Re: Local Bird Info

My local birding group publish their sightings www.sk58birders.com/latest.htm so quite easy to see what's been spotted though i bet they don't publish rarities lol

Go on online rarity reports such as Rare Bird Alert and birdguides.

Both have free rarity reports, but subscription can bring more info and RBA have the advantage of a newsmap and ranking of the rarities.

However with rarities its not just about right place ect-

Get out, increase your chances. Learn the common locals and how to separate rarities. Peak rarity times are the migration periods, but some MAJOR ratities turn up in winter and summer, so always be prepared.

People on the coast have an advantage over those inland, but that doesnt need to be a hinderance- anything can turn up anywhere as proved by britains second Eastern Crowned Warbler, caught at an inland reservoir by ringers.

Know what the birds sound like- i picked out 2 flocks of waxwings before i could see them early this year!

Hi-  this satrted out as  local bird info but has expanded :)

To increase your chances of finding a rarity check weather patterns and the BB Annual rarity report- it will show patterns of when and where certain spp turn up; Or find a new hotspot and work it yourself in autumn- probably still a few corners of scotland with a great peninsular or a headland someplace no one has discovered.

S

Michael M

Get out, increase your chances

A very important point,nobody will tick that rarity sitting around at home moaning how bad the weather is.Your local patch may be just the spot that tired little lost warbler decides to land in.

Sorry if i took t to national :)

I Just think wherever you are those are good tips.

Many rarities are overlooked so you always have a chance. Different seasons bring different rarities, different weather helps. Southerly winds in spring, Easterlies or strong westerlies from the Americas in Autumn, Northerlies in Winter ect, but anything can turn up at anytime.

Mist/ Rain can help hold birds up, so for me an ideal conditions year round would be:

Spring:

High pressure over southern England and Europe stretching to N africa or Migratrion areas, with low to north, slight reaing or misty with say SE winds

Summer:

Anything, not the best rarity time, but as we get to August: Westerlies from america laden with waders and golden winged warblers, Onshore winds, pref NE to bring birds to hartlepool or Autumn conditions:

Easterly airflow fed from siberia, high over scandinavia, low over uk with mist and rain

Winter- Northerlies, failed berry/cone/seed crop in Scandinavia- Waxwings, Finches, Nutcrakers, Crossbills

Sounds good to me :)

Most of the rarities I've found have been in Sept Oct-  a Norfolk/ Scilly bias however I have found good over-shoots in late May etc. June is a surprisingly good month for stuff as, oddly March can be. Personally I think November may yet prove to be a good month if climate change continues.

But if no one goes looking..................

S

Another possibility is twitter, check for local users/groups that give this sort of information. I have @walesbirds that tweets the latest information from most of the local area/club websites. There may be a similar option in other areas, a little searching for things like bird reports, on twitter itself, should find anything available

Just to add to the thread with new rarities:

Winter can be a good time- Dark Eyed Junco, rare overwintering warblers etc- Humes, YB and Dusky are all clinging on in the South west as are a fair few Sibe CHiffs. Seawatching can be productive- about 30 minutes on the first I had Slav Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, RTD, BTD, Velvet, Common scoter, Eider, RBM, Glaucous and other Gulls.

This year has been good for White Winged Gulls (WWG) WIth both Glaucous and Iceland turning up in record numbers and even some Kumliens, a subspecies of iceland. Go to a gull roost or fish quay and theres always a chance. There has been records of over 50 iceland/kumliens in shetland, and many more scattered around the coasts.