Bird You Have Taken for Granted (1 Viewer)

[maplekong]

Hi, I was wondering if we could share a couple of birds we've taken for granted. Ones we thought were common until we moved somewhere else, ones we thought weren't really that special, or maybe just ones we miss seeing on a daily basis.

For me, the one of the first three that come to mind since moving from Derry in Northern Ireland to Manchester are ravens. Ravens were just about as regularly seen as grey herons, maybe. (Sorry, I'm struggling to think of a bird that not only has a similar population, but is seen at the same frequency, like wrens are very common but hard to get a good look at) They are huge perched, and amazingly ginormous flying. One was there every morning when I walked to school, in winter to around March-ish if there weren't alot of cars and it was quiet.

Great black-backed gulls are about as common where I live as... well... lesser black-backed in England? I had the privilege of watching two gulls supposedly build a nest somewhere in June, otherwise they wouldn't be hanging around every day (you might see them once every week from my kitchen window, and you were guaranteed at least ten if you went to my local patch which is twenty minutes away and just at the coast).

And then there's hooded crows. About as commonly seen as chaffinches. Not really very numerous, but a familiar sight. Lovely dusky pink body (so pink I've mistaken one for a jay) and rather shy.

As an aside, is there any information on which variations of hooded crows can be described as having a dusky pink-grey body, and which are grey? I've been searching online, but haven't found anything yet. The difference appears quite clear cut- warm pinkish grey and cold grey, I haven't found a photo in between yet

So which birds did you take for granted?

 

[pppppvvvv]

I think locally (Hampshire, just North of Southampton) it is probably Nightjar, which I can just about hear from the garden, and often see on a dog walking route, or local bat survey.
Also, they are often seen in New Forest during my reptile surveys.
Another is Firecrest, which has many territories within a short walk.
Previously, Milton Keynes area was good for white winged gulls in winter. I don't think I have seen a single one since moving away!

 

[delia todd]

As an aside, is there any information on which variations of hooded crows can be described as having a dusky pink-grey body, and which are grey? I've been searching online, but haven't found anything yet. The difference appears quite clear cut- warm pinkish grey and cold grey, I haven't found a photo in between yet

I've seen pink ones up here. I'm sure I posted a picture, but it's an awful long time ago. I'll see if I can trace it.

 

[delia todd]

I've seen pink ones up here. I'm sure I posted a picture, but it's an awful long time ago. I'll see if I can trace it.

Here you go. Surprised I managed to track it down so quickly: Hooded Crows

 

[JWN Andrewes]

There are two that I probably take more for granted than I should.
First is Dipper, a garden bird for me, mostly by voice as they whizz along the river behind the house, but once a high flying bird that I picked up as I was scoping through some Gulls flying off to roost! Often see them on short walks from home, including adults feeding fledglings, and have found and followed the fortunes of a few nests. Never really put myself out to see them when birding further afield.
Second is Black Grouse. The roadside lek at World's End is only about 20 minutes away, so I've seen them scores of times, either displaying, just mooching about the lek, or out and about on the moors.
And one species I used to take for granted back on the day, saw loads, frequently, on lakes and reservoirs between Manchester & Anglesey, even had them breeding on a pond in the village where I used to live near Chester, is Ruddy Duck. Going to be a blocker one day

 

[KC Foggin]

House Sparrows

 

[Prestdj]

There are two that I probably take more for granted than I should.
First is Dipper, a garden bird for me, mostly by voice as they whizz along the river behind the house, but once a high flying bird that I picked up as I was scoping through some Gulls flying off to roost! Often see them on short walks from home, including adults feeding fledglings, and have found and followed the fortunes of a few nests. Never really put myself out to see them when birding further afield.
Second is Black Grouse. The roadside lek at World's End is only about 20 minutes away, so I've seen them scores of times, either displaying, just mooching about the lek, or out and about on the moors.
And one species I used to take for granted back on the day, saw loads, frequently, on lakes and reservoirs between Manchester & Anglesey, even had them breeding on a pond in the village where I used to live near Chester, is Ruddy Duck. Going to be a blocker one day

Think it’s already a blocker I used to go round Fairburn in the late 80s loads of them great birds which I sadly miss they had character

