Ross Ahmed's Self Found 2008 (1 Viewer)

Right, been meaning to start this since 1st Jan, and I'm now taking the opportunity to do so while I have half a chance. In this thread, I would like to diarise my 2008 self-found list i.e. all birds I find myself this year.

I reckon self-finding birds is a real challenge but one which is very rewarding. It's often quite difficult differentiating between what is a self-find and not, but I use Punkbirder rules as a guideline.

The year started in January with a few decent local birds (e.g. Pomarine Skua and Greenshank), and a trip to Norfolk (WC Sparrow twitch) bumped the list up well. Best 'find' (found out later it had already been seen way back in Nov 2007, but I can still count this according to 'genuine surprise'/'no reports for a period of time' rules) in January was a Water Pipit at St Mary's Island, Northumberland.

February and most of March however, were completely wiped out with work commitments but things are starting to get back at the time of writing with a few new birds in past days. Currently the list is on 131 (I think), with the end of year target somewhere in the region of 210-220 - quite a tall order!

Here's to a good spring!

Some useful additions in past week incl. Red Kite and Marsh Harrier over farmland near Market Weighton in East Yorkshire, plus 3 Black-tailed Godwit nearby at North Cave Wetlands.

Managed to get in on the impressive Whooper Swan movement with a group of 21 at Derwent Reservoir, Durham. A few commoner species added incl Tawny Owl, Sand Martin and Chiffchaff.

Still need to count list but must be nearing 140 now.

Previous Years Totals

Just to add a bit of background, here's a list of pevious years totals:

2005 - 208
2006 - 172
2007 - 200

In the summer of last year I set myself the near impossible, or at least very difficult, target of a self-found life list (UK-BOU) of 270 by end of 2008. At that time my list stood at 257 i.e. I needed 13 species to reach 270.

The 13 species I felt most likely to be added are listed below:

1. Green-winged Teal

2. Ring-necked Duck

3. Surf Scoter

4. Black-necked Grebe

5. Bittern

6. Red Kite

7. Spotted Crake

8. White-rumped Sandpiper

9. Pectoral Sandpiper

10.Ring-necked Parakeet

11.Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

12.Marsh Warbler

13.Caspian Gull

Over half a year later, my list now stands at 259 (!) with both of the two species added appearing in the above list - Bittern and Red Kite.

A tasty addition this morning in the form of a summer plumage Black-throated Diver past Whitburn Obs.

Plenty of common summer migrant in recent days also, but yet to total up list. I reckon it's probably above 140 now.

List stands at 141 including addition yesterday of a Scaup at Budle Bay, Northumberland.

Iceland Gull today at Belford, Northumberland puts list at 142. Wonder how long I can keep up daily additions.

Willow Warbler (Budle Bay, Northumberland) on 13th and Whimbrel (Blyth, Northumberland) yesterday kept up the tick per day theme.

Today's additions were both Green and Common Sandpiper at Whittle Dene Reservoirs, Northumberland - taking me to 146.

This total takes me 2 ahead of work colleague Paul Massey (see Surfbirds 2008 Self Found Year Lists Rankings).

No additions on 16th but back track yesterday with 5 Brambling (near Market Weighton, Yorks), and today with Yellow Wagtail (Great Carlton, Lincs).

Brings list to 148.

And another from today (yesterday now!) - House Martin at Covenham Reservoir, Lincs (149). What a crazy site this is, expected a small concrete-sided tub of water when when I popped my head over the wall. Got the concrete-sided bit right, but not the small bit - was shocked to see a huge expanse of water!

Wonder what 150 might be?

I reckon three most likely (taking into account where I'm headed next), are Ruff, LRP or Sedge Warbler.

Hit the 150 mark today in fine style today with a cracking male Redstart near Longhorsley, Northumberland

More incoming summer visitors tonight to put list on 152 - Grasshopper Warbler and Cuckoo - both near Causey Park, Northumberland.

A trip to Lewis via Speyside over weekend/next week will hopefully bump up the list, but the big prize will be a self-found White-billed Diver.....

