Young Birder (1 Viewer)

[louisfh]

Still haven't been outside the city, and wont' be until the weekend as school starts tomorrow... My year list has now increased from 18 to 22, a surprising rise. Its quite interesting just how many species you can see within a single city.

Tell me about it! London is surprisingly good for birds and there are some very good spots around me. I'm currently on 50 for my yearlist after an addition of a pied wagtail today, which have all been within London, although birding in the centre of town isn't quite as rewarding. Still got some common birds to catch up with which I should be able to add on my next full day/couple of hours spent birding.

Unfortunately I don't think I'm dedicated enough to be involved in a blog like that devilbirder. My one and only attempt at a blog didn't get past the first 6 posts!

 

[midlands birder]

Hi all remember the young birders blog at youngbirders.blogspot.com it is pretty dead at the moment. With coursework, exams, more time spent in the field and other blogs etc to run I am considering handing over administration powers to someone else to keep it alive.

Anyone interested?


My year list is on 90 with Ring-billed Gull, Serin, Bonxie, Black-throated Diver, Firecrest, Water Pipit, Scaup and Black-necked Grebe being amongst the highlights.

and i thought i was doing well,mouth watering stuff there, well done, and only 4 days into 2010

got too much on with my blog and revision/homework etc, so i cant help you there, soz
just think 7 weeks and its another holidayo

 

[billsbirding]

Tell me about it! London is surprisingly good for birds and there are some very good spots around me. I'm currently on 50 for my yearlist after an addition of a pied wagtail today, which have all been within London, although birding in the centre of town isn't quite as rewarding. Still got some common birds to catch up with which I should be able to add on my next full day/couple of hours spent birding.

Unfortunately I don't think I'm dedicated enough to be involved in a blog like that devilbirder. My one and only attempt at a blog didn't get past the first 6 posts!

Hi Louis, good to seeing you at Barnes yesterday :t: Did you manage to see that really confiding Bittern or the Jack Snipe (which I missed by seconds... took too long eating cold chips at the cafe )?

 

[devilbirder]

Position as new co admin (and main position of power) has been taken now.
Cheers
David.

 

[louisfh]

Hi Louis, good to seeing you at Barnes yesterday :t: Did you manage to see that really confiding Bittern or the Jack Snipe (which I missed by seconds... took too long eating cold chips at the cafe )?

Yeah managed to see them both and got round to wildside to have a look at the redpolls with the help of two very nice blokes. Light was dropping though and without a scope picking out one of the mealy's looked impossible to me!

 

[billsbirding]

Yeah managed to see them both and got round to wildside to have a look at the redpolls with the help of two very nice blokes. Light was dropping though and without a scope picking out one of the mealy's looked impossible to me!

I looked everywhere for those Redpoll, couldn't even find a Goldfinch!

 

[Jonny721]

Threads gone quiet for abit. The cold weather has given me a few unexpected early year ticks including sisken and coal tit in my garden and nuthatch on my way to school.

 

[Ash1456]

Threads gone quiet for abit. The cold weather has given me a few unexpected early year ticks including sisken and coal tit in my garden and nuthatch on my way to school.

Nice, well done.
Today and yesterday off school:t:, hopefully same tomorrow, no ticks because mum has had to work:-C.
Any other ticks anyone?

 

[billsbirding]

Nice, well done.
Today and yesterday off school:t:, hopefully same tomorrow, no ticks because mum has had to work:-C.
Any other ticks anyone?

Same here, Ash. I got a tick yesterday up on the local hill in the form of a Meadow Pipit, whilst having a massive snowball fight.

 

[louisfh]

Had 2 meadow pipits on the foreshore of the thames near me today. Then went for some sledging and big flocks of fieldfare and redwing caused me to fall off midsledge. Well that was my excuse anyway.

 

[tjbirdofprey]

I have finally added Great grey shrike to my lifelisto it was a distant view but confirmable!:t:

 

[louisfh]

I have finally added Great grey shrike to my lifelisto it was a distant view but confirmable!:t:

Nice one TJ! Where did you get to see it?

I'm so envious as that is one bird which I would absolutely love to see, I've tried a couple of times and the closest I got was a couple of guys telling me it'd just flown off into the distance!

 

[tjbirdofprey]

Nice one TJ! Where did you get to see it?

I'm so envious as that is one bird which I would absolutely love to see, I've tried a couple of times and the closest I got was a couple of guys telling me it'd just flown off into the distance!

Not in a place i would expect to see it, just down the road up my local mountain. It was perched in the distance on a wire, unluckily i only had my bins so no very close up views:C still fantastic though!o:t:

Im sure you will get to see one in no time LouisB

 

[twitcher93]

I have finally added Great grey shrike to my lifelisto it was a distant view but confirmable!:t:

Don't you mean Southern Grey Shrike?

 

[jimmyg]

Don't you mean Southern Grey Shrike?

Joe's right actually, it is more likely to be a Southern Grey Shrike, but tbh either is possible with this massive band of arctic weather which will undoubtedly have forced birds to move southwards. Quite tricky birds to ID - the Collins doesn't have much info on them, but if you've got it those smaller pictures of the Great Grey Shrike subspecies (all of them except L. excubitor) are actually Southern Grey Shrikes (they've been split since it was made). Check your bird against those :t:

Joseph, dunno how much you're looking to spend but I've got a pair of Viking GR's which cost me just over £250 and are really good value mid-range bins. I'd recommend at least checking them out. InFocus is great for cheap optics - Simeon got a decent, brand new pair (can't remember the make) for £50, when the optical quality is at least worth £150!

 

[Ash1456]

While sliding down a BIG hill today I counted about 50+ Lapwing, c.50 Redwing, c.50 Fieldfare, loads of blackbirds, Meadow pipits, Wood Pigeons.
No accurate counts because I was preoccupied with trying to go faster down a snowy hill on a bodyboard while not injuring myself. :t:

 

[MCspudd]

Hi everyone, i was off all week so today i luckily got to go out today, anyway firstly i went to martin mere and saw 800+ whooper swans, 1500+ pink footed geese, greenfinch, house and tree sparrows, pintail, ruff, widgeon, shelduck, g s woodpecker, tufted duck, reed bunting, heron, redwing, feildfare, 2 water rail and 1 little egret. Then i went to marshside and saw 3 snipe, teal, widgeon, shelduck, 2 short eared owls, 2 merlin and 50+ skylark.

 

[tjbirdofprey]

Don't you mean Southern Grey Shrike?

yeah, i probs do lol ahh well we all make mistakes lol

 

[Joseph N]

I have finally added Great grey shrike to my lifelisto it was a distant view but confirmable!:t:

Wow TJ great stuff! Wasn't aware that Southern Grey Shrike was a winter visitor to Spain! You must have been well chuffed!

Happened to get another 5 year ticks just within the town. I had Common Gull, Collared Dove, Grey Wagtail and a flock of Pink-footed Goose whilst I was at school, and Dunnock on the feeders at home. This brings my list up to 28 I believe. Not a bad total for someone that hasn't been to the countryside or properly birding this year.

 

[Dark Knight]

hi everyone, added Red Kite , pied wagtail and GBBGULL to my year list which now stands at a reasonable : 64 , depending on the weather i might get out and do some birding tomorrow .

http://robs-birding.blogspot.com/