deborah4
Well-known member
Good idea Stevie = got a family emergency at the moment but will have a think and get back to you in a few days with some thoughts (thanks Robin!)
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BIGBY Birding 2008 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter deborah4
- Start date
Good idea Stevie = got a family emergency at the moment but will have a think and get back to you in a few days with some thoughts (thanks Robin!)
deborah4
Well-known member
SueO
Well-known member
Karl J
Well-known member
Just looking at a bicycle makes my arse hurt!
If comfort (or lack of it) is a problem, a Real-Man Saddle might help
halftwo
Wird Batcher
Just when I thought it was safe to trust my internet profiling skills. I had you pegged as level headed even if you do have poetic tendencies. Please tell me I’m taking this wrong and that you are not one of those crazy conspiracy theorists who actually believe what they say about pizza and linguini carbonara being fattening.
The problem with the Mal de Mer diet is that as soon as you go off of it, you gain all the weight back.
Course not. Only if you eat the stuff!!!8-P
Talking of poetic tendencies, I'm going to put a line or two on Ruffled Feathers, about...now.
SueO
Well-known member
If comfort (or lack of it) is a problem, a Real-Man Saddle might help
3
3That was hilarious, Karl. I insisted that my husband pause Indiana Jones and read about the Real-Man’s Saddle. We were both laughing our a**es off (much more fun that peddling it off, D) I’m going to copy the url and send it to my old ‘biker’ buddies; it will make their week. Strangely enough, I was just about to post another bike post. Deborah, I just wanted to show you how up-town your bike is compared to mine. Your steed is Silver and mine is Rusty. If you look closely, you'll see the duck-tape holding the front fender together.
Sue
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deborah4
Well-known member
If comfort (or lack of it) is a problem, a Real-Man Saddle might help
''Weight limit: The Real MAN ® saddle is not for use by riders weighing less than 200 pounds.''
Oh that won't do at all for us girls, Karl - that's a FAT boy's saddle :king:
Howling winds and heavy rain along South Coast today with serious flood warnings. Ever since the EA got caught with their pants down a few years ago, they issue flood warnings every time it rains, so probably doesn't mean too much. Anyway no birding (actually was working but would not have gone out on a bike anyway!). Think you'd better order the paddle boat VB, may need it for Dunge next weekend.
deborah4
Well-known member
Sue, your bike is a mean machine compared to mine! You can't see the rust in the pic, but it's there ... centre frame is bent, only 2 gears out of 3 work ... But I had it for my 17th birthday and it was very old then, one of the 1950 Raleighs, can't bear to part with it - the first and only bike I've ever had! That's an old cordroy hat on the saddle - that definately needs replacing. I'm too embarased to take it to cycle repair shops now!
Let's just imagine that I, although perhaps the ultimate carbon-sinner, would like to become an occasional BIGBY type - would rules allow one the birds seen at home, even if getting home involved travel home by car? You know, much as I would love to be a BIGBY groupie, the rules would necessarily require adapting or I should most certainly simply die! Walking home at minus 10, or minus 20, or shudder, the minus 30 that shall certainly come would result in frostbite at 100 metres (and I live 30 km from the city), cycling would involve a circus act on the sheet ice, followed by frostbite, and hoping for a bus would be a bit like waiting for a Dodo to wander past. So, dear fellow Bigbys, what am I to do? Forever live a sinner or repent and be allowed my little indiscretions?
deborah4
Well-known member
Let's just imagine that I, although perhaps the ultimate carbon-sinner, would like to become an occasional BIGBY type - would rules allow one the birds seen at home, even if getting home involved travel home by car? .... So, dear fellow Bigbys, what am I to do? Forever live a sinner or repent and be allowed my little indiscretions?
No problem at all ... provided you spend at least 2 freezing nights at your country abode thereby constituting ''being at home'' then any birds you see in the garden on the interim day, will count for a day's Bigby birding. That is provided of course, you walk, cycle or ski, to the feeders etc once you are there and use scope and not a Lada (or whatever they drive now in those g*dforsaken parts) for the more distant parts of the 'garden'.
Oh that is no problem, I spent all weekday nights in the freezing abode that is the one home, before migrating on the Friday evening to the other freezing abode!
