Are Scilly birders clutching at straws?

[RobS]

Two days ago we had the suggestion that there was the US version (a different species I know) of the Eurasian Sparrowhawk., the Sharp Shinned Hawk, present on St Mary's. Tonight I read that there is a Curlew reported - presumed to be a Eurasian Curlew but it has been suggested that it is a Far Eastern Curlew.

Now if things had been better for me financially (e.g. that I had a job) there is a strong chance I would have been on Scilly from Weds to tomorrow so I might be forgiven for being a tad jealous.

Having said that to my cynical birding mind this smacks of elitism or desperation or both!

Rob S

[solus]

I detect a touch of the green-eyed monster in that Rob!
There are far fewer birders on Scilly these days, compared with the glory-days of the mid-1980s when you had to book your accommodation a whole year ahead to be certain of having somewhere to stay and when birders could occasionally be found sleeping in hides or in the toilets on the Strand! I wonder (being old[er] and cynical!) if there is an element of "This is Scilly in October, there HAS to be something rare!"? I know even back in the 80s and early 90s there was a lot of misidentifications made in the hopes that a common bird might be a rarity (Bonelli's Chiffchaffs one year, it was)

I used to love Scilly - at any time of the year - but for us at least it just got too expensive - not just the accommodation, but the costs of getting there.

[RobS]

Perhaps!

But you raise an interesting point. Looking at it from a ticking point of view it has gone downhill tremendously for me from 15 (17 actually but that was two on the Scillonian) in 1985 to 1 per year each time I went in the last 15 years. The last time I went (September 2009) I had to be satisfied with a Steppe Grey Shrike which tick-wise is a bit dodgy for me!

Obviously my list expanded anyway, but I have often wondered whether it is because there are fewer birds or fewer birders. Do you think a lot of good stuff is missed, or has a climate change scenario (please please no!!!) caused the menu to change?

Is there good stuff lurking but undiscovered? I walked bloody miles around the islands in 2006,7,8,and 9 for my one per year ticks (American Robin, AG Plover, Blackpoll Warbler and SG Shrike).

Rob S

[solus]

Originally Posted by RobS

Do you think a lot of good stuff is missed, or has a climate change scenario (please please no!!!) caused the menu to change?

Is there good stuff lurking but undiscovered?
Rob S

I don't suppose much is missed on Scilly even now but more birders are choosing to travel to other places (islands off the west coast of Scotland for example) where they have the place all to themselves bird-wise so can find their own birds and where, incidentally, the scenery is wild and beautiful and travel and accommodation much more reasonably priced - you can take your car via CalMac to many of the islands for less than the cost of taking just yourself on the 'Scillonian' or Skybus or the helicopter. There always were "good" years and "not so good" years on Scilly: it also depended on whether you were there during the "right" week! I remember 1985 being pretty good - Yellow and Black-billed Cuckoos on the same day! But looking back I'm sure my specs are somewhat rose-tinted in hindsight and of course as one's list grew so the opportunities for new lifers reduced.

[Picidae]

Originally Posted by RobS

Having said that to my cynical birding mind this smacks of elitism or desperation or both!

Rob S

Why?

Rare birds can turn up all the time, especially at this time of year and especially on Scilly and Shetlands because of their location (and coverage of course) so unless there is a good reason for doubt in these incidences, ie. you've seen the bird yourself, you personally know the finders lack of ID skills, know for a fact it's a deliberate string, or seen a good photo of the bird in question to challenge the ID yourself, what's 'elitist' and 'desparate' about the reports? Mistaken IDs occur frequently, you only have to look at the threads in the birding forums to see that. However, I imagine mistaken IDs occur less frequently on Shetland/Scilly which for obvious reasons tend to attract birders with more experience in distinguishing confusion common species with rare birds than your average garden birder or one that's rarely left his own patch, and are also far more likely to be seen by more than one birder in Scilly/Shetland this time of year before the news is 'reported' on the rare birds networks as the majority of people travel there in groups/with birding partners etc rather than being on their own (It's cheaper!).

Yes, occasionally 'rare' birds are re-identified following initial release of news (but actually more frequently than not, re-identified as another species of rare bird rather than a common one so twitchers aren't always disappointed!) and RBA etc will filter out most of the obvious misID's and won't even put the news out, or put it out as a 'possible' or 'unidentified' until others have confirmed the ID. There will be some that get through but that's par for the course with improved digital photography, sound recording and access to the internet/ornithological literature these days. However, it's completely disingenuous and unfair to diss reports of 'rare birds' on the rare bird alerts and cast dispersions on the finders reputations without a very good reason.

