Hey,
Yer my Dads a member of the RSPB and I use his pass etc - I can't afford!!! An idea for you is something I haven't done myself, but have heard a lot about and apparently it's quite good. Don't know if you've ever heard about it but it's something called RSPB Phoenix. Basically what happens is it's a get together for young birders, and it's about £20 to join. For this you get to go on their 'course'.
This involves:
- A trip to Scotland for 5 days
- A trip to Norfolk for a weekend
- A trip to Lancashire for a weekend
Sounds OK to me, and should be plenty to learn as well as meeting new people out age!!!
I actually went for that GRW - I assume you mean the Brandon Marsh bird, I was there on the Saturday, and spent 7hrs looking for the bird, until I had no choice but to give up!! Saw one a week later in Bedfordshire however - cracking call they've got, at least you heard it, that's unique on its own!!!
I've been birding for about 6 years now (since I was 9), and it's been developing and developing, and now I feel i'm at a sufficient level to be twitching, as my knowledge is pretty sound (I think!!) My full UK list is 289 BOU, and that's a strict BOU, a pretty feeble list I realise, especially when my year list's nearly caught it up!!! Anyway at the moment i'm seeing new birds at the rate of about 1 a week, which is superb, and going birding with people with far more experience than me is a brilliant learning curve.
Just to sicken you a bit - went for the Grey Cheeked Thrush yesterday with a bloke off here called Reader (i'd PM him were I you, he's a great guy, and very local to you) and we set off from Coventry!!! Anyway not to worry about that, there'll be plenty more.....on Scillies!!
If you've got MSN, PM me your addy and we can talk more about stuff,
Cheers mate