Sedge Warbler today near Causey Park, Northumberland put list 153

Speyside

Jumped straight into the action in Speyside (Sat am) with a hike up Cairngorm for Ptarmigan. This is a species which you just need to see, as opposed to 'find', according Punkbirder rules (due to their highly sedentary nature). New for the year was a Ring Ouzel, but as I ascended it became increasingly more difficult to stand up in wind, and trying to use optics in the rain was pointless. I was about the give up when I noticed two trekkers 'off-roading' it down the side of a slope. Figured this was going to be my best bet for a 'tarmee', and eventually yes, they flushed one. Great moment! A good, but very wet start. Next up was a trip along Findhorn Valley, where in fact I in spent the rest of the afternoon. It was at this point where I started to run in to difficulties in regards what exactly I could count as self-find. A check of the 'rules' revealed I was not allowed to count the juv Golden Eagle seen (must be found away from traditional areas), but I could count the 4 Ravens. Not a bad day.

And so into Sunday, and a visit to Abernethy Forest for Capercaillie and Crested Tit (the same rules apply for these species as Ptarmigan). Surprisingly, it was the latter species which took the most finding but I eventually saw one, but just one! The lekking 'Capers' were on top form for all comers - I saw at least one male. Unfortunately, none of the 4 Ospreys or the Slavonian Grebe could be counted as self-finds, as all were in traditional areas.

Headed to the coast between Lossiemouth and Nairn in the afternoon, keen to have a crack at locating one of the three prize seabirds - White-billed Diver, Surf Scoter and King Eider. Plenty of Great Northerns, a few Common Scoter and small numbers of Eider, but no joy finding in one of the big three. Masses of Long-tailed Ducks were a new self find for the year, as were the Hooded Crows which seemed to gradually replace Carrions as I drove west along the coast, with Lossiemouth apparently an inter-grade zone where a hybrid was seen.

The final tick of the day was on the incredible Inverness to Ullapool route. As I was grabbing a look at an immaculate Black-throated Diver on a roadside loch, a male Black Grouse appeared close to the car.

Stunning scenery, cracking weather and even better birds. A memorable couple of days in fantastic part of the world. In true self-finding spirit, would love to return to this area and search the high tops for undiscovered pairs of Dotteral and something very special like a Snowy Owl, or bring along some sound recording equipment and nail some Parrot Crossbills - hopefully one day soon!

So.....after much checking of the rules, I believe that little lot leaves the list at a healthy 161 and second place in the super-tight Surfbirds rankings.

Daily ticks so far on a week-long visit to Lewis, although no rares so far (and certainly no WB Divers!). Will report at end of week.

I was thinking today about the easier birds I still need. Perhaps the easiest is Little Owl, and I thought to myself, 'all I need to do is run down to Trow Quarry to see the resident pair' - Trow Quarry being 5mins from my house. But hang on a second, would these count as a self-find......?

Punkbirder rules state that with long staying birds which may not be reported or go unseen for quite long periods, 'discretion must be used' when claiming a self find. So if I used discretion in this case, I probably wouldn't be able to count these as a self-find. But hang on another sec, as far as I am aware (stand to be corrected), I was first to see Little Owl at this site in the late 90s, and therefore could I re-find a previous self-find?!

Confused yet? Enough ramblings for now I think.

Lewis 28th April-3rd May

The classic Scottish Highlands birding continued on Lewis, with ticks almost on arrival - Bonxie (162) and Twite (163). The rules allowed me Black Guillemot (164), but worked against me with some of Lewis' other star birds. The White-tailed Eagle and Corncrake seen, were both birds which needed to be found away from traditional areas, so new self finds were became limited to Manx Shearwater (165) and Arctic Tern (166).

A better quality find on 1st May were 2 Common Redpolls (167). After seeing one of the lingering birds off Port Nis, much of the last two day's birding was spent searching for the main target - White-billed Diver. The Tiumpan Head area seemed like the best bet, and despite endless Great Northerns (50+), the sight of an ivory bill eluded me. Both Little (168) and Common Terns (169) were however found in the search.

New birds today were Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat and Swift to take list to 172. This therefore equals my 2006 total!

I put a lot of effort in today and it was disappointing not to find anything more interesting, in a day that had potential written all over it.

To be more exact, I put in 10 hours today, and so far in May I have totalled 15 hours of birding. In April, I totalled just 38hrs of time devoted solely to birding - what a shocker! I did however mix some birding with work.

Plenty of birding hours in recent days as seen many of the commoner summer visitors now mopped up. Scarcities have been harder to come by however, with a Wood Sandpiper at Druridge Pools and a Spotted Redshank on the Tees Marshes being the best.

List on 183 - top of Surfbirds rankings as it currently stands.

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184 today was a Little Ringed Plover at Bothal Pond.

New today were a pair of Garganey at Monk's House Pool, Seahouses