Hi mike, just checked and I do have 37 wader species on my list, highlights include avocet, stone curlew, kentish plover, dotterel, purple sandpiper,curlew sandpiper, broad-billed sandpiper, temmincks stint, little stint, spotted redshank, red necked and grey phalarope, bairds sandpiper and pectoral sandpiper. I'm sure there must be some with at least 36, isn't there a record of spotted sandpiper from maybe the 90s, anyway I've still got a long way to go to try and join the 250 club but happy with my wader list which are probably my favourite group of birds.
I guess everyone appreciates a good new wader on their list. Im still embarrassingly short of Grey Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit for GM; birds hardly scarce enough for a special trip down to Manchester and which I keep hoping will turn up along with a major target to lure me down for a possible double hit.
A Sharp-tailed Sandpiper or Buff-breasted Sandpiper would do it, - or better still, a Black-winged Pratincole perhaps?
Brian, I reckon you must have 37 waders on your GM list already, (has anyone got more for GM?), so you should hope for a Bonellis or Greenish Warbler instead of lusting after still more waders, (thats just being greedy).
Best Wishes,
Mike P.
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Challenges are inevitable, but failure is optional.
full respect to the few birders who have 250 county birds, even though i have 239 it seems a long way off for me needing 11 more birds.
for the next county bird that everyone needs i would go for a rare wader considering the time of year and the amount of mud around, maybe marsh sandpiper or lesser yellowlegs.
on a personal level i have yet to see the following in gm, red kite, turtle dove, velvet scoter, spotted crake, fulmar, goshawk and arctic skua.
good luck to all this autumn and lets hope the next good bird is not too far away.
Ian. Things are going to have to improve drastically over what Spring migration brought (or didn't as was the case) if the top 10 in the County list are to move forward at all. Still, the unknown is what makes birding what it is (answers on a postcard as to what that might be!)
It seems to have passed quietly by that two new 'members' have joined the GM250 (everyone else has got a club) Club.
Good on them too, two of the most unobtrusive yet hardest working birders in the county but now with three other birders closing in on membership and more behind them!
Bring on the GM260 (free ear trumpet and Zimmer frame on entry) Club...
Nice to see that the Kentish Plover at Audenshaw is the Bird of the week on Birdguides; its easy to find via Birdguides,and also gets a special mention and pictures in the Rare bird alert weekly roundup.
Also I am another who admires the finder Rob Adderley -A great find Rob and much appreciated by all who managed to see what will surely be the bird of the year -Thanks again for releasing the news :)
wow!!! 250 in GM is a truly amazing achievement and to reach it with a self found Kentish Plover is magnificent, well done Rob, i am also truly grateful to you for sharing this bird with us as i managed to get to Audenshaw tis afternoon and see a lifer, congratulations and Thanks Rob.
full respect to Rob, self found bird for 250, does it get much better than this. 250 gm birds is a total that the rest of us can only hope to acheive, well done Rob.
A league of his own, A fantastic find by a top birder, and yes a club of his own, thank you so much for sharing your find Rob, and enjoy the GM 250 Club,
What a fantastic way to enter the GM250 (everyone else has got a club) Club, with Rob Adderley's find of Kentish Plover at Audenshaw Reservoirs this morning elevating him into this prestigious and extremely elite club.
Well done Rob, fully deserved of the GM250 (everyone else has got a club) Club's motto of 'Go Big or Go Home'.