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Young Birders Yearlist Challenge (1 Viewer)

I'm on 112 at the moment, hardly an exciting improvement just added the likes of hobby and actually seen a reed warbler rather than just heard :p
 
Joseph N said:
I have returned from my Speyside trip, which, reflectively, was pretty successful but not as much as it could have been. It had its high points, and it had its low points too. On Thursday evening I headed from Aberdeen to Boat of Garten, a village just outside the Abernethy Forest and Loch Garten area. On the way here, I got fleeting views of a Cuckoo across the road a few miles away from the Lecht Ski Centre on the road down towards Speyside, which was my first of the year. I arrived mid-late evening and quickly retired to bed, ready to be up for 5:00 tommorrow for the Caperwatch to try for Capercallie.

By 5:30 I was at the Osprey Hide in Loch Garten to see if I could see capers. The hide was filled with people, at least 50, all trying to see this elusive grouse. We were told one male was in the area (caught on the RSPB cameras) but wasn't in sight. All of us waited for about an hour to see if it would show up. At one point someone managed to spot it, and those lucky people that were beside the window (you couldn't see over people's heads so for a good chance you really had to be by the window) managed to get a view of it for a second or so before it went out of sight again. My Dad was beside the window and saw it, but I wasn't so I didn't. We waited for another hour and a half or so and it didn't show once. When time was up, we had to leave, and lots of people left having not seen it, including myself... I was very disappointed, as one would expect.

Soon it was up on the furnicular to the Cairngorm Summit in search of Ptarmigan. From the viewpoint here (you cannot walk around up here unless you walk up to the summit itself) a cracking male Ring Ouzel was showing very well and singing, but Ptarmigans for the first half an hour proved elusive despite meticulous searching. Eventually however one birder there managed to spot one a great distance away, and with directions I soon latched on to it. It was funny cos this bird was so well camoflagued that you could have easily scanned and missed it. The fact it was so far off meant that views weren't the best, but overall I was happy.

Next it was the end of the Findhorn Valley, apparently the best place to see Golden Eagles. It was perfect territory for them, and we walked for miles scanning the tops. Unfortunately, there was no reward for being knackered as a result of the walking; there were no Goldies to be found. It seemed like a perfect day for them, but there just weren't any. At one point I was pretty sure I heard one calling (a far crying 'mewww!' unlike Buzzard) but couldn't locate it. This was the closest I came. A couple of singing Redstarts and a Cuckoo were nice on the way back. Also several breeding Common Sandpipers were around (a year tick) and masses of Red Deer.

Got up this morning and went to another good site for Capercallie in Abernethy Forest but inevitably due to the birds' elusiveness failed. Managed to get a nice view of a Redstart here though. Then decided to have a look at the nearby Loch Vaa for Slav Grebe where brilliant views of breeding Red-throated Diver and my first Treecreeper (at last!) were obtained. No Slav Grebes however. We then head back to the Loch Garten area and took a walk to Loch Malackie in search of Crested Tit. I got absolutely superb views of a Redstart here, and this species seemed to be quite numerous in the wood as a good number were heard singing. As we approached Loch Malackie we met a man with a massive camera who it set up on a piece of tree. He told us there were breeding Crested Tits and here, and sure enough there were. The views of this pair of beauties was sublime, the closest I think I'll ever get to them. At the same time at least 4 Spotted Flycatchers were flycatching, my first of the year and a great sight considering that this species is declining and not common in Aberdeenshire. As we stayed and watched I gave the man the memory card from my camera and he was kind enough to insert it into his camera and get pictures of the Cresties and Spotted Flycatchers. The results of the pictures are fantastic. With this, we headed back to Aberdeen.

And thus the trip ended. It could have been better, but in the end I did see a majority of my targets (even though Capercallie and Golden Eagle were not seen which put a slight downer on things) and did have some memorable experiences. I ended the trip on 185 species for the year. This stands me in good stead for Norfolk in just less than a couple of weeks time.

Joseph
Click to expand...

wel done Joseph a fantastic trip!!!!!!!!
Sounds really very interesting i will have to talk to my dad about going!
 
After re-counting mine, I'm actually on 156. Not much difference I knw, but the battle for mid-table places and pride is heating up now, and all these little things must count! If you go back to page 35, Swift was my 151st species, and Cuckoo and Sedge Warbler should have made it 153, though I must have miscounted back then and said my list was 152! and since then thrre more yearticks in Hobby, Reed Warbler and Temminck's Stint to make it 156, with me now just one behind Alex!

