Twitchers Thread

Bazzer

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Thought I'd start a Twitchers ( the pro's are called Birders btw) thread.

Why coz I like identifying them and have combined it with my new hobby of photography.

My pics aren't good enough for Random image of the day so its some where to post them and comment.

So if you've seen a bird you don't know or you are a Twitcher , sorry Birder - shoot the breeze here :)

A little brown bird we have all seen, wrongly called a Hedge Sparrow, it is a Dunnock and nothing like a Sparrow in its habits.

"

 

Boxer

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Top spots of the last few days:

a rather nice snow bunting running around Ross Sands about 10m in front of us;

a group of Slavonian and Red-necked Grebes off the same beach, including one of the Slavonians in full summer plumage;

best of the bunch was today heading up to Berwick - a goshawk sitting in a tree by the A1 just north of Alnwick, must be one of the Kielder population on the wander.

Roll on next week: off to the Forest of Bowland, which will include visits to Leighton Moss!

 

jkbmusic

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Brittunculi
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I am quite fortunate in that I have a reasonable garden. I had a Heron, (last year) pinching the fish and frogs from the ponds. Loads of starlings, hedge sparrows, blackbirds, thrush, dunnocks, wrens, blue & great tits, greenfinches, chaffinches, collard doves, and wood pigeons. One day last year, I think I saw a sparrow hawk chasing another small bird through the garden. It was all over in a flash, but unbelievable flying control. :fly:

 

Leonard Smalls

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Shropshire Borders,
2 red kites today, plus 2 great spotted woodpeckers and a nuthatch.

2 years ago we had a hoopoe visiting - our neighbour phoned the RSPB and within 2 hours had 10 chaps in camo with enormous cameras creeping about in the undergrowth...

 

Bazzer

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I am quite fortunate in that I have a reasonable garden. I had a Heron, (last year) pinching the fish and frogs from the ponds. Loads of starlings, hedge sparrows, blackbirds, thrush, dunnocks, wrens, blue & great tits, greenfinches, chaffinches, collard doves, and wood pigeons. One day last year, I think I saw a sparrow hawk chasing another small bird through the garden. It was all over in a flash, but unbelievable flying control. :fly:
I'll let you off because you say you are not a twitcher, but did you read my OP :doh:

 

rockmeister

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birders are just like you and I, but twitchers are so called because they spend their lives rushing from spot to spot looking for new species....Birders often keep an annual list, but twitchers are on the hunt for the total ' all the birds in the world ticked off' experience. Isn't that right? :dunno:

I just like birds, and lookin at em. Joined the RSPB recently and spend a fair time wandering the heaths and woods, binos at the ready. Nicest recently was a pair of Ravens over golden cap near Bridport, playing in the air. :)

 
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jkbmusic

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I'll let you off because you say you are not a twitcher, but did you read my OP :doh:
Yes, but I'm neither a twitcher, nor a birder, I think I'm an occasional birdwatcher. :dunno:

 

Bazzer

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birders are just like you and I, but twitchers are so called because they spend their lives rushing from spot to spot looking for new species....Birders often keep an annual list, but twitchers are on the hunt for the total ' all the birds in the world ticked off' experience. Isn't that right? :dunno: I just like birds, and lookin at em. Joined the RSPB recently and spend a fair time wandering the heaths and woods, binos at the ready. Nicest recently was a pair of Ravens over golden cap near Bridport, playing in the air. :)
I'm not sure, but I think I read on a bird forum"don't call us twitchers we are birders" but it might have meant what you say :dunno:

 

Bazzer

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Yes, but I'm neither a twitcher, nor a birder, I think I'm an occasional birdwatcher. :dunno:
So am I , but its amazing how many think Dunnocks and Hedge Sparrows are 2 birds.

btw that Med Gull was a good spot :^

 
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Boxer

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I'm not a twitcher, but did see a Mediteranean Gull nearby, last week. (not my photo)
There have been quite a few spending the summer up here in the last couple of years, especially around Amble: flew over our house a couple of times.

Out and out rarest thing I've seen near here was the White-winged Black Tern that spent a summer at East Chevington.

 

Vinyl Art

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Good thread. Will see if i can get a shot or two of the perrigrines when they come back to nest this year. We have had a pair for the last 2 years nesting up in a disused crane in the shipyard. plenty of young gulls and pigeons around to attract them and up in the crane they have complete isolation. Also one of the safest places for them, no egg hunters can get near them, place is more secure than a secure thing. Saw one of the perris flying over yesterday, so cant be long before they nest i hope.

 

Bazzer

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Lots of the birds mentioned so far are quite different to what I see, shows how much this island of ours differs in terrain and climate.

For all those who wondered why the saying "bald as a Coot"

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pmac

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Just found this :^

I'm not a twitcher, but a "birder" ;-)

Just got back from 2 weeks "birding" in India :cool:

I spend a lot of time looking for birds in the UK (Isles of Scilly every October, Shetland in May last year etc) Lucky enough to live within a short drive to "Teesgob" (Teesmouth to you) so go there mostly. Fortunately, Mrs pmac enjoys birding too, so no problems on the home front.

My real passion though, is "World birding" My hobby has taken me to every continent on the planet. Allowed me to see some remarkable places & people. I only have one aim (birding wise) and that is to see the best birds in the world in the most spectacular settings !!! I'm well on my way :D :D:D

I'll start posting some pictures soon :)

 

pmac

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So what are the definitions Paul ?
A birder is interested in seeing birds in their natural habitat, observing their habits and enjoying the experience. If a rarity turns up, it is a bonus. :)

A twitcher is simply interested in seeing "the bird". It is irrelevant to them what condition the bird is in (most extremely rare migrants - vagrants - are close to death anyway and it is highly unlikely that they will ever succeed in reaching to their intended destination). They are simply "ticking" the birds off a list and are generally obsessive about their hobby (fanatics) They will travel absurd distances to get the chance of seeing a rarity (not always successful) and, quite often, can display the most abhorrent behaviour, as long as THEY see "the bird" :x

I've experienced a number of "twitchers" who's behaviour is less than exemplary (and had a few "run-ins" with them too!) and, for that reason alone, you can keep that side of the hobby.

:)

A bit of a rant, I know, but I feel strongly about the "welfare of the bird" coming first.

 

Bazzer

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Bloody 'ell Twitchers, bird watching extremists :shock:

Can't change the thread title now :(

 

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