Many thanks to Ian for all his many hours invested into Manchester Birding. I only wish that I was in a position to do more in terms of contribution, but for me geography is something of a handicap in several respects.
I look forward very much however to birding again in Gr. Manchester in 2013 and hope to manage a few more days than the mere 20 days spent here in 2012, which resulted in a year list of 126 (against my target of 140).
200 still seems miles away!

Best wishes to all those regular names on the forum,
from Mike and Barbara Passant, and family in Madrid,
¡Feliz Navidad, y Buena Suerte en el Año que Viene!

Thanks, Ian, you're doing a fabulous job and you're right, the forum is fantastic and I mean it when I say that other County forums could learn a thing or two from it.

Happy Christmas to everyone on the forum - 2012 was a fabulous year for me and I hope 2013 will follow!

-- Edited by John Doherty on Monday 24th of December 2012 12:44:04 PM

happy xmas and well done again for the last 12 months,keep them articles coming ,I like them,and the Mystery Birds Have a belter John :)

I do most of my birding in the chorley area but enjoyed many hours on the horwich moors and bought my copy of manchester birding at martin mere cheers Ian you are doing a great job .
regards gary.

My sincere thanks to everyone who uses the Manchester Birding website and this associated forum for you support and general enthusiasm during the previous (almost) twelve months.

Few (if any) understand the true effort which goes into keeping this forum what it is; one of the very best in the UK (though much of that is of course down to your good selves!) and I usually ask for nothing in return. So, for 2013 I ask for two things and two things only: -

1). Users of this forum submit their bird sightings officially to the Greater Manchester Bird Recording Group.

Pick up on the three main methods of record submission (including the new on-line RODiS) has been good but the majority (just?) on this forum seemingly still refuse to assist in the safe keeping of the habitats they visit and their birds. Do we really care so little? Are we really so selfish that a few minutes spent submitting our records is just too much effort when we're happy to spend the same amount of time posting to this forum and for what...our own kudos? Harsh but fair? Maybe I see so many superb sightings going to waste on this forum; sightings which are even nationally important for some species and I now see no excuse for not submitting your records. If you disagree please do let me know as I'd genuinely be very interested to know if I'm missing something. Steve Atkins and I have worked very hard to provide as many submission methods as possible and others are in the pipeline (such as phone apps for county recording) but I will be contacting individuals directly and asking the questions where necessary. Whilst officially submitting your records is not a pre-requisite for using this forum I fail to understand why you would not anyway and seeing as you're using something for free which I personally pay for, I don't think I'm asking too much. At the end of the day, its not for me anyway; its for the birds!

2). Please purchase an annual County Bird Report.

I still see many 'county birders' using this site who haven't yet bought a 2010 county bird report. Sure, you don't have to but why would you not? Seven quid for something which not only costs considerably more to produce but contains all the information you could ever need about the county which you birdwatch in. Please support what we are trying to achieve in this county; that of making something which other counties don't have- a true birding community. Yes, we have this forum and it is very well supported but if only 20% of users on it bought a copy we'd sell over 250 and we have for the previous several years struggled to get near a paltry 200 sold ! So, please support what we're trying to do. In the end it is all for you and the birds and if it doesn't succeed, where will we be then?

And finally...

Have yourselves a very, very Merry Christmas and a brilliant bird-filled New Year.

Take care,

Ian