First Twitch (1 Viewer)

[DenBee]

I would like to ask a question, who can remember their first twitch and what was it for.

Hi Trev.
My first has to be The European Bee-Eater at Bishop Middleham Quarry Co. Durham, August 11th 2002

Denbee

 

[Binocularface]

Hi

My first twitch was in 1986. I was interested in birds, but didn't know a tremendous amount about them (not much changed there then:eek!: ). I used to go birding (course I called it Bird Watching in them days!) in my local woodland in SW Cornwall and that was it!
Anyway a school mate of mine had a Dad who was a keen birder-twitcher type and he asked if I wanted to Go up to the St Mawes area to see a some rare birds (King Eider and Least Sandpiper!).
So we went! We got nice views of the female King Eider and the Least Sandpiper (at portscathoe I think?). In addition to these (of which I did not knoe the 'value' of) I remember seeing Bewick's Swan (we had to go through a field with a rather aggressive bull in it for these!) and Water Rail!

From this trip on I used to local Patch Marazion Marsh & Hayle Estuary until I moved North to Perthshire. I think (if my memory serves me correctly) my next twitch after the one in 1986 was not until ten years later for the Two Harlequin Ducks at Girvan (course I've been on a fair few twitches since then!!)

Regards
Tristan

 

[cjay]

two Ortolan Buntings at Lowestoft. Don't seem to get many around the country anymore.

CJ

 

[Ashley beolens]

The first I can remember was the Winspit Red-flanked bluetail, what a bird!!
The most memorable part was I was quite young then, and was called to stand by a gate by my dad, as the bird came into view about 10 people pushed in front of me!! can you believ that full grown men pushing a small boy to the back, my dad was livid!!!

 

[Edward woodwood]

I think it was a Greater Sand PLover at Blakeney in the early 80s - I was about 13 and had just twitched Wilson's Phalarope at Cley (spose that was the first then really...Doh!)

the Winspit RFB was my last real twitch Ash!...aside from the Black Lark

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I can remember going to see a Baird's Sand at Salthouse in August 1982, although I was in north Norfolk at the time anyway so it wasn't a real long distance twitch. I think with most of the longer twitches I've been on I ended up dipping, which is maybe why I've never really got into it. The last time I went a long way to see a bird was the Ivory Gull in Suffolk and even that was only because a mate was going.

 

[samuel walker]

I can remember going to see a Baird's Sand at Salthouse in August 1982, although I was in north Norfolk at the time anyway so it wasn't a real long distance twitch. I think with most of the longer twitches I've been on I ended up dipping, which is maybe why I've never really got into it. The last time I went a long way to see a bird was the Ivory Gull in Suffolk and even that was only because a mate was going.

For me the sandhill crane stands as guilty as tall for getting me into this mess.while visiting a new park four years ago the naturalist claimed two cranes were in the wetland area.We wandered back and found the blue herons and great egrets but,no sandhills.Returning home we studied the guides to learn our quarry and returned several times to find them.Since we were so new at birding then each trip caught several other lifers.On about our fourth try we saw the pair wading in the lake. As we stood on shore they both strode over toward us.I was standing about 5 feet to the side of my wife who was wearing a gray parka with a cord belt that was loose.The male gave her a few light pokes with his bill and grabbed the cord and tugged.She was scared but stood firm.She had the camera but was too rigid to do anything.The sandhill was our first twitch that ended up with the bird spitting in our eyes and shouting here I am.It's been a merry journey from that point.
Sam

 

[weather]

Too many to remember!
(Twitching Fool) Is being a twitcher a bad thing?

Mike

 

[Larry Lade]

I just now re-read this thread and thought I might mention that on February 2, 2001 I drove from Saint Joseph, Missouri, to Saint Louis, Missouri, (300 miles) to see a Smew. We (my wife, another lady and I) did not see it that day, but were able to locate it on February the 3rd and add it to our life lists. This was a memorable "twitch".

 

[canadagurl123]

First chase was a Painted Bunting in Victoria.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

My first twitch was the Pied-billed Grebe at Skelton Lake near Leeds, 14 June 1997. About 2 weeks after this I saw my first Black-necked Grebe, Red-necked Grebe took a couple more years to get.

 

[Mysticete]

First twich was a male Lazuli Bunting about an hour from my house, coming in to feeders in Leelanau, Michigan. This was in 2004, and I think this was something like the 3rd record for Michigan.

My last twitch was the Rufous-collared Sparrow in Georgetown, Colorado, this past May. Just barely got the bird before a blizzard set in. Probably will never be officially placed on the Colorado or ABA checklist, unfortunately.

 

[Songkhran]

First twitch was 1987. Went to Pagham Harbour, checked the sightings board and found that a Wilson's Phalarope had been found that morning, so i guess that was the twitch part but later in the day twitched Red-backed Shrike at Selsey and Spotted Crakes at Arundel.

 

[Jan-Paul Charteris]

My first was the Dagenham male Pine Bunting after a long dismal train journey from NW London to Essex when I was in my early teens

 

[Hotspur]

First twitch was 40 miles for a Baird's Sandpiper at Flamborough Head in 2004. Followed it a couple of weeks later with 500+ mile round trip for the Masked Shrike in Fife.

 

[Xenospiza]

My goodness, an almost eight year old thread revived!
First twitch probably was a White-tailed Eagle in 1988. I assume a Snow Goose I saw on a trip in 1987 was a twitch without me being aware that it was.

 

[O.Reville1989]

Before this year I have never twitched a bird outside of Norfolk but my first real rarity was Rustic Bunting at Cley in May 1996, just 2 months after moving to Norfolk from London.
In that same year I would have Dusky warbler and Blyth's Pipit, thank god for older birders being keen to get me into it!

 

[birdboybowley]

First proper long-distance twitch was the Kenfig Pied-billed Grebe on 11/4/87. Went with my Dad and uncles, spent all day looking around at nothing much at all in crap weather, everyone getting moodier (but me being 14, it didn't matter - it was a day out!! Bad moods when twitching would come later...but not that much later! ) The bird finally gave itself up at about 4pm when most others had left and the sun suddenly burst forth - what a cracker it was too!

 

[MichavdB]

My goodness, an almost eight year old thread revived!
First twitch probably was a White-tailed Eagle in 1988. I assume a Snow Goose I saw on a trip in 1987 was a twitch without me being aware that it was.

That same (I assume it was at least) White-tailed Eagle was my first (and one of my last twitches as well. I made my dad drive there, it was about 60 miles each way. I think he was deadly afraid I would get into this twitching thing. He doesn't go birding at all, but when I was visiting home last year he was kind enough to drive me to an area I wanted to bird and actually brought binoculars. Not sure if he used them though.

 

[Mike Montier]

Great thread, loved reading it and having memories of early twitches. Having been a birder since 1972 my first twitch was for Little crake at Seven Sisters or the Brill White-tailed eagle, whichever came first (my notebooks are in another country!) I got them both, then saw another White-tailed but, (confession time) I had not seen Redstart. I got one a few weeks later in the New Forest much to my relief.