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Top 10 Most Wanted in Britain (1 Viewer)

John Cantelo said:
Not hard to spot the twitchers here, is it?
Click to expand...

Not neccesarily...you'd probably think I was based on my list, yet the furthest thing I've twitched in the last year was 10 minutes train ride away ;) Just as examples I need Fan-tailed warbler and even Great Reed Warbler in Britain, but I think a Pallas's Sandgrouse or Varied Thrush would hold rather more magic :t: As for stuff like Rock Sparrow, I've always enjoyed watching them abroad even when there were stuff like Golden Oriole and Roller about
 
1. Manx shearwater
2. Little auk
3. Petrel (any)
4. Nightjar
5. Marsh tit
6. Willow tit
7. Long tailed duck
8. Merlin
9. Honey buzzard
10. Ptarmigan

Yes they are all quite easy to get to some people, but if we all had everything on our list it would lose some of the thrill. But any pointers would be welcome
 
terry jz said:
1. Manx shearwater
2. Little auk
3. Petrel (any)
4. Nightjar
5. Marsh tit
6. Willow tit
7. Long tailed duck
8. Merlin
9. Honey buzzard
10. Ptarmigan

Yes they are all quite easy to get to some people, but if we all had everything on our list it would lose some of the thrill. But any pointers would be welcome
Click to expand...

From your location, Marsh Tit should be the 'easiest', certainly easier if you listen to their call online before you go looking. I know some pretty good sites in Herts and a couple of pretty much certain sites in Bedfordshire for them if you're interested
 
Not really interested in vagrants but of the regular species I would say:

1. Brambling (I know... but one I've yet to see)
2. Little Auk
3. Hawfinch
4. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
5. Goshawk
6. Crested Tit
7. Little Gull
8. Storm Petrel
9. Eider (can be seen all over so should run into them at some point)
10. Stone Curlew (have heard a lot but never seen)

are the ones I'd like to see the most, though after autumnwatch golden eagle should go in there somewhere too and probably loads of other birds that I'll think of through the day. Fortunately for me quite a lot of those are ones I'll probably come across over time without much effort. A live Manx Shearwater would be great too, after seeing so many of their remains on Skomer it would be lovely to see one alive.
 
Seatallen said:
My list is much more pedestrian but it would make me very happy to see any of the following:

Hoopoe
Hawfinch
Lesser spotted woodpecker
Golden oriole
Capercaille
Sea eagle
Goshawk
Nightjar
Grasshopper warbler
Waxwing
Click to expand...

I'd love to see many of those too. Of the two of those I've seen I can tell you that Nightjar is definitely one to see, you really must get to a place to see them if you can. It has been an amazing experience every time I've seen them... and that call coming out of the dark - oh yeah! :t: |:D|
 
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Alternatively:

1. Blackburnian Bobby-waggler
2. Pink-breasted puppy-finch
3. Baggins' Bobolink
4. Triumphant acorn babbler
5. Black-hearted politician-finch
6. Wandering Flightless albatross
7. Parping turnip-dove
8. Toilet duck
9. Millenium falcon
10. ouzelum bird

;)

Sorry guys. |:D|
 
terry jz said:
1. Manx shearwater
2. Little auk
3. Petrel (any)
4. Nightjar
5. Marsh tit
6. Willow tit
7. Long tailed duck
8. Merlin
9. Honey buzzard
10. Ptarmigan

Yes they are all quite easy to get to some people, but if we all had everything on our list it would lose some of the thrill. But any pointers would be welcome
Click to expand...

Manx shearwater quite easy down much of the west coast in summer - I've seen them many times while out whalewatching around Mull, but I've also seen them off the Ayrshire coast when visiting the island of Ailsa Craig.

The Irish Sea is also a top location, including some very famous locations like Skomer.

Storm petrel I saw at the broch in Shetland this year. You can stand there on the approach to midnight and watch them fly in to the broch and surrounding area.

Willow tit I've seen at Wood of Cree reserve in Dumfriesshire, they were found around the car park.

Ptarmigan can be seen on many of the mountains of Scotland, particularly in the eastern Highlands. A good place is from the funicular railway up Cairngorm (near Aviemore).
 
Jan-Paul Charteris said:
From your location, Marsh Tit should be the 'easiest', certainly easier if you listen to their call online before you go looking. I know some pretty good sites in Herts and a couple of pretty much certain sites in Bedfordshire for them if you're interested
Click to expand...

Yes, if you can name some sites for me to visit that would be great thanks

And JTweedie thanks for your advice
 
Fozzybear said:
Alternatively:

1. Blackburnian Bobby-waggler
2. Pink-breasted puppy-finch
3. Baggins' Bobolink
4. Triumphant acorn babbler
5. Black-hearted politician-finch
6. Wandering Flightless albatross
7. Parping turnip-dove
8. Toilet duck
9. Millenium falcon
10. ouzelum bird

;)

Sorry guys. |:D|
Click to expand...

