Life versus Birding - place your bets here (1 Viewer)

[will bowell]

Well, now that you've mentioned twitching - every year has to have a long-distance drive for a rare gull that just isn't there in it, doesn't it? And I got mine out of the way last Sunday so after my penance of 6 hours in the car and 6 hours in the tedious industrial wasteland, hopefully there's an end to it and the rest of the year will be more productive.

Oh, and while I was there:

89. Dunlin
90. Curlew
91. Mediterranean Gull
92. Oystercatcher

And the real excitement of the day:

93. Canada Goose

I think there was another one, too. What was it, Will, if you're lurking?

That would be Peregrine!

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

That would be Peregrine!

Oops, I think I have already falsely claimed Peregrine on New Year's Day. It was in Cleveland, was it? Darn it, there goes my reputation.

But in that case what else am I missing from NYD? I deliberately didn't claim Marsh Tit as I didn't hear it properly but I'm short if we didn't see the Peregrine then.

 

[deboo]

life v birding eh?.....a question asked on a birdforum. and the answer is?....ha!

good luck with the yearlist helen, i look forward to reading about the tales of your derring do.

xx

dave...

*back to life, back to reality* corny-o dude!

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

Life takes an early lead

... and senility gives it a helping hand.

On Tuesday, I attempted to twitch the Scaup at Ferry Meadows during my lunch hour but realised on arrival that my bins were not in the car. Apparently it was there.

On Friday, I intended to have another go but I was so darn busy at work that I never set foot out of the door and didn't finish till half seven when all the daylight had long gone.

At the weekend, I was supposed to be combining a weekend at the Northamptonshire home of my inamorato with a little trip to Pitsford Reservoir but when he suggested a trip to Bournemouth I succumbed. Plenty of sea and sun but neither netted any new birds except (and aptly ):

94. Shag

and on the home trip:

95. Red Kite

Didn't find time for a lunch break today either so life is still looking the better horse to back.

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

p.s.

I understand there's been a bit of a nice wader in King's Lynn. Please can someone refind it in Cambs on Wednesday. Pretty please.

 

[halftwo]

At least someone had a Shag at the weekend.

I wasn't near the coast.

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

Life not only gets in the way of the birding - it interferes pretty badly with the writing too. Remember last Wednesday anyone? It was foggy in parts. Not in Peterborough from which I optimistically set off to Pitsford with darn near full visibility. But as I wandered merrily along the A14 the mist swirled in and by the time I got to Pitsford the fog had well and truly descended. I could see the road, I could see the railings and I could see about 10 feet of water beyond them. There were a few Gulls, Ducks and Grebes in that 10 feet but none of them out of the ordinary.

So I wandered up and down a bit cussing quietly, exchanged a few pleasantries with a birder who emerged from the mist, heard his aggravating tale of 5 Smew who had flown off into the mist not 10 minutes earlier, and decamped to Tesco for a coffee.

However, a little bit of my longlost birding determination re-emerged and I decided to give it one last go before heading homeward. And the Gods rewarded me - the fog had lifted well enough for me to see right across the water and there in the distance gleaming white with a distinctive punk hairdo was Mr Smew and his Mrs.

96. Smew

I also saw something that I distinctly thought might be a Water Pipit - it was hiding in the verbiage on the causeway banks, moving on twice when I walked abreast of its hiding place. I only saw it in flight but it was brown and pipit-sized with clear white outer tail feathers. You can all now point out to me the obvious common bird that I am trying to string into something more interesting. Thanks.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Interesting verbiage there . Pitsford is a bit of a notorious fog trap. But even in fog it's easy to see Smew in Northants. And Meadow Pipits too of course!

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

Interesting verbiage there . Pitsford is a bit of a notorious fog trap. But even if fog it's easy to see Smew in Northants. And Meadow Pipits too of course!

Oops. My typing gets no better.

But do Meadow Pipits have white outer tail feathers? Collins says not. Oops, yes they do. A week later I have already forgotten what the hell I saw or read. Back to the drawing board.

 

[dantheman]

Nice thread and hope you get a good year total. Any chance of a more relaxing avatar??

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

Nice thread and hope you get a good year total. Any chance of a more relaxing avatar??

Just for you. Serenity restored.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Just for you. Serenity restored.

And, since I've met her, I can assure you all that that really is Helen in her avatar.

 

[edenwatcher]

I worry about you sometimes Dr. W.
So HE2 has only semi-phased, welcome back Helen. Your listing abilities seem to have crumbled though, so 250 - nah.

Rob

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

I worry about you sometimes Dr. W.
So HE2 has only semi-phased, welcome back Helen. Your listing abilities seem to have crumbled though, so 250 - nah.

Rob

It's looking pretty unlikely to me too, Rob. Especially since I've woken up on my day off to find it chucking it down with rain.

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

Quick update to the list before I go to Woodwalton Fen this morning and hopefully add heaps of rarities.

Life and birding went hand in hand for a long walk round Ferry Meadows the weekend before last in the sunshine and managed to get nicely close to a first winter ...

97. Scaup

Fingers crossed for me to make the 100 today, please.

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

What a cracker of a day it is out there. Crisply cold, very still and with that dazzlingly bright sunshine that you only get in winter.

A 3 hour yomp round Woodwalton Fen really reminded me what birding's all about - I virtually had the place to myself and the birds were heaving. Huge flocks of finches and tits, good numbers of thrushes and a couple of nice raptors. Not too much on the duck front since the waters are still pretty frozen here. If I was a duck I think I'd be off on a big fat reservoir somewhere right now where there might still be a runny bit in the middle.

98. Linnet
99. Marsh Harrier
100. Hen Harrier
101. Arctic Redpoll
102. Marsh Tit
103. Treecreeper

250's not looking too likely though, is it? Still nothing in the way of rarities - I can feel the need for a really hectic twitching day coming up.

There have been Mealy Redpoll and Firecrest at Woodwalton in the last week but I couldn't pick out a Mealy try as I might (skill might be an issue here - no, really ). And the dedicated, sinister stalking of a handful of crests over a long period didn't net me anything but the golden kind.

 

[MSA]

101. Arctic Redpoll

Still nothing in the way of rarities.

How times have changed - I've never seen Arctic Redpoll, yet you young(ish) whippersnappers dismiss them as "nothing"?!

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

How times have changed - I've never seen Arctic Redpoll, yet you young(ish) whippersnappers dismiss them as "nothing"?!

Oops. I do apologise. They seem to be annual at Woodwalton Fen and I've seen one twice before hence my lack of excitement. Shall I go back and put it in red or something?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Sounds like a lovely day. It's snow and grey and not very bright here. And the snow's going slushy and unpleasant.

Arctic Redpoll though - very good. Any chance of a description ?

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

Sounds like a lovely day. It's snow and grey and not very bright here. And the snow's going slushy and unpleasant.

Arctic Redpoll though - very good. Any chance of a description ?

Don't you know what they look like?