Most memorable Birding Experience of 2011?

[Guinnessman1974]

My best bird watching experience of 2011 was seeing a a pair of Choughs in Pembrokeshire. First time seeing these birds....

Also a Barn Owl carrying prey on my local 'patch' in Bridgnorth, Shropshire.

Anyone else reflecting over the past year?

I think there's often too much focus on observing rare birds - however for me the most memorable encounters involve commoner birds..

[Hobjob]

Spending an hour calling up a Knysna Warbler near Cape Town.

I saw it in 15 minutes (luck not skill), but John was blindsided and it took us another 45 minutes for him to get a 2 second view!

Mind you, ask John, and his most memroable experience may be something to do with his telescope .....................

[Shrike]

A few that come to mind was my first Bittern , some great views of short-eared owls , merlins and other raptors , very close views of the hilarious antics of sanderling on the coast and a Black Tern on my local patch.

[Charlesbeams]

As i only recently got back into birdwatching (May this year) there has been so many for me.

Seeing plenty of rare birds for our area, best include the White Throated Robin, a Stone Curlew and Glossy Ibis.

Plenty of BOP experiences, seeing my first owl for many years, a Barn Owl which ended up flying around 10-15ft away from us. Seeing an Osprey flying over our heads, not too high up and then fishing. Seeing 3 Honey Buzzards displaying quite closely at Wykeham Forest. Seeing my first Short Eared Owls too.

Visiting Bempton Cliffs was a great experience too, just so many birds to see there.

Overall it's been great for me really and made me wonder why i ever stopped.

I'm hoping to get views of Long Eared Owls before the end of the year which would be added to this too.

[pressld2]

That's a tough one as they're have been so many great experiences this year, but I think it really has to be my trip to Bass Rock which I wrote about here. Mind you, the trip to the gannet colony at Troup Head was almost as good.

Dave P.

[Guinnessman1974]

Gannets are really spectacular to watch, and can often engage non birders alike! I love watching terns too.

[John]

Err!1 I think we will pass over that.

Originally Posted by Hobjob

Mind you, ask John, and his most memroable experience may be something to do with his telescope .....................

I have done very little birding in Britain this year so finding a British highlight is quite easy. It was the WAB meet at Gigrin Farm. There was a fabulous show of Kites that weekend and I even went on a twitch in Shropshire for a female Desert Wheatear before returning back for the afternoon Kite feed. Mind you tracking down then finding the Nightjar for the other WAB members on the Thursley meet comes a close second.

Unfortunately the British highlights wouldn't be the years highlights as I had so many abