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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

"Birding For Beginners" (1 Viewer)

mikfoz said:
By the way, I saw your comments on owls.

You're in Wigan so it's a short hop to Martin Mere (you lucky thing) where most days see the Barn Owls out hunting over the fields towards dusk, it seems. You're bound to strike it lucky eventually. I saw them there just the other week.

If you're mobile enough, give me a shout via PM if you can get up to Marton Mere on a weekend and give me an ETA and I'll most likely be up there, especially in the morning. I'll show you where the roosting Long-ears are as they've not moved for weeks.
Click to expand...


Mobile yep - but certain restrictions on time mean I don't get too far I'm afraid - cheers for the offer though, very much appreciated. :t:

I usually fit Martin Mere in for a couple of hours, but then it's back to get the dinner on (Gawd, I hate being a 'Modern Man' eh?)... plus I've two dogs that need walking, so them b*ggers take my time up too!

Ah well - maybe when I retire eh? Only got another 30-odd years to go!

Neil.
 
whats that bird said:
Thanks again .....

Its quite difficult for the beginner to know where to start looking for birds on reserves (apart from the obvious) however I have found in many instances people are only too pleased to share their wealth of knowledge and experience.

Caroline
Click to expand...

I've found that too - and I don't mind admitting if I don't know anything when asking for advice - plus, there are times when being colourblnd can affect how I 'see' certain birds, so I need a second opinion too.

I have on one or two occasions however heard some of the more experienced Birders refer to birds as "Onlies" - as in:

"What's that over there... I've not seen a bird like that before?"

"Oh that - it's only a Cormorant".

Now luckily, these b*ggers are few and far between because:

1. It trivialises the other person's question... almost as if the answer is synonymous with "Oh... EVERONE knows that"

and

2. No matter how common - no bird is an 'Only' - from a Feral Pigeon to the 'Chav' of the Bird World - the Starling... each have their own character and charm and should therefore NEVER be seen to be an 'only'.

It's always great to see an Avocet - but I never fail to feel chuffed to see a Blackbird either - long may that remain!

:t:

Neil.
 
Hi Neil

I never think "its only a ........." The delight is being able to see and identify a bird.

I now take my binos out on every "dog" walk. I walk daily on a very small part of the trans-penine cycle route and it does offer great habitat for the wildlife and its at the end of my road! I now see daily the bullfinches, longtailed tits, great and blue tits, dunnocks, sparrows, a kestrel was here for a couple of weeks but has now gone to pastures new. Was delighted the other day to see greenfinch .... they seem so scarce this year.

Gosh, colourblindness, I'd never considered the implications of that and birdwatching!

Well im back at Potteric Carr this weekend on an "organised bittern walk". Ive only had fleeting glimpses of them so far, not long enough to see them with any get clarity or detail, so hopefully fingers crossed I may get lucky.

Keep you's posted ....

Caroline
 
whats that bird said:
Hi Neil

I never think "its only a ........." The delight is being able to see and identify a bird.

I now take my binos out on every "dog" walk. I walk daily on a very small part of the trans-penine cycle route and it does offer great habitat for the wildlife and its at the end of my road! I now see daily the bullfinches, longtailed tits, great and blue tits, dunnocks, sparrows, a kestrel was here for a couple of weeks but has now gone to pastures new. Was delighted the other day to see greenfinch .... they seem so scarce this year.

Gosh, colourblindness, I'd never considered the implications of that and birdwatching!

Well im back at Potteric Carr this weekend on an "organised bittern walk". Ive only had fleeting glimpses of them so far, not long enough to see them with any get clarity or detail, so hopefully fingers crossed I may get lucky.

Keep you's posted ....

Caroline
Click to expand...

Yep - the "only" thing - ye never heard:

"Is it a bird... is it a plane? Ah no... it's only Superman!"

Ahem - anyhow - just 'happening' to take the bins. out on a dogwalk... I do that... I'm off out with hat, coat, leads, bottle of water and bowl for the doggies, nappy bags (to scoop the poop) and well, bless me... how DID the bins. get around my neck? A coincidence surely(!) :t:

Good luck for the weekend walk - I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.


:t:

Neil.
 
The local "dog walk" is providing me with lots of birdwatching/spotting opportunities. That said tho my dog does need to be on his lead, so trying to focus the binos holding the dog lead it an art all on its own!

Ive posted to your "local patch" thread.

Im really enjoying the website now .......
 
whats that bird said:
The local "dog walk" is providing me with lots of birdwatching/spotting opportunities. That said tho my dog does need to be on his lead, so trying to focus the binos holding the dog lead it an art all on its own!

Ive posted to your "local patch" thread.

Im really enjoying the website now .......
Click to expand...

Many thanks there Caroline - glad you're enjoying the stuff I'm doing. :t:

As to binos and dog lead... aha - wait until ye can do it with a JOINT dog lead like I have for my two - mund you, I do have a Black Belt in that!