In this godforsaken part, most persons drive German or Japanese cars, I have a fondness for beaten up Toyotas or Mazda ...and I only drive to the more distant parts of the garden when
(a) the snow is not too deep to prevent it,
(b) I am carting peanuts (25 kg bags lugged 1 km through knee-deep snow ain't fun)
(c) I am, er, being lazy or, er er, running the dog!!!
Edward woodwood
Member
Let's just imagine that I, although perhaps the ultimate carbon-sinner, would like to become an occasional BIGBY type - would rules allow one the birds seen at home, even if getting home involved travel home by car? You know, much as I would love to be a BIGBY groupie, the rules would necessarily require adapting or I should most certainly simply die! Walking home at minus 10, or minus 20, or shudder, the minus 30 that shall certainly come would result in frostbite at 100 metres (and I live 30 km from the city), cycling would involve a circus act on the sheet ice, followed by frostbite, and hoping for a bus would be a bit like waiting for a Dodo to wander past. So, dear fellow Bigbys, what am I to do? Forever live a sinner or repent and be allowed my little indiscretions?
Watcha
do you think a bike might be useful at Baltoj Vojka (sorry sp.) in the summer? Could certainly get around the fish ponds on it. You'd have to put it on the back of the car, mind, to get there.
I use a bike all the time here. Not cos I'm a saint, I'm definitely not. It just makes birding a lot easier. Surprising where you can get on a bike. and the dog could tow you... straight into the water!
That would be Voke for the second bit, though the 'e' should have a dot above it, just my keyboard doesn't have such! Would prefer on foot to be honest, not a bike fan, though I do promise to use mine one of these days (had it for three years now and still only used it once ...round the living room to try it out!)
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Karl J
Well-known member
Set off on my own Bigby this afternoon, after a mornings worth of oiling / cleaning / planned cycle maintenance etc.
First off -went for a pootle round some of the country lanes and so spotted my first Barn Owl of the year over one of the fields, very nice
A few more common species along the way before a rather unwelcome Unscheduled Decompression, otherwise known as a puncture, caused me to pause for a short while at the side of the road. With my hands now covered in oil and wotnot the enthusiasm only really stretched to a quick look down the local beach on the way back- a few gulls, couple of Turnstone, 2 Starlings and c.40 Snow Buntings
total of about 10 miles and 17 sp, which is hardly an earth-shattering rate, but even in spite of the flat it was a nice afternoon in the sun after the last few days of virtually non-stop rain. would have took some photo's too, if i'd had my camera
Anyone know where's the map thingy on the sparrowworks website ?
First off -went for a pootle round some of the country lanes and so spotted my first Barn Owl of the year over one of the fields, very nice
A few more common species along the way before a rather unwelcome Unscheduled Decompression, otherwise known as a puncture, caused me to pause for a short while at the side of the road. With my hands now covered in oil and wotnot the enthusiasm only really stretched to a quick look down the local beach on the way back- a few gulls, couple of Turnstone, 2 Starlings and c.40 Snow Buntings
total of about 10 miles and 17 sp, which is hardly an earth-shattering rate, but even in spite of the flat it was a nice afternoon in the sun after the last few days of virtually non-stop rain. would have took some photo's too, if i'd had my camera
Anyone know where's the map thingy on the sparrowworks website ?
Baldsparrow
Member
Time to throw in another idea from Bigby HQ ...
Several people have questioned the competitive element of this Bigbying when, for example, I in brass-monkey Montreal have barely got 20 birds since the New Year when a bigbyist in central America has over 160 (a good few of which we hope will be up here come the spring) already ... ie: the further south and the closer to a coast the bigger your list is going to be. A suggestion received today proposed that year-end results be compared on a probbaility basis - ie, species seen as a percentage of your county/state/province checklist.
How does that sound? Not that this IS a competition, of course, but ....
Several people have questioned the competitive element of this Bigbying when, for example, I in brass-monkey Montreal have barely got 20 birds since the New Year when a bigbyist in central America has over 160 (a good few of which we hope will be up here come the spring) already ... ie: the further south and the closer to a coast the bigger your list is going to be. A suggestion received today proposed that year-end results be compared on a probbaility basis - ie, species seen as a percentage of your county/state/province checklist.
