Anyone going out for the day Birdwatching on Christmas Day? (1 Viewer)

[IAN JAMES THOMPSON]

I’m very curious to know if anyone instead of celebrating Christmas Day, is going out Birdwatching for the whole day on the 25th December. Just to say I won’t be Birdwatching on the 25th December as I’ll be away from home for a few days staying at relatives.
Ian

 

[Stonefaction]

I won't be going birding for the whole day, but as I have a 3 mile walk to work to do regardless (and back again later, but that will be in the dark), I'm contemplating leaving earlier than required and taking a slightly more 'birdy' route. Weather dependent though. Won't expect to see anything too great, though a few years ago now I did go for a birding walk around Dundee on Christmas Day and found a Red Throated Diver with a damaged wing & a 'Sinensis' Cormorant. Needless to say, I'd left the 'good' camera gear at home.....(did get pics though).

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

I'll keep an on the garden birds in the morning, whist knocking up some scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. Then it's off up to my parents for dinner.

Rich

 

[Paul Chapman]

I always used to grab a few hours birding first thing in the morning on Christmas Day but its been too long. I suspect that this year, I could resurrect that. My last tick on Christmas Day was a Black-throated Diver on Nazeing Gravel Pits in 1987. Still remember tucking myself in by a water run off with my camera and it surfacing next to me. With modern equipment, that would have been even more fun.

All the best

Paul

 

[Julie50]

We always go caravanning - in our little Eriba. So definitely birding for me upto the point when the sun passes the yard arm

 

[mark clements]

I always used to when I lived overseas, but now I am back in the UK I am expected to be more 'people oriented' and mingle with family...
Guess what I'd rather be doing!

 

[Farnboro John]

I might get out on Christmas Day, if only because we are "doing Christmas" on the Eve as my brother's wife is working at the hospital on the Day.

There is a much higher chance of me getting on here though!

John

 

[Lerxst]

Will be birding on St Bartolomé island in the Galapagos on Xmas. Hoping to get penguins there.

 

[angusmcoatup]

I’ll be working Christmas Day which means a bit of birding in a park on the way there and some woodland walking to family on the way back. Usually hope for a Firecrest, occasionally a patch tick duck, and increasingly a Buzzard or Red Kite.

 

[Steve Lister]

Without any family to celebrate Christmas with I just treat it as any other day and weather-permitting I hope to be out and about. Not sure where yet.

Steve

 

[Mike Crawley]

I would normally try to get out along the River Mersey where I live but new grand daughter, trumps any birding time - this year, at least

 

[JakeM]

i don't do Christmas, so weather permitting i expect to be out birding....

 

[Paul Longland]

Hmmm. Aside from looking out the window or gazing up at the trees during a post dinner walk on the park I think that any suggestion of going out birding would be the fast lane to the divorce courts or the spare bedroom or sofa for a few weeks at the least.3

 

[WACCOE]

Working 12 hour days.

 

[Nutcracker]

Forecast is for wet'n'windy, so probably not . . .

 

[Euan Buchan]

No I don't go Birding at Christmas I'll be too busy I'm generally quite busy seeing family and friends so I have a little break from going out Birding apart from looking at birds in the garden. I sometimes go out on Hogmanay and see what will be my last bird of the year will be before it gets dark. On New Years Day I watch birds in the garden see what will be my first birds of the year.

 

[mark clements]

Ok now its dark, went out, got wet, got blown away, saw very little, and nothing of note. 250+ mixed corvids, flock of mixed finches and tits, mixed garden birds, a few gulls, and farmland stuff.
Hope Jan 1 is better, for the count.
H

 

[dantheman]

Restricted to looking out of the window occasionally ... Jan 1st should be quite different!!


Some minorly fun quiz questions (most should still be generally non-Cornwall) for something a little different -

http://www.cbwps.org.uk/cbwpsword/christmas-day-quiz-2017/

 

[Stonefaction]

Well, the reasonable weather forecast disappeared overnight and became persistent (heavy-ish) rain all day, so 3.6 miles to work in the rain produced a grand total of just 12 species, and as I came out of work to head home again in the dark a skein of Pink Footed Geese could just be seen illuminated by the lights of the buildings, taking the total to 13. Helped pass the 55 minute walk on the way there anyway.

Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Dunnock, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Long Tailed Tit, Pink Footed Geese, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon. A possible Peregrine and Mistle Thrush also seen, but too far away/no binoculars to be sure.

 

[Helsinki Birder]

Yep, however Christmas day here isn't as important as Christmas Eve. Great birding had though.

http://helhathnobirdies.blogspot.fi/2017/12/christmas-crackers.html?m=1

Owen