• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

British List (1 Viewer)

As Britain is a geographical region made up of countries (similar way to Scandinavia) there is no 'need' for anyone to lose birds from their British list when Scotland votes for independence, as Scotland won't physically be going anywhere.
 
Stonefaction said:
As Britain is a geographical region made up of countries (similar way to Scandinavia) there is no 'need' for anyone to lose birds from their British list when Scotland votes for independence, as Scotland won't physically be going anywhere.
Click to expand...

Agreed, they will still be the British Isles, not the English Isles, or anything else, unless they copy Serbia and call England the "Former British Isles Kingdom of England, Wales and Northern Ireland" Or even Engless or some other such nonsense.;)
 
Loads of people keep a British isles list and loads of others (myself included) maintain a British list in the strict sense, I.e. great britain and offshore islands only. But does anyone really do a uk list I.e. gb & ni? Seems like they'd be the only ones affected.
Cheers
James
 
Great Britain is apparently just the island (Scotland/England/Wales). The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the above plus Northern Ireland. The British Isles is all of the above plus the whole of Ireland and all those other islands around the coasts. You can probably get away with calling any list using those definitions as a British list.

The great thing about your lists is you get to make your own rules. My own life list is in effect my British list (never been abroad and only seen 1 bird in England that I haven't in Scotland - Ring Necked Parakeet). I've also got my Scottish/"patch"/home/work and year lists that I keep up to date. If you want to keep (our - just kidding) Scottish birds on your British lists once we get independence, feel free.
 
If / when Scotland gets it's independence, then what about Shetland? I've had it pointed out to me a few times up there ( pointedly in a couple of cases ) "This is Shetland, NOT Scotland"
 
Andy Hurley said:
Agreed, they will still be the British Isles, not the English Isles, or anything else, unless they copy Serbia and call England the "Former British Isles Kingdom of England, Wales and Northern Ireland" Or even Engless or some other such nonsense.;)
Click to expand...
"The Disunited Kingdom of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland without Scotland", or just "The Disunited Kingdom" for short? 3:)
 
Phil Andrews said:
... including Ptarmigan - have there ever been any historic records outside of Scotland? ...
Click to expand...
The Historical Atlas (Holloway 1996) records a specimen from Skiddaw (Cumbria) taken in 1847 as the last English record. Also cites Pennant (1771) and Heysham (1774) as saying "inhabiting the hills around Keswick".
 
Nutcracker said:
"The Disunited Kingdom of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland without Scotland", or just "The Disunited Kingdom" for short? 3:)
Click to expand...

Or, having disposed of the moaning Scots, "The Happy Kingdom" ;)


With the Scots also probably happy for having freed themselves of the whinging poms
 
That could be said of the Western Isles, especially the Outer Hebrides, but it does not change anything, unless they vote to separate Sheltand from the rest of Scotland in an election that is approved by the highhiedyins and gain their independence legally. After all thats what the indepence vote in Scotland is trying to establish.. If Scotland as a whole want to stay in the UK of GB and NI or go it alone. Any further splits would have to be decided separately, but first they need a lobby in Holyrood. Once they realise they will have to pay for their own politicians, from all parties and euro mps if they want to stay in the EU then they will realise that they haven't even got enough people to occupy all the positions, let alone the civil service, coast guard, police, health service etc, etc. But then again, the Faroes manage it.
 
So the effect on the overall list will be a lot less than I imagined. Although a few species like crested tit will suddenly become a lot harder to see, if you're interested in a UK list rather than a British Isles one.

I guess for some people it would at least settle the old debate about whether to go to Shetland or the Scillies.
 
Swindon Addick said:
So the effect on the overall list will be a lot less than I imagined. Although a few species like crested tit will suddenly become a lot harder to see, if you're interested in a UK list rather than a British Isles one.

I guess for some people it would at least settle the old debate about whether to go to Shetland or the Scillies.
Click to expand...

Or whether to count political UK or British Isles. ;)

John
 
It's interesting defining lists by ''state'' boundaries, for eg Shetlands once part of Norway, Alaska once part of Russia, and as for Hawaii is that included in the US (for listing purposes?). Unsure of where Ireland stands..still part of the British Isles? How can the Channel Islands not be included in the British list? It all appears to be somewhat arbitrary...surely seeing the bird well is what it's all about, irrespective of where you see/find them?

Wish it would stop ******* raining!!! Then I could remove my butt from this screen and do some serious birding :)
 
(In reply to nutcracker) none of those is part of the uk (nor are isle of man and the channel islands...). There seems to be an assumed dichotomy between a geographical British Isles list and a political UK list. I've nothing against anyone keeping either of those but am I really the only person who keeps a British list in the true sense, i.e. birds I've seen in Great Britain (plus offshore islands)?
James
 
I keep one too but its not very long, having only birded in Scotland and England on visits. The question is where do you put the cross channel ferry sightings?
 
James Lowther said:
(In reply to nutcracker) none of those is part of the uk (nor are isle of man and the channel islands...). There seems to be an assumed dichotomy between a geographical British Isles list and a political UK list. I've nothing against anyone keeping either of those but am I really the only person who keeps a British list in the true sense, i.e. birds I've seen in Great Britain (plus offshore islands)?
James
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you mean by "a British List in the true sense". Once you include offshore islands you need reasons to exclude the Isle of Man and the island of Ireland, both of which geographically are offshore islands of Great Britain. If you fall back on political UK, which I agree excludes the Isle of Man, Eire and the Overseas Territories, you are obliged to include Northern Ireland which is unmistakably part of "the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".

I've nothing against anyone keeping whatever list they want to, but "in the true sense" is a fairly large claim for a non-logical/non-statutory grouping. What is it you actually mean?

John
 
I keep a British list in line with the BOU. This means I count everything I've seen in England, Scotland, Wales and associated islands (eg Isle of Wight, Scottish Islands etc), but not Isle of Man, Northern Ireland or Channel Islands.

So, I guess when Scotland votes to remain in the Union, nothing will change anyway!

Andy Millar
 
Warning! This thread is more than 10 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

The Robin
British bird check list
Replies
4
Views
699
The Robin
The Robin
J
  • Poll
Do you count heard only birds on your life list?
2 3 4
Replies
70
Views
2K
Lisa W
Lisa W
halftwo
Garden / Yard List 2024
25 26 27
Replies
538
Views
18K
Jos Stratford
Jos Stratford
S
Is Slimbridge wetlands the Mecca of bird spotting in the Uk?😄
2 3
Replies
51
Views
3K
She’ll not av feathers on
S
Bismarck Honeyeater
Strange gaps in British county lists.
2 3
Replies
41
Views
3K
Himalaya
H

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top