What Month(s) do you Birdwatch less? (1 Viewer)

[Euan Buchan]

It always comes a time when you Birdwatch less you still watch birds but you probably don’t go out as often as normal. For me I wind down a bit in July (when birds are usually less active after the breeding season) and always take the month of August off because I enjoy attending The Edinburgh Festival Fringe but I always love Birding and always look forward starting back again in September.

 

[pppppvvvv]

This came up once before, many years ago.
I said at the time July, and August... And was totally knocked down by people telling me August is right up there as one of the best months!

I looked thru my records and, yes, August has been good to me! Albeit skewed by the last week or so being where most of the action was.

Definitely July for a breather though, and February can be a struggle for me local patch wise, on the South Coast, particularly after a good January.

 

[Pinewood]

Hello Peter,

In the heart of the winter, January and February, ice on the footpaths in Central Park, keeps me away from bird watching. The winter would otherwise give me ample waterfowl to make bird watching worthwhile.

Edit: I have to add that bird watching is an adjunct to my daily goal of walking eight kilometers. Seeing birds encourages me to walk.

Stay safe,
Arthur Pinewood

 

[Euan Buchan]

Hello Peter,

In the heart of the winter, January and February, ice on the footpaths in Central Park, keeps me away from bird watching. The winter would otherwise give me ample waterfowl to make bird watching worthwhile.

Stay safe,
Arthur Pinewood

I’m the same in winter if there is icy pavements and snow I stay away too but luckily didn’t have much ice this winter.

 

[Farnboro John]

The second half of June, when there's no migration to speak of and the singers are all quiet with breeding, can be really flat. But late November and into December, when again migration is pretty much over and birds are settling into winter quarters, its cold, wet, windy, dark early and late and in any case you've already seen the species at the start of the year when everything felt fresh and new.... that's the time to set records in order or just go to the pub with friends.

John

 

[01101001]

September to January, it seems for now

(EDIT: I'm probably missing at least some of the migration in the process)

 

[pppppvvvv]

September to January, it seems for now

(EDIT: I'm probably missing at least some of the migration in the process)

If I can only get out two months, I'd choose September and October for migration and hoping to find something out of the ordinary.
I find Spring here is very tough. To the point of almost accepting I won't find much beyond the regular migrants and summer visitors. Some overnight rain in April or May would probably help!

 

[opisska]

November to March is terrible in central Europe. I know people do go out and bird, but frankly ... it's depressing. The topography in the Czech basin means that it's mostly gray and foggy. The landscape is dominated by fields that are ploughed and muddy - and most of the birds that people go to watch are wintering waterfowl and I don't particularly enjoy that. Also there is no insect to make the outings more interesting.

 

[Mysticete]

Winter in general: I live in Wisconsin and so diversity tends to be low, weather makes driving a pain, and a lot of birding is the drive and stop sort which I find less enjoyable than birding where I can get out and walk around. I usually switch to focusing on my fish tanks during this time and other indoors activities

 

[hookem2010]

This time of year in Texas. Forecast is for highs in the 100s the next week, lows will be in the 80s before long. It's going to be a long 4 months...

 

[opisska]

This time of year in Texas. Forecast is for highs in the 100s the next week, lows will be in the 80s before long. It's going to be a long 4 months...

Sometimes there are posts about rarities found in Kuwait in summer. There are birders who regularly bird in a weather that goes to 48 (Celsius!) in the day and stays above 35 at night, with high humidity - literally conditions incompatible with human life and in which you can straight up die without A/C!

 

[hookem2010]

Yea, not my idea of a good time.

 

[pppppvvvv]

November to March is terrible in central Europe. I know people do go out and bird, but frankly ...

Is there any field of wildlife watching to supplement birding over the winter ? There are a few for the summer months, such as wild flowers, insects.
All I can think of possibly, over winter, is fungi, which I find incredibly difficult.

 

[Farnboro John]

Is there any field of wildlife watching to supplement birding over the winter ? There are a few for the summer months, such as wild flowers, insects.
All I can think of possibly, over winter, is fungi, which I find incredibly difficult.

Mammals, particularly in Britain where many are nocturnal and in winter there's lots of night!

John

 

[Farnboro John]

Sometimes there are posts about rarities found in Kuwait in summer. There are birders who regularly bird in a weather that goes to 48 (Celsius!) in the day and stays above 35 at night, with high humidity - literally conditions incompatible with human life and in which you can straight up die without A/C!

I was in Namibia actually down in the Namib and it was 42 - so you are breathing out cooler than you breathe in, which feels really weird - and when we complained to the bartender serving us frosties he laughed and said "it was 49 last week"! No A/C but no humidity either.

John

 

[opisska]

Mammals, particularly in Britain where many are nocturnal and in winter there's lots of night!

John

This winter, we have explored some old mining shafts for wintering bats. It's quite fun, but there aren't that many accessible places - the important bat wintering grounds are, quite sensibly, protected and locked. Still, as bat-novices, we found a few lifers. There are other mammal species in the Czech Republic - several of them hibernate over winter and several other species typically show lower activity - but yes, it's an interesting thing to do. We have spent some nights looking for European Polecat, which we still miss - our friend even had them on trailcams, so we knew a good area, but never had any luck. Back in Poland I had a glorious time watching Otters in winter fishing in ice holes on a frozen oxbow lake.

I was in Namibia actually down in the Namib and it was 42 - so you are breathing out cooler than you breathe in, which feels really weird - and when we complained to the bartender serving us frosties he laughed and said "it was 49 last week"! No A/C but no humidity either.

John

Oh for sure, when it's dry, it's doable. When the humidity is high, then a temperature above 40 can be deadly as you can't physically cool yourself, because the sweat will not evaporate.

 

[Euan Buchan]

Hardly been out Birding this month because it’s been far too wet hoping to go out Thursday morning.

 

[Steve Lister]

This year I have given up birding my main local patch since the middle of June as it was a waste of time going. Will start again this week, having had a month off.
I normally try to balance moth trapping with birding at this time of year anyway.

 

[Owene]

Been pretty much insect focused for about 2 months now. Holidays aside that'll probably go until late august

 

[angusmcoatup]

45 C here in SW Turkey and still in the 30’s overnight. July pretty much out apart from garden sightings and from a restaurant chair. Otherwise I’d have been out most mornings with the early light.