Young Birders Yearlist Challenge (1 Viewer)

[birding maniac]

Holiday plans:
28th May onwards- Norfolk/Suffolk or Speyside
June- Possible return to Norfolk if I go to Suffolk or Speyside
July to August- West Cornwall
August- Forest of Dean, Shropshire and Wales
August September- BArcelona
October- Fair ISle? and Speyside?

My targets will be-
Norfolk- Montagu's Harrier, Turtle Dove(Norfolk's the only place in Britain I have seen them), Spotted Flycatcher, Golden Oriole and Woodlark, Quail, Temminck's Stint, Black Tern, CuckooNightjar and N ightingale
Suffolk- Similar To above, but with Dartford Warbler too.
Cornwall- Spotted Crake, Aquatic Warbler, Storm, Wilson's and Leach's Petrels, Sabine's Gull, Sooty, Great, Manx, Cory's, Balearic Shearwaters,Balck Tern, Grey and Red-Necked Phalaropes, Temmick's Stint, Pectoral and and rare waders and any post breeding scarcities such as Icterine and Melodious Warblers, Ortlan bunting's among others
Forest of Dean,Shropshire and Wales- Many species I have already seen, not sure yet
Barcelona- Many Iberean and Meditteranean species
Speyside- Crested Tit, Parrot, Scottish Parrot Crossbills, Cappercaille, Ptarmigan, Golden and White- Tailed Eagle, Scrcites and Rarities on Fair Isle as well as Balck Guillimot and Black Throated Diver.

 

[gropperwinch]

trying to keep up my target species for trips are;

Anglesey-June
on the cliffs, including hopefully a trip to South Stack, Chough (lifer), Puffin, Black Guillemot, Storm Petrel, Manx Shearwater and perhaps Storm Petrel?

In the woods/moors-Pied Flycatcher (lifer), Redstart, Wood warbler, Dipper, Red and perhaps Black Grouse and Merlin. We are also hoping to stop off around Snowdonia on the way for Dotterel and Ptarmigan (lifer) among other things.

In Canada, in Late August/Early September, we're hoping for a few warblers (Yellow, Yellow-rumped will be most common), Cedar Waxwing, Dowitchers, Least, Baird's Semipalmated etc. Sandpipers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and lots of other waders and lots of BOP's. And that's what I can remember off the top of my head. We are staying for a few days at Long Point Bird Observatory too, which should be fantastic. We also hope to see loads of good mammals (Black Bear, Skunk, Possums etc.) And I will have pancakes and maple syrup every day

hope everyone has great fun on their trips, Liam

 

[Ash1456]

152. Little Tern and Roseate Tern.
Went to Lands End again for the Dodgy Finch, walked up asked if it had been seen (yes but not in last 30mins), scanned with camera, scanned with scope, packed up and went off to Marazion. I really couldn't be bothered to stand in the cold for something I could see in the local pet shop.
Lucky I went to Marazion, ticked (life/year/county) the 2 terns. Missed the SEO that was in the trees opposite the marsh earlier in the day.

 

[Joseph N]

:-O I cannot believe how many people are going to be in Norfolk in the last couple of weeks of May. Here's my target species (and they're not dissimilar to those that are going to the same places as me!):

Norfolk - Avocet, Little Owl, Golden Oriole, Stone Curlew, Hobby, Montagu's Harrier, Woodlark, Black Tern, Nightingale, Willow Tit, Honey Buzzard, Golden Pheasant, Goshawk (?)

Speyside - Capercallie, Ptarmigan, Crested Tit, Golden Eagle

Yorkshire (not really a birding trip at all) - Not quite sure what to expect. :-O

Fair Isle + Shetland - Scarcities (e.g Bluethroat, RB Shrike, Barred Warbler, YW and Pallas's Warbler, Wryneck) and Rarities

Its an exciting year of birding ahead, but what to expect?

 

[Jonny721]

1st) Birding Maniac (Durham, GB) - 208 species
2nd) Robert Williamson (Norfolk, GB) - 188 species
3rd) Canadagurl123 (CA) - 183 species
4th) Kinghorn the bird brain (Durham, GB) - 180 species
5th) Zac Hinchcliffe (Lancashire, GB) - 178 species
6th) Joseph N (Aberdeenshire, GB) - 176 species
7th) Jonny721 (Lancashire, GB) -164 species
8th) Gropperwinch (sussex, GB) - 152 species
8th) Ash1456 (Cornwall, GB) -152 species
10th) AlexGuthrie (Angus, GB) - 150 species
11th) Halcon (SP) - 148 species
12th) CreamColouredCourser (GB) -130 species
13th) ausmar (MA) - 127 species
14th) Robin jack (IT) - 126 species
15th) Adin92 (MA) -125 species
16th) SimmoJunior (London, GB) - 120 species
17th) Midlands Birder (Midlands, GB) - 117 species
18th) Middy24 (Northumberland, GB) - 114 species
19th) Billsbirding (Surrey, GB) - 110 species
19th) Geth (Glamorgan, GB) - 110 species
21st) Loufish (London, GB) - 109 species
22nd) Alexjh1 (Northants, GB) - 105 species
23rd) Cnocell (GB) - 83 species
24th) tjbirdofprey (SP) - 64 species
25th) nrg800 (AU) - 42 species
26th) PeterFisher13 (Merseyside, GB) - 32 species
27th) Maltese Falcon (MA) - 26 species
28th) The Seagull (Aberdeenshire, GB) - 21 species
29th) UtahnBirder (Utah, USA) - 9 species

 

[canadagurl123]

well here's my rarest bird of the year a Red throated Pipit at Martindale also a Sora to make 185.

