Plastic or Fantastic

[Adam Cheeseman]

As another Falcated Duck (Teal) turns up and ignites the plastic or countable debate, I wondered what position other birders on here take when a potentially rare bird of equally potentially dubious origin turns up and they see it.

Do you see it and count it as a wild bird; see it and think, that's nice!, but don't count it; or not even bother going to see it until some official judgement has been passed on its wild status?

Cheers,

Adam

[MagpieMick]

Luckily for me, the recent ones that have turned up have been local to me and at sites that i visit on a regular basis or near to !!

I wouldn't travel a great distance to see one as in the Devon bird thats just appeared...( think its Devon ) memorys gone...

All are escapee's and i view them to photograph them and add them to my yearly records..!!

Now rightly or otherwise my records are for me i don't submit them to any third party or post them anywhere.. I'm not in competition with anyone only myself.

It's a year list of what i've seen and where so i add it....to my records..!!

Mick...

No doubt others will have differing views..

[VinceS]

Although I enjoy bird-watching I do not go chasing around the country after "rarities". I do, however, have field trips to see specific birds and plan family holidays where I have a good chance of seeing specific birds (and mammals and flowers). My records are therefore of birds I have seen on normal family organised trips. If there was a rarity within 5 miles of home then I have and would go and see it and record it for my personnal records.

Vince

[Adam Cheeseman]

Where is everybody?

Personally, if there is an outside chance of it possibly being wild I would go and see it. Let's be honest I count the free-flying Red-crested Pochards, Egyptian Geese, and Madarins in Bushy Park because they breed thereabouts and they are on the British List.

Cheers,

Adam

[Ukwildlifeo]

I count them if there living wild i.e. if they can fly off they count

[glsammy]

I'm not into counting or ticking anything, but I am into photographing everything!
If it moves, or if it doesn't, provided I think there's something interesting or attractive, I'll take the shot.

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by glsammy

I'm not into counting or ticking anything, but I am into photographing everything!
If it moves, or if it doesn't, provided I think there's something interesting or attractive, I'll take the shot.

To be honest I tend to be not that interested in things out of range of my 12x zoom, I dont have a tick list, more of mental notes of "Ive seen one of them" Some of my best photos (according to the folks on flickr atleast) are of mandarins so I like to count them of wildlife, even if someone was throwing them bread as I took the shots :P

[John]

There are certain birds that are dodgy due to very few individuals around balanced against the fact that they are kept in captivity. Falcated Duck is one of them. Wood Duck is another whereas the likes of Mandarin Duck & Egyptian Goose have a good breeding population in Britain already.

I wouldn't feel comfortable going for this duck, even if it was close to where I live.

John