Green Listing 2021 - Joint thread (1 Viewer)

[Richard Prior]

It’s (probably) on my Green List for 1980 which was the only time I have ever been to the Balearics, I remember on a walk from our accommodation to the Boquer valley on Mallorca, watching a Spotted Flycatcher with a large butterfly in its Bill, feebly flapping its wings (the butterfly, not the bird ). It was end of May though, so a migrating ‘normal’ Spotted Flycatcher would still h@ve been possible I suppose. Good job I’m not an obsessive lister............

 

[Xenospiza]

It's on my definitely-not-green Corsica list: breeding inside the Figari Airport arrivals hall!

Lesser Whitethroat today.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Three additions for me in the last two days but no additions for the overall lists amongst them:-

101 - Guillemot - 26th April
102 - Ringed Plover - 27th April
103 - Red-legged Partridge - 27th April

Now 103 of my 117 Patch Yearlist either from the garden or on foot.

All the best

Paul

 

[Colin Conroy]

It’s (probably) on my Green List for 1980 which was the only time I have ever been to the Balearics, I remember on a walk from our accommodation to the Boquer valley on Mallorca, watching a Spotted Flycatcher with a large butterfly in its Bill, feebly flapping its wings (the butterfly, not the bird ). It was end of May though, so a migrating ‘normal’ Spotted Flycatcher would still h@ve been possible I suppose. Good job I’m not an obsessive lister............

So did you swim to Mallorca Rich, or canoe there?

 

[Xenospiza]

Let's link to the spreadsheet again: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...k6l70UVaE6-7hJoa_FGKGkrqY/edit#gid=1676269895
I had forgotten that Swift got promoted to my green list on Monday.

 

[Richard Prior]

So did you swim to Mallorca Rich, or canoe there?

Ah, you‘ve got me there, arrived there thanks to a not very green Boeing of some sort I suspect

 

[Xenospiza]

Pied Flycatcher new for Europe (was on my black list), Cuckoo promoted to green list and a nice subspecies in the form of a Grey-headed Wagtail.
Nice to be back on my bike!

 

[Paul Chapman]

Another three additions today with two from a pre-work walk & one from an evening walk:-
104 - Yellow Wagtail - 28th April
105 - Little Ringed Plover - 28th April
106 - Ruff - 28th April

The Yellow Wagtail appears to be a UK addition. Patch yearlist up to 120 and remaining hopes for additions to continue over the next few days with a good turnover of waders on the high tides.

All the best

Paul

 

[Swindon Addick]

There's been a jump in the European list, to 205. Most of the increase is that I realised that when Laurent posted his first long list I only checked it against the global list. There were quite a few species that were on the global list from the UK but were new for the rest of Europe.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Two additions in the last two days:-

107 - Sedge Warbler - 29th April
108 - Sanderling - 30th April

So 108 of 122 in the garden or on foot for the patch yearlist. Still determined to add a seabird or two but efforts have only produced the Guillemot from five or six attempts now. It will happen....

All the best

Paul

 

[Xenospiza]

I found a state rarity today, albeit only a subspecies for the list: a (flavissima) Yellow Wagtail!
One of the more active regional ornithologists was lucky enough to be on site.

 

[Colin Conroy]

A good day's birding yesterday with five new species for my NMT list - Lesser Whitethroat, Cetti's Warbler, House Martin, Greenshank (all long awaited) and (more exciting) a beautiful adult summer plumage Little Gull. This takes me to 136. I also saw a Barnacle Goose - a lone one on a small pond in the middle of farm fields - it flew away but I decided it was safer not to count it. There's a small flock which frequents RSPB Saltholme in the winter which I think are countable so hopefully I'll see them later in the year. Little Gull was new for the UK list (but not the Global one as Laurent has already seen it)

 

[Xenospiza]

Little Gull is nice.
Barnacle Goose is a indeed a difficult one: the feral populations tend to move around in early May when the wild birds leave.

Wood Warbler new for the world list today.

 

[Colin Conroy]

Little Gull is nice.
Barnacle Goose is a indeed a difficult one: the feral populations tend to move around in early May when the wild birds leave.

Wood Warbler new for the world list today.