A modern day Toilet Duck would be a real unblocker
 
My list would consist of:
- five interesting forms
Shetland Wren, Fair Isle Wren, St Kilda Wren, Shetland Starling, Scottish Crossbill
- the only regularly occurring lifer
Great Shearwater
- four of the six breeding birds that I somehow didn't manage
Black-throated Diver, Honey Buzzard, Montagu’s Harrier, Corncrake

The other two breeders are Red Kite (a real one) and Parrot Crossbill.
 
Fozzybear said:
I'd love to see many of those too. Of the two of those I've seen I can tell you that Nightjar is definitely one to see, you really must get to a place to see them if you can. It has been an amazing experience every time I've seen them... and that call coming out of the dark - oh yeah! :t: |:D|
Click to expand...

I do envy you. I really must make good on a Nightjar next summer.

I hope to come across a Hoopoe every Spring but it's yet to happen (I've had a few heart-beat moments but it's always turned out to be a Magpie from a fummy angle). I should probably frequent vicarage lawns more often!

I am, however, determined that this will be the Winter I finally see a Waxwing. I always seem to reach the supermarket car park minutes after they all leave..
 
I wanted to put my ten including potentials for the british list,

instead (and again, in no particular order) -


Short-toed Eagle
Griffon Vulture
Wallcreeper
Red-billed Tropicbird
Lanceolated Warbler
American Redstart
Siberian Blue Robin
Hawk Owl
Harlequin Duck
Ruppell's Warbler

All to be self-found in the Falmouth area of course ... ;)
 
It's nice to be able to glow in self satisfaction at the birds mentioned here that I have actually seen.|:d| But my "wants" list will probably seem equally amusing to some.

1. Corncrake (the biggest gaping hole in my "regulars" list - and, now that I don't travel, one never likely to be filled).
2. Myrtle Warbler (because there have been loads, including one on a former local patch, but I've still to connect!)
3. Siberian Rubythroat (but only if a nice male)
4. Pallas's Sandgrouse (coz I didn't get to the last one)
5. White's Thrush
6. Magnolia Warbler
7. Blackburnian Warbler
8. Wood Thrush
9. Bay-breasted Warbler (spring male, please)
10. Bee-eater (Seen so many abroad I really can't be arsed to stir my stumps, but I'd still quite like to see one in Britain)
 
My UK list is pretty small, but I hope to make it back someday for another trip!

1. Nightingale
2. Dartford Warbler
3. Capercaillie
4. Water Rail
5. Ruff
6. Spotted Redshank
7. Pied Flycatcher
8. Grasshopper Warbler
9. Brambling
10. Redwing
 
A few regular breeders I'll have to confess to not having seen in Britain yet, and in some cases not at all (these really should be easy compared to some of the things I have got on my list! Just haven't got round to going for them yet and don't drive...)

Dotterel
Corncrake
Storm Petrel
Black Grouse (have seen abroad)
Ptarmigan (have seen abroad)
Parrot Crossbill or Scotbill (to be honest have seen this or Scotbill, but other than the fact they were def too large billed to be Common Crossbill I couldn't be bothered to try to figure out which...I bet a fair few people have got dodgy Scotbill on their list)

Seen all the other British breeders at least

Most common "rares" I haven't seen

RB Fly (at all! never twitched one as I want my first to be self found)
Red-throated Pipit (found one abroad as a vagrant)
Little Bunting
Buff-breasted Sand
Spotted Sand (actually found a sandpiper years ago in a flock of about 15 Autumn Common Sands - short tailed, very yellow legs, such a different call it was easy to pick up from the Commons by that alone - was too scared to call it or even ring it in, as was young and had a Ring-billed Gull rejected shortly before (which I really shouldn't have claimed as views simply weren't good enough)). Without wingbar details or any detailed description it'd never get accepted but it goes to show how the confidence can be knocked by a rejection! I didn't even know Spotted Sand had a different call from Common Sand until I looked it up after, and the call matched perfectly...confession over - as you can tell, it still hurts, and again I still want to find my own! ;)
 
My 'easy' never seens include;

Storm Petrel - I keep seawatching, more in hope than expectation.

Barred Warbler - an adult would be dandy.

Aquatic Warbler - just not easy.

Ortolan Bunting.

Any pretty Yank Warbler.

All might be possible within an hour's drive....and one day they could be, here's hoping :)

There are lots of boids that I've seen abroad but not at home and I'm happy to have seen them and stuck them on a list. My list ha!

dave...
 
I have quite a large list of wants but not being a regular twitcher many will never be seen by myself oh for more time & money :-O So Ive simplified my list

1 Snowy Owl adult female
2 Snowy Owl adult male
3 Snowy Owl juv female
4 Snowy Owl juv male
 
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