Twitching

Scilly – the final day

Thumbnail image for Scilly – the final day by TomMckinney 22 October 2011

Two things about this trip to Scilly were inevitable – 1) it would have to end at some point; 2) despite me working my arse off trying to find a Pallas’s Warbler, someone else would beat me to it by finding one on the island of Bryher yesterday. Not that I’m complaining, I mean with [...]

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Ruby Tuesday

Thumbnail image for Ruby Tuesday by Rebecca Nason 21 October 2011

MALE SIBERIAN RUBYTHROAT – SHETLAND, UK It has been a while since I have posted on Birdingblogs and what better way of returning than to mention a particularly rare and stunning bird which is at this very moment sculking in the undergrowth of a small garden in Gulberwick on the Shetland mainland – the cream [...]

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Scilly – day 4

Thumbnail image for Scilly – day 4 by TomMckinney 17 October 2011

Two boat loads of birders, including some of our party, were disappointed and frustrated on a trip to the island of St.Martin’s where they dipped on Blyth’s Reed Warbler (reported late yesterday) and narrowly missed the long staying American Golden Plover. Back on St.Mary’s we mega-serious-hardcore birders were thrilled by a trip to Hugh Town [...]

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Tart the Gyr

Thumbnail image for Tart the Gyr by TomMckinney 7 February 2011

So it’s Sunday night, and I’m wondering why I should bother to write a load of garbage piss-poor pointless words, when someone can put together a five minute song as good as this. If you’re not British/Irish then this is likely to mean absolutely nothing to you, so you’ll just have to believe me when [...]

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aaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhh!!!

Thumbnail image for aaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhh!!! by TomMckinney 1 February 2011

No. This just cannot be! No! It’s happened again! Another sensational vagrant bird slips through the fingers of the British twitchers. And this time it’s belated news of an Oriental Turtle Dove, present in a garden in Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire in December 2010. News HERE Dear Santa, Can you please give us a bird [...]

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Yet another British mega eludes the crowds!

Thumbnail image for Yet another British mega eludes the crowds! by TomMckinney 25 January 2011

So this is how 2011 wants to play? Ha! First it was a super elusive Slaty-backed Gull which vanished after just a brief visit to London, then late news of a Dusky Thrush in Manchester, and now a dead American Purple Gallinule has been found in a garden in Devon.

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What A Turdus!

Thumbnail image for What A Turdus! by Rebecca Nason 21 January 2011

I have just seen a new post ‘ A Tremendous Turdus’ uploaded today by Ian McKerchar on the Manchester birding website. This post is an account of the incredible sighting and gripping IMAGES of a stunning Dusky Thrush – seen briefly by non-birding plane spotter Ian Reynolds in his garden in Leigh on the 8th [...]

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Featured Bird Blogger of the Week

Thumbnail image for Featured Bird Blogger of the Week by dAwN FiNe 14 January 2011

Howdee all, Hope you are all in a tropical environment and staying toasty warm. If you aren’t then I feel for you. As I type this, snow covers the ground and a thin sheet of ice covers that. Its lovely to look at, but.. its cold and slippery…and my old bones don’t care for it. [...]

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A Christmas Carol (part 2)

Thumbnail image for A Christmas Carol (part 2) by TomMckinney 27 December 2010

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Part 2 THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS When Scrooge awoke it was so dark, that, looking out of bed, he could scarcely distinguish the transparent window from the opaque walls of his chamber. He scrambled out of bed, dressed, grabbed his torch and went outside. He worked his [...]

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Snow Buntings in a suit

Thumbnail image for Snow Buntings in a suit by DaleForbes 5 December 2010

Tirol is a pretty much a winter wonderland – great big pointy Alps, covered in fluffy white snow. Picture book, really. And you would think that with all these great big mountains and snow, that we would have an abundance of all these birds that call themselves Snow-somethingorother. Like Snowfinch (tick), Snow Geese (we have [...]

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Thou shalt always bird!

Thumbnail image for Thou shalt always bird! by Gunnar 15 November 2010

Funny Twitching video Have you seen the Twitcher program yet? If so, maybe some of this from the British Twitching scene makes sense to you.  Thou shalt recognise the face of Lee Evans.  This video is hilarious. Watch it several times and and use the pause button to be able to see all the details [...]

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