There's enough competitiveness in birding as it is without finders/reporters of rare birds being subjected to armchair trials on the internet by those who've not even seen the bird or even a photo of it. Especially by those that admit they 'would have been there themselves' if they could have afforded the time or money.

There will always be a few stringers in birding and many more people that misidentify birds because of inexperience. That's the nature of the game really. It only becomes a problem if people spend money to go and see a bird but with all the news being disseminated and reported these days that enable birders to twitch birds, they can't complain too much if a few dodos slip through the net. Years ago, you relied on word of mouth!

Interestingly, on rare bird trials by internet, it's usually the finders/twitchers that have seen the bird in the field that end up having to defend the bird's ID challenges from those who have not seen the bird in question or any other individual of the same species! - I always think its a bit like people who like to offer/argue Identification of a photo posted on a bird forum by looking at their copy of Collins by the computer or googling, even though they've no or little experience of the bird in question in the field.

Cyber birding - a full time hobby for some!!

[RobS]

Oops looks like I opened a raw nerve - it was you, Picidae, who saw the SS Hawk and the FE Curlew!! (Have you had your IDs contested then?)

However I agree with what you say, I suppose I was being Devil's Advocate after some wine. I am surprised you didn't come back at me with Tundra Peregrine which has actually been photographed there.

Perhaps rather than being jealous or it being elitist it is a feeling of boredom that I read these reports - I prefer my birds to be obvious rather than subtle.

I remember the 1985 YB Cuckoo in the garden by the beach. I went to look for the BB Cuckoo but it had died by then - lack of caterpillars ISTR. That same weekend I saw Bobolink, American Wigeon, Ring Necked Duck, Spotted Sandpiper, Parula Warbler, Rose Breasted Grosbeak, Yellow Browed Warbler, Radde's Warbler, Night Heron, Woodchat Shrike, Bee eater, Sooty Shearwater, Merlin, Jack Snipe and four others that I can't remember which were all ticks - halcyon days indeed!

Rob S

[Adam Cheeseman]

It has been said that there are a lot of birders out there, but that they're just sitting and waiting on their pagers going off rather than getting out and finding some decent stuff.

Cheers,

Adam

[Gatekeeper]

I see that a Black-eared Wheatear has been reported on RBA today. Not heard anything else on the Eleonora's or Sharp-shinned. If all the sightings turn out to be valid, they could have the makings of a season. But from what I hear the numbers of birders are down on the previous year once again, and this can only go on for so long before it's not worth the guesthouses extending their season (they close immediately after as it is).

Problem is, for most hard-core birders with a 400+ British list it's just not worth the expense of booking a week or 2 weeks, for the diminishing returns. I remember last year (pretty grim), the number of birders despondently viewing their pagers as stuff started appearing on Shetland or Ireland. Of course these days as most birders tend to prioritise their Western-Pal list, a trip to Ireland, Lesbos, or the Azores, is likely to be more rewarding.

This is an interesting link from The 400 club website:

Monday, 7 December 2009
More debate on the fall of Scilly as an autumn birding destination
My good birding friend Robert Lambert of the Nottingham University Business School did a half-hour radio interview live on Radio Scilly on 19 November on the issue I raised just recently. It can be listened to here at the following link:

http://www.radioscilly.com/files/twi...9_nov_2009.mp3

[RobS]

If I had gone this year it would either of been from last Weds until today or next Weds till a week today. I would have had two ticks assuming I saw both from this week - not bad!

With Scilly I just love being there, the birds are perhaps a bonus. I guess I have graduated or gravitated perhaps, into a bit of a dude, mind you I'm not as bad as a dude at recognition. But these days I am happy to walk around the islands with Mrs S and see some birds (hopefully) and then go back to the Star Castle for a superb dinner - that's my birdwatching!

I have thought about Fair Isle, would like to go there but I think it would be too birdy for me.

Rob S

[Gatekeeper]

Originally Posted by RobS

If I had gone this year it would either of been from last Weds until today or next Weds till a week today. I would have had two ticks assuming I saw both from this week - not bad!

With Scilly I just love being there, the birds are perhaps a bonus. I guess I have graduated or gravitated perhaps, into a bit of a dude, mind you I'm not as bad as a dude at recognition. But these days I am happy to walk around the islands with Mrs S and see some birds (hopefully) and then go back to the Star Castle for a superb dinner - that's my birdwatching!

I have thought about Fair Isle, would like to go there but I think it would be too birdy for me.

Rob S

I've been to Fair Isle a few times- FanDabbyDozy