 

[rokermartin]

Had a good day today with three new yearticks, notably HAWFINCH!!!

Hi where did you see the Hawfinch it would be good to catch up with one this year.

 

[gropperwinch]

For a trip in the summer, how about Salisbury Plain or the New Forest. both are quiet, afirly easy to get too and have great wildlife. Salisbury Plain obviously has Great Bustards, but also loads of butterflies (inc. Duke of Burgundy, Marsh Fritillary, Adonis and Chalkhill Blues etc.) and birds, along with the bustards, include Stone Curlew, Quail, Hobby, Long-eared Owl and often Montagu's Harrier, along with a huge variety of other species. also there are 4 species each of Amphibian and Reptile present, and good numbers of lots of Mammals.

The New Forest has, among many fantastic animals, Sand Lizards and Smooth Snakes, Redstart, Wood Warbler, Honey Buzzard, Goshawk, Hobby, occasional Montagu's Harriers, Crossbill, Redpoll, Siskin, Firecrest, Dartford warbler, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Dartford Warbler, Snipe, Curlew, Woodlark, Nightjar, Hawfinch, Long-eared Owl, Woodcock, Lapwing, Redshank, Mandarin Duck, Raven, Marsh Tit, Turtle Dove, Wheatear, Whinchat, Teal and Shelduck.

insects include Pearl-bordered Fritilaries, Silver-studded Blues, Hornets and Stag Beetles, and all the common british Mammals and Amphibians can be seen too. Wild Boar are present in small numbers, and Pine Marten and Polecat have been recorded, though mostly as road casualty. 13 species of Bats can be seen, as can Red, Fallow, Roe and Muntjac Deer. it's also close too areas like Martin Down (good for Stone Curlew) and the hampshire coast, which, particularly along the solent, is great for Terns/waders

 

[simmojunior]

How would I get there by public transport from London

 

[birding maniac]

The Hawfinch was somewhere near Chopwell woods.
I have had a brain wave concerning the 'get together': Fair Isle/ Shetland or Scillies.
Many of us want to/ are planning on going to one of these places in the October half term, when I think we are all on holiday at the same/ similar time, and we all want to go to these places, with tempting, almost mythical t birds such as Lanceolated and Pallas's Grasshoper Warblers or Common Nighthawk and other rare american species. We could find a joint way of acessing these remote places, such as a mini bus, which we could pay for together, and pay for accomodation as a group in a similiar style to 'school trips'. This could also cut personal travel costs, such as pick ups at certain stop over points. This would also be greener than going individually.

 

[Jonny721]

Great idea birding maniac as you say a trip at that time would suit lots of peoples plans and also hopefully be the right time for some pretty decent birds. I'm not quite sure when I'm off yet but hopefully we can all find an agreed date and destination:t:

Edit: I'm off from the 23rd - 31st October not sure how this ties in with other peoples holidays.

 

[birding maniac]

Great idea birding maniac as you say a trip at that time would suit lots of peoples plans and also hopefully be the right time for some pretty decent birds. I'm not quite sure when I'm off yet but hopefully we can all find an agreed date and destination:t:

Edit: I'm off from the 23rd - 31st October not sure how this ties in with other peoples holidays.

Similar to me. Last week of October, I will get the exact dates soon. (Can you tell I'm not the most organised?:t:

 

[birding maniac]

22.10.10 -1.11.10

 

[simmojunior]

I'd vote Scilly it's much easier to get to and much warmer.
I think I can do the last week in October.
Is there are a good and cheap place to stay on Scilly. We would need to work out costs and dates before I could committ. We would also need someone to drive the minibus

 

[birding maniac]

I'd vote Scilly it's much easier to get to and much warmer.
I think I can do the last week in October.
Is there are a good and cheap place to stay on Scilly. We would need to work out costs and dates before I could committ. We would also need someone to drive the minibus

I agree, although fair Isle would yeild more and be much cheaper ( If you thing about getting between Islands and similar. Also the residents are less tolerant and moving aroud ( If you think about multiple islands the size of fair isle). Its not up to just one of us though so I think we should vote. I will be willing to dedicate some time going through the last 3 years of records for that period, looking for anything and posting it on here for people to make there desicion.

The other advantage of Fair Isle is we could stop in the Speyside area en rout and pick up some of the northern 'endemics'. But, as said, we should make a joint desicion.
If we vote, there is only one thing we sould think about:
First past the post or PR:t:

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

The Hawfinch was somewhere near Chopwell woods.

You have done very well! That is the first County Durham record for the whole of winter and spring.

 

[birding maniac]

You have done very well! That is the first County Durham record for this winter.

Wow! An adult flew over me and landed on a branch n the tree nearest. Gave ok views before flying off!
Is it honestly the first record for the County this winter? I'll have to pass it on to our recorder. Who is he?

 

[Jonny721]

Sounds like we've got that age old british birder dilema, shetland or scilly . Personally I would prefer Fair Isle due to the greater variety of species seen in the smaller area. However as said the scillies would be warmer and you never know what could turn up. For transport we would have to look into it maybe someone should start another thread so we can look sort out details etc of who is interested, transport, accomadation.

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Wow! An adult flew over me and landed on a branch n the tree nearest. Gave ok views before flying off!
Is it honestly the first record for the County this winter? I'll have to pass it on to our recorder. Who is he?

Our County Recorder is Mark Newsome, I have text him and asked him about Hawfinch records near Chopwell Wood. He informed me it used to be a good location for Hawfinch but there has been no records at this site for 10 years.

Marks contact details can be found here under the County Recorder section: http://www.birdguides.com/sites/area.asp?a=11

 

[birding maniac]

Thanks Andrew.
Defo Hawfinch- No Doubt about it being anything other than that.