Bonxie2003 - did you mean to put Scopoli's Shearwater? As far as I know there are very few confirmed records. I notice that Balearic Shearwater is missing, which would perhaps be an obvious species for your list, so maybe you confused the two.
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Comparing the British list to other countries (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter bonxie birder
- Start date
bonxie birder
Going for the One
Interestingly the BS is on the “common” list. I’ll check the SS
Farnboro John
Well-known member
The birds listed as "Shetland/Scilly/East Coast autumn" are not far off dead certs on a week/fortnight stay in the places listed from mid September to end October. I'm not saying you'd get all of them but e.g. a fortnight on Shetland would be likely to give you a good half-dozen, plus some rarities. You might have to at least engage with local birders a bit, I'm assuming you aren't a hermit.
In total you should get at least 30 of the above without huge difficulty by putting yourself in the right place during the right period. I'm amazed that Spoonbill and Great White Egret are even on this list.
In addition, there are some rarities that just turn up the same places beyond regularly. If you go to Topsham RSPB in winter (any winter) your chances of seeing a Long-billed Dowitcher are better than even.
John
One species not on the list is King Eider. It's in theory a 'vagrant' but there have been at least one or two birds that have been reliably present at certain sites at certain times of the year for many years. If I go to the Ythan Estuary in April or May I would be surprised if there isn't one about there.
bonxie birder
Going for the One
When I started out on this, I wasn’t expecting my lists to be scrutinised too closely. I may need to update.
My British list stands at 441 (IOC), but I’m still missing quail (heard loads), Blyth’s RW, Melodious W (always seems to have seen half an hour ago!) and Sib St.
My British list stands at 441 (IOC), but I’m still missing quail (heard loads), Blyth’s RW, Melodious W (always seems to have seen half an hour ago!) and Sib St.
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Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Only trying to help.... there's a long-staying Sibechat at the moment that you could go and see - DNA tested and everything :t:
John
Paul Chapman
Well-known member
There is only one record of Scopoli's Shearwater ever. I need it as do all other twitchers and I've done the odd twitch over the years.
All the best
dantheman
Bah humbug
This (the Brit scarcities concept) has come up before.
A starting point is the 250 or so regular UK species in eg the old Collins maps at back (a handful of which are hard), followed by the 70+ annual scarcities (probably a lot more now days).
It was said that anyone yearlisting really seriously in any one year would be unlikely to get all the scarcities, simply due to chance/poor years for certain species.
A starting point is the 250 or so regular UK species in eg the old Collins maps at back (a handful of which are hard), followed by the 70+ annual scarcities (probably a lot more now days).
It was said that anyone yearlisting really seriously in any one year would be unlikely to get all the scarcities, simply due to chance/poor years for certain species.
dantheman
Bah humbug
Here's another slant on it -
https://www.birdguides.com/news/biking-birder-breaks-european-green-year-list-record/
Gary Prescott, aka Biking Birder, going for 300+ in the UK by bicycle in a year for charity. Think the original concept was to visit every RSPB in the country. Obviously rarities could be seen, but only those in the locale already predetermined by the rough route. Northern Isles a bonus by boat.
Broke the European Green Record whilst at it (previously held by birder(s) doing wholly Spain).
https://www.birdguides.com/news/biking-birder-breaks-european-green-year-list-record/
Gary Prescott, aka Biking Birder, going for 300+ in the UK by bicycle in a year for charity. Think the original concept was to visit every RSPB in the country. Obviously rarities could be seen, but only those in the locale already predetermined by the rough route. Northern Isles a bonus by boat.
Broke the European Green Record whilst at it (previously held by birder(s) doing wholly Spain).
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We need an updated Shell Guide to resolve this matter once and for all.
dantheman
Bah humbug
Heinzel, Fitter and Parslow didn't do the scarcities indeed, do recall some more updated lists in eg Birdwatch magazine? - would Shell have the green credentials to get involved again?! There was talk when the new Collins came out of a 'slimmed down' UK version being a good idea.
