Xenospiza
Distracted
Almost five years ago: https://www.birdforum.net/threads/colin-towe-username-passed-away.372720/
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Your silliest/most entertaining/unlikely birding accomplishments (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter pbjosh
- Start date
JRP01
Member
I have a few ones, for almost a year I was only birding in my local pacht, an oak forest, and managed 100+ species there, so I had a lot of blanks.
Well, I was a begginer and a vagrant Pallas's Leaf Warbler appeared in Madrid. My friends went so I took a bus and saw it. A birder there asked me how many phylloscopus I had (mosquiteros in spanish). The answer was common chiffchaff, and pallas which angered a group of seasoned birders and is still brought up by my friends to this day.
I got lost in portugal in some dune trails looking for a beach. I saw what at first I thought it was a comically large common kestrel, after further inpection it was a lifer, a black-winged kite, managed to see half a docen while finding my way back.
I did a trip this summer to ordesa in Pyrenees. I had 12 lifers (Bearded vulture, Red backed shrike, alpine chough...). But on the top of the ordesa plain, after a 4 hour hike I found an Eurasian wren. A bird that had managed to escape my binoculars everywhere I went until that moment. We had to stop fo a while so my buddy could reagin his breath after laughing about that.
Well, I was a begginer and a vagrant Pallas's Leaf Warbler appeared in Madrid. My friends went so I took a bus and saw it. A birder there asked me how many phylloscopus I had (mosquiteros in spanish). The answer was common chiffchaff, and pallas which angered a group of seasoned birders and is still brought up by my friends to this day.
I got lost in portugal in some dune trails looking for a beach. I saw what at first I thought it was a comically large common kestrel, after further inpection it was a lifer, a black-winged kite, managed to see half a docen while finding my way back.
I did a trip this summer to ordesa in Pyrenees. I had 12 lifers (Bearded vulture, Red backed shrike, alpine chough...). But on the top of the ordesa plain, after a 4 hour hike I found an Eurasian wren. A bird that had managed to escape my binoculars everywhere I went until that moment. We had to stop fo a while so my buddy could reagin his breath after laughing about that.
Dr.Boletus
Well-known member
This I will remember for a long time, because of how much effort it took me to see this bird.
Golden oriole.
In 2018, a pair lived on the outskirts of my village. After I became aware of it, I began to track it. I still remember the first time I went out for it, hearing it from somewhere nearby, looking everywhere whilst cycling at the same time and then my near-paralysis when I looked back at where I had just passed and saw it fly across the road.
Thus began a huge game of hide-and-seek, when I spent nearly every day trying to find the oriole. I had a couple of near-misses, but every time I tried to approach it, something happened. A downpour flushed it, it flew into a forest with 2m-high grass in it. One time I caught it on video- a bird flying across the sky from a birch tree. But it was nothing more than a pixel.
So one day I heard its call and went after it again. It was around 5am, and I tracked it to the outskirts of the village. The birch tree noted earlier was in front of me- and the oriole was in it. I took a few photos before it flew off.
I realised then- had I noted where that oriole came from I could have found it much quicker, as this tree, turned out, was its favourite perch (or one of them). I kept hearing it from here all the time.
Neither should I have stopped when I got the photos- they did not return in 2019, and then I stopped visiting
That was 3 weeks spent trying to get a photo
Golden oriole.
In 2018, a pair lived on the outskirts of my village. After I became aware of it, I began to track it. I still remember the first time I went out for it, hearing it from somewhere nearby, looking everywhere whilst cycling at the same time and then my near-paralysis when I looked back at where I had just passed and saw it fly across the road.
Thus began a huge game of hide-and-seek, when I spent nearly every day trying to find the oriole. I had a couple of near-misses, but every time I tried to approach it, something happened. A downpour flushed it, it flew into a forest with 2m-high grass in it. One time I caught it on video- a bird flying across the sky from a birch tree. But it was nothing more than a pixel.
So one day I heard its call and went after it again. It was around 5am, and I tracked it to the outskirts of the village. The birch tree noted earlier was in front of me- and the oriole was in it. I took a few photos before it flew off.
I realised then- had I noted where that oriole came from I could have found it much quicker, as this tree, turned out, was its favourite perch (or one of them). I kept hearing it from here all the time.
Neither should I have stopped when I got the photos- they did not return in 2019, and then I stopped visiting
That was 3 weeks spent trying to get a photo
jcpjung
Member
While participating in a Christmas Bird Count along the Gila River near Phoenix, Arizona, my son and I discovered a single palo verde tree decorated with scores and scores of small gray Christmas ornaments. As we approached close enough for a detailed examination, we learned that the ornaments were mouse and lizard body parts, skewered onto the thorns by a loggerheaded shrike.
raymie
Well-known member
I was fairly recently looking through some of my old photos and noticed in one photo I'd taken of a Red-winged Blackbird, a Virginia Rail I had not noticed was clearly visible in the background. That was two years before I got my lifer one.
I've lived in range for Eastern Whip-poor-will all my life and seen it exactly once, briefly as a flyover. Meanwhile I spend a couple nights in range for Dusky Nightjar and get incredible views of it easily.
I almost went an entire three week trip to Costa Rica without seeing a single trogon. Then I finally nabbed two species one of the last days I was there.
I've gone after Kentucky Warbler in the ABA area a number of times, most notably this summer when I spend several days looking for a Wyalusing State Park, where I heard quite a lot of them and never saw one. Then I see one all the way in Costa Rica.
I saw multiple King Vultures before my first Roadside Hawk.
Great Curassow was in the first 25 birds I saw in Costa Rica and therefore saw it before quite a few very common species (Crested Guan as well but that one fells less notable).
My lifer Brown Booby and American Flamingo were in Wisconsin.
The first bird of prey I saw in Florida was Crested Caracara. Yes, before a Black Vulture.
My first Limpkin was in Florida and not some bizarre vagrant.
My lifer Pale-billed and Lineated Woodpeckers came at exactly the same moment, when they both flew into my line of site at the exact same time.
My first non-woodcreeper furnariid was Streak-breasted Treehunter.
Not a bird, but my first wild venomous snake was a coral snake slithering over my foot in Florida. That's why always wear shoes in a pine hammock.
I've lived in range for Eastern Whip-poor-will all my life and seen it exactly once, briefly as a flyover. Meanwhile I spend a couple nights in range for Dusky Nightjar and get incredible views of it easily.
I almost went an entire three week trip to Costa Rica without seeing a single trogon. Then I finally nabbed two species one of the last days I was there.
I've gone after Kentucky Warbler in the ABA area a number of times, most notably this summer when I spend several days looking for a Wyalusing State Park, where I heard quite a lot of them and never saw one. Then I see one all the way in Costa Rica.
I saw multiple King Vultures before my first Roadside Hawk.
Great Curassow was in the first 25 birds I saw in Costa Rica and therefore saw it before quite a few very common species (Crested Guan as well but that one fells less notable).
My lifer Brown Booby and American Flamingo were in Wisconsin.
The first bird of prey I saw in Florida was Crested Caracara. Yes, before a Black Vulture.
My first Limpkin was in Florida and not some bizarre vagrant.
My lifer Pale-billed and Lineated Woodpeckers came at exactly the same moment, when they both flew into my line of site at the exact same time.
My first non-woodcreeper furnariid was Streak-breasted Treehunter.
Not a bird, but my first wild venomous snake was a coral snake slithering over my foot in Florida. That's why always wear shoes in a pine hammock.
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qwerty5
Controversial opinion generator
One morning in late October I was eating breakfast and happened to look outside and notice a bird climbing around on the electric pole and transformer in the yard. It was odd behavior and didn't look right for the expected House Sparrows, so I got my bins. It turned out to be a Yellow-throated Warbler, which I haven't seen in or near my yard before or since. It also turned out to be the last one seen in Ohio that year.
I have an example of fieldcraft/groundwork being just a little too good!
And it must be 20 years ago which is concerning! But I remember it really well.
On holiday in Lesvos, we heard a Scops owl from the car when driving home to the apartment. The next evening we returned to the area before dusk, and waited hidden against a tree in the area it had been calling.
Just after dusk we heard it calling in the distance, and you can probably guess what happens next..
We hear it much closer, in fact about 2 metres away vertically above our heads! In the tree we had chosen to hide under.
I'm told I done a very slow 360degree turn while looking vertically upwards.
Fortunately it moved onto a perfect perch alongside us, and we got views that I'll be lucky to match again.
And it must be 20 years ago which is concerning! But I remember it really well.
On holiday in Lesvos, we heard a Scops owl from the car when driving home to the apartment. The next evening we returned to the area before dusk, and waited hidden against a tree in the area it had been calling.
Just after dusk we heard it calling in the distance, and you can probably guess what happens next..
We hear it much closer, in fact about 2 metres away vertically above our heads! In the tree we had chosen to hide under.
I'm told I done a very slow 360degree turn while looking vertically upwards.
Fortunately it moved onto a perfect perch alongside us, and we got views that I'll be lucky to match again.
dalat
...
Some 15 years back I was visiting a small weather station in South Vietnam for work. While talking with the staff there I noticed some small doves on the lawn and took a casual photo. Checking the pics later, I realized it was a Zebra Dove. The birds were rapidly spreading in Cambodia then, so their appearance in Vietnam was pretty much expected at some point. Nevertheless, my pic was the first documented observation, a country first!
Now, Zebra Dove has become almost a trash bird in Southern Vietnam, pretty common everywhere in the country side.
Now, Zebra Dove has become almost a trash bird in Southern Vietnam, pretty common everywhere in the country side.
birdboybowley
Well-known member.....apparently so ;)
I found Malaysia's first Japanese Thrush whilst having a pee at the motel nr Mount Kinabalu NP.....reinforcing the reason I always take my bins to the loo with me 🤣
Had Audouin's Gull as a lifer in Mallorca a few years ago. Nothing unexpected, they are not that rare or hard to find on the island. The very first one I've seen took off after a few seconds, flew directly over my head and proceeded to shit all over my shirt. My wife still warns me to "watch out for pooping birds" whenever I go birding now.
jcpjung
Member
...which brings to mind...
My sister (an excellent photographer) and I were birding a National Seashore near Pensacola Florida and came upon a protected nesting area for least terns. After observing and photographing the nesting terns from a distance, we left, but were pursued and "bombed" by a single tern, who successfully hit the target (me) several times. I have pics and videos of the strafing and the aftermath.
To my readers: does this forum allow pics that include humans? My sister caught the tern, the bomb in mid-flight, and me in a perfectly spaced photographic image.
My sister (an excellent photographer) and I were birding a National Seashore near Pensacola Florida and came upon a protected nesting area for least terns. After observing and photographing the nesting terns from a distance, we left, but were pursued and "bombed" by a single tern, who successfully hit the target (me) several times. I have pics and videos of the strafing and the aftermath.
To my readers: does this forum allow pics that include humans? My sister caught the tern, the bomb in mid-flight, and me in a perfectly spaced photographic image.
Prestdj
its good to be back
the yellow breasted bunting we found on fair isle 1989 showed to a few meters sadly a lot rarer now
the common yellowthroat on scilly 1997 just popped out feet away from me great looking bird
the bempton albatross took so many attempts to see it, first it was so far out at sea you could just make it out, had another go the following week and what a bird, put a real show on meters away for 20 minutes soaring gliding just so special, and even better loads of non-birders wanted to see it......yes the albatross was that special even non-birders twictched it. last time it saw it 2022 it was just sat there
stunning bird
the common yellowthroat on scilly 1997 just popped out feet away from me great looking bird
the bempton albatross took so many attempts to see it, first it was so far out at sea you could just make it out, had another go the following week and what a bird, put a real show on meters away for 20 minutes soaring gliding just so special, and even better loads of non-birders wanted to see it......yes the albatross was that special even non-birders twictched it. last time it saw it 2022 it was just sat there
stunning bird
Farnboro John
Well-known member
sicklebill
well-known Cretaceous relic
I stepped out for a pee in the Sepik in PNG, and had Bare-eyed Rail walk right past.
ovenbird43
Well-known member
I added Green-breasted Mango, Great Kiskadee, Golden Eagle, Limpkin, Brown Noddy, and Red-footed Booby to my Mississippi list before finally adding Grasshopper Sparrow this week!
Also regarding the booby - that was my (self-foundd!) lifer despite having traveled to tropical locations around the world. And it's still the only booby on my Mississippi list.
Also regarding the booby - that was my (self-foundd!) lifer despite having traveled to tropical locations around the world. And it's still the only booby on my Mississippi list.
In cases like this, it is forum policy that pics must be included 😅
(no problem to include photos of yourself with birds)
jcpjung
Member
The pic has been added to the special section in the Gallery called Members Faces.
Looks like it's your profile pic as well!
