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How much birding do you do? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter birdman
- Start date
Katy Penland
Well-known member
Because I graduated from a literal waterhole to a small rock-lined pond this summer, our yard birds are more numerous if not more varied -- yet. I missed spring migration this past year 'cause I was in Germany and Wales (and got 101 lifers, Birdman!!! -- All thanks to two BirdForum members, one in each country) and birding there for the first time. This coming spring, I imagine our neotropic migrants will be even better with the bigger water source. The winter birds are sure loving it -- especially the robins and juncos who crowd in almost two dozen at a time to bathe. Even though I have to break the ice on the surface first. Brrrrrrrrrrr...
But to answer your question -- I think I probably average about 10 hours a week, 7 of which are spent watching the yard and surrounding 2.5 acres of our property (we have 102 species for the yard list for the two years I've lived here). I probably take 3-4 organized birding trips a year with the local Audubon chapter or other out-of-state friends, and some of those trips are 3-4 days long. I also get sent on at least one two-week international trip per year (for whale conservation stuff) and manage to cram in birding jaunts wherever I end up. I have no idea how to average those hours over the course of a year, but it might bring up my weekly average to, what, 12-15 hours?
Whatever it is, it's not NEARLY enough!
And may I just take the opportunity to say how much I enjoy you UK birding folks on this forum. You guys are the best, your sense of community is enviable, I've learned sooooo much about various aspects of birding (I am in constant awe of Michael Frankis), and you all never fail to provide a chuckle every day. Although you also make me occasionally drag out my Britspeak dictionary 'cause I haven't a clue what you're rabbitin' on about.
And I still have no smilies column. :-(
Happy holidays to all!
Katy
But to answer your question -- I think I probably average about 10 hours a week, 7 of which are spent watching the yard and surrounding 2.5 acres of our property (we have 102 species for the yard list for the two years I've lived here). I probably take 3-4 organized birding trips a year with the local Audubon chapter or other out-of-state friends, and some of those trips are 3-4 days long. I also get sent on at least one two-week international trip per year (for whale conservation stuff) and manage to cram in birding jaunts wherever I end up. I have no idea how to average those hours over the course of a year, but it might bring up my weekly average to, what, 12-15 hours?
Whatever it is, it's not NEARLY enough!And may I just take the opportunity to say how much I enjoy you UK birding folks on this forum. You guys are the best, your sense of community is enviable, I've learned sooooo much about various aspects of birding (I am in constant awe of Michael Frankis), and you all never fail to provide a chuckle every day. Although you also make me occasionally drag out my Britspeak dictionary 'cause I haven't a clue what you're rabbitin' on about.
And I still have no smilies column. :-(
Happy holidays to all!
Katy
Not enough would be the first answer to spring into my mind as I recently became a Dad and my daughter doesn't respond to " there's an Iceland Gull in Telford !! " ... so my birding time has been reduced quite abit . But I guess I still manage somewhere around 5 - 10 hours per week , but in the Autumn I was out for 2 - 5 hours 4 - 6 days per WEEK !!! Ive managed 197 species this year and 109 species at my local patch , so not bad I guess .... roll on 2004 !!!
Gill Osborne
Well-known member
WHOOPPEE!!!!! Red Kites at the MetroCentre!!! All of a sudden shopping doesn't seem to be too much of an ordeal!!!
Seriously though, great that they are attempting to reintroduce them up here...but I can't help feeling that it's a bit too easy a tick!!! Perhaps given a couple of years and, fingers crossed, them breeding up here under their own steam then I might not feel that I'm ticking a 'domestic' bird!!! I know they aren't domestic as such and ARE real wild birds...I think it was Michael who mentioned the phrase 'Tarts Tick' a few weeks ago as referring to a bird that is too easy to see!!! Just have to book up a holiday to Wales to tick them off properly!!!
Was a bit like in March this year...we went up to Scotland(Edinburgh, Oban & Fort William) and I saw my first Scottish Red Deer. Although I've seen them many times in the Lake District and at Leighton Moss they just looked 'properly' at home and in the 'right' enviroment up on the Scottish mountains!!!
GILL XXX
Seriously though, great that they are attempting to reintroduce them up here...but I can't help feeling that it's a bit too easy a tick!!! Perhaps given a couple of years and, fingers crossed, them breeding up here under their own steam then I might not feel that I'm ticking a 'domestic' bird!!! I know they aren't domestic as such and ARE real wild birds...I think it was Michael who mentioned the phrase 'Tarts Tick' a few weeks ago as referring to a bird that is too easy to see!!! Just have to book up a holiday to Wales to tick them off properly!!!
Was a bit like in March this year...we went up to Scotland(Edinburgh, Oban & Fort William) and I saw my first Scottish Red Deer. Although I've seen them many times in the Lake District and at Leighton Moss they just looked 'properly' at home and in the 'right' enviroment up on the Scottish mountains!!!
GILL XXX
Strictly speaking I suppose the answer to that ought to be the point at which they get admitted to category C of the British List, i.e. the point at which the introduced population can be deemed to be fully self-sustaining. However, I don't know anyone that waited that long before starting to tick the W. Scotland White-tailed Eagles - or the Red Kites for that matter.
Jason
Jason
Gill Osborne
Well-known member
I would have thought that if they are NOT wing-tagged then they are wild-bred (terminology correct?) so they are tickable.
It's a bit, to me anyway, the same as the ospreys at Rutland Water and the ones at Bassenthwaite Lake...weren't the Rutland Water ones introduced to the area whereas the Bassenthwaite ones arrived there under their own steam? Are they both classed as 'wild' or are the Rutland ones classed as reintroduced? A 'pencil' tick?????
GILL XXX
It's a bit, to me anyway, the same as the ospreys at Rutland Water and the ones at Bassenthwaite Lake...weren't the Rutland Water ones introduced to the area whereas the Bassenthwaite ones arrived there under their own steam? Are they both classed as 'wild' or are the Rutland ones classed as reintroduced? A 'pencil' tick?????
GILL XXX
k.k.stevenson1
Well-known member
Hi Jill.You seem to have started something with your tick or not but the bird mite have been tagged in the wild. All the best Ken.
Michael Frankis
conehead
The Rutland Ospreys are tricky . . . there's two pairs there I gather, one pair is two released birds, but the other pair is a released male which succeeded in attracting down a passing wild female - so one of the four Rutland Ospreys IS tickable, but how do you know which one? :h?:
And by next yesr there'll probably be more released birds to sort through too (but perhaps more wild ones as well . . . . )
Michael
And by next yesr there'll probably be more released birds to sort through too (but perhaps more wild ones as well . . . . )
Michael
Gill Osborne
Well-known member
Ah ha...so the Rutland Ospreys are only one-quarter wild!!! Better head up here to see the real wild ones at Bassenthwaite!!!
Only joking....any osprey is a good osprey to me!
GILL XXXX
Only joking....any osprey is a good osprey to me!
GILL XXXX
Well, since we have moved so much in the past couple of years, we haven't really settled in on a routine yet....
When we were living in Arizona we were getting out to the Chiracauhuas every weekend in search of the elusive Trogon and rare hummingbirds......
In England last year, I tried to get out to the New Forest as much as I could, but it ended up not being very much.
Now, back in New Mexico, we've been so busy with buying our first house and setting it up that we've done hardly any.
But, for me, the passive bird watching is always there....the titmice and juncos and jays and flickers in the junipers in the backyard i watch from my bedroom window first thing in the morning til it gets dark.
Skiing is also a chance to watch the alpine winterers every time I'm on the lift, chickadees and Clark's Nutcrackers and all the little arboreal birds.
So, I don't think i could say hours per week, but I can definitely say I watch lots of birds every week!
I've had the luxury of getting PAID to birdwatch all day before too.......as an archaeologist, I've taken some jobs where all I have to do all day is monitor construction crews, and often, when they were stopped I;ve been able to skip across the road and find a nice spot and watch for a few hours (or more) for weeks at a time.
Anyways, those days are over for now as I'm working in the office doing writing for now.
Cheers, Sarah.
When we were living in Arizona we were getting out to the Chiracauhuas every weekend in search of the elusive Trogon and rare hummingbirds......
In England last year, I tried to get out to the New Forest as much as I could, but it ended up not being very much.
Now, back in New Mexico, we've been so busy with buying our first house and setting it up that we've done hardly any.
But, for me, the passive bird watching is always there....the titmice and juncos and jays and flickers in the junipers in the backyard i watch from my bedroom window first thing in the morning til it gets dark.
Skiing is also a chance to watch the alpine winterers every time I'm on the lift, chickadees and Clark's Nutcrackers and all the little arboreal birds.
So, I don't think i could say hours per week, but I can definitely say I watch lots of birds every week!
I've had the luxury of getting PAID to birdwatch all day before too.......as an archaeologist, I've taken some jobs where all I have to do all day is monitor construction crews, and often, when they were stopped I;ve been able to skip across the road and find a nice spot and watch for a few hours (or more) for weeks at a time.
Anyways, those days are over for now as I'm working in the office doing writing for now.
Cheers, Sarah.
Edward woodwood
Member
changed a lot over last fifteen years.....
most weekends and evenings when it's light.
I've worked abroad with a more civilised working day allowing birding until 3 or 5 in afternoon.
plus a few long trips when time allows (2 months etc)
never enough though - I could spend my life birding and playing football (with headphones on as I love music too) and a glass of good wine in my hand.....what a life that would be!
most weekends and evenings when it's light.