:king:

Neil.
 
Im laughing!!!!

Hey ive yet to get to grips with the scope and the dog!!!!

Ive left the binos behind this afternoon ......... snow/dog lead/bino ..... not a good combo!!!!
 
:D I tried with the 'scope and tripod AND dogs on one occasion when down the canal (Red-throated Diver made a guest appearance, so we HAD to see it) - not easy I have to say... dogs getting all over the place - off the lead mooching about and mithering some of the other birders... on the lead - getting wrapped around the tripod!

And then the bird itself, the b*gger came pretty close in so I didn't even need the 'scope - the bins were good enough!

Ruddy conspiracy... all the animals are plotting against me... it's like Macbeth, only with paws and feathers!

:t:

Neil.
 
Here's hoping them bitterns are not conspiring against me tomorrow .......

Married to a yorkshire man ..... "you better see em - youve paid 15 quid"!!!!!

Not been out in daylight with the dog ..... work today ..... it does interfer with a good hobby!!
 
I have "How to be a bad bird watcher" and it is very funny. I think the author concludes that you let the birds come to you rather than the other way round.
 
JohnZ said:
I have "How to be a bad bird watcher" and it is very funny. I think the author concludes that you let the birds come to you rather than the other way round.
Click to expand...


Yep - it's an excellent book :t:

I can also highly recommend 'A Bad Birdwatcher's Companion' - well worth a read - AND you can usually get it very cheapy on 'Amazon Marketplace'.



Neil.
 
whats that bird said:
Neil

:smoke: got a text saturday morning from the reserve management "due to illness the event has been cancelled".

No conspiracy there then ..... :-O
Click to expand...

I reckit's been intercepted by the Bitterns!!!

They'll all have gone out for the day!

:t:

Neil.

P.S. Seriously though - what a b*gger eh?
 
whats that bird said:
Hows your birding going?
Click to expand...

Not too bad ta... my wife and I both took the week off work, and have been out and about... so it's been 'inadvertent' birding lol, i.e. just 'happening' to see the birds on route.

Here's what's been seen:

Saturday.
Went to "Three Sisters" today... more a dogwalking thing than birding... however - did see:

Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Mallard
Moorhen
Coot
Black-headed Gull
Blackbird
Chaffinch
Bullfinch
Robin
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Coal Tit
Long-tailed Tit


Sunday.
Went to Rivington (near Horwich, Lancashire) today... saw:

Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Nuthatch
Pied Wagtail.


Trip to Southport today.

Blackheaded Gull
Herring Gull
Canada Goose
Greylag Goose
Mute Swan
Mallard
Coot
Moorhen
Blackbird
Feral Pigeon
Carrion Crow
Pied Wagtail
Goldfinch


Kept me happy anyhow!

:t:

Neil.
 
Last edited:
Thank you Neil,
I thoroughly enjoyed your tips... I am a real newbie..hooked by the great garden birdwatch! The garden is now festooned with a huge collection of feeders...and my husband despairs because I spend so much time gazing out of the window!
I had to laugh at your birdwatching tips..how true..I struggled to identify a sparrow from a dunnock from a chaffinch..but those tips about shape beak size colouring when you are very new were a revelation!
To my great excitement I have discovered that I have a regular flock of redpolls coming to the garden..and I thought they were all sparows!
I am well and truly hooked...and might take the scary step of visiting a bird reserve and taking my bins......
Thanks
 
strawberrywhip said:
Thank you Neil,
I thoroughly enjoyed your tips... I am a real newbie..hooked by the great garden birdwatch! The garden is now festooned with a huge collection of feeders...and my husband despairs because I spend so much time gazing out of the window!
I had to laugh at your birdwatching tips..how true..I struggled to identify a sparrow from a dunnock from a chaffinch..but those tips about shape beak size colouring when you are very new were a revelation!
To my great excitement I have discovered that I have a regular flock of redpolls coming to the garden..and I thought they were all sparows!
I am well and truly hooked...and might take the scary step of visiting a bird reserve and taking my bins......
Thanks
Click to expand...

Many thanks for the comments Strawberrywhip - glad you like! :t:

I still class myself as a 'Newbie' too but I don't mind - it's a great learning experience... plus the best thing about it is that you are seeing 'new' birds all the time if you've limited experience... I've actually added the following this weekend which I've NEVER seen before (although I expect the majority of experienced Birders have) - Black-necked Grebe, Sand Martin, Goldeneye, Ruddy Duck.

I may also be taking a trip to Puffin Island near Anglesea soon with any luck - I have never seen a Puffin and am now desperate to do so!

By the way... check out my "Birdpod" podcasts in my signature... I do a lot of my Birding stuff there... I think of it as 'Bird Radio' and it's a good excuse for me to gabble on about all this stuff lol.

Thanks once again for the comments - keep on Birding!

:t:

Neil.
 
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