Thanks. Re Barnacle Geese - would you count feral (but effectively wild) birds, as opposed to birds that might be free-flying but still might really be farm/tame birds? We have a flock up here which is usually here for most of the winter but I think they are of feral origin and spend the summer in North Yorkshire (according to the county bird report anyway). I'm not going to count yesterday's bird but there's a good chance of getting a flock later in the year (in fact it's a bit surprising I've missed them so far)

 

[Swindon Addick]

Thanks. Re Barnacle Geese - would you count feral (but effectively wild) birds, as opposed to birds that might be free-flying but still might really be farm/tame birds? We have a flock up here which is usually here for most of the winter but I think they are of feral origin and spend the summer in North Yorkshire (according to the county bird report anyway). I'm not going to count yesterday's bird but there's a good chance of getting a flock later in the year (in fact it's a bit surprising I've missed them so far)

This is one of the things that's different in different countries. For the purposes of this list we're following the British definition of Category C, i.e. the bird seen has to be from a self-sustaining breeding population, but feral origins aren't a problem in themselves. I suspect most British birders would agree with your instinct - unless there's evidence to the contrary, a flock is likely to be a local self-sustaining population, while an individual is more likely to be an escapee.

 

[Xenospiza]

This is one of the things that's different in different countries. For the purposes of this list we're following the British definition of Category C, i.e. the bird seen has to be from a self-sustaining breeding population, but feral origins aren't a problem in themselves. I suspect most British birders would agree with your instinct - unless there's evidence to the contrary, a flock is likely to be a local self-sustaining population, while an individual is more likely to be an escapee.

I wouldn't count feral or Cat C birds for my own list.
I'll put anything on my patch list though, so I am quite annoyed I have seen a parrot I couldn't identify, haha!

Hobby (to my surprise) new for the world list as well today.

 

[Swindon Addick]

Got my first swallow of the year on Saturday evening and it was at one of the sites I normally walk to ... but disqualified because I'd stopped off while driving home from a football match. Still, the last couple of weekends have boosted the list a bit. Highlight was definitely trying a visit to a patch of woodland I'd always assumed was private but turns out not to be, which rewarded me with a couple of treecreepers and a singing jay. I was completely unaware that they sing, or that they mimic while they're doing it. Most odd.

24 April
49 Whitethroat
50 Song Thrush
1 May
51 Treecreeper
52 Buzzard

 

[Colin Conroy]

Got my first swallow of the year on Saturday evening and it was at one of the sites I normally walk to ... but disqualified because I'd stopped off while driving home from a football match. Still, the last couple of weekends have boosted the list a bit. Highlight was definitely trying a visit to a patch of woodland I'd always assumed was private but turns out not to be, which rewarded me with a couple of treecreepers and a singing jay. I was completely unaware that they sing, or that they mimic while they're doing it. Most odd.

24 April
49 Whitethroat
50 Song Thrush
1 May
51 Treecreeper
52 Buzzard

Yeah, it's really weird seeing a Jay singing. Magpies do it occasionally too, which is even weirder

 

[Paul Chapman]

Nine miles on foot today being out early & then back out on the high tide. Five additions including cracking some seawatching rewards at last after significant efforts recently for little reward:-

109 - Little Stint - 3rd May
110 - Gannet - 3rd May
111 - Pomarine Skua - 3rd May
112 - Arctic Skua - 3rd May
113 - Cuckoo - 3rd May

This seems to be five additions to the UK list with Little Stint, Pomarine Skua & Arctic Skua being world additions as well.

All the best

Paul

 

[Colin Conroy]

Nine miles on foot today being out early & then back out on the high tide. Five additions including cracking some seawatching rewards at last after significant efforts recently for little reward:-

109 - Little Stint - 3rd May
110 - Gannet - 3rd May
111 - Pomarine Skua - 3rd May
112 - Arctic Skua - 3rd May
113 - Cuckoo - 3rd May

This seems to be five additions to the UK list with Little Stint, Pomarine Skua & Arctic Skua being world additions as well.

All the best

Paul

Wow, well done Paul. All of those (except Gannet) will be ones I'll be very pleased to get on my list at all this year (although they are all possible in my area). I'm hoping to add Corn Bunting next weekend with a trip to a likely spot but I think the weekend after will have to be a seawatching trip