Middle-spotted Woodpecker on UK400 Club List (1 Viewer)

[Pete Mella]

I notice the UK 400 Club count a record of MSW in Kent... does anyone know any more about this?

 

[birdboybowley]

One was seen flying in at St Margaret's at Cliffe (and landing in a bush...??) sometime at the end of the last century (how good does that sound...!!?) Late mid-90s perhaps, can't remember exactly

 

[John Cantelo]

This presumably refers to the report of a bird seen on 19th August 1995 at St Margaret's Bay, Dover (- the lighthouse side, not Bockhill). As I recall, it was seen flying along the clifftop just east of the lighthouse - I think it perched on a couple of fenceposts before dropping into the wooded valley below the lighthouse. I'm told the report caused much concern at the Bird Fair (held that w/e) but although birders searched for it wasn't seen again. The original report was made by several good birders experienced with the species, but never accepted by the BBRC,

 

[I Foster]

I seem to remember the news breaking of this bird and we all thought it would never be seen again but a little while later news came through that it had been seen again! I think we were seawatching at Hartlepool at the time and it was agreed if it were seen again we would go for it and go for it we did...Arrived the next morning and found the area huge and not a Cat in Hells chance. Best story though was of a fairly well known birder had fallen asleep under a tree and had woke up to find the bird above him in the very same tree :smoke:

Think we called in for the White-headed duck in Essex on the way home, poss a good move if the BOU do us a favour...

Ian.

 

[hampers]

This presumably refers to the report of a bird seen on 19th August 1995 at St Margaret's Bay, Dover (- the lighthouse side, not Bockhill). As I recall, it was seen flying along the clifftop just east of the lighthouse - I think it perched on a couple of fenceposts before dropping into the wooded valley below the lighthouse. I'm told the report caused much concern at the Bird Fair (held that w/e) but although birders searched for it wasn't seen again. The original report was made by several good birders experienced with the species, but never accepted by the BBRC,

Excuse my ignorance but if the BBRC have never accepted it how can it be on a list?

Phil

 

[DEREK CHARLES]

Did Ian Wallace have one somewhere in the West Midlands? Don't think it was ever submitted? Remember reading about it at some point!

derek

 

[robinm]

Excuse my ignorance but if the BBRC have never accepted it how can it be on a list?

Phil

UK400 have their own rules for acceptance and do not necessarily follow BBRC.

 

[Johnny Allan]

Excuse my ignorance but if the BBRC have never accepted it how can it be on a list?

Phil

The UK400 Club (sometimes uncharitably called the IQ40 Club), is run by well known year lister, Lee Evans. The UK400 Club does not follow the official British list compiled by the British Ornithological Union (BOU), so often counts or does not count birds which are/are not on the official British list. One thing is certain, the UK400 Club unofficial British list is bigger than the BOU official British list. Anyone can create their own list of which birds they consider acceptable/not acceptable and Birdwatch magazine also publish an unofficial British list which is different to the BOU and UK400 lists.

Personally, I just follow the official BOU list but there's no reason why one couldn't have several different lists if one was so inclined, as long as when comparisons are made, they are made according to which list (ie you couldn't compare a BOU list with a UK400 list).

 

[Johnny Allan]

I remember going for the Middle Spot in Kent, I think it was seen coming in off the sea, landing on driftwood on the beach then flying inland ? Not sure if it was submitted but I remember hearing at the time that juvenile Greater Peckers are a confusion species.

 

[John Cantelo]

UK400 Club evidently 'do their own thing' when it comes to deciding what is countable and what isn't. They certainly don't follow the BOURC slavishly since, as I recall, they also accept White-headed Duck and Marbled Teal.

My recollection about the events subsequent to the original sighting of the claimed Middle-spot was that several observers initially claimed to have seen the bird in the nearby woods, but as time wore on they became less certain and I don't think that, in the end, they made a firm claim. As is typical in these matters those who got there were, at first, quite upbeat about the record, but became more and more cynical/disbelieving/sceptical as the day went on without any confirmed sightings. I never did see a detailed description, but, as far as I'm aware, the observers still maintain it was what they claimed it was and certainly had sufficient experience to know,

 

[John Cantelo]

I remember going for the Middle Spot in Kent, I think it was seen coming in off the sea, landing on driftwood on the beach then flying inland ? Not sure if it was submitted but I remember hearing at the time that juvenile Greater Peckers are a confusion species.

Given where it was first seen watching it landing on 'driftwood' on the beach would have been very interesting since the observers would have had to scale down some very treacherous cliffs to get there and, in all probabilty, been airlifted out by helicopter! No, it was reported flying along the clifftop,

 

[Jos Stratford]

Not sure if it was submitted but I remember hearing at the time that juvenile Greater Peckers are a confusion species.

If unfamiliar with the two species, there can be, but only in that the juv Gtr also has a red crown and may well have a reduced, at extreme lacking, rear black strip down the face.

 

[Johnny Allan]

Given where it was first seen watching it landing on 'driftwood' on the beach would have been very interesting since the observers would have had to scale down some very treacherous cliffs to get there and, in all probabilty, been airlifted out by helicopter! No, it was reported flying along the clifftop,

Thanks for the clarification John. Was the "seen coming in off the sea" bit correct ?

 

[jurek]

To hijack the thread. Wasn't also Black Woodpeckers reported from Britain?

I am (from European perspective) quite surprised why that one can create a confusion - either it is or is not.

 

[John Cantelo]

To hijack the thread. Wasn't also Black Woodpeckers reported from Britain?

I am (from European perspective) quite surprised why that one can create a confusion - either it is or is not.

You're right Jurek, you are hijacking this thread! As it is an interesting topic I'm about to start a new thread on the topic,

 

[ColinD]

Excuse my ignorance but if the BBRC have never accepted it how can it be on a list?

Phil

As others have said, UK400 club don't necessarily follow the BBRC list. But they're not alone in that, many birders who aren't members of the UK400 club, also don't always follow the official list, even though they often claim that they do.

For example, if you see a rarity which you are 100% certain of the id, but nobody submits it, and you can't be bothered writing a description yourself, do you count it or not? Most people I know would count it.

Also, do you count Snow Goose, Ross's Goose etc.? Most people I know do under certain circumstances, e.g. if they're on a park lake in June they don't count them but if they're with 10,000 Pink-feet in winter they do count them.
In other words they make their own rules and don't worry too much about BBRC or BOU lists.

 

[Farnboro John]

If I recall correctly someone not unconnected with UK400 Club fainted at the Birdfair at the breaking news. Charitable accounts suggested he had become dehydrated by staying too long at his stall in very hot weather without drinking.

I was at St Margarets about two hours after news broke and didn't see anything (heard a Green Woodpecker), though there certainly were claims flying about if not Middle Spotted Woodpeckers.

John

 

[hampers]

Thanks for responses.

Phil

 

[Andy Hall]

Pity no one has ever come up with a less prosaic name for Middle Spotted Woodpecker. Intermediate Egret is in the same catergory.