Peregrine or goldfinch???

[ray55]

Around 11am today I was walking around Farlington Marshes/Langstone Harbour when I saw a group of around 20 birdwatchers all with binoculars and spotting scopes trained on what I think was a goldfinch sitting on a bush...so being nice and polite I moved slowly off to the right so as not to disturb them..walked around a clump of trees and saw two peregrine falcons terrorising a group of small birds....I know which I'd rather watch but does anyone think I should have mentioned it to the group???...they seemed quite happy with their goldfinch..seemed a shame to disturb them!!!!!

[Neil UK]

Depends on how they reacted to you. In my previous experience I have met of nice polite birders but because I have a skinhead, goatee beard, tattoos and dress in baggy jeans, trainers and tees and not your usual camoflage, quite a few are quite plainly ignorant and need to be taught manners.

I would rant on but my story is a long one. Which hopefully soon you may see in RSPB Birds magazine as I am going to write a letter to them regarding this.

[richnfamous]

Originally Posted by ray55

Around 11am today I was walking around Farlington Marshes/Langstone Harbour when I saw a group of around 20 birdwatchers all with binoculars and spotting scopes trained on what I think was a goldfinch sitting on a bush...

It was probably a rare vagrant or somesuch, or it wouldn't have gathered such a crowd.

[solus]

Originally Posted by richnfamous

It was probably a rare vagrant or somesuch, or it wouldn't have gathered such a crowd.

Just as likely to have been a birdwatching club outing! I suspect if it had been a rare vagrant one of 'em would have pointed it out.

Neil: were I a betting person I'd put money on your letter to the RSPB not being published! They just don't seem to like real birders or twitchers in their twee magazine!

[Neil UK]

Originally Posted by solus

Just as likely to have been a birdwatching club outing! I suspect if it had been a rare vagrant one of 'em would have pointed it out.

Neil: were I a betting person I'd put money on your letter to the RSPB not being published! They just don't seem to like real birders or twitchers in their twee magazine!

Oh we shall see my good man hahaha

[thunder]

Originally Posted by solus

Neil: were I a betting person I'd put money on your letter to the RSPB not being published! They just don't seem to like real birders or twitchers in their twee magazine!

Can you define a "real birder"? And why doesn't it include twitchers?

henrya

[solus]

Originally Posted by thunder

Can you define a "real birder"? And why doesn't it include twitchers?

henrya

All twitchers are birders but not all birders are twitchers!

In the context of my rather tongue-in-cheek comment about the RSPB's glossy members' publication and going by Neil's description of himself he doesn't sound much like the elderly tweedy type of birdwatcher the magazine sometimes appears (only in my opinion) to be biased towards...

Have you ever read Bill Oddie's Little Black Bird Book? It may have been around for years but still defines all the terms so aptly!

Edit:
Apologies to Ray for going way off his original topic.

[richnfamous]

Originally Posted by solus

All twitchers are birders but not all birders are twitchers!

Ha ha! Never a truer word said.

[El Neilio 10]

Vagrant? What's a vagrant?

When I read the first reply mentioning it, I thought it was a cruel dig at Neil UK for his dress sense. Evidently, it wasn't but I'm still a little lost.

I know of migrants and rare migrants. I can only assume a vagrant is a species very rarely seen in a location (such as one lost / blown off course) but it's just I struggle with the expression as I've never heard it before in the sense, you seem to use it.

Am I right with my guess-work? Is the expression common amongst UK bird-watchers?

I guess I need to spruce up my nature-speak a little.

[ChrisJB]

I'm not convinced all twitchers are birders either. A minority of twitchers are more into their lists than their 'brids'.

Regards, Chris