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Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
It does depend on a good passage year to get high numbers (I had over a thousand in a couple of hours a few years ago), but there's at least a few in all years. Strong NNW winds with a long pull from the Arctic any time from October to January, you should get at least a few in a morning's seawatch.
bonxie birder
Going for the One
Ok I have updated the list. There are 77 species listed as scarce by Birdguides. I'm afraid they are not in a great order
Alpine Swift
American Golden Plover
American Wigeon
Arctic Redpoll
Arctic Warbler
Barred Warbler
Black Kite
Black-crowned Night Heron
Black-winged Stilt
Bluethroat
Blyth's Reed Warbler
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Cetti's Warbler
Citrine Wagtail
Common Crane
Common Rosefinch
Corncrake
Cory's Shearwater
Dusky Warbler
Eurasian Penduline Tit
Eurasian Stone-curlew
European Bee-eater
European Honey Buzzard
European Serin
Glossy Ibis
Golden Oriole
Great Bustard
Great Grey Shrike
Great Shearwater
Greater Short-toed Lark
Greenish Warbler
Green-winged Teal
Grey Phalarope
Hoopoe
Icterine Warbler
Kentish Plover
Lady Amherst's Pheasant
Leach's Storm Petrel
Lesser Scaup
Lesser Yellowlegs
Little Bunting
Long-tailed Skua
Marsh Warbler
Melodious Warbler
Montagu's Harrier
Olive-backed Pipit
Ortolan Bunting
Pallas's Warbler
Pectoral Sandpiper
Purple Heron
Radde's Warbler
Red-backed Shrike
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Red-flanked Bluetail
Red-footed Falcon
Red-necked Phalarope
Red-rumped Swallow
Richard's Pipit
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-necked Duck
Rosy Starling
Rough-legged Buzzard
Ruddy Shelduck
Sabine's Gull
Snow Goose
Spotted Crake
Surf Scoter
Temminck's Stint
Western Cattle Egret
White Stork
White-billed Diver
White-rumped Sandpiper
White-tailed Eagle
White-winged Tern
Wilson's Storm Petrel
Woodchat Shrike
Wryneck
Alpine Swift
American Golden Plover
American Wigeon
Arctic Redpoll
Arctic Warbler
Barred Warbler
Black Kite
Black-crowned Night Heron
Black-winged Stilt
Bluethroat
Blyth's Reed Warbler
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Cetti's Warbler
Citrine Wagtail
Common Crane
Common Rosefinch
Corncrake
Cory's Shearwater
Dusky Warbler
Eurasian Penduline Tit
Eurasian Stone-curlew
European Bee-eater
European Honey Buzzard
European Serin
Glossy Ibis
Golden Oriole
Great Bustard
Great Grey Shrike
Great Shearwater
Greater Short-toed Lark
Greenish Warbler
Green-winged Teal
Grey Phalarope
Hoopoe
Icterine Warbler
Kentish Plover
Lady Amherst's Pheasant
Leach's Storm Petrel
Lesser Scaup
Lesser Yellowlegs
Little Bunting
Long-tailed Skua
Marsh Warbler
Melodious Warbler
Montagu's Harrier
Olive-backed Pipit
Ortolan Bunting
Pallas's Warbler
Pectoral Sandpiper
Purple Heron
Radde's Warbler
Red-backed Shrike
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Red-flanked Bluetail
Red-footed Falcon
Red-necked Phalarope
Red-rumped Swallow
Richard's Pipit
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-necked Duck
Rosy Starling
Rough-legged Buzzard
Ruddy Shelduck
Sabine's Gull
Snow Goose
Spotted Crake
Surf Scoter
Temminck's Stint
Western Cattle Egret
White Stork
White-billed Diver
White-rumped Sandpiper
White-tailed Eagle
White-winged Tern
Wilson's Storm Petrel
Woodchat Shrike
Wryneck
bonxie birder
Going for the One
And of the 236 common, 102 are listed as local
Arctic Tern
Avocet
Balearic Shearwater
Bearded Tit
Black Grouse
Black Guillemot
Black Redstart
Black Tern
Black-necked Grebe
Black-throated Diver
Brent Goose
Caspian Gull
Chough
Cirl Bunting
Common Eider
Common Nightingale
Common Quail
Common Redpoll
Crested Tit
Curlew Sandpiper
Dartford Warbler
Eurasian Bittern
Eurasian Dotterel
Eurasian Spoonbill
Eurasian Woodcock
European Nightjar
European Shag
European Storm Petrel
European Turtle Dove
Firecrest
Garganey
Glaucous Gull
Golden Eagle
Golden Pheasant
