You should have spent it looking outside for potential year ticks being brought down by fireworks and lanterns then...
Mark Rigby said
Tue Jan 1 8:01 AM, 2013
Ian-the forums clock is a minute out!
Mark Rigby said
Tue Jan 1 7:59 AM, 2013
To be the first person to post on the forum in 2013-Happy new year everyone
Nick Isherwood said
Tue Jan 1 6:53 AM, 2013
My main resolution would be to hit the 100 species mark for my patch at Highfield Moss. Currently I'm on 97 species and my year list this year has been 93. I aim to continue to 'patch it' as much as I can for 2013 and hopefully better this years total.
My other resolutions are to try and increase my lifers and also continue to experience and learn from this fantastic pastime of ours.
Happy new year to all forum users.
Jon Bowen said
Tue Jan 1 3:32 AM, 2013
To continue to learn and enjoy my birding and adopt Red Moss as my local patch
Phil Panton said
Sat Dec 29 1:14 AM, 2012
To actually get out & do some birding !! the second part of 2012 has been an absolute disaster, with most of my time being taken up with work or illness to family members, will be glad to see the New Year in.
Steve Suttill said
Thu Dec 27 7:07 PM, 2012
Get to grips with MapMate for those 2012 records!
Together with Mssrs McKerchar, Atkins, et al, produce 2 county reports in the calendar year?
Organise the BTO Breeding Woodcock Survey - always a challenge persuading folks to go out counting birds in the dark (well almost)!
Spend some more quality time on the moors watching the breeding Dunlin and Golden Plover. This will need some assistance from the weather - it can't be worse than 2012, can it?
Charles Farrell said
Wed Dec 26 8:19 AM, 2012
Well, having managed to do 10+ hours a week birding throughout the year (and often more than that), I still only managed 167 species in the UK (and 3 more in Germany). I had set myself a target of 200 for the year, but seemed to run out of steam after May. I think that the key will be birding smarter and probably spending more time in Norfolk and possibly trips to Scotland etc.
I finally managed to connect with a few species that had previously eluded me (Firecrest, Barn Owl, Short-eared Owl, Hen Harrier), dipped on a few rarely seen birds (Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, Dipper) and still find myself missing Merlin and some of the less common Warblers.
This might seem ambitious, but my aims are broadly as follows:
- 200 species in the UK - 100 species in Greater Manchester (only 72 this year) - 100 species on my patch in NW London - To improve my Gull and Wader Id skills - To organize my time off better - particularly for the spring and autumn migration periods - target species - Merlin, Dipper, Garden Warbler and anything else that I've never seen (too long to list here)
Paul Hurst said
Wed Dec 26 6:25 AM, 2012
Get to grips with all of those birds who continue to elude me, namely Tawny owl, little owl, red-legged partridge and a few others... Visit Scotland and find a few eagle species... Have a real go at a year list (see how it goes)
David Lumb said
Tue Dec 25 3:39 AM, 2012
Hi John,
I have been thinking the last few days about next year's targets, after a birding mate told me in the last few days there was a Little Owl on Grange Road near Jumbles. They seem to have moved from Turton Golf Course, and as there is a boarded up house here at Ousel Nest, with open fields between the road and the railway, I will endeavour to check this out. Number one target at the moment on my local patch.
I wish I had a pound for every time I have mentioned to people about sending records in. After 20 years of recording I have given up on that resolution.
I can certainly recommend Hortobagy after doing a wildlife tour there in 2006. The Crossbills Guibe to Hortobagy is also a good read. The Common Cranes are amazing in October. Not great amounts during the day, but thousands flying into a protected area at night.
John Doherty said
Mon Dec 24 8:47 PM, 2012
Hi - following Ian's message in a previous thread, and given that I implemented one of these last year around this time, I was wondering what your new year's resolutions are birding-wise and what do you hope to do/improve upon? (Apart from submitting records and buying the county report )
Personally, I am looking forward to more foreign birding, I may even try the famous Hortobagy in Hungary. Locally, I'm looking forward to the probable arrival of Cuckoos and hoping to repeat this year's spot of them. I intend to wrap up Water Rail, and maybe see my first ever Osprey in 2013
You should have spent it looking outside for potential year ticks being brought down by fireworks and lanterns then...
My other resolutions are to try and increase my lifers and also continue to experience and learn from this fantastic pastime of ours.
Happy new year to all forum users.
the second part of 2012 has been an absolute disaster, with most of my time being taken up with work or illness to family members,
will be glad to see the New Year in.
Together with Mssrs McKerchar, Atkins, et al, produce 2 county reports in the calendar year?
Organise the BTO Breeding Woodcock Survey - always a challenge persuading folks to go out counting birds in the dark (well almost)!
Spend some more quality time on the moors watching the breeding Dunlin and Golden Plover. This will need some assistance from the weather - it can't be worse than 2012, can it?
I finally managed to connect with a few species that had previously eluded me (Firecrest, Barn Owl, Short-eared Owl, Hen Harrier), dipped on a few rarely seen birds (Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, Dipper) and still find myself missing Merlin and some of the less common Warblers.
This might seem ambitious, but my aims are broadly as follows:
- 200 species in the UK
- 100 species in Greater Manchester (only 72 this year)
- 100 species on my patch in NW London
- To improve my Gull and Wader Id skills
- To organize my time off better - particularly for the spring and autumn migration periods
- target species - Merlin, Dipper, Garden Warbler and anything else that I've never seen (too long to list here)
Visit Scotland and find a few eagle species...
Have a real go at a year list (see how it goes
I have been thinking the last few days about next year's targets, after a birding mate told me in the last few days there was a Little Owl on Grange Road near Jumbles. They seem to have moved from Turton Golf Course, and as there is a boarded up house here at Ousel Nest, with open fields between the road and the railway, I will endeavour to check this out. Number one target at the moment on my local patch.
I wish I had a pound for every time I have mentioned to people about sending records in. After 20 years of recording I have given up on that resolution.
I can certainly recommend Hortobagy after doing a wildlife tour there in 2006. The Crossbills Guibe to Hortobagy is also a good read. The Common Cranes are amazing in October.
Not great amounts during the day, but thousands flying into a protected area at night.
(Apart from submitting records and buying the county report
Personally, I am looking forward to more foreign birding, I may even try the famous Hortobagy in Hungary. Locally, I'm looking forward to the probable arrival of Cuckoos and hoping to repeat this year's spot of them.
I intend to wrap up Water Rail, and maybe see my first ever Osprey in 2013
You?