Metamatic Forums Socialising The Green Room 2011 New Year birding Challenge

No - for the challenge, I am happy just to hear the birds.

I wouldn't 'tick' something tht I have only heard and NEVER seen though - but I can't imagine that will happen in this situation.

Thanks for following though

This article may interest you birders...

Pigeons "sniff" their way home...

Thanks Alex - fascinating!!

I think

Up to 70 now with a new Bird of the Year - Peregrine Falcon

http://birdingwithpassion.blog.com

And here\'s today's amusing Bird-related news feature!

Peregrine Falcon is a great bird to reach the seventies with and one that's still absent from my list. They're not so commom up here in Gauteng Province where I live but we're doing a road trip to Capetown in March, where there's a very healthy breeding population so fingers crossed!

Also interesting to hear that Grey Wagtail is one of your favourite British birds because we had a mega-twitch here the last couple of days when one was spotted in Walter Sisulu Botanical gardens, a mere 9km (5.4 miles in old money) from our house. In Southern Africa they're described as a "rare palearctic vagrant" and according to the distribution maps there have only been about a dozen previous confirmed sightings in South Africa. The last time one was seen in the botanical gardens was 1993. I had one in my garden in Edinburgh a few times but to see one 6000 miles away (that's 10,000km in new money) is something special. My photos aren't great because it was on the rocks below a high road bridge and my puny 300mm is not good at picking up detail at that range. Here they are anyway:





Keep up the good work Martin, I'm really enjoying your blog!

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Saw this article online today and thought it might be of interest to you and the thread contributors Martin.

Jailbirds

All the best,




EG

Thanks for the pictures Bob - fascinating how rare that bird is down your way. they regularly fly over my garden!!

Updated the blog challenge today - 75 species now.

http://birdingwithpassion.blog.com

Another fascinating and entertaining blog entry Martin. I have to agree with you about forest / woodland birding, it can be very frustrating but it is rewarding when a good one appears. Patience is something that's definitely required, as you also pointed out. One of my fellow twitchers over here sweet talked a security guard into letting him into the botanical gardens at 6.00am (8.00am is the official opening time) to look for the Grey Wagtail and it didn't show until 11am. Mind you, one thing worse than woodland birding is high altitude grassland birding!

I didn't really start birding seriously until I came to live over here so my UK list is mainly birds seen in my garden in Edinburgh, so I get quite envious when I hear you talking about close up views of Redpolls and things like that. If I ever get a chance to come back to the UK on holiday I think I need to add Southampton to my itinerary!

Only 25 to go, you're almost there.

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Thanks a lot.

Those 25 are going to be very hard. I'm expecting to stumble around 85 which I hope to be at by the end of next month. I've a list of six species that I know I have 'missed' this tear already. It's going to be very weather dependent.

We have a cold, bright snap now, and the woodland is coming alive. Woodpeckers drumming etc etc...

Which means that spring is coming. So my chances of any more winter ducks, grebes, divers etc is fading fast.

You're probably already aware of this, Martin, but just in case you're not, here's something that might interest you, culled from the HMHB Lyrics Project page where we're discussing whether or not Sanderling should have a capital 'S' (as you can see, I believe it should).

"BBC’s Countryfile show has been filming at the gem of Dee Estuary birdwatching spots, Hilbre Island, and it’ll be broadcast this Sunday evening 6th Feb."

If you're wondering what a Sanderling in the Dee Estuary has to do with Half Man Half Biscuit (and also where I got my current online name) look here.

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