Wednesday 28 July 2010

Autumnal feel already

as the summer holidays begin, it seems so does autumn for me! two of the past three mornings I have spent down on my local patch, Seaford Head and Cuckmere Haven. I've so far seen Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Grasshopper Warbler and White Wagtail among more common migrants, and heard a croaking Nightingale. I will keep you all updated as autumn progresses, with hopefully a few good birds to brag about too if I'm lucky! Except for from Mid August-early September when I'll be in Canada for three weeks!

all the best to everyone

Liam

Tuesday 27 July 2010

Now for something completely different!

See:



Hope some people laughed. Just a humerous post.

Monday 26 July 2010

How to view Year List Competition

Dear Young Birders,

You may have noticed that the way the Year Listing Competition is now being done has changed. This is so that the task of updating the results is easier for me and Joseph to update. Here is a list of why I made the changes:


• I can make the results look more appealing in terms of formatting.
• You can comment on the updates if you like (however please continue to send updates through the email address)
• Me and Joseph can edit the updates easily.

The post with the Year List Challenge can be accessed at any time by looking under the “YEAR LISTING COMPETITION 2010” which can be found down the right hand side of the blog. Under this section near the bottom there is a hyperlink to the page to show the Year Listing Competition (SEE IMAGE BELOW). As this page will be updated regularly you can see how everyone’s year list is looking.

New Year List updates post: http://youngbirders.blogspot.com/2010/07/year-listing-competition-2010.html

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE:


If the competition is carried on into next year then I will do the same but instead create a new post that will be 2011 updates,

Andrew & Joseph

YEAR LISTING COMPETITION 2010

!!!!!THIS POST IS UPDATED REGULARLY WITH NEW RESULTS!!!!!

Species highlighted in:
Red - Are 'MEGAS', which are exceptionally rare birds.
Orange - Are birds that are classed as "Rare"
Blue - Are birds that are classed as "Scarce"

For the British birders this colour coding goes by national ranking, not local.


(1) - United States of America - Tucker Lutter ~ Total: 404
Highlights: Cinnamon Teal, Golden Eagle, Little Blue Heron, Prairie Falcon, Black-necked Stilt, Black-billed Magpie, and Smith's Longspur in Iowa. Long-tailed Duck, Iceland Gull, Spruce Grouse, Northern Hawk Owl, Great Gray Owl, and American Three-toed Woodpecker in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Fish Crow, Hooded Warbler, and more in Missouri. Gray Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Lucifer's Hummingbird, Elegant Trogon, Whiskered Screech-Owl, Buff-breasted Flycatcher (400th life bird!) Sulpher-bellied Flycatcher, Olive Warbler, Varied Bunting, and lots more in SE Arizona. Red-throated Loon (diver), Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel, Flesh-footed Shearwater, Tufted Puffin, Red Phalarope, Heerman's Gull, Red-breasted Sapsucker, American Dipper, Northwestern Crow, and more in Washington.

(2) - United States of America - Chris West ~ Total: 360
Highlights: Orange-billed Nightingale-thrush, Ross's Gull, Red Phalarope, Ruff, Kirtland's Warbler, White-tailed Ptarmigan, Brown-capped Rosy-finch, Mountain Plover, Lewis's Woodpecker

(3) - United States of America - James Fox ~ Total: 298
Highlights: Northern Hawk Owl, Iceland Gull, Thayer's Gull, Prothonotary Warbler, Henslow's Sparrow, Dickcissel, Kentucky Warbler, Red-necked Phalarope, and Golden-crowned Sparrow in Michigan.  Purple Gallinule, Prairie Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Blue Grosbeak, Sabine's Gull, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, and Brant in Ohio.  Burrowing Owl, MacGillivray's Warbler, Prairie Falcon, Dusky Grouse, American Dipper, Black Swift, Acorn Woodpecker, Gray Flycatcher, Grace's Warbler, Pinyon Jay and lots more in Colorado.

(4) - United Kingdom - Andrew Kinghorn ~ Total: 265
Highlights: Trumpeter Finch, Iberian Chiffchaff, Sykes's WarblerEastern Olivaceous Warbler, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, American Bittern, Green Heron, Pied-billed GrebeBlack-throated Thrush, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Whiskered Tern, White-rumped Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Bonaparte's Gull, Greenish Warbler, Red-flanked Bluetail, Dusky Warbler, Squacco Heron, Ross's Goose (not counted on my lists), Coues' Arctic Redpoll, Ringed-necked Duck, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Purple Heron, Great White Egret, Spotted CrakeCapercallie, Iceland Gull, Bean Goose, Montagu's Harrier, Dotterel, Temminck's Stint, Balearic Shearwater, Barred Warbler, Lapland BuntingWhite-winged Black Tern, Firecrest, Wryneck, Woodchat Shrike, Great Grey Shrike, Shorelark, Yellow-browed Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Pallas's Warbler, Snow Goose, Pomarine Skua, Little Auk, Rough-legged Buzzard, Mealy Redpoll, Black Grouse, Crested Tit, Ptarmigan, Hen Harrier, Stone Curlew, Hobby, Nightingale, Jack Snipe, Black Redstart, Black-necked Grebe, Short-eared Owl, Long-eared Owl, Barn Owl, Marsh Harrier, Golden Eagle, Bittern, Smew, Merlin, Peregrine, White-fronted Goose, Turtle Dove, Woodlark, Grasshopper Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Nightjar, Garganey, Arctic Skua, Great Skua, Manx Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Scaup, Brambling, and Bewick's Swan (long awaited lifer).