I've worked abroad with a more civilised working day allowing birding until 3 or 5 in afternoon.
plus a few long trips when time allows (2 months etc)
never enough though - I could spend my life birding and playing football (with headphones on as I love music too) and a glass of good wine in my hand.....what a life that would be!
Well when I retire... Right now it is about -10 Farenheit out there and it is black before I get out of work. I manage to look out at teh feeders in the morning before I have to head out, but even then we only have a half hour of light before I have to leave. Weekends are lost to other work. But come the spring migration I will be out for a couple of days a month. Hmmm. Maybe that's why my list so far this year is only at 16...
Steve Lister
Senior Birder, ex County Recorder, Garden Moths.
One of the useless things that I record is how much birding I do each day, and total it each month and year.
In 2002 I did 1345 hours of birding, and in 2003 I resolved to do more, ending up with 1352 hours. That's time out actually in the field.
Steve
In 2002 I did 1345 hours of birding, and in 2003 I resolved to do more, ending up with 1352 hours. That's time out actually in the field.
Steve
Tux
Member
Unfortunately, I haven't done any serious birding for several months now. Most of my serious birding is done with the local bird club. So on average, thats about one Saturday a month. I'm a college student and have a job, so there's not a whole lot of free time to for the more serious type of birding yet.birdman said:
gkrpepper
Well-known member
poll
Please define birding. What if I watch the birds in my backyard while drinking coffee, tea, or beer on the patio with handbook, binos, and camera close by?
What if i take a ride to the beach to fish, but on my way there stop to watch a flock of Robins, or redwinged Blackbirds, along the road ?
Do I actually have to get up in the morning and make a plan to find some species? Or drive 3 hours to maybe see a Gray Flycatcher that is out of his area?
Anyway, I spent a lot of time birding my way of looking at it, at least 20 to 30 hours a week easily. I am just not as serious as you guys, but i just got into it, so give me time.
Happy Birding
Gunter
Please define birding. What if I watch the birds in my backyard while drinking coffee, tea, or beer on the patio with handbook, binos, and camera close by?
What if i take a ride to the beach to fish, but on my way there stop to watch a flock of Robins, or redwinged Blackbirds, along the road ?
Do I actually have to get up in the morning and make a plan to find some species? Or drive 3 hours to maybe see a Gray Flycatcher that is out of his area?
Anyway, I spent a lot of time birding my way of looking at it, at least 20 to 30 hours a week easily. I am just not as serious as you guys, but i just got into it, so give me time.
Happy Birding
Gunter
Michael Frankis
conehead
Hi Gunter,
Michael
PS Welcome to Bird Forum!
Looking at birds. As seriously, or non-seriously, as you like. You're in!gkrpepper said:
Michael
PS Welcome to Bird Forum!
I vary according to season. I'm quite into listing (shame on me!) so I try and get all the resident and regular wintering stuff as quickly as possible in January; as well as any lingering vagrants from the December gone (this January was amazing!!!).
I can then enjoy finding my own birds and twitching my favourites or lifers.
In February, March and early April I tend to do my own thing trying to avoid other people and just enjoying watching birds. By the end of April I'm pretty much just following the pager to get the regular spring overshoots (ie Wryneck, Bluethroat etc).
This continues pretty much into early June and then I like to get back to watching birds by myself again. So I usually go camping in Scotland or Cornwall with my girlfriend and a few friends and go birding quite lightly maybe a morning seawatch at Porthgwarra or something like that.
In September and October I usually just twitch but my favourite twitches are those to places like Filey or Flamborough where I can arrive at dawn see what I came for then spend the rest of the day pottering around doing my own thing and hopefully finding an Eastern Crowned Leaf Warbler (it will happen!!!)
November and December are similar to Feb and March with geese and flocks of wader high up on my favourites list.
I don't know about 2003, but in 2002 I was out on 170+ dates. I definitely did more in 2003.
I can then enjoy finding my own birds and twitching my favourites or lifers.
In February, March and early April I tend to do my own thing trying to avoid other people and just enjoying watching birds. By the end of April I'm pretty much just following the pager to get the regular spring overshoots (ie Wryneck, Bluethroat etc).
This continues pretty much into early June and then I like to get back to watching birds by myself again. So I usually go camping in Scotland or Cornwall with my girlfriend and a few friends and go birding quite lightly maybe a morning seawatch at Porthgwarra or something like that.
In September and October I usually just twitch but my favourite twitches are those to places like Filey or Flamborough where I can arrive at dawn see what I came for then spend the rest of the day pottering around doing my own thing and hopefully finding an Eastern Crowned Leaf Warbler (it will happen!!!)
November and December are similar to Feb and March with geese and flocks of wader high up on my favourites list.
I don't know about 2003, but in 2002 I was out on 170+ dates. I definitely did more in 2003.
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