How does that sound? Not that this IS a competition, of course, but ....
deborah4
Well-known member
Hi Richard
I'm not too sure about handicapping people depending on their County list - just speaking for Sussex - the species list for 2005=263, for 2006=253 ...(which on a national average is pretty good) However, these records as far as I can tell from the SOS sightings, are from a handful of dedicated birders including patch workers spread fairly thinly over the whole County which, outside City areas, are largely rural and difficult to access via public transport. The County list includes obviously one off rarities and very scarce vagrants - thus, a truly Bigby birding year, (without twitching or covering the whole County by car several days a week!), one would be hard pushed to reach 50% of the County lists of 2005/6. (As far as living in a City, although by the coast, Sussex Coastline is fairly urbanised, especially the section I live in, so not sure that's an advantage either!)
Probably making excuses in anticipation of a c*ap year list (and jealous of Big Phil's January Glauc of course) but .... hmmm, may have to think about this one as Sussex Bigbyists could be quite handicapped under your system ... I think the whole percentage thing for a single birder, not using a car at all, would be hard to quantify but then again, this situation could apply wherever the Bigby birder is Bigbying I suppose!
I should add the CURRENT COUNTY LIST for Sussex stands at 384 (dating back to the '40s!) and the BRITISH LIST at 578 (with Caspian and American HG having departed taxonomic company)
I'm not too sure about handicapping people depending on their County list - just speaking for Sussex - the species list for 2005=263, for 2006=253 ...(which on a national average is pretty good) However, these records as far as I can tell from the SOS sightings, are from a handful of dedicated birders including patch workers spread fairly thinly over the whole County which, outside City areas, are largely rural and difficult to access via public transport. The County list includes obviously one off rarities and very scarce vagrants - thus, a truly Bigby birding year, (without twitching or covering the whole County by car several days a week!), one would be hard pushed to reach 50% of the County lists of 2005/6. (As far as living in a City, although by the coast, Sussex Coastline is fairly urbanised, especially the section I live in, so not sure that's an advantage either!)
Probably making excuses in anticipation of a c*ap year list (and jealous of Big Phil's January Glauc of course
) but .... hmmm, may have to think about this one as Sussex Bigbyists could be quite handicapped under your system ... I think the whole percentage thing for a single birder, not using a car at all, would be hard to quantify but then again, this situation could apply wherever the Bigby birder is Bigbying I suppose!I should add the CURRENT COUNTY LIST for Sussex stands at 384 (dating back to the '40s!) and the BRITISH LIST at 578 (with Caspian and American HG having departed taxonomic company)
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StevieEvans
Well-known member
added 3 to my walking BIGBY -
Goosander, Mandarin & fluked a Jack Snipe while picking my way along a waterlogged rushy "tethered-horse" field where ive never had jacks previously.......pleased to have seen this as they seem "bad to get" in our County this winter.
Nice to list build, but Birding highlights today were 2 seperate cock Bullfinches watched singing.
I literally walked into a pair of roosting Sparrowhawks as i was stalking up on a Kingfisher perched in late afternoon sun
& yet another Buzzard soaring over Lord Lambtons land - only started colonizing locally 2-3 year ago so all in all a decent afternoon...not quite ready to add common to the name in a local context...yet.
cheers
SE
Goosander, Mandarin & fluked a Jack Snipe while picking my way along a waterlogged rushy "tethered-horse" field where ive never had jacks previously.......pleased to have seen this as they seem "bad to get" in our County this winter.
Nice to list build, but Birding highlights today were 2 seperate cock Bullfinches watched singing.
I literally walked into a pair of roosting Sparrowhawks as i was stalking up on a Kingfisher perched in late afternoon sun
& yet another Buzzard soaring over Lord Lambtons land - only started colonizing locally 2-3 year ago so all in all a decent afternoon...not quite ready to add common to the name in a local context...yet.
cheers
SE
deborah4
Well-known member
Sounds like you had a good day's birding Stevie (interesting re: Buzzard. More abundant now than Kestrel in parts of Sussex although the yearly counts include passage/summer migrants - but focussed studies have shown breeding range is also extending throughout the County)
I think that is pretty much the case regardless of county, even with a car. Also broadly true at the national level - ie 300 is a pretty decent UK year list, total recorded species 580 ish.
Big Day bird races use this handicap system to even out the better and less better counties in the UK, so would guess it is fair enough. Right, what's my region list ...ha ha ha, I can calculate it myself, no such list exists (national list does, but not regional)
