Birders' brevity

Deb London · #1 (**permalink**) 13-04-2011, 05:00 PM

I am trying to learn about birds, so I read various birders 'latest news' listings to look for good places to spot interesting species. To use these lists I've had to work out the meaning of a few abbreviations not in any dictionary that I know of. E.g.:

GPs - gravel pits
SPs - sand pits
CP - country park (after trying to work out what it meant for ages, then realising that it didn't actually fit with the other two, and wasn't in actual fact a "clay pit"

)

Are there any other ones that I should be aware of?

Dogghound · #2 (**permalink**) 13-04-2011, 05:02 PM

LRP = little ringed plover

Wild-Woman · #3 (**permalink**) 13-04-2011, 05:06 PM

LBJ - Little Brown Job!

thunder · #4 (**permalink**) 13-04-2011, 05:24 PM

Any abbreviation ending in 'Y' is likely to do with the age of the bird e.g. FCY = First Calendar Year. There are many permutations!

henrya

RoyW · #5 (**permalink**) 13-04-2011, 05:28 PM

If you have any recent copies of local bird reports (eg. The London Bird Report, which is sent free to members of the LNHS), there will usually be something near the start that explains abbreviations like the ones that you mention - these are fairly standard abrieviations that are used to save space in bird reports. There are others, which may vary between bird reports and posts on websites, including things like NR (nature reserve), OPC (outdoor pursuit centre), PS (power station) etc.

As others have indicated, other frequently used abreviations that often catch people out (and which are unlikely to be used in most printed bird reports, but which frequently appear on websites) are bird names.
Along with LRP, you may see things like LEO & SEO (Long/Short-eared Owls), Sprawk (Sparrowhawk), RB Flicker (Red-breasted Flycatcher) etc.

Some are usually relatively easy to work out, others much less so - but that's part of the fun when your starting out!

Deb London · #6 (**permalink**) 13-04-2011, 05:36 PM

Thanks all.

Fun?

Not sure about that Roy.

I do have that report somewhere. I will check the front pages (I went straight to the local reports and pretty soon after that decided that I either bird watch with my eyes shut, or they make things up

(no, not really)).

htcdude · #7 (**permalink**) 14-04-2011, 07:18 AM

We've had NR (nature reserve), but just to add LNR, probably obvious, Local Nature Reserve

'c' in for example, c30 Starling = circa (meaning around, roughly, approximately)

Also other names given to birds is useful:

Gropper - Grasshopper Warbler
Dabchick - Little Grebe
Mipit - Meadow Pipit (also maybe Ripit, Tipit and Wipit for the others

)
Bonxie - Great Skua
Loon - Diver (probably won't see that anywhere as it's the US term for the bird

Can't think of any more now but sure there are!

Nige