mummymonkey
Did you spill my pint?
I think a country list is started when records are first submitted from that country. Until now there have been no records from ROI.
-
Security incident: ISF was recently accessed by intruders. Please change your password, and change it anywhere else you used it. Read more
Ed Forum birdwatching 2008
- Thread starter Kotatsu
- Start date
-
- Tags
- birds birdwatching
Kotatsu
Phthirapterist
Mummymonkey is correct: there are no lists for countries from which nothing has been reported. However, I know that I sometimes miss things, so if there have been reports from Ireland which should have been on the list already, please say so, and I will correct this error immediately. I know, for instance, that I have missed the report from the Netherlands entirely so far...
Anyway, I am back from the North now, with some lice and some pictures. We didn't catch very many birds, and most of the ones we caught were without lice. Nevertheless, it was a nice trip, and I got two new birds: Hawk owl and Lapland Longspur. I can also add about eight species to the list, as well as many records from a new province of Sweden, but I forgot my notebook at home today, so that will have to wait. All in all, I think I saw about 70 species in a week, which is a bit low, but you have to keep in mind that I was mainly standing on fields looking at flocks of Golden Plovers (1) and Ruffs flying around.
I also have some pictures of Siskin, Chaffinch, Brambling, Golden Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Hawk Owl, and Ruff which will be submitted during the week.
---
(1) Question: is it "Plover" that rhymes with "lover" or "plover" that rhymes with "lower"? The Dutch people who caught birds up there, as well as my Lithuanian guide, said the latter, but I always thought the former was correct.
Anyway, I am back from the North now, with some lice and some pictures. We didn't catch very many birds, and most of the ones we caught were without lice. Nevertheless, it was a nice trip, and I got two new birds: Hawk owl and Lapland Longspur. I can also add about eight species to the list, as well as many records from a new province of Sweden, but I forgot my notebook at home today, so that will have to wait. All in all, I think I saw about 70 species in a week, which is a bit low, but you have to keep in mind that I was mainly standing on fields looking at flocks of Golden Plovers (1) and Ruffs flying around.
I also have some pictures of Siskin, Chaffinch, Brambling, Golden Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Hawk Owl, and Ruff which will be submitted during the week.
---
(1) Question: is it "Plover" that rhymes with "lover" or "plover" that rhymes with "lower"? The Dutch people who caught birds up there, as well as my Lithuanian guide, said the latter, but I always thought the former was correct.
EHocking
Penultimate Amazing
There are not many threads on this Forum where you would expect that sentence to be delivered in a friendly context.
I also received some photos over the weekend that I will try to host this evening. I will drop a post in when I've updated the Galery pages.
mummymonkey
Did you spill my pint?
The former - rhymes with lover.
Hokulele
Deleterious Slab of Damnation
EHocking
Penultimate Amazing
Gallery pages have been updated with 5 new photos.
Thanks to Fiona for these.
Thanks to Fiona for these.
Kotatsu
Phthirapterist
I have some comments on the photos.
First, several of mine were taken last year, not this year: the Buzzard (see below), the Hawfinch, and the Goldcrest. This is not a problem for me, but your rules stated that only photos taken this year would be valid. If so, they should be removed, or placed in a category of their own. If not, I could send you loads of photos from last year^^.
Secondly, the Buzzard is actually a Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus.
Thirdly, the old man in the background of the Buzzard photo is Carl Edelstam, a sort of infamous charlatan among ringers of Sweden. He is also a firm believer in homoeopathy, astrology, curry lines (which he drew outside the observatory), various undetectable energies, and so on. We had a small debate on the topic of homoeopathy, which ended quite abruptly when he started going on about how his "research" (see the link above) was being suppressed by mainstream science. A curious person, but essentially harmless. Perhaps the "woo-iest" person I have ever met, though.
First, several of mine were taken last year, not this year: the Buzzard (see below), the Hawfinch, and the Goldcrest. This is not a problem for me, but your rules stated that only photos taken this year would be valid. If so, they should be removed, or placed in a category of their own. If not, I could send you loads of photos from last year^^.
Secondly, the Buzzard is actually a Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus.
Thirdly, the old man in the background of the Buzzard photo is Carl Edelstam, a sort of infamous charlatan among ringers of Sweden. He is also a firm believer in homoeopathy, astrology, curry lines (which he drew outside the observatory), various undetectable energies, and so on. We had a small debate on the topic of homoeopathy, which ended quite abruptly when he started going on about how his "research" (see the link above) was being suppressed by mainstream science. A curious person, but essentially harmless. Perhaps the "woo-iest" person I have ever met, though.