(5) - United Kingdom - David Campbell ~ Total: 212
Highlights: White-tailed Lapwing, Marmora's Warbler, River Warbler, Trumpeter Finch, Bufflehead, Iberian Chiffchaff, Dusky Warbler, Alpine Swift, Red-footed Falcon, Montagu's Harrier, Ferruginous Duck, Golden Oriole,Ring-billed Gull, Great Shearwater, Hoopoe, Wryneck, Waxwing, Green -winged Teal, Serin, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Red-backed Shrike, Common Rosefinch, Stone-curlew, Purple Heron, Great White Egret, Hawfinch, Storm Petrel, Balearic Shearwater, Chough, Quail, Sooty Shearwater, Goshawk, Cirl Bunting, amongst many others.

(6) - United Kingdom - Joseph Nichols ~ Total: 210
Highlights: Broad-billed Sandpiper, Lesser Scaup, Glossy Ibis, King Eider, Black-winged Stilt, Red-footed Falcon, Snow Goose, Purple Heron, Great White Egret, Great Grey Shrike, Montagu's Harrier, Temminck's Stint, Honey Buzzard, Iceland Gull, Golden Oriole, Common Crane, Spoonbill, Bean Goose, White-tailed Eagle, Long-eared Owl, Stone Curlew, Red-crested Pochard, Nightjar, Little Owl, Avocet, Yellow Wagtail, Turtle Dove, Med Gull, Black Grouse, Ptarmigan, Crested Tit, Dotterel, Firecrest, , Dartford Warbler, Golden Eagle, Garganey, Bittern, Common Redstart, Red Kite, Cetti's Warbler, Marsh Tit, LRP, Bewicks Swan, Egyptian Goose, White-fronted Goose, Waxwing, Great Northern Diver, Scaup, Kingfisher, Hen Harrier, Twite, Snow Bunting, Merlin, Water Rail, Osprey, Brambling, Long-tailed Duck, Smew, Slavonian Grebe, Water Pipit, Short-eared Owl, and Brent Goose.


(7) - United Kingdom - Robert Williamson ~ Total: 192
Highlights: Oriental Pratincole, Bufflehead, Black-throated Thrush, Pallid Swift, Alpine Swift, Snow Goose, Bluethroat, Dotterel, Lapland Bunting, Bean Goose, Golden Pheasant, Caspian Gull, Dartford Warbler, Willow Warbler, Gannet, Swallow, Sand Martin, Wheatear, Chiffchaff, Woodlark, Med Gull, Scaup, Corn Bunting, Shore Lark, Firecrest, Mealy Redpoll, Black-throated Diver, Red-throated Diver, Spotted Redshank, , Merlin, Dipper, Snow Bunting, , Red-necked Grebe, Great Northern Diver, Hawfinch, Lesser Redpoll, Sisken, Brambling, Whooper & Bewick's Swan, Tree Sparrow, Willow Tit, Red Kite, Twite, Water & Rock Pipit, Water Rail, White-fronted Geese, Yellow-legged Gull, Slavonian Grebe, Guillemot, Velvet Scoter, Peregrine, Smew, Goosander, Bittern


(8) - United States of America - John Shamgochian ~ Total: 190
Highlights: Tundra Swan, Eurasian Wigeon, Harlequin Duck, Ruffed Grouse,  Black Crowned Night-Heron, Glossy Ibis, Black Vulture, Mississippi Kite, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon,Piping Plover, Hudsonian Godwit, Wilson's Snipe, American Woodcock, Black-Headed Gull, Least Tern, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Yellow-Billed Cuckoo, Eastern Screech-Owl, Barred Owl, Common Nighthawk, Nashville Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Hooded Warbler, Canada Warbler, Yellow-Breasted Chat, Saltmarsh Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak, Bobolink, Rusty Blackbird, Orchard Oriole and Purple Finch, Fox Sparrow, Lapland Longspur, Snow Bunting, Winter Wren and Common Raven.


