The ones that got away... (1 Viewer)

[Pete Mella]

I know there's two weeks left in the year, but what birds are missing off your 2009 list that you were convinced were going to end up there? I don't really mean dips of rarities, more commoner birds you presumed were going to end up there that didn't end up being found.

For me - grasshopper warbler, goshawk, short-eared owl and crossbill (but still holding out for the last two...).

 

[Mysticete]

I was rather surprised that I didn't encounter a single Chestnut-backed Chickadee or Pacific Wren during my time on the Seward Peninsula. A bigger surprise was the complete failure to see even a single bear during my two weeks in Alaska...ouch

 

[liverpool_bob]

I know there's two weeks left in the year, but what birds are missing off your 2009 list that you were convinced were going to end up there? I don't really mean dips of rarities, more commoner birds you presumed were going to end up there that didn't end up being found.

For me - grasshopper warbler, goshawk, short-eared owl and crossbill (but still holding out for the last two...).

Several species, but most annoying was the SEO on my patch in April that I missed out on.

 

[rokermartin]

I have'nt seen Little Stint this year thats unusual for me.Just caught up with GN Diver and BT Diver i usually see those at the start of the year.

 

[Joseph N]

Thus far I've missed out on Woodcock and Great Northern Diver, which I thought I would have seen this year by now. Still have a little longer to see if I can see the species, but I think Woodcock is likely to avoid me. I've also definitely, and annoyingly, missed out on Sooty Shearwater, which I thought I'd see earlier in the year but failed to.

Regards,

Joseph

 

[Floyd Barnes]

Lesser Redpoll, Willow Tit, Brambling and Ring-necked Parakeet.
But the fat lady's not yet singing!

 

[birdboybowley]

Honey Buzzard....local ones didn't breed this year, was away in June and missed them all over the autumn!

 

[Jacana]

I missed the first 7 months of the year (Thailand) so there are some glaring omissions, including many of the summer migrants!

birds that I can still get without too much hassle are: Treecreeper, Goldeneye, Goosander, Water Rail, Dipper, Willow Tit, Red Grouse etc.

I have the sites, but they're all home in Shropshire!

 

[ovenbird43]

Somehow I have absolutely no rails on my year list- not even Sora! (well, no North American rails- did see Gray-necked Wood-Rail in Costa Rica).

Still hoping for American Tree Sparrow and Lapland Longspur soon. Also sad to have missed Bobolink during spring migration- there is still hope for the other species I missed, but not that one!

 

[Tero]

longspurs

I went there an extra hour early and drove the back roads
no longspurs
had to leave for shopping, bah!, early
half an hour later they found them

 

[Original PaulE]

short earred owl for me as well,brambling and yellow browed warbler eluded me also although still hope for the owl and the brambling

cheers

 

[Ken Hall]

would you believe Grey Partridge? I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for Little Auk, with the prospect of Arctic weather coming.

 

[Jonny721]

I missed Black and Little terns earlier in the year. I still need Red Grouse and Long Tailed Duck but I managed to get my biggest blocker today, Long Eared Owl.

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Spotted Flycatcher - I search virtually every churchyard in east cheshire and failed to find one!

CB

 

[Gill Osborne]

OMG I can't believe I'm about to admit the glaring and embarrassing omissions from my 2009 List!

Every year I make out an alphabetical list at the back of my diary of my Life List and fill in the dates as and when I see the birds (see below for what I mean...as you can see I don't use the account pages for what they are meant for! :-O).

This year's misses so far include.....

Arctic Skua
Black-necked Grebe
Brent Goose
Common Redpoll
Common Tern :eek!:
Cuckoo
Goldcrest :eek!::eek!::eek!:
Great Crested Grebe
Great Skua
Green Woodpecker *heard in May*
Knot
Nightjar
Pied Flycatcher
Puffin *HOW!!!!! I LIVE ON THE COAST!!!!!* :eek!:
Red Kite
Ruddy Duck
Ruff
Shot-eared Owl
Smew :smoke:
Snow Bunting :eek!:
Twite :eek!: *flock of umpteen hundred at Druridge Bay right now!*
Water Rail
Willow Tit
Wood warbler
Yellow Wagtail

I 'should' catch up with a few of these before the year is out as I have a few days off over Christmas and hubby works nightshift so I take myself off out birding during daylight hours....but I still cannot believe I managed to miss Puffin of all things when we have THOUSANDS breeding on the Farnes and Coquet Island just off the coast here!!!
Come January 1st I'll be making sure I catch ALL the winter birds I can instead of just taking a more laidback view that I'll get them later in the year when they return....it doesn't work!!!! :-O

 

[ColinD]

Brambling and Black Tern. Still a chance with the former I suppose.

 

[Gill Osborne]

I think I remember reading on the Cumbria thread that there are Brambling at Talkin Tarn just now :t:

 

[Xenospiza]

In the UK, a lack of visits to the coast (and possibly not paying attention when I did) mean no Sanderling, Brent Goose and Knot: quite sad for someone living in Essex! Grey Partridge, Whinchat and Black Tern are also pretty bad misses. I saw four out of these six in the Netherlands – seeing Sanderling should be easy, but searching Grey Partridge has failed thusfar.

 

[dbradnum]

Mealy Redpoll and Rough-legged Buzzard are the 'easiest' I still need... both tricky though. Hopefully the regular Sheppey buzzard will be about if I search next weekend, and then I'll scour the Norfolk Broads for redpolls over Christmas!

As for things I would've expected but won't get now... Dotterel!

 

[Pedro Ramalho]

Hi
The obvious for me are Alpine accentor, Rock sparrow and Common Crane, the 3 species are easy to find in Portugal but only if you have the time to search in the right places and i run out of time for them, still possible are penduline tit, Jack Snipe, Hen Harrier and maybe Bulfinch.