[schiffornis]

Great view from the pulpit tonight: 2 Adult Iceland Gulls, 1 Adult Glaucous Gull and much more tonight

[captaincarot]

Originally Posted by vwxyzen

*The following is the list of Sand martins reported so far on Birdguides.

*12:39 03/03/12*Sand Martin*Beds*Leighton Buzzard****
*one at Grovebury Sand Pit this morning*

**20:37 02/03/12*Sand Martin*Manc'r*Salford*16:00***seven at Weaste sewage works at 16:00**

**15:28 02/03/12*Sand Martin*W Yorks*Swillington Ings*09:30***one northwest over St. Aidan's Lake mid-morning*

***12:43 02/03/12*Sand Martin*Pembrokes*Marloes Mere*****two this morning**

**19:56 01/03/12*Sand Martin*Pembrokes*Welsh Wildlife Centre & Teifi Marshes NR*****two flew through this evening*

***16:19 28/02/12*Sand Martin*Cheshire*Leasowe*****one flew east past lighthouse

2 sand martins and a med gull at old moor yesterday too

[John Bullfinch]

Had a walk at Langsett yesterday afternoon - no luck with any crossbills this time but plenty of Red Grouse, flock of Siskins and a fly by Peregrine, all in all a pleasant afternoon and we managed to stay dry!

p.s. - few sand martins reported at Pugneys this morning along with 18 Whooper Swans. Hope to go have a look when it stops raining.

[James Thomas]

Originally Posted by schiffornis

Great view from the pulpit tonight: 2 Adult Iceland Gulls, 1 Adult Glaucous Gull and location of another S1 species tonight

So it seems

[zacatzooba]

Had an undisclosed bird doing undisclosably unspeakable things to another (different) undisclosed bird at an undisclosed site this afernoon.

More details on my blog - which happily for you dear reader is at an top secret undisclosable web address.

Oh how I've missed the camaraderie and crippling interest of this forum.

[DOC REED]

Originally Posted by schiffornis

Great view from the pulpit tonight: 2 Adult Iceland Gulls, 1 Adult Glaucous Gull and much more tonight

You are just so out of order!What is wrong with you?

[DOC REED]

Originally Posted by zacatzooba

Had an undisclosed bird doing undisclosably unspeakable things to another (different) undisclosed bird at an undisclosed site this afernoon.

More details on my blog - which happily for you dear reader is at an top secret undisclosable web address.

Oh how I've missed the camaraderie and crippling interest of this forum.

Rob

Don't go there, you will be drawn in! The posts on here have got ridiculous, its not the same as when I joined, pro birders and conservationists seemingly have taken it over,i'm about to dip out of it for good ,so fed up.

I have Jims tel no, but can i ask for yours , Keiths , james' etc. Stuff the one or two on here causing the aggro ,but I would like tostay in touch with dear old forum friends.I have knockers no, but I am off now!Schoiffornis has finally done it for me with his post. Grow up ..TOSSER!

[Chris-Leeds]

Didn't this all start because one person asked for a PM on where to see a barn owl? Surely this person would have been responsible enough not to go letting everyone in on the location so reducing any disturbance.
All it takes for anyone wanting to know any places to see birds is to look at blogs or Birdguides which give the info freely. So far I've seen four of the five owl species this year and have been careful to keep a respectful distance and not draw attention to them.
Even so, the barn owl hunts in an area where there are plenty of walkers, bikers and riders and it doesn't seem too worried by anyone's presence.
Things have gotten a little out of perspective.

[schiffornis]

Originally Posted by DOC REED

You are just so out of order!What is wrong with you?

On the sauce again are you??? I notice all your rants come at 1/2 in the morning, is this the time you stumble in from the pub???

Doc, I really don't get this? I went out birding and found some good birds - whats the problem with this? I sat in a bird hide on a nature reserve and enjoyed them, took some shitty pictures on my phone and went home?

James said I should get out the pulpit but I can see great birds from the pulpit so I won't get out.

I really don't know why you have such a beef with anyone who says anything about birds and the law!!!

You may think I'm a tosser but at least I'm a tosser who can ID Lesser Redpoll!

[northernloon]

Andy, if you think redpoll id is easy you've obviously not been paying attention to the complex taxonomic issues.
About time you amended your signature.

[schiffornis]

Originally Posted by northernloon

Andy, if you think redpoll id is easy you've obviously not been paying attention to the complex taxonomic issues.
About time you amended your signature.

Thanks for the reminder and i didn't say they were easy...

[northernloon]

Originally Posted by schiffornis

Thanks for the reminder and i didn't say they were easy...

Fair point, but I did think your response was a bit below the belt. Albeit in response to a rant but still no need not just to ignore it. The Yorkshire thread has had a few spats in the couple of years since I joined but is generally informative and useful. Let's keep it that way.

You only have to read through, virtually, any rarities thread to see the bile, sarcasm and vitriol regularly promulgated. It's just as well that the friends I have made since joining BF continue to stimulate my renewed enthusiasm for birding. Long may it continue.

[walshey]

Hi,

Can anyone supply details of this (widely publicised) site? Where should I park and walk and which bank of the reservoir holds the feeding station?

Cheers
John

[James Thomas]

Originally Posted by walshey

Hi,

Can anyone supply details of this (widely publicised) site? Where should I park and walk and which bank of the reservoir holds the feeding station?