(9) - United Kingdom - Liam Curson ~ Total: 169
Highlights: Marmora's Warbler, White-tailed Plover, Bonaparte's Gull Great Grey Shrike, Temminck's Stint, Nightingale, Nightjar, Chough, Puffin, Pied Flycatcher, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh Harrier, Arctic Skua, Black-necked Grebe, Long-tailed Duck, Water Pipit, Velvet Scoter, Garganey, Glaucous Gull, Cattle Egret, Red-throated and Black-throated Divers, Dark-bellied Brent, Gadwall, Pintail, Shoveler, Scaup, Pochard, Goldeneye, Water Rail, Jack Snipe, Woodcock, Black-tailed Godwit, Common and Green Sandpipers, Mediterranean Gull, Little Gull, Razorbill, Little Owl, Woodlark, Black Redstart, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Raven, Bullfinch, Crane, Crossbill, Cettis Warbler, Tawny Owl, Wheater, and Bittern.

(10) - United Kingdom - Ashley Hugo ~ Total: 129
Highlights: Richard's Pipit, Cattle Egret, Black Redstart, Bittern


(11) - United Kingdom - Simeon Grundy ~ Total: 127
Highlights: Alpine Swift, Smew, Scaup, Bittern, Peregrine, Merlin, Shore Lark, Snow Bunting



(12) - United Kingdom - Oliver Simms ~ Total: 137
Highlights: Serin, Glaucous Gull, Woodlark, Bittern, Rock Pipit, Bearded Tit, Waxwing, Black Redstart, Slavonian Grebe, Little Gull and Short Eared Owl

(13) - United Kingdom - Robert Gilbert ~Total: 99
Highlights: Red-throated Diver, Yellow-legged Gull

Sunday 25 July 2010

Email Recieved

We would love to share with you an article that we just posted on our own blog! “Top 10 Destinations for Snowbirds” (http://www.changeofaddress.org/blog/2010/top-10-destinations-for-snowbirds/ ) would be an interesting story for your readers to check out and discuss on your blog, so we hope you will consider sharing it!


Thanks so much for your time, and have a wonderful day!

Sheryl Owen
 
 
posted by Andrew Kinghorn

Thursday 22 July 2010

Admin Coalition

Hi everyone,

Just to let everyone know their is now a coalition of admin between Joseph Nichols and myself (Andrew Kinghorn).

Please continue to use this blog and enjoy it, please post what you like and whenever you like. This is your blog!

Regards,

Andrew Kinghorn - Admin
Joseph Nichols - Admin

Friday 16 July 2010

Recent Shots from Suffolk

Just a few recent photos I've taken from a visit to Suffolk, which had me seeing Nightjar, Dartford Warbler, Bearded Tit and many more.

Patient waiting in a hide at Lackford Lakes SWT allowed me very good views of a Kingfisher, which perched and fished right in front of us!



At Minsmere, a family of Avocets had taken up residence in one the few pools that hadn't dried up on the wader scrape...




Sedge and Reed Warblers sang deep in the reedbeds, and occasionally one would pop up...


A bit of an odd looking female Chaffinch caught my eye...


Onto Blaxhall Common, and I had been given a tip off that Nightjars were in residence on a certain area of the common. Whilst waiting, a Dartford Warbler sang and briefly flitted past. The Nightjars called non stop till gone 11pm and even flew over my head on several occasions.

I got a video of a bird churring but it won't seem to upload on here. Its on my blog though.

The wooded clearing where the birds displayed...


More on the blog at billsbirding.blogspot.com

Hope everyone has a great summer!

Cheers, Bill

Wednesday 14 July 2010

Identification of Iberian Chiffchaff song

Hello,

I have written a piece on my blog about the identification of Iberian Chiffchaff by song. I have also included the called of both Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, which in the UK look very similar and are the possible (common) confusion species.

Here is the piece: http://andrewkinghorn.blogspot.com/2010/07/iberian-chiffchaff-have-you-heard-one.html

Hope this is of some use to people.

Tuesday 13 July 2010

2010 travel update

Hey everyone, Chris W here from the grand state of Wisconsin, USA!

Just wanted to give a quick update. I've forgotten how long it's been since I've posted here, so I'll recap for the year since Jan.

Birding in Jan, Feb was rather slow. I got a quick start to my year list in Jan but then dropped off after that.
The last week of Feb, I was practically given the chance to go along on a VENT (Victor Emanuel Nature Tours) trip to Costa Rica for the first week of March. It was quite the most amazing trip I've ever been on. got around 200 new lifers during a week's time there.

Less than a month later, I had the chance to volunteer for three weeks as a guide at Tandayapa Bird Lodge in Northwest Ecuador. Talk about another amazing trip to the tropics! Nearly 200 lifers there as well.

For May, I birded the heck out my home state and worked my year list up near 300.
A 10 day trip helping lead a tour to Colorado in Jun pushed it over 300.

Now, it's July, the slowest birding month here in the US and I've been working on documenting my trips on my blog "The Southwest Wisconsin Birder"

Want to read the details of my trips? visit my blog! do it. :)