What is your favourite tick of the year so far? (3 Viewers)

[Keith Reeder]

White tailed eagle for me too - a complete fluke, seen drifting majestically over the Northumberland hill I just happened to be standing on.

 

[Edward woodwood]

four wolves stalking and killing a Tibetan Gazelle

or

Roborovski's Rosefinch

Tim

 

[Katy Penland]

Over our yard, an adult Peregrine Falcon being chased by a screeching, begging young. Wonderful display they put on for several minutes!

 

[Gregory Sargean]

Sandhill Crane this past Saturday in Middletown, RI.

 

[Reader]

In the UK the Sooty Tern at Cemlyn.

In Lithuania seeing Crested Tits and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers only feet from your face.

Wildlife, my first encounter with a Badger, which was at Flamborough Head a few months ago.

 

[Gashead]

Bird - Sociable plovers in breeding plumage (UAE).
Mammal - Samango monkeys (South Africa).

 

[Larry Lade]

I think my favorite year tick was the Bay-breasted Warbler which I saw at the fall meeting of the Audubon Society of Missouri down in the Ozarks over the weekend. We actually had a small "fall" of warblers and there were about five of the bay-breasted in the group!

But I never tire of seeing the Pileated Woodpeckers. I especially enjoyed watching an adult male pileated digging for grubs in some dead wood. I was able to watch him a couple of minutes before he flew off.

 

[jimtfoto]

Tossup between Indigo Bunting and Eastern Meadowlark.

cheers,

jim

 

[Mark Bruce]

A Dollarbird in my Local Patch.

 

[Edward]

Wallcreeper in the Spanish Pyrenees in May, three birds watched for about 45 minutes close to us. Magic.

E

 

[StuartReeves]

Not managed one!

Still there is still time!

Same here, but still hoping...

 

[Glenn McColl]

Life tick - has to be Stilt Sand and Woodchat Shrike both in the scope together at Burnham Norton.

Year tick - a very close encounter with a Tawny Owl in my mother's garden last weekend.It came whizzing thro the trees missing me by inches.Don't know who had the biggest fright, me or the owl!

 

[steveholz]

Boreal Owl in Minnesota, USA in January. Part of a 4 owl weekend (Hawk, Great Gray, and Snowy). Four of us traveled north to MN for the owl invasion of 04-05 and while up in Sax-Zim looking at Hawk Owls and Great Grays, I got a call on my cell saying that a Boreal was seen in Duluth near a certain intersection. We drove 45 minutes and started walking the neighborhood. I turned a corner and there was the bird nestled near the trunk of a pine in the backyard of an apartment building. We soon got other birders on it, and then one of the young women living in the apartment came around to the yard, justifiably curious. We showed her the bird and she enjoyed it and even brought her roomies over to see it. She did invite us up for hot chocolate and had we all been younger and 'more single', this story could have even ended up better than it did, although a lifer Boreal is pretty sweet.

 

[Gemfyre]

I've gotten around 100 new birds this year (this happens when you've only been birding a year previously then move to a whole new area to work as a birding guide).

My favourite... I think I'll say the Asian Dowitcher. Cute and terribly endangered. I love it when I see one but also get sad because they are on the brink.

 

[redeyedvideo]

National, hard to choose between Belted Kingfisher, Sooty Tern & Pine Marten :t: .

Local, a Hoopoe which fed within feet of my car & enabled me to get incredibly close video, better than in Extremadura last year.


Dave J

 

[Ben Rackstraw]

Nationally, can only really be the Sooty Tern (although my only other 2005 UK tick so far, Great Spotted Cuckoo, was also special due to it being in my home county).

Globally, finding it very difficult to decide between duelling male Tufted Coquettes at a distance of 2 feet from Trinidad, and Guldenstadt's Redstart high in the snowbound Tien Shan Mountains. Or maybe, finally catching up with Pallas' Gull, having missed these in so many locations over the past 10 years.

Think it has to be the Coquettes, since they put on a superb show for the video camera.

 

[edenwatcher]

Nationally there isn't much choice, but it has to be the Belter.

Globally it would be between Agami heron, black-crowned antpitta, lovely cotinga, snowcap, resplendent quetzal ... but I think it has to be three-wattled bellbird.

Here's to the next one, whatever it may be.

Rob

 

[Woodchatshrike]

Saw the Little Crake today at Slimbridge. I have seen them before on Lesvos but to see a Juv on my old patch was great. I shall be enjoying a few pints of west country ale tonight then hopefully Cornwall or Lundy tomorrow!

 

[Terry O'Nolley]

My favorite was seeing my first Pileated Woodpecker. I felt totally invigorated and alive! They are not bird-feeder birds where I live.

 

[Wan2caTanager]

I have two:
A Merlin, right in my back yard and indigo buntings, which is the bird I've wanted to see for a long time! |=)|