Cheers
John

There's a number of places that Twite are fed, couldn't tell you about Deer Hill but at Warley Res the twite are fed here. It won't look like a feed station, the seed is just scattered at this point. If planning a visit you may want to wait a week or two as wheatear will be back then.

Don't forget to take some Niger!

[DOC REED]

Originally Posted by schiffornis

On the sauce again are you??? I notice all your rants come at 1/2 in the morning, is this the time you stumble in from the pub???

Doc, I really don't get this? I went out birding and found some good birds - whats the problem with this? I sat in a bird hide on a nature reserve and enjoyed them, took some shitty pictures on my phone and went home?

James said I should get out the pulpit but I can see great birds from the pulpit so I won't get out.

I really don't know why you have such a beef with anyone who says anything about birds and the law!!!

You may think I'm a tosser but at least I'm a tosser who can ID Lesser Redpoll!

I apologise for using the term 'tosser', sincerely.It comes of frustration for seemingly being singled out about my posts.I do however resent some of your insults, 1-2 ,especially when on leave /weekends etc is when I write.I don't and never did pretend to be an ID expert, so really can't understand your comments about redpolls,especially when some of these birds are unassignable in the field.Maybe you can, commendations,u r very talented.

I will continue to post on here, I have listened to your arguements and I discount them,though I respect your right to an opinion.

Once again,I apologise for my initial insult.I hope thats the last of it,this site is not what it used to be, and MANY are feeling that way.

Paul

[schiffornis]

Originally Posted by DOC REED

I apologise for using the term 'tosser', sincerely.It comes of frustration for seemingly being singled out about my posts.I do however resent some of your insults, 1-2 ,especially when on leave /weekends etc is when I write.I don't and never did pretend to be an ID expert, so really can't understand your comments about redpolls,especially when some of these birds are unassignable in the field.Maybe you can, commendations,u r very talented.

I will continue to post on here, I have listened to your arguements and I discount them,though I respect your right to an opinion.

Once again,I apologise for my initial insult.I hope thats the last of it,this site is not what it used to be, and MANY are feeling that way.

Paul

Paul I think you should continue to post your pictures on here as they are often great pictures and many people, me included enjoy looking at them.

[BirdFlower]

Originally Posted by schiffornis

Paul I think you should continue to post your pictures on here as they are often great pictures and many people, me included enjoy looking at them.

Personally, I'd rather see larger versions of Doc's pictures (or anyone else's) on a blog, or some other outlet - flickr, or 500px or whatever. The tiny things you get on birdforum just don't do justice to anybody's pics. A link could then be provided on birdforum when he's taken any, so they can be viewed in all their glory.

[Time and Ptarmigan]

Can someone assure me. These are willow tits, or Marsh tits?
Thanks

[northernloon]

Originally Posted by Time and Ptarmigan

Can someone assure me. These are willow tits, or Marsh tits?
Thanks

The suggestion of a pale wing panel and a bull neck point toward Willow Tit. Where were they taken?

[Time and Ptarmigan]

Originally Posted by northernloon

The suggestion of a pale wing panel and a bull neck point toward Willow Tit. Where were they taken?

At Leighton Moss on Saturday. I originally thought Willow tit for the same reasons as you and the fact that they were feeding on a rotting tree in the wet reedbed seemed to prove it, but the RSPB site recent sightings says Marsh Tit.

[northernloon]

Just to contradict my previous post, there is a hint of a glossy cap. Marsh Tits are regular visitors to the feeders in the rear car park at Leighton. Hedging my bets here

Ken

[Time and Ptarmigan]

Originally Posted by northernloon

Just to contradict my previous post, there is a hint of a glossy cap. Marsh Tits are regular visitors to the feeders in the rear car park at Leighton. Hedging my bets here

Ken

Thanks Ken, But then again the extended cap and whiteish edges to feathers???? They were feeding on seed near the Griesdale Hide. Believe me I want them to be Marsh but I was convinced Willow until I looked on the leighton site tonight which mentions Marsh and doesnt mention any willow

[liverpool_bob]

Originally Posted by Time and Ptarmigan

Thanks Ken, But then again the extended cap and whiteish edges to feathers???? They were feeding on seed near the Griesdale Hide. Believe me I want them to be Marsh but I was convinced Willow until I looked on the leighton site tonight which mentions Marsh and doesnt mention any willow

Looks like Marsh to me - white below cap looks two-tone.

p.s. liking that username!

[Time and Ptarmigan]

Thanks Ken and Bob, 3-1 then, thats good enough for me. Marsh is a year tick but willow wasnt.

[David Tate]

Richard Broughton reviewed the methods of separation of Willow and Marsh Tit in the November 2009 edition of British Birds. He says that, 'Features such as cap, bib, structure, colour of underparts, habitat and behaviour have limited or negligible value for identification'. His conclusion was that the presence or absence of a wing panel was moderatley reliable though there was a significant overlap. The same applied to wing length and depth of tail notch but this can only be determined after birds are caught.

According to Richard there are 5 highly reliable ways in which the 2 species may be seperated. 3 of these relate to song. Another is that there isn't a contrast between the whitish cheek and whitish neck sides in Willow Tits whilst in Marsh Tits the white cheek contrasts with grey-brown neck sides. Finally, the upper mandible of Marsh Tits have whitish marks whilst both mandibles of Willow Tits are black.

The bill differences are really obvious in the hand but in the field it is often difficult to distinguish between a whitish mark and reflected light.

To me the second photo appears to show a cheeck/neck contrast and a whitish mark on the upper mandible indicating Marsh Tit. But I could be entirely wrong.