 

[maplekong]

That’s rather a lot of interesting birds. Dippers and nightjars are on my to-see list, black grouse is an honor I haven’t even dreamed of, and you must be very lucky to see breeding ruddy ducks. I don’t think I will see firecrest for a few years until Incan go out on my own. Lucky you guys

 

[maplekong]

House Sparrows

Tree sparrows too, I remembered. There were around ten to fifteen in a little colony for years in a local Sainsbury car park, beside the Foyle River, guaranteed to be there every single time you went to feed the pigeons, or see how the brood of grey wag tails are getting along, or indeed try to spot any interesting gills.

 

[maplekong]

sorry if this sounds dumb, but what is blocker?

There are two that I probably take more for granted than I should.
First is Dipper, a garden bird for me, mostly by voice as they whizz along the river behind the house, but once a high flying bird that I picked up as I was scoping through some Gulls flying off to roost! Often see them on short walks from home, including adults feeding fledglings, and have found and followed the fortunes of a few nests. Never really put myself out to see them when birding further afield.
Second is Black Grouse. The roadside lek at World's End is only about 20 minutes away, so I've seen them scores of times, either displaying, just mooching about the lek, or out and about on the moors.
And one species I used to take for granted back on the day, saw loads, frequently, on lakes and reservoirs between Manchester & Anglesey, even had them breeding on a pond in the village where I used to live near Chester, is Ruddy Duck. Going to be a blocker one day

Think it’s already a blocker I used to go round Fairburn in the late 80s loads of them great birds which I sadly miss they had character

 

[JWN Andrewes]

It's a slang term for a bird that some birders have seen that it is extremely difficult or unlikely for other birders to see. In the case of Ruddy Duck, as an introduced species that used to be quite common but has since all but been eradicated, it can be described as a blocker on the basis that in listening terms it will be almost impossible for new birders to add it to their lists, whereas us old timers have all seen them. It is often, more usually, applied to extreme rarities that have not been twitchable for many years, eg Little Whimbrel, White-crowned Black Wheatear. Recent rarities that may become future blockers include things like Grey-headed Lapwing.
When Rufous Bush Robin, an erstwhile blocker, turned up in Norfolk a couple of years back, it unblocked a lot of big twitchers.

 

[Bewick]

The great bittern, seen it only a couple of times but have always taken it for granted... its a bird that pretty much got wiped from the UK and still only has a few hundred pairs in the UK. Apart from that I would definitely put green woodpeckers and the eurasian jay, both are extremely unique birds that don't seem to get the love they deserve. I would also put kites, both the black and the red. They are both majestic and are immediately noticeable, both seem to give better views and performances then other raptors- yet they seem to be rather unappreciated.

 

[maplekong]

I thought great bitterns were a flagship species! Kites, green woodpeckers and especially jays are really overlooked though.

 

[angusmcoatup]

I try to update my latest birding sightings from my patch in Turkey on here regularly (as well as my hand written notebooks), though haven’t always the time or the inclination to do a thorough job.
This means I often miss out recording birds I see daily all year round or in good numbers seasonally. This includes Crested Lark which I barely ever mention yet see every day, Greenfinches - very common here, Jay, Blackbird, Serin, Raven. Black-Necked & Little Grebe, Black Redstart , Chiffchaff in winter, Bee-eaters, Alpine Swifts, Great Cormorants and several Warblers.
Basically as much as I enjoy the wealth of bird life here, and the enjoyment of having real beauties such as Bee-eaters, Golden Orioles, Hoopoes etc passing through I can’t see anyone (me included)enjoying reading almost the same list several times a week.
On a personal level I don’t really take any birds for granted except for the Crested Larks which are a constant distraction when out birding as I often have to check they’re not something a little rarer such as Calandra or a Pipit.

 

[hookem2010]

Painted buntings have to be one of the more spectacular birds of North America, but as fairly common breeding birds in my area, I no longer give them the attention they are due.
I remember seeing them for the first time at the Houston Zoo, with their range map indicating they live in Texas, and being shocked that such a colorful bird lived in my backyard.

 

[maplekong]

Those are beautiful birds- I would be so excited to see them. Lucky you!