Kotatsu
Phthirapterist
By the way, Eric: could it be possible to order the names in the taxon list after the scientific name rather than the English one? I think it would give a better overview to be able to see which species in which genera have already been added to the list that way.
Also, I think we should separate Morocco from South Africa in the country list. It looks a bit strange, considering that we have Canada with one species as well... Maybe a sheet could be constructed where all reported taxa are plotted against the different countries? Or would that be much work?
Update on the Northern birds will come tomorrow, as the Swedish bird report central has a nice function that summarises species. This summary function is fully automatic, though, and only updates at midnight, so I can't get any info from it until tomorrow.
I will also send more photos tonight. A question: I have some pictures of Ruffs (a red, a black, and a white) both in the hand and just after they have been released. The hand-held, I think, are better quality-wise, but Ruffs tend to crawl together when you hold them, so they don't look very healthy. What kind of picture would be preferred?
Also, I think we should separate Morocco from South Africa in the country list. It looks a bit strange, considering that we have Canada with one species as well... Maybe a sheet could be constructed where all reported taxa are plotted against the different countries? Or would that be much work?
Update on the Northern birds will come tomorrow, as the Swedish bird report central has a nice function that summarises species. This summary function is fully automatic, though, and only updates at midnight, so I can't get any info from it until tomorrow.
I will also send more photos tonight. A question: I have some pictures of Ruffs (a red, a black, and a white) both in the hand and just after they have been released. The hand-held, I think, are better quality-wise, but Ruffs tend to crawl together when you hold them, so they don't look very healthy. What kind of picture would be preferred?
Last edited:
bruto
Penultimate Amazing
Got a new one that doesn't seem to be on the list yet, obligingly perched right outside the window as I sat at the computer this morning: Baltimore (or Northern) Oriole, Icterus Gulbula.
Kotatsu
Phthirapterist
I saw a total of 90 species in Umeå, and got 18 new species for this year, as well as 2 new twitches. I will have to add that this evening, as I also got a large box of lice from France today...
EHocking
Penultimate Amazing
One of my posts seems to have gone missing.
On the photos - I will make the changes as noted above, I hadn't included a couple of Kotatsu's for fear of making further ID errors, i.e. What was the owl?
On the 2008 issue, yes, I had included some that were a bit "iffy" just to get some content on the page. I was surprised no one had noticed a photo of a Capercaillie that isn't on our list! Kotatsu, send me the photos you like best - or all and let me call it. They aren't necessarily for ID purposes, just a gallery. For instance, I had left off a couple of blurry ones, because I wanted to present the best of the thread's participants' photos.
I'll have a look at the listing questions too, when I get the next update from Kotatsu
On the photos - I will make the changes as noted above, I hadn't included a couple of Kotatsu's for fear of making further ID errors, i.e. What was the owl?
On the 2008 issue, yes, I had included some that were a bit "iffy" just to get some content on the page. I was surprised no one had noticed a photo of a Capercaillie that isn't on our list! Kotatsu, send me the photos you like best - or all and let me call it. They aren't necessarily for ID purposes, just a gallery. For instance, I had left off a couple of blurry ones, because I wanted to present the best of the thread's participants' photos.
I'll have a look at the listing questions too, when I get the next update from Kotatsu
Kotatsu
Phthirapterist
I have now added everything. The Vestrobothnia list contains 89 species, of which the following were new for the Swedish list (most also for the total list):
Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus
Little Gull Larus minutus
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus
Ruff Philomachus pugnax
Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii
Lesser Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia
Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana
Winchat Saxicola rubetra
Bean Goose Anser fabalis
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
Hawk Owl Surnia ulula
Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus
I have also added a Garden Warbler Sylvia borin that I heard on my way to work today.
For consistency, I have added all 89 species, as well as all the 32 I had in Hallandia last month. I will send the updated list and photos to Eric tonight.
EDIT:
I would also like to draw attention to the fact that with this update, two new countries were added to the list: Ireland and The Netherlands. Thank you!
Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus
Little Gull Larus minutus
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus
Ruff Philomachus pugnax
Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii
Lesser Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia
Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana
Winchat Saxicola rubetra
Bean Goose Anser fabalis
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
Hawk Owl Surnia ulula
Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus
I have also added a Garden Warbler Sylvia borin that I heard on my way to work today.
For consistency, I have added all 89 species, as well as all the 32 I had in Hallandia last month. I will send the updated list and photos to Eric tonight.
EDIT:
I would also like to draw attention to the fact that with this update, two new countries were added to the list: Ireland and The Netherlands. Thank you!
Last edited:
Goshawk
Graduate Poster
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2003
- Messages
- 1,451
We had a big wave of spring migrants come through; while walking in Fairview Park this morning, I heard:
White-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) "Old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody"
Wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)
Two of my favorite spring singers. Cornell has obligingly posted sound files of them: White-throated sparrow. Wood Thrush.
White-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) "Old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody"
Wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)
Two of my favorite spring singers. Cornell has obligingly posted sound files of them: White-throated sparrow. Wood Thrush.
mummymonkey
Did you spill my pint?
From the pub window last night:
Grey wagtail - Motacilla cinerea
Dipper - Cinclus cinclus
Grey wagtail - Motacilla cinerea
Dipper - Cinclus cinclus
New species spotted today (May 18) in Colorado, USA:
Molothrus ater Brown-headed Cowbird
Icterus bullockii Bullock's Oriole
Athene cuniculari Burrowing Owl
Colinus virginianus Northern Bobwhite
Buteo swainsoni Swainson's Hawk
Tyrannus verticalis Western Kingbird
I also have some new pictures for the Gallery.
Molothrus ater Brown-headed Cowbird
Icterus bullockii Bullock's Oriole
Athene cuniculari Burrowing Owl
Colinus virginianus Northern Bobwhite
Buteo swainsoni Swainson's Hawk
Tyrannus verticalis Western Kingbird
I also have some new pictures for the Gallery.
Last edited:
Elizabeth I
Philosopher
Finally, some new birds! Well, a new bird.
San Antonio, Texas, May 18: Bullbat (Common nighthawk), Chordeiles minor
If we can relax the rules a little
I can add a mammal: Mexican freetail bat, Tadarida brasiliensis
San Antonio, Texas, May 18: Bullbat (Common nighthawk), Chordeiles minor
If we can relax the rules a little
I can add a mammal: Mexican freetail bat, Tadarida brasiliensisbruto
Penultimate Amazing
I was tempted to mention bats too, because there's been a terrible die-off of bats in this area. A mysterious disease called "white nose syndrome" is infecting them in their hibernacula during the winter, and some populations have been wiped out. They were late coming out this year, and we feared the worst, but at least a few have made it back to my barn. It remains to be seen whether they're going to survive the summer, but the hope is that if they made it back alive they'll manage. The disease is so new and so mysterious that nobody really knows.Finally, some new birds! Well, a new bird.
San Antonio, Texas, May 18: Bullbat (Common nighthawk), Chordeiles minor
If we can relax the rules a little
I know they're not birds, so they're off topic, but at least they fly and they catch bugs, so we could think of them as the functional equivalent of swallows, perhaps.
Kotatsu
Phthirapterist
Well, if we're counting mammals, I got a new species of mammal when I was in Umeå: Mountain hare Lepus timidus. We usually only get European hare Lepus eauropaeus down here, so it was quite nice. That makes my list of mammals spotted in the wild rise to a soaring 21 species.
Anyway, I have added everything, and as I forgot to send the file to Eric last week, I'll do it tonight, together with some bird photos.
Also, I can add the Swift Apus apus from Sweden as well, as two individuals were flying over my parents' house this saturday.
Anyway, I have added everything, and as I forgot to send the file to Eric last week, I'll do it tonight, together with some bird photos.
Also, I can add the Swift Apus apus from Sweden as well, as two individuals were flying over my parents' house this saturday.
Last edited:
Did you count Homo sapiens in your list of 21 mammals spotted in the wild?
I have one more new bird species for today spotted in Colorado, USA:
Piranga ludoviciana Western Tanager
A stunning bird, but a bit camera shy. He flew off while I was focusing the camera.
Last edited:
Oh bother, I'd been keeping my eye out for northern orioles and western tanagers so I could post them here. I haven't seen either of them yet this spring, so that about does it for my local posts.
kestrel, I'm in NV but my family lives in CO, so I'm always interested to see what you post.