Christmas Day. Would you? (1 Viewer)

Andrew

wibble wibble

• Dec 21, 2003

• #1

You are sat at the pulled out table seating your family of fifteen munching away at Turkey and nasty sprouts. The kiddies are squabbling and eating quickly so they can get to their pressies quicker. Granny is grumbling about the gravy lumps and tough Turkey. Dad is watching everyone with pride and Mum is making sure everyone is happy with full cuppas and plates. The Christmas Pudding is steaming away in the kitchen. . . . Brrr brr brr brr. . . . Everyone looks at you. You read your mobile/pager and see there is an unusual British first only ten miles away, a Painted Snipe! It has been there for two days out in the open and is easy to see. There is heavy blizzards forecast for Boxing Day.

Would your words be "Excuse me, but...."?

 

B

Bluetail

Senior Moment

• Dec 21, 2003

• #2

You bet!

Jason

 

Edward

Umimmak

• Dec 21, 2003

• #3

Without hesitation.
Saw my first ever Gyr Falcon on Christmas Day 1999, flew over my house!

E

 

B

Bluetail

Senior Moment

• Dec 21, 2003

• #4

Andrew, you might be more prescient than you know. RBA has just reported a probable Buff-bellied Pipit (of the Asian form japonicus) at Hannafore Point near Looe 2-3 p.m. (then flushed by dog walker and no further sign by dusk).

Jason

 

E

Edward woodwood

Member

• Dec 21, 2003

• #5

I'd have to put it into my seldom used twitch or not equation:

(Greater Painted-snipe + 10miles away) / (Xmas day + her family!) = 101% yes!

and don't call me a twitcher Jason please!

 

Andrew

wibble wibble

• Dec 21, 2003

• #6

Bluetail said:

Andrew, you might be more prescient than you know. RBA has just reported a probable Buff-bellied Pipit (of the Asian form japonicus) at Hannafore Point near Looe 2-3 p.m. (then flushed by dog walker and no further sign by dusk).

Jason

Click to expand...

Uncanny, are we going to get a rest from three star rarities! I am already looking at train links to Looe in case it sticks around!!!

 

E

Edward woodwood

Member

• Dec 21, 2003

• #7

that reminds me too, we saw a bird that reminded us rather of japonicus at Winterton two Octobers ago - it also scared us a bit, so we bottled it and ran off home, and now we like to bore people with the story!

 

B

Bluetail

Senior Moment

• Dec 21, 2003

• #8

I'll allow you to plead extenuating circumstances on this one, Tim!

Jason

 

Jasonbirder

Jason-occasional-twitcher

• Dec 21, 2003

• #9

Mmmm not Christmas Day....not for all the Rubythroats in Siberia - would only lead to No Birding!!! for the whole of the next year (or maybe ever) I`d just have to hope it stuck around till Boxing Day i`m afraid

 

D

Darrell Clegg

Well-known member

• Dec 21, 2003

• #10

Bluetail said:

Andrew, you might be more prescient than you know. RBA has just reported a probable Buff-bellied Pipit (of the Asian form japonicus) at Hannafore Point near Looe 2-3 p.m. (then flushed by dog walker and no further sign by dusk).

Jason

Click to expand...

That was me and Steve Madge!!

We are pretty certain of the ID, but it is such a huge rarity (1st for Britain) we didn't want to claim it 100% before we'd checked the literature. So far nothing we've read has disuaded us from our ID.

It was picked up fairly close to us, but we were stumped for a while until things started to fall into place.
Basically it has the structure of a Rock Pipit, but the colour of the crown and mantle, is more Olive-backed Pipit in appearance, even down to the dffuse streaking. It has a cracking eye ring and whitish Supercilium. Pale lores, two enormous white wing bars, off white malar stripe and pink feet. Off white breast with big black streaks extending on to the flanks.
It kept disappearing for 10 minutes but it always stood out when it reappeared.

The bird was flushed by a dog, and we ran out of light.

Darrell

 

B

Bluetail

Senior Moment

• Dec 21, 2003

• #11

Thanks for that, Darrell. I had a feeling it might be you! Hope it returns - must be a fair chance, I'd have thought.

Jason

 

E

Edward woodwood

Member

• Dec 21, 2003

• #12

won't be long till the morning - although it'll be the longest wait of the year for some in more ways than one!

 

Jane Turner

Well-known member

• Dec 21, 2003

• #13

I though I had a japonicus too.... wish I'd had a camera! It as at Neston and I was looking for Water Pipits. I don't have a pager...but if some kind soul called me...yep I'd go, as long as I was guanteed not be in a crowd. Hell I'd go for a grey Partridge if it was on my local patch!

 

Andrew

wibble wibble

• Dec 21, 2003

• #14

Darrell,

I had a feeling it could be you. I have looked at the next few days and it looks like no chance that I could get to see it in the run up to Christmas so I hope it sticks around for a while until the end of the week or the weekend. The problem is the trains don't run between Exeter and London for Christmas work so it looks like I am stranded!

I will have to be happy with the Bean Geese in Stoke Canon tomorrow if they stick around for a day.

 

Michael Frankis

conehead

• Dec 21, 2003

• #15

Not relevant . . . this household follows Danish traditions, Christmas dinner is late evening on 24th, so it will be dark out.

Often do go out local patch birding on 25th (no public transport, so can't go far)

Michael

 

IanF

Moderator

• Dec 21, 2003

• #16

No problem for me either - if it's fine and sunny I'll be out there for a lot less than that. If it's raining / snowing then just maybe

 

Jane Turner

Well-known member

• Dec 21, 2003

• #17

I've seen a Pom Skua on Dec 25th. I think that is the best...oh 220 Greenland White-fronts in about 1982 was corking Wirral record....

 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• Dec 21, 2003

• #18

Last Christmas Day I seem to remember seeing a Ferruginous Duck! Don't know if I'll get out this year. It won't be very far if I do. We seem to do more in my family on Christmas Eve these days.

 

nigelblake

don't re member

• Dec 21, 2003

• #19

My Best Christmas day bird was Hoopoe Lark, at Goulamime supported by Desert Wheatear, Red Rumped Wheatear, Trumpeter Finch,Tristrams Warbler, Bluethroat and Spotless Starling...........but then Christmas was a birding trip to Morocco. The Christmas dinner that we had in the evening tasted so good after an awesome days birding.

 

E

Edward woodwood

Member

• Dec 21, 2003

• #20

Best ever Xmas day?
.....in Way Kanan, South Sumatra. We went there to get away from the millennium celebrations and experience it in total star-studded silence.......
birds weren't bad either.....but the food was Super Noodles and there wasn't any alcohol!