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The worst place to go birdwatching! (2 Viewers)

Ptarmi

Dick Glasgow
Finishing early yesterday, I popped into a local Forestry Plantation on my way home & sat in a likely spot for 90 mins, with my camera. It was at a forest track crossroads, with a large clearing in full view.

Can you believe that in all that time, I did not see or hear a single bird! :C

Is there anywhere else in the UK you could sit for 90 mins & not at least see or hear a bird?

Thanks a bunch Forestry Commission for creating these wildlife Gobi Deserts! :C

Cheers,
Dick
 
From the lack of response, I guess I can take it that most folks here agree, that those dreadful Forestry Plantations, when fully grown, are the worst places to go Birdwatching in the UK.

Cheers,
Dick
 
Same here in Malaysia, where these wiseguys have planted Acacia mangium to replace pristine rainforest! They might as well have replaced it with desert!
 
Yep - Sitka spruce plantations are pretty depressing places if you want to find and enjoy this islands native flora and fauna:(
 
Worst place to go birdwatching? I believe it's called 'Wiltshire'! Or at least I recall from another thread years back that it's got one of the lowest county lists in the UK.
 
Up on the flow country RSPB Forsinard is upping up these monstrosities to create a decent habitat once again. Doing really well. Our local plantation is OK, siskins, long, coal, blue and great tit in abundance, as well.as a short eared owl and hen Harrier wandering over every now and again.
 
In October 2008 we were in Malaga using the where to watch birds in S & W Spain. We were guided to a site near Coin called the Refugio de Juanar as it promised a good walk to a Mirador, stunning views and the possibility of a few birds. In a three hour out and back walk through mountain scenery and pine forest we saw NOTHING.It is still referred to by the four of us who were there as the bird free walk. I have never experienced anything like it even in forest plantations, at least there you get chaffinch and coal tit.
 
I found the huge tracts of eucalyptus plantations in certain areas of Spain to be deathly still (and very disquietening)
 
In October 2008 we were in Malaga using the where to watch birds in S & W Spain. We were guided to a site near Coin called the Refugio de Juanar as it promised a good walk to a Mirador, stunning views and the possibility of a few birds. In a three hour out and back walk through mountain scenery and pine forest we saw NOTHING.It is still referred to by the four of us who were there as the bird free walk. I have never experienced anything like it even in forest plantations, at least there you get chaffinch and coal tit.

Went there a few years back (2004 I think) and saw not much apart from a superb male Subalpine Warbler in full song and a few Honey Buzzards amongst commoner raptors.
 
I've had episodes like this where I sat for quite a while and thought...have we depleted avifauna to a point where you can sit for good long while without seeing a single bird? Audobon mentioned in his later years how much he noticed bird populations dwindling and felt a twinge of regret for all of the birds he shot for scientific study. I don't think I've ever gone 90 minutes though...that's a long spell to not see a single bird.
 
I can echo that locally as one of our nature reserves near Downpatrick is getting to the stage where there is nothing on the open water where there used to be good numbers of swans and diving ducks. Was there on Thursday and could not see mute swan, tufties, pochard, GC grebe or coot. Goldeneye were about in small numbers and hard to find. I am sure I had better numbers 30 - 35 years ago and I never shot anything.:C
 
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