Grasshopper Warbler
Great Egret
Great Northern Diver
Great Skua
Greater Scaup
Greater White-fronted Goose
Hawfinch
Hen Harrier
Hooded Crow
Iceland Gull
Jack Snipe
Kittiwake
Lapland Bunting
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Little Auk
Little Egret
Little Gull
Little Stint
Little Tern
Long-eared Owl
Long-tailed Duck
Mandarin Duck
Manx Shearwater
Mediterranean Gull
Merlin
Northern Fulmar
Northern Gannet
Northern Goshawk
Peregrine Falcon
Pied Flycatcher
Pomarine Skua
Ptarmigan
Puffin
Purple Sandpiper
Razorbill
Red Kite
Red-necked Grebe
Red-throated Diver
Ring Ouzel
Roseate Tern
Ruddy Duck
Sandwich Tern
Scottish Crossbill
Shore Lark
Short-eared Owl
Slavonian Grebe
Smew
Snow Bunting
Sooty Shearwater
Spotted Redshank
Taiga Bean Goose
Tundra Bean Goose
Twite
Velvet Scoter
Water Pipit
Waxwing
Western Capercaillie
Western Marsh Harrier
Western Osprey
Whimbrel
White Wagtail
Whooper Swan
Willow Tit
Wood Sandpiper
Wood Warbler
Woodlark
Yellow-browed Warbler
Yellow-legged Gull
Arctic Tern
Avocet
Balearic Shearwater
Bearded Tit
Black Grouse
Black Guillemot
Black Redstart
Black Tern
Black-necked Grebe
Black-throated Diver
Brent Goose
Caspian Gull
Chough
Cirl Bunting
Common Eider
Common Nightingale
Common Quail
Common Redpoll
Crested Tit
Curlew Sandpiper
Dartford Warbler
Eurasian Bittern
Eurasian Dotterel
Eurasian Spoonbill
Eurasian Woodcock
European Nightjar
European Shag
European Storm Petrel
European Turtle Dove
Firecrest
Garganey
Glaucous Gull
Golden Eagle
Golden Pheasant
Grasshopper Warbler
Great Egret
Great Northern Diver
Great Skua
Greater Scaup
Greater White-fronted Goose
Hawfinch
Hen Harrier
Hooded Crow
Iceland Gull
Jack Snipe
Kittiwake
Lapland Bunting
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Little Auk
Little Egret
Little Gull
Little Stint
Little Tern
Long-eared Owl
Long-tailed Duck
Mandarin Duck
Manx Shearwater
Mediterranean Gull
Merlin
Northern Fulmar
Northern Gannet
Northern Goshawk
Peregrine Falcon
Pied Flycatcher
Pomarine Skua
Ptarmigan
Puffin
Purple Sandpiper
Razorbill
Red Kite
Red-necked Grebe
Red-throated Diver
Ring Ouzel
Roseate Tern
Ruddy Duck
Sandwich Tern
Scottish Crossbill
Shore Lark
Short-eared Owl
Slavonian Grebe
Smew
Snow Bunting
Sooty Shearwater
Spotted Redshank
Taiga Bean Goose
Tundra Bean Goose
Twite
Velvet Scoter
Water Pipit
Waxwing
Western Capercaillie
Western Marsh Harrier
Western Osprey
Whimbrel
White Wagtail
Whooper Swan
Willow Tit
Wood Sandpiper
Wood Warbler
Woodlark
Yellow-browed Warbler
Yellow-legged Gull
Farnboro John
Well-known member
OK, these first. I'm just going to delete those I think are always a question of twitching: then I'll annotate the rest.
All eminently do-able with planning.
John
All eminently do-able with planning.
John
Farnboro John
Well-known member
And now the supposedly local stuff!
With things like "White Wagtail" on here I'm really not sure what they mean by "local"!
John
With things like "White Wagtail" on here I'm really not sure what they mean by "local"!
John
bonxie birder
Going for the One
Great work.
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Thank you! The thing is, all that was off the top of my head: its all public domain information that I know because I'm an active birder and have been for years, I've lots more of it stuck in my brain if I care to think about it, and it enables me to plan a year list somewhere around 300 with a bare minimum of reliance on rarity/scarcity information from information services.
This stuff is not difficult. If you want the birds, the information is out there in huge quantities.
I don't really understand the self-finding thing - you can argue that as soon as you check in a book on Golden Eagle distribution in Britain you aren't self-finding, but with the best up-to-date gen available about a specific site it can still be a bitch to actually see one. So if I were you I'd bin it. You'll see more birds and that must be more fun. :t:
Good birding!
John
