[cjay]

Carrier Species
Have you ever wondered how the same people find those rare birds?
They are looking at carrier species & families to find them.

Here is a list of species & the rarities that could be found with them.

Wigeon for American Wigeon.

Diving Ducks for Ring necked,

Eiders for King Eider,

Scoters for Surf Scoter

Little Stints for other Stints,

Common Gulls for ring billed & some others,

North eastern (Migrant) meadow pipits for Red throated,

Autumn Sedge Warblers for Aquatic Warblers,

Starlings for Rosey

Mealy Redpolls For arctic.

Irrupting crossbills for Two Barred.

Yellow hammers for pine Bunting.

Lapwings for Sociable Lapwing,

Snow Buntings for Shore larks,

Other more common birds & their carriers
Teal & Garganey
Hobby & Hirundines,
Whinchat & wheatear
Pied among Spotted Flycatcher
Cirl Bunting & Yellowhammer,

Brambling & Chaffinch,

House & tree Sparrow
Barn Swallow (Large flocks of 100 or more) for Red rumped

Search through those flocks & you could be as well known as those who always finds the rarities, you may even beat them at it.

CJ

[birdman]

Thank for that colin j.

I wouldn't call myself an absolute beginner... but I've never made this connection before. I sort of assumed that birders with more time and patience than I scanned these flocks at random, as it were, and occasionally stumbled across the rarity.

Whilst I don't expect to be contacting the Rare Bird Hotline too many times in future, you have added a different aspect to my future birding!

[cjay]

Good, we all need a new perspective in our Hobby.

CJ

[Colin]

Yes, I agree with this concept of carrier species as outlined by Colin J. Some of the odd ones carried, as it were, are not dissimilar to the carrier species. For example, other stints in flocks of Little Stints, So, the bottom line is, check out each bird carefully. Don't rush and if you do not have time to check them all, so be it.


Colin

[Karl J]

Yes cheers for that posting Colin - both of you - I'd also assumed, as Birdman said, it was merely down to 'time and patience' and a bit of pure chance.

Excellent advice Colin. Thanks.

[IanF]

A very good tip Colin. There are a few species there that I hadn't asssociated in groups.