year, but at the last minute decided to divert to Rutland water for the Long billed Dowitcher. A single target trip therefore a twitch. Similarly, whilst some people travelled hundreds of miles to see the East Leake Bee-eaters this summer it was only a few miles up the road for me. Still a twitch as this bird was a lifer.

Perhaps we should start a new thread -- The shortest twitch 3:)
 
andyadcock said:
That would be a multiple tie across all those lucky enough to have had a rare in their garden.

A
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Andy

You've got to be unlucky to have to twitch a rare in your garden rather than find it. But I suppose that it is possible if you say live at Dungeness and open the curtains to find people looking in.........

My shortest twitches have been when at a location and something has been found at the same time - in respect of a lifer Pallas's Warbler at Landguard that was about 200 yards and Eye-browed Thrush on Tresco was about 100 yards. I suspect that there are quite a few stories which involve walking out of the observatory onto the patio for a tick......

In recent years, I was very pleased to have Hudsonian Godwit as less than thirty miles and forty minutes from home. I cannot think of another lifer for decades that was that close.

All the best
 
Paul Chapman said:
Andy

You've got to be unlucky to have to twitch a rare in your garden rather than find it. But I suppose that it is possible if you say live at Dungeness and open the curtains to find people looking in.........

My shortest twitches have been when at a location and something has been found at the same time - in respect of a lifer Pallas's Warbler at Landguard that was about 200 yards and Eye-browed Thrush on Tresco was about 100 yards. I suspect that there are quite a few stories which involve walking out of the observatory onto the patio for a tick......

In recent years, I was very pleased to have Hudsonian Godwit as less than thirty miles and forty minutes from home. I cannot think of another lifer for decades that was that close.

All the best
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I thought it implied that the homeowner may be the finder.....?

I was on Agnes, scoping the Sibe Thrush when the S-t Eagle flew over us having just come over the radio, that will take some beating as we didn't have to move at all!

I was also very close at hand when the Blue Rock Thrush was found and dad a brief sortie from the Bishop and Wolf too when Upland Sandpiper was found close by.


A
 
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Paul Chapman said:
You've got to be unlucky to have to twitch a rare in your garden rather than find it.
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My longest twitch by public transport (train, plane, bus, train, ferry) was from Harlow, Essex to Vlieland, the Netherlands for an Alpine Accentor. I think I saw it 26 hours after I left home (it only showed in the morning). The bird was frequenting the garden of the island's only resident birder, who wasn't the finder!
 
Xenospiza said:
My longest twitch by public transport (train, plane, bus, train, ferry) was from Harlow, Essex to Vlieland, the Netherlands for an Alpine Accentor. I think I saw it 26 hours after I left home (it only showed in the morning). The bird was frequenting the garden of the island's only resident birder, who wasn't the finder!
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Harlow! Bloody hell. The place of my birth and my first two decades or so. Just checked. I've got 86 species in ebird for Harlow mainly from the late 80's.

My Alpine Accentor twitch took me a similar period. Phone box on west side of Mainland Shetland, car hire, ferry, car, ferry & taxi to Alum Bay, Isle of Wight.

All the best
 
dantheman said:
You can't twitch your own find! It means your wife/partner/cat found it first, leaving you gutted that you didn't.
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Your mate who just came round to give you the lift to Spurn and noticed the Siberian Thrush in your front garden as he was ringing the doorbell.
 
Xenospiza said:
My entire list for Harlow is 81 species in four years... but I spent more time at Amwell.
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Small world!

Amwell back then had no hides and was a working gravel pit. 121 species in ebird for me for Amwell again mainly in the late 80's. A couple of plastics in that and a few species missing for both Harlow and Amwell.....

Positive changes are Little Egret, Red Kite & Buzzard but I imagine a fair few species lost.

All the best
 
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