Your GM bird of the year and your bird of the year...for fun
colin davies said
Wed Dec 27 8:44 PM, 2023
I've had an exciting year, but my best birds in 2023 have been;
GM - 2 self found black-winged stilts at Pennington Flash. I watched them fly in and almost land 5m in front of me before heading off to the spit. Close second, self found Temminck's stint also at the flash.
UK - A tie between Red-eyed vireo in a bush 2m away from me on Barra in October and Stejneger's scoter at the scoter fest in Fife in April.
Western Palearctic - Crab plover in Kuwait, Barolo shearwater Madeira.
World - Almost impossible to say, tie between Pallas's gull, Sri Lanka Bay Owl and Great Indian hornbill, all India.
But ask me again tomorrow and I'll probably have a different selection!
A tough one this year. Quite a few good birds at Elton. It's a toss-up between the Alpine Swift and the European Bee-eater. Both were UK firsts for me. The Elton Cuckoo was also a brilliant bird (never had suck good views before) - an absolute stunner. In the end, I think I'd have to go with the Bee-eater (just because it was such A shock to see one sitting in a tree at Elton!). It was a good job Warfy was around with his scope at hand. UK bird for me was the Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Frampton. A very pretty bird which showed very well.
Mike Chorley said
Mon Dec 25 12:24 AM, 2023
For GM a toss-up between the Elton Bee-eater, as it was the shortest-staying of the three good birds at Elton and my first GM Marsh Harrier, as that took more effort. UK would be my second Hulme's Leaf Warbler in Norfolk. No news on the day but it showed well for us.
Dean Clark said
Sun Dec 24 9:06 PM, 2023
None gm area bird of the year , waxwings in Warrington , nipped out to see and home ready for work in an hour
Andy Slee said
Sun Dec 24 8:07 PM, 2023
Mods, move if not appropriate, we're playing this game in the pub at the mo.
GM for me Darcey Lever Waxwing 04/03/23 - heard trilling my blind Bird-listening companion heard it before I saw it! Second place Firecrest at Dunkinfield Park in March.
UK wise, a slight win for the Double Crested Cormorant in Doon in Ireland a few miles from my in-laws farm where we vistied in the summer. Second place goes to the Bridled Tern at Hafan-y-Mor "If we leave a few hours early for the Holyhead ferry we'll have plenty of time to see the Tern". Missed our ferry, took a lot of work to get the brownie points for a few hours leave to go see the Cormorant once in Ireland.
Oh and Home county, Cheshire, 1st place Long-tailed Duck at Moore beating as a close second Baird's Sandpiper at Meols.
-- Edited by Andy Slee on Sunday 24th of December 2023 08:07:46 PM
I've had an exciting year, but my best birds in 2023 have been;
GM - 2 self found black-winged stilts at Pennington Flash. I watched them fly in and almost land 5m in front of me before heading off to the spit. Close second, self found Temminck's stint also at the flash.
UK - A tie between Red-eyed vireo in a bush 2m away from me on Barra in October and Stejneger's scoter at the scoter fest in Fife in April.
Western Palearctic - Crab plover in Kuwait, Barolo shearwater Madeira.
World - Almost impossible to say, tie between Pallas's gull, Sri Lanka Bay Owl and Great Indian hornbill, all India.
But ask me again tomorrow and I'll probably have a different selection!
A tough one this year. Quite a few good birds at Elton. It's a toss-up between the Alpine Swift and the European Bee-eater. Both were UK firsts for me. The Elton Cuckoo was also a brilliant bird (never had suck good views before) - an absolute stunner. In the end, I think I'd have to go with the Bee-eater (just because it was such A shock to see one sitting in a tree at Elton!). It was a good job Warfy was around with his scope at hand.
UK bird for me was the Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Frampton. A very pretty bird which showed very well.
Mods, move if not appropriate, we're playing this game in the pub at the mo.
GM for me Darcey Lever Waxwing 04/03/23 - heard trilling my blind Bird-listening companion heard it before I saw it! Second place Firecrest at Dunkinfield Park in March.
UK wise, a slight win for the Double Crested Cormorant in Doon in Ireland a few miles from my in-laws farm where we vistied in the summer. Second place goes to the Bridled Tern at Hafan-y-Mor "If we leave a few hours early for the Holyhead ferry we'll have plenty of time to see the Tern". Missed our ferry, took a lot of work to get the brownie points for a few hours leave to go see the Cormorant once in Ireland.
Oh and Home county, Cheshire, 1st place Long-tailed Duck at Moore beating as a close second Baird's Sandpiper at Meols.
-- Edited by Andy Slee on Sunday 24th of December 2023 08:07:46 PM