Recent content by angusmcoatup

This is a birdwatching forum, not Wikileaks. I signed up under a pseudonym to keep down the number of places on the net I could be traced by nosy employers, colleagues, acquaintances etc which seems reasonably acceptable to me. It’s not like disagreeing with the odd birder is grounds for...

It’s around 25 years since I lived in Worcester but Castlemorton common was a good site for Green Woodpecker I seem to recall. I’ve attached a link to a site page that may help, includes Lesser spotted Woodpecker too.

https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=189154 A previous thread suggesting it’s not unknown.

Worth a read, a little more detail than often seen in media articles. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/may/31/herbicides-insecticides-save-british-countryside-meaows

I’ve been using a Canon Eos 550 for several years now which came under the Rebel banner in the USA. The camera takes some great photos if used right, and often great photos through trial and error. I’d recommend whichever the latest models are available, a quick look on Amazon suggests the Uk...

Salford in the 80’s I had Diamond dove, 2 Zebra finches, a flyover falconers bird with jessies, and a parakeet sp. There were lots of aviaries in my area and I saw lots of escapes nearby (Silver Pheasant, Waxbill etc). In London I’ve seen Alexandrine parakeet, an unidentified Parakeet and a budgie.

I can’t find any detail but there are records for Spain and Belgium also.

I wouldn’t take it personally. A fair suggestion but too many similar looking species crammed into the WA book which you’ve no chance of seeing in Gambia. The Gambia/Senegal books at least narrows everything down plus the illustrations are larger and clearer due to space.

I used the Borrow guide, which did the job well, few issues and from a quick look at Amazon is a hell of a lot cheaper.

I went from Kochi to Trivandrum, around £25 for a driver and car including a good tip for most legs of the journey. We started at Hornbill camp and took in most of the good wildlife areas on the way down over 3 weeks. Didn’t cost much, malaria very low risk, no tout hassle in Kerala and lots of...

I reckon early December 1984 was the first time I used bins for birding and then wrote it down. Blackleach reservoir which was and probably still is a bleak place to start a birding life being the first memorable place. Lots of Tufted duck and Pochard in good numbers and a terribly stringed...

Heard Tawny owl and Robin simultaneously. Robin seen.

I’ll be working Christmas Day which means a bit of birding in a park on the way there and some woodland walking to family on the way back. Usually hope for a Firecrest, occasionally a patch tick duck, and increasingly a Buzzard or Red Kite.

You’re going to miss that Ross’s gull!