Ghostly Vision
Well-known member
Some time ago I started a thread for people to guess what my 500th British species would be. Sorry, I can't find it, so I thought I'd start another - for a very good reason.
There have been one or two splits, acceptances and new birds, and I counted up my BOU list recently. It put me very close to 500.
Counting fully acceptable BOU birds, my total is 495. There are, however, four species which I would rather expect to be countable at some point in the near future: Pacific diver, Elegant tern (Dawlish, May 2002), Alder flycatcher and now Glaucous-winged gull.
Essentially, that means I am teetering on 499 for Britain (I have never twitched or counted Ireland).
Now of course Ruddy shelduck, Booted eagle or White-headed duck might get put onto category A, or Least tern might get split. Maybe even the famous Tresco Bicknell's thrush might make it on. But until then I'm perilously close to the big one.
This is a worrying time. I mean, a sodding American herring gull might turn up in Staffordshire, compelling me to wonder whether or not to go for such a crap bird for my 500th. But in general, I would expect it to be a stonker.
So, any predictions for what it might be? First person to get it right gets a cheque for a tenner in the post. I can't say fairer than that.
As a guide to what I've seen, I started twitching in 1982 and have seen most of the biggies since then. I have never twitched Shetland except for Snowy owl and Albatross. There are a few gaps on my list of birds that were around a while and seen by lots of people but not me, such as:
Lanceolated warbler, Nighthawk, Long-toed stint, Savannah sparrow, Husonian whimbrel (dipped on two!!), Great bustard, Calandra lark, Mourning dove, Pacific swift, White-crowned black wheatear, Hermit thrush, Red-throated thrush, Eastern Bonelli's, Syke's warbler, Indigo bunting.
Not having done Shetland, I'm missing things like Pallas's sandgrouse, Brunnich's guillemot, Sandhill crane and Pine grosser.
Other than that, the list's pretty complete.
So much to go for!!!
My personal guess is in a sealed envelope, but has already been mentioned.
First for Britain guesses also welcomed of course!!
Let's hope it is a spring bird to put me out of my misery.
Sean
There have been one or two splits, acceptances and new birds, and I counted up my BOU list recently. It put me very close to 500.
Counting fully acceptable BOU birds, my total is 495. There are, however, four species which I would rather expect to be countable at some point in the near future: Pacific diver, Elegant tern (Dawlish, May 2002), Alder flycatcher and now Glaucous-winged gull.
Essentially, that means I am teetering on 499 for Britain (I have never twitched or counted Ireland).
Now of course Ruddy shelduck, Booted eagle or White-headed duck might get put onto category A, or Least tern might get split. Maybe even the famous Tresco Bicknell's thrush might make it on. But until then I'm perilously close to the big one.
This is a worrying time. I mean, a sodding American herring gull might turn up in Staffordshire, compelling me to wonder whether or not to go for such a crap bird for my 500th. But in general, I would expect it to be a stonker.
So, any predictions for what it might be? First person to get it right gets a cheque for a tenner in the post. I can't say fairer than that.
As a guide to what I've seen, I started twitching in 1982 and have seen most of the biggies since then. I have never twitched Shetland except for Snowy owl and Albatross. There are a few gaps on my list of birds that were around a while and seen by lots of people but not me, such as:
Lanceolated warbler, Nighthawk, Long-toed stint, Savannah sparrow, Husonian whimbrel (dipped on two!!), Great bustard, Calandra lark, Mourning dove, Pacific swift, White-crowned black wheatear, Hermit thrush, Red-throated thrush, Eastern Bonelli's, Syke's warbler, Indigo bunting.
Not having done Shetland, I'm missing things like Pallas's sandgrouse, Brunnich's guillemot, Sandhill crane and Pine grosser.
Other than that, the list's pretty complete.
So much to go for!!!
My personal guess is in a sealed envelope, but has already been mentioned.
First for Britain guesses also welcomed of course!!
Let's hope it is a spring bird to put me out of my misery.
Sean
