New Year's Resolutions

Louise Aspden · Status: Offline

RE: New Year's Resolutions

John Doherty · Status: Offline

I enjoy all photography efforts and the related websites - your's look fine to me, Martyn, excellent, in fact!

-- Edited by John Doherty on Wednesday 4th of January 2012 04:07:57 PM

frank wood · Status: Offline

Don't worry about the nightjar search. They are a bit like buses and turn up in threes when you least expect them.
They had been my bogey bird for years. Then last year we want to watch an outdoor music concert in a little square in Molivos, Lesvos.
Locals had strung lights across the square and, just as the music started, I spotted movement around the lights.
I suddenly realised it was three nightjars floating around the lights, picking off the moths which had been attracted to the glow. Magic.

Martyn Jones · Status: Offline

To take much better photos in the style of Denis Atherton, John Tymon, Jon Taverner et al and particularly that young whippersnapper Joe Wynn who's a tiny fraction of my age and who's only had a camera for a couple of years. Unbelieveable!

Checkout their websites, blogs, Flickr accounts or pictures on this website if you want to see what I mean.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Trouble? No ones in trouble

In public forums like this though, ones which are known to also be read by less desirable folk, we really need to give careful consideration to what we post, that's all. One little innocent slip up can easily lead to the theft or destruction of a birds eggs or young, as has possibly been the case previously.

Louise Aspden · Status: Offline

Thanks for the replies about Owls, sorry i got you in trouble with Ian.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Joshua L wrote:

Hi John, im sorry im not telling you what my new year resolution is but you said you wanted to see an owl well I know that there is a Tawny owl next to the road while heading up to Blackstone edge. I know these birds are genreally hard to spot but I did spot it once while walking home from work. The road is called Halifax road but it might be a bit weird sitting next to the road staring at a nest box haha :D

If the Tawny Owl is indeed at a nest box then publisizing the location on a public forum should not be done and to be honest neither should informing anyone privately you don't personally know very well indeed. Owls suffer enough persecution so we really nede to look after them as best we can.

JOHN TYMON · Status: Offline

Joshua L wrote:

Hi John, im sorry im not telling you what my new year resolution is but you said you wanted to see an owl well I know that there is a Tawny owl next to the road while heading up to Blackstone edge. I know these birds are genreally hard to spot but I did spot it once while walking home from work. The road is called Halifax road but it might be a bit weird sitting next to the road staring at a nest box haha :D

It was Louise who wanted to see owls,I have seen many of all the uk species,and i was just suggesting a likely sight on the moors.

Joshua Longinotto · Status: Offline

Hi John, im sorry im not telling you what my new year resolution is but you said you wanted to see an owl well I know that there is a Tawny owl next to the road while heading up to Blackstone edge. I know these birds are genreally hard to spot but I did spot it once while walking home from work. The road is called Halifax road but it might be a bit weird sitting next to the road staring at a nest box haha :D

JOHN TYMON · Status: Offline

Louise Aspden wrote:

As I will now have lots of time on my hands, I am hoping to see lots more birds this year, I have bought a scope and a decent camera so I can get pics of birds I dont immediately recognise. What I really want to see is an owl, any owl will do I have never in 50 odd years seen one.

sounds like a visit to the owls up horwich would be worth it

Louise Aspden · Status: Offline

As I will now have lots of time on my hands, I am hoping to see lots more birds this year, I have bought a scope and a decent camera so I can get pics of birds I dont immediately recognise. What I really want to see is an owl, any owl will do I have never in 50 odd years seen one.

Scott Reid · Status: Offline

My three main birding goals for 2012:

Woodpecker hat-trick in one day!

See all 4 skuas off the north Wirral Coast (preferably all off Hilbre)

Finally see a Nightjar (my childhood favourite bird) after several failed attempts!

My 2011 goal was to see and photograph 6 British owls. I had nailed SEO, LEO, barn, little and tawny by early July, I knew the chance of anything else was slim, a twitchable hawk, scops or tengmalm's maybe?? No chance!!! A mission to the outer hebs for a shot at a snowy maybe? Not on a students bank balance!!! So when a suspect eagle owl pops up in bury, I thought 'why not'? I got my shots and the pleasure of sharing eye contact with this giant of a bird perched at the top of someone's garden conifer; free flying, hunting and fending for itself.

Ok, so according to the rule book, it was mission incomplete (or maybe more like mission impossible), but I was happy and had a lot of fun trying! The highlight - creeping through the woods at Etherow CP with my best mate at half past midnight, torches and cameras at the ready, when a tawny owl swoops down and catches a small rodent 3 meters from our feet! After freezing for what felt like an eternity, I lifted my camera and peered through the viewfinder just to see a brown bler disappearing into blackness under the moonlight!!! The joys of a birding challenge!!

Maybe one day I'll take up the challenge again and complete it in style!! Who knows, I might even make it interesting and go for 7!! :)

Happy New Year!!

Phil Panton · Status: Offline

Determined to actually get out & do some birding this year, didn't manage to do as much as i should have in 2011, due to work & family commitments getting in the way.

Charles Farrell · Status: Offline

My resolutions for the year start with nailing a few birds which I failed to find in 2011 despite many attempts, starting with

- Dipper - which I last remember seeing in about 1982, on a trip to the Lakes
- Firecrest - which Ive dipped on at least 5 times during 2011
- Goldeneye

Then there are any of the other British Birds, that I've never seen. :) With a British lifelist of around 170, I've got a long way to go. :)

I plan on making a few trips to Norfolk, Gloucestershire, North Wales and Scotland to help - possibly organised trips, but most likely under my own steam. I'm also considering doing some of the BTO courses, which will hopefully help with my ID skills - Still got lots to learn.

Joe Wynn · Status: Offline

Hoping for a nice close up view of Short Eared Owl, as well as Golden Plover (summer plumage). Both birds I saw last year, but never close enough for my liking...

John Doherty · Status: Offline

Or revolutions??! What are yours in a birdwatching context, or even your ambitions for 2012? 2011 was my debut year - I began birdwatching in April and despite not having that much money (until Christmas time!) I had a very intense birdwatching summer, including five weeks in Croatia (where I missed the likes of Ferruginous Duck and Purple Heron, merely because I didn't visit likely sights!) and I have gotten to Pennington and other sites as much as possible. I've got my Collins Bird Guide and a new decent starter pair of binos so 2012 looks a good first-full-year. My resolutions for it are to get to Leighton Moss for my first time in January and tick Marsh Harrier/Bittern and Bearded Tit in one day - all lifers - and then just step up my visits to the likes of Elton and definitely visit different habitats i.e moorlands in the GM area.

Yours?