A great bit of fun and knowledge is now lost. I really enjoyed the results and especially the ones when once you have the answer you start to kick yourself for not seeing what now seems obvious. Its a pity it's over with but there is only so much one man can do. Now Ian has only 300 things to concentrate on instead of 301 cheers for the competition. It was grest while bit lasted
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................
Many thanks Ian for running the Mystery Bird quiz , I`m sure everyone who took part appreciates all the hard work that went into it. Having even been distracted by the quiz whilst birding on the other side of the planet on more than one occasion , I`ll miss it.
Whilst I wasn't too good on the IDs it nevertheless cheered me up whenever Ian chose any of my photos to challenge the experts - and a good way to excuse some terrible shots too :) Peter
So it's all over and I got just over 50% as per usual but the Mystery Birds has been my favourite competition ever. Huge thanks to Ian for giving us all such a great challenge over the last few years. I'll miss it
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Same here will miss it a lot
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Sunday 19th of January 2014 08:50:40 PM
Congratulations are due to Ian for consistently running this competition for seven years. How you found enough hours in the day will be the one unanswered mystery. With the competition's end (or break?) and the demise of Birding World both occurring this month, there's a bit of time freed up. Never missed entering it, despite all the Homer Simpson-esque utterances of 'doh!' as I realised mistakes upon reading the answers. Classic stuff.
So it's all over and I got just over 50% as per usual but the Mystery Birds has been my favourite competition ever. Huge thanks to Ian for giving us all such a great challenge over the last few years. I'll miss it
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Same here will miss it a lot
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Sunday 19th of January 2014 08:50:40 PM
So it's all over and I got just over 50% as per usual but the Mystery Birds has been my favourite competition ever. Huge thanks to Ian for giving us all such a great challenge over the last few years. I'll miss it
Perhaps those of you that have never attempted it before could give this months a go and then join in next Year in order to encourage Ian that members of this forum appreciate his efforts.
Couldn't agree more, there's no shame in getting them wrong, they make you think and then kick youself when you see how you missed something obvious.......or is that just me Giving them a go could fill a few minutes in the doldrums between Christmas and New Year, what are you waiting for?
Just sent Ian my attempt(guess) at this Months Mystery Bird Competition, I get more wrong than right but the fun is in the doing and then finding out why I was wrong. Just like to thank Ian for the time he must put into running this competition, it's been going for 7 Years now and to ask that he continues to tease us into Year 8. Perhaps those of you that have never attempted it before could give this months a go and then join in next Year in order to encourage Ian that members of this forum appreciate his efforts. Happy New Year to all. Cheers Ian
Congratulations go to Mr Ian Mckerchar now the proud world record holder for the longest dramatic pause in history. Dermot O'Leary, Tess Daly eat your hearts out. The tension is unbearable.
This to me show how the camera lies, some of the birds seem to have a darker mantle, one seemed to have a shorter bill at the angle in the shot, well done to all that went for the right answer, the left of center seemed to have a bigger head, never trust the camera, i like to take photos but i found this shot a great example how the angle of the bird compared to the light can change the colour and show the same birds looking slightly different, that was a bad un,
or should i say it was seemingly a Bad un till i saw mystery bird 6, i still cant see the bird,
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................
I hate gulls (or at least identifying them). This is going to be a very long month. Thank you Ian. I would have stuggled with one, let alone the number in this pic. A good challenge though.
Good luck you Gullers, Novembers gulls photo is a Stinker, Either that or im just rubbish at gulls, maybe a bit of both there, i dont think there will be an 88% next month
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................
Just looked at the results for July, I don't mind admitting I was one of the "have not got a clue" for bird 14. Now it's revealed as a Great Skua I still don't get why it has blue in it's tail, none of my guide books show this. or is my monitor wrong?. Someone help me, please. Cheers Ian
Thats the one I actually got right! The 'purple/blue sheen' tried to throw me, but I wne t with gut instinct on it!
I think its a bit og a light trick on the black / dark edge band to the secondaries or tertials?
I sound like I know what I am talking about there!!
Just looked at the results for July, I don't mind admitting I was one of the "have not got a clue" for bird 14. Now it's revealed as a Great Skua I still don't get why it has blue in it's tail, none of my guide books show this. or is my monitor wrong?. Someone help me, please. Cheers Ian
On the lighter side of this comp,I said it was a puffin, I new it was a puffin so why I went razorbill will always be a mystery, after all my grandad could have seen the 1932 bird and both me and me dad could have seen the 1984 birdnice to know l I live in the best gm borough for puffin study opportunity
Lanner falcon3 bird books,1 cd all in the bin,I,ll just use the pin next month
I must stop doing the mystery birds on a sat night after a few beers
A few weeks ago, on a trip to Bempton cliffs, i explained in great detail to my wife how to pick out the Puffins on the water. "You can see the red legs under the water, Puffins are the only auk with red legs" said I.
Well done Matt, im glad you did not fall for the green post with seeds on it that looked just like a post at Penny flash, have you seen next months though? the bar just got raised
Enjoy the homebrew
Matt Potter wrote:
I got them both correct!!!!!!!!!! Whoo Hoooo!!!! I am very pleased!!
I may even get one more pint of homebrew poured to celebrate!!
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................