FoghornKinghorn
Durham Recorder
2nd record for UK
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Young Birder (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter The Barn Owl
- Start date
2nd record for UK
birding maniac
Michael M
FoghornKinghorn
Durham Recorder
Thanks- it was a good bird
Did you see it?
No I didn't see it, worst dip I have ever experienced. But maybe sometime in the future I will see one somewhere in Britian, sadly looks like I have had my chance of seeing one in Durham and missed it.
Can't win em' all.
birding maniac
Michael M
Shame, and you probably will, theres been a few since in europe i believe.
I found it really difficult- had three attempts. Difficult bird
TR3K
More Human than Human
The wood sand may have still been there they can be tricky to find especially without a scope, I'm sure you will get it:t:
FoghornKinghorn
Durham Recorder
A lot of these types of once mythical birds appear to be turning up on a more regular basis and I am thinking of Glaucous-winged Gull and Pacific Diver.
Check out this stunner: http://birdingfrontiers.com/2011/07/14/awesome-photos-of-glaucous-winged-gull/
Cheers,
Armin Kreusel
Well-known member
I had a brilliant day out yesterday, not a great variety but some good birds and dragonfies.
4x Hobby, 1x Snipe, 2 xkestrel, 1x blue tit, 1 x great tit was the extent of the birds i saw, but 3 new dragonflies was pretty good too- Common and Southern hawker and Black Darter. Also saw common darter, Common Blue and emerald damsels :t:
Pretty much sums up what i was thinking, -RFB B
Eastern Crowned Warbler (1st record), White throated Robin (3rd Record), Glaucous winged Gull (unsure) and Trumpeter finch (unsure) Black Scoter (8th?) White Billed Diver (had too throw that in- loved the bird!)
Probably these are the best rare birds i have seen while twitching properly, but ive had some other good birds in the past, such as Bee Eater ect.
Wow very nice birds
Armin Kreusel
Well-known member
Today I were in the forest in my home range...
there were many Great Spotted Woodpecker, some Nuthatch, some singing Coal Tits, some Willow Tits, a calling Marsh Tit, many Goldcrest and Firecrest, calling Common Crossbills, more than 40 Fieldfare, some Mistle and Song Trushes,two Blackcaps, many Chiffchaffs and only one Willow Warbler, many Spotted Flycatcher and some caling Short-toed Treecreeper.
On the way to the forest I saw some Stock Doves, many Linnets, some Goldfinches and more than 60 Starlings.
Many Barn Swallows and House Martins migrates to East!
And I saw the first male Northern Wheatear on his autumn migration.
there were many Great Spotted Woodpecker, some Nuthatch, some singing Coal Tits, some Willow Tits, a calling Marsh Tit, many Goldcrest and Firecrest, calling Common Crossbills, more than 40 Fieldfare, some Mistle and Song Trushes,two Blackcaps, many Chiffchaffs and only one Willow Warbler, many Spotted Flycatcher and some caling Short-toed Treecreeper.
On the way to the forest I saw some Stock Doves, many Linnets, some Goldfinches and more than 60 Starlings.
Many Barn Swallows and House Martins migrates to East!
And I saw the first male Northern Wheatear on his autumn migration.
Joseph N
Lothian Young Birder
In answer to Armin's Top 10 rarities you've seen, here is my top 10 - almost all of them which I haven't done long distance twitching to see. Most of the birds have been seen locally/in my county (that includes the top 4), with a couple of them seen on a birding trip to Fair Isle. The only one of those birds I actually properly long-distance twitched was a Semipalmated Sandpiper down in Lothian.