I can feel the tension cranking up a notch!;)
 
1st) Birding Maniac (Durham, GB) - 212 species
2nd) Canadagurl123 (Canada) - 196 species
3rd) Robert Williamson (Norfolk, GB) - 192 species
4th) Muddy Turnstone (Sweden) - 187 species
4th) Joseph N (Aberdeenshire, GB) - 187 species
6th) Kinghorn the bird brain (Durham, GB) - 184 species
7th) Zac Hinchcliffe (Lancashire, GB) - 181 species
8th) Jonny721 (Lancashire, GB) -169 species
9th) AlexGuthrie (Angus, GB) - 157 species
10th) Gropperwinch (sussex, GB) - 156 species
11th) Ash1456 (Cornwall, GB) -155 species
12th) Halcon (Spain) - 151 species
13th) SimmoJunior (London, GB) - 135 species
14th) CreamColouredCourser (GB) -130 species
15th) Midlands Birder (Midlands, GB) - 129 species
16th) ausmar (Malta) - 127 species
17th) Robin jack (Italy) - 126 species
17th) Adin92 (Malta) -126 species
19th) Middy24 (Northumberland, GB) - 114 species
20th) Loufish (London, GB) - 112 species
21st) Billsbirding (Surrey, GB) - 110 species
21st) Geth (Glamorgan, GB) - 110 species
23rd) Alexjh1 (Northants, GB) - 105 species
24th) Cnocell (GB) - 83 species
25th) tjbirdofprey (Spain) - 64 species
26th) nrg800 (Australia) - 42 species
27th) PeterFisher13 (Merseyside, GB) - 32 species
28th) Maltese Falcon (Malta) - 26 species
29th) The Seagull (Aberdeenshire, GB) - 21 species
30th) UtahnBirder (Utah, USA) - 9 species
 
185 - Little/Long-toed Stint

A very interesting bird..... no other comments to be given at this time lol

I headed over and took my mate with me as we thought it was a Temminick's as this is what it was reported as. When I arrived I was told it was believed to be either a Little or Long-toed Stint, it was clearly not a Temminick's but I thought the colouration was more like that of Temminick's than Little which does make me wonder if its a Long-toed.

But it this way: it didn't look like a Little Stint.
 
Last edited:
I'm sorry Ash, Alex, Liam and Johnny.;) 176 After a day with 19 lifers and 6 more yearticks.o:)
I'll report another day. I'm too tire...:gn:;)
 
Halcon said:
I'm sorry Ash, Alex, Liam and Johnny.;) 176 After a day with 19 lifers and 6 more yearticks.o:)
I'll report another day. I'm too tire...:gn:;)
Click to expand...

leapt four places in one go. Nice one you jammy so and so!:t:;)

but now just four days til I go to Anglesey, so don't get toooo comfortable sonny;):-O
 
1st) Birding Maniac (Durham, GB) - 213 species
2nd) Canadagurl123 (Canada) - 196 species
3rd) Robert Williamson (Norfolk, GB) - 192 species
4th) Muddy Turnstone (Sweden) - 187 species
4th) Joseph N (Aberdeenshire, GB) - 187 species
6th) Kinghorn the bird brain (Durham, GB) - 185 species
7th) Zac Hinchcliffe (Lancashire, GB) - 181 species
8th) Halcon (Spain) - 176 species
9th) Jonny721 (Lancashire, GB) -169 species
10th) AlexGuthrie (Angus, GB) - 157 species
11th) Gropperwinch (sussex, GB) - 156 species
12th) Ash1456 (Cornwall, GB) -155 species
13th) SimmoJunior (London, GB) - 135 species
14th) CreamColouredCourser (GB) -130 species
15th) Midlands Birder (Midlands, GB) - 129 species
16th) ausmar (Malta) - 127 species
17th) Robin jack (Italy) - 126 species
17th) Adin92 (Malta) -126 species
19th) Middy24 (Northumberland, GB) - 114 species
20th) Loufish (London, GB) - 112 species
21st) Billsbirding (Surrey, GB) - 110 species
21st) Geth (Glamorgan, GB) - 110 species
23rd) Alexjh1 (Northants, GB) - 105 species
24th) Cnocell (GB) - 83 species
25th) tjbirdofprey (Spain) - 64 species
26th) nrg800 (Australia) - 42 species
27th) PeterFisher13 (Merseyside, GB) - 32 species
28th) Maltese Falcon (Malta) - 26 species
29th) The Seagull (Aberdeenshire, GB) - 21 species
30th) UtahnBirder (Utah, USA) - 9 species

Well done Halcon :t: Getting close now. The holidays are going to be very interesting with lots of people going on trips ;)
 
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