Location, location, location... (1 Viewer)

Irene Boston · Nov 9, 2009

A recent visit to Holy Island got me thinking in an idle moment about 'dream' houses for birders, or I suppose it should be dream locations for houses... So which house have you seen that you've thought would be a cracking spot to live, especially during migration?

To start things off, here's a few of my Holy Island favourites:

The bungalow down the Crooked Lonnen - what a garden list that one must have!
The Snook (Roller on the garden list...)
The Vicarage (for obvious reasons!) A tent in the garden I suppose would be just as good...
Skylark Cottage - a holiday cottage on the main road in with tons of cover in the garden (Common Rosefinch and Leo being garden ticks there previously).

Irene

Monahawk · Nov 9, 2009

Well I rather liked the late Derek Jarman's eccentric abode at Dungeness in Kent. What an amazing, unique location Dungeness is. Good birding spot, narrow guage steam railway, great fish and chips oh and a bloody great nuclear power station thrown in for good measure. [I'm not pro nucler by the way].

Last visited there in 2002. Hope it hasn't changed much.

Farnboro John · Nov 9, 2009

This has been my house for years. Unfortunately every time I visit Scilly I discover it is also a lot of other birders' house...... when one of us wins the lottery!

For those who don't recognise it instantly, its on the hairpin bend up Porthloo Lane on St Mary's. It overlooks Porthloo beach, the Hughtown harbour and The Roads, looking westwards to the Bishop, Annet, Samson etc. right round over Bryher, Tresco, St Martin's.... a commanding view. The terraced garden is nice enough but there are also views into fields and rough scrub and coastline. The big porthole style windows protect the swimming pool.

Possibly the best migration house......in the world.

And its mine. One day. So there.

John

POP · Nov 9, 2009

In the old days a house near Wisbech sewage farm would have had a certain "aroma" about it.Waders galore.

POP

Joseph N · Nov 9, 2009

Ideally I'd like to get a place in Norfolk, preferrably on the North Norfolk Coast where I have both the sea and great bushes and trees for passerine migrants surrounding me (the bushes would be in the garden). Don't know where exactly but its a reasonable aim for the very distant future (I am only 15 right now).

joannec · Nov 9, 2009

Monahawk said:
Well I rather liked the late Derek Jarman's eccentric abode at Dungeness in Kent. What an amazing, unique location Dungeness is. Good birding spot, narrow guage steam railway, great fish and chips oh and a bloody great nuclear power station thrown in for good measure. [I'm not pro nucler by the way].

Last visited there in 2002. Hope it hasn't changed much.

Well, Dunge hasn't changed much if at all. I get there on average about once a month............wouldn't want to live there though despite the great birds; it's just toooooo bleak.

So many great locations. I've always fancied the old Coastguard cottages at Cuckmere Haven, Sussex, a good migration spot.........trouble is they are due to fall into the sea at some point.

EDIT: Just to add my Spoonbill avatar was photographed in sight of the cottages.

Sancho · Nov 9, 2009

The entire Lighthouse complex (now unmanned) at the tip of Loop Head, County Clare. Not just for the birds. Also, as I´d go off to sleep at night, to feel the sea thump off the cliffs hundreds of feet below in a good storm.

JTweedie · Nov 9, 2009

I don't have an exact house in mind, but I'd love one on the coast close enough to a beach for daily walks, but far enough back to be OK during sea level rise! It's got to be quite near (walking distance) a headland teeming with seabirds, have a river running along behind the house with a wooded hill up behind this sheltering the house and providing an endless stream of woodland birds into the house's garden (which has got to be really big to allow for a pond) and the building should be old enough to have annual Swallows or House Martin's nesting. I also like the idea of an open balcony so that I could do some astronomy as well in addition to being a good place for a spotting scope when I want to have an easy day!

Not asking for much, I know! I'm sure just such a house should exist on Mull or somewhere like it.

Monahawk · Nov 9, 2009

Sancho said:
The entire Lighthouse complex (now unmanned) at the tip of Loop Head, County Clare. Not just for the birds. Also, as I´d go off to sleep at night, to feel the sea thump off the cliffs hundreds of feet below in a good storm.

Hmmm. Yes a lighthouse seems very appealing. Birdwatching and cetacean watching galore. Wonderful.:t:

Helsinki Birder · Nov 9, 2009

Theres a few places id love to get my hands on. The renovated castle in baltimore is amazing.

The house with the sycamores at the end of ballycotton boreen....or anywhere in ballycotton village for that matter.

Owen

xmeecosmic · Nov 11, 2009

One hundred miles north of the California border in the forested and coastal town of Bandon, Oregon a home on the cliff overlooking Table Rock. Agates, breciated jasper, petrified wood, fossilzed shells, and birds, birds, birds...

Mysticete · Nov 12, 2009

Madera Canyon, in Southeast Arizona. I doubt there is a place in the US with such a huge diversity of reptiles, mammals, and birds in such close proximity. And that doesn't even count all the vagrant birds from Mexico that show up!

Irene Boston · Nov 12, 2009

Joseph N said:
Ideally I'd like to get a place in Norfolk, preferrably on the North Norfolk Coast where I have both the sea and great bushes and trees for passerine migrants surrounding me (the bushes would be in the garden). Don't know where exactly but its a reasonable aim for the very distant future (I am only 15 right now).

Well, although I live in Norfolk, I don't live on the coast but slightly inland and I still have a few Norfolk houses where I envy their location.

The house on the east side of the reedbed at Thornham harbour - huge garden right on the northern side of the village.
Halfway House, Blakeney Point or...
The lifeboat station / warden's house on the point itself
Meals House, Holkham Pines

to name but a few!

Irene

POP · Nov 12, 2009

Mysticete said:
Madera Canyon, in Southeast Arizona. I doubt there is a place in the US with such a huge diversity of reptiles, mammals, and birds in such close proximity. And that doesn't even count all the vagrant birds from Mexico that show up!

A magic place.

POP

POP · Nov 12, 2009

Irene Boston said:
Well, although I live in Norfolk, I don't live on the coast but slightly inland and I still have a few Norfolk houses where I envy their location.

The house on the east side of the reedbed at Thornham harbour - huge garden right on the northern side of the village.
Halfway House, Blakeney Point or...
The lifeboat station / warden's house on the point itself
Meals House, Holkham Pines

to name but a few!

Irene

Bit of a trudge to the shops though Irene.

POP

Chris D · Nov 12, 2009

SE Queensland, Australia. Might not be 'fire-safe' - but a 2 story house with a covered deck on the second story. Native plants reaching up to deck level. All those great birds. Have a few hanging (because of ants) feeders with sweets, meats, seeds. Still - my favorite birds on the planet.

Steve Babbs · Nov 12, 2009

A house in Vancouver is quite appealing. Good migration spots, nice city, fantastic scenery nearby, whales and a short flight and you're birding in Asia.

postcardcv · Nov 13, 2009

A freind lives in Salthouse with views out over the marshes to the sea, it's a stunning location (I love birding at Salthouse and the surrounding areas)... and they've seen over 250 species from the house/garden. I could happily live there.

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