White-winged Scoter (1st for Britain this year, 5 miles away from house)
Black Scoter (9th/possibly tenth for Britain, this year at same place as WWS)
Greater Sand Plover (14th/15th?, Ythan Estuary)
Stilt Sandpiper (24th as per BBRC list, Loch of Strathbeg)
Blyth's Reed Warbler
(Hornemann's) Arctic Redpoll
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Glossy Ibis (Loch of Strathbeg)
White-billed Diver (likewise had to add this into the mix despite not being a BBRC rare - BM and I saw the same bird at Portsoy, and in sumplum, absolutely stunning :t: )
King Eider (have seen 4 different birds in different locations, possibly 5)
@Armin: I owe Blyth's Reed Warbler and Arctic Redpoll to the fantastic Fair Isle that I visited last year, which is pretty much the Scottish/British version of Heligoland in that it too is world famous for turning up very rare vagrants of all sorts - I also managed a Red-flanked Bluetail as well as the two birds mentioned above when on Fair Isle. Below I have attached a picture of the Blyth's Reed Warbler I saw on Fair Isle which I can safely say is the best picture I've ever taken of a BBRC rarity! Views couldn't have been better, it was hopping around on the beach less than 15ft away from me! Congratulations on seeing one yourself, they're top birds :t: . I've also seen a Pallas's Warbler before, one at my local patch of the Girdle Ness 6 years ago.
@ Birding Maniac: There are currently 7 accepted records of Black Scoter in the UK as per the BBRC list, although that it is hopefuly about to change to 9, possibly 10. Providing that the Aberdeenshire bird is accepted to be a different bird from the Bamburgh bird that you saw, the accepted records of BS would go up to 9. This theory could be backed up by the fact that there was a Black Scoter off Burghead in Moray on the same day as the Aberdeenshire bird was seen and thus can be assumed to be a different bird, which would also add the possibility of a third seperate bird into the mix for BBRC acceptance. It will be interesting to see how the BBRC manage the Black Scoter records from this year, if they only accept one of a possible three birds to accept, you're theory of there only be 8 records of Black Scoter could be correct.
Joseph
White-winged Scoter (1st for Britain this year, 5 miles away from house)
Black Scoter (9th/possibly tenth for Britain, this year at same place as WWS)
Greater Sand Plover (14th/15th?, Ythan Estuary)
Stilt Sandpiper (24th as per BBRC list, Loch of Strathbeg)
Blyth's Reed Warbler
(Hornemann's) Arctic Redpoll
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Glossy Ibis (Loch of Strathbeg)
White-billed Diver (likewise had to add this into the mix despite not being a BBRC rare - BM and I saw the same bird at Portsoy, and in sumplum, absolutely stunning :t: )
King Eider (have seen 4 different birds in different locations, possibly 5)
@Armin: I owe Blyth's Reed Warbler and Arctic Redpoll to the fantastic Fair Isle that I visited last year, which is pretty much the Scottish/British version of Heligoland in that it too is world famous for turning up very rare vagrants of all sorts - I also managed a Red-flanked Bluetail as well as the two birds mentioned above when on Fair Isle. Below I have attached a picture of the Blyth's Reed Warbler I saw on Fair Isle which I can safely say is the best picture I've ever taken of a BBRC rarity! Views couldn't have been better, it was hopping around on the beach less than 15ft away from me! Congratulations on seeing one yourself, they're top birds :t: . I've also seen a Pallas's Warbler before, one at my local patch of the Girdle Ness 6 years ago.
@ Birding Maniac: There are currently 7 accepted records of Black Scoter in the UK as per the BBRC list, although that it is hopefuly about to change to 9, possibly 10. Providing that the Aberdeenshire bird is accepted to be a different bird from the Bamburgh bird that you saw, the accepted records of BS would go up to 9. This theory could be backed up by the fact that there was a Black Scoter off Burghead in Moray on the same day as the Aberdeenshire bird was seen and thus can be assumed to be a different bird, which would also add the possibility of a third seperate bird into the mix for BBRC acceptance. It will be interesting to see how the BBRC manage the Black Scoter records from this year, if they only accept one of a possible three birds to accept, you're theory of there only be 8 records of Black Scoter could be correct.
Joseph
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simmojunior
Well-known member
My top 10 rarities are unfortunately far less impressive than Joseph's, Armin's or Michael's but I have seen a few BBRC rarities (eight in total).
My top 10 is:
1. Red-eyed Vireo
2. Red-flanked Bluetail
3. Stilt Sandpiper
4. Long-billed Dowitcher
5. Subalpine Warbler
6. Spotted Sandpiper
7. Lesser Yellowlegs
8. Whiskered Tern
9. American Golden Plover
10. White-winged Black Tern
My top 10 is:
1. Red-eyed Vireo
2. Red-flanked Bluetail
3. Stilt Sandpiper
4. Long-billed Dowitcher
5. Subalpine Warbler
6. Spotted Sandpiper
7. Lesser Yellowlegs
8. Whiskered Tern
9. American Golden Plover
10. White-winged Black Tern
skylark25
Well-known member
Hey Armin,
Here's my top 10 Rare list for Malta:t:
1) Purple Gallinule (1st record for Malta)
2) Dusky Warbler (seen twice, there are only 6 records of this bird locally , so I'm pretty lucky that I saw the last two records)
3) Moussier's Redstart (10th record if not mistaken)
4) Lesser-Short toed Lark (12th record for Malta)
5) Ortolan bunting
6) Lesser Spotted Eagle
7) Great Bittern (I sighted largest flock for Malta - 6 birds )
8) Semi - collared Flycatcher
9) Southern grey Shrike
10) Glossy Ibis ( we witnessed an exceptional movement of 40 birds in the space of 1 hour)
We get vagrants or really rare birds from time to time. Twitching here is not really a problem though, no where is further away then 20km driving distance, so its easy to get from one site to another
other rare birds that have been sighted in the past years that come to my mind, and I've missed them like: Bar tailed Lark, African Desert Warbler, Cream Coloured Courser, Pectoral Sandpiper (3rd record for Malta and I had a maths exam on the day:-C), Rufous Bush chat and Marbled Teal
Here's my top 10 Rare list for Malta:t:
1) Purple Gallinule (1st record for Malta)
2) Dusky Warbler (seen twice, there are only 6 records of this bird locally , so I'm pretty lucky that I saw the last two records)
3) Moussier's Redstart (10th record if not mistaken)
4) Lesser-Short toed Lark (12th record for Malta)
5) Ortolan bunting
6) Lesser Spotted Eagle
7) Great Bittern (I sighted largest flock for Malta - 6 birds )
8) Semi - collared Flycatcher
9) Southern grey Shrike
10) Glossy Ibis ( we witnessed an exceptional movement of 40 birds in the space of 1 hour)
We get vagrants or really rare birds from time to time. Twitching here is not really a problem though, no where is further away then 20km driving distance, so its easy to get from one site to another
other rare birds that have been sighted in the past years that come to my mind, and I've missed them like: Bar tailed Lark, African Desert Warbler, Cream Coloured Courser, Pectoral Sandpiper (3rd record for Malta and I had a maths exam on the day:-C), Rufous Bush chat and Marbled Teal
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FoghornKinghorn
Durham Recorder
Top 10 rares
Here are the top 10 rarest birds I have seen going in order as best as I can of rarity, not necessarily my favourites I have seen in the UK. However ECWarbler and WTRobin are my top 2 highlights in the UK.
1 - Eastern Crowned Warbler - Trow Quarry, Co.Durham - 1st for UK/4th for Europe and first every twitchable in WP
2 - White-winged Scoter - Murcar Links Golf Course, Aberdeenshire - 1st for UK
3 - White-throated Robin - Hartlepool Headland, Co.Durham - 3rd for UK/1st twitchable UK
4 - Sykes's Warbler - Druridge Bay, Northumberland - 6th for UK, first every twitchable mainland bird.
5 - Trumpeter Finch - Blakney Point, Norfolk - 7th for UK?
6 - Black Scoter - Stag Rocks, Northumberland - 7th for UK?
7 - Oriental Turtle Dove - Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire - 8th record for UK??
8 - Eastern Olivaceous Warbler - Flamborough Head, N Yorks - 14th for UK? Had very poor views and barely tickable. Hope for another go at this species.
9 - American Bittern - Walmsley Sanctuary, Cornwall - 21st for UK? Only 2nd in past 50 years I believe.
10 - Iberian Chiffchaff - Potteric Carr YWT, N.Yorks - 18th or so for UK I believe.
Here are the top 10 rarest birds I have seen going in order as best as I can of rarity, not necessarily my favourites I have seen in the UK. However ECWarbler and WTRobin are my top 2 highlights in the UK.
1 - Eastern Crowned Warbler - Trow Quarry, Co.Durham - 1st for UK/4th for Europe and first every twitchable in WP
2 - White-winged Scoter - Murcar Links Golf Course, Aberdeenshire - 1st for UK
3 - White-throated Robin - Hartlepool Headland, Co.Durham - 3rd for UK/1st twitchable UK
4 - Sykes's Warbler - Druridge Bay, Northumberland - 6th for UK, first every twitchable mainland bird.
5 - Trumpeter Finch - Blakney Point, Norfolk - 7th for UK?
6 - Black Scoter - Stag Rocks, Northumberland - 7th for UK?
7 - Oriental Turtle Dove - Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire - 8th record for UK??
8 - Eastern Olivaceous Warbler - Flamborough Head, N Yorks - 14th for UK? Had very poor views and barely tickable. Hope for another go at this species.
9 - American Bittern - Walmsley Sanctuary, Cornwall - 21st for UK? Only 2nd in past 50 years I believe.
10 - Iberian Chiffchaff - Potteric Carr YWT, N.Yorks - 18th or so for UK I believe.
suthyyy
Young Birder
Brilliant list of birds there! Done some travelling to get around and see them by the looks of the locations for the spotting, all worth it though :t:
Armin Kreusel
Well-known member
Wow so brilliant birds! Congratulations to all of you:t:
I hope that I can see some of these species here in Germany
I hope that I can see some of these species here in Germany
birding maniac
Michael M
Seems that way to me too- tufted puffin ect as well. Wow, thats a stunner! would love to see one in pure summer plumage too. Amazing!
Thanks for the info- been a brill year for them by the looks of it then. Nice birds, and i cant think of much that would count against them.The WBD was a stunner, nice twitch. Whats the final idea on the number of birds off the coast there at the time? (if that makes sense! :t
Some nice birds there, and very jealous of the Stilt sand- dipped it after walking around the reserve for 2 hours :-C whats worse, it had been seen not long before we got there!
I need three more for 10 then- not the rarest but some of my favourites as well:
Arctic redpoll- Rainton Meadows (coue's)
White Rumped Sandpiper- Saltholme RSPB
Whiskered tern- SAltholme RSpb (Saltholme is pretty much my LP- im there so (too?) often, so they had to be on my best rarities.
simmojunior
Well-known member
My favourite rarities were probably the bluetail (they are special especially as it was a male) and the Spotted Sandpiper as it landed on a wall less than 10 metres from me as well as being my first rarity.
Armin Kreusel
Well-known member
i´m jealous too
Dips aren´t nice
i dipped Pacific Golden Plover, Moustached Warbler (less than 50km away from me, but i hadn´t time on the first to days were the bird was there...on the third day I were there but the bird was away ), Pallid Harrier and a wild Saker
skylark25
Well-known member
I'm curious Armin, how many birds have you seen in Germany so far?
I'm on 171 here !! Latest addition are Kentish Plover and European Storm Petrel. I'm targeting to try and reach 200 by next year. After that its difficult to add new birds as it comes harder and harder!! Unless I'm lucky enough to twitch a vagrant or course
I'm on 171 here !! Latest addition are Kentish Plover and European Storm Petrel. I'm targeting to try and reach 200 by next year. After that its difficult to add new birds as it comes harder and harder!! Unless I'm lucky enough to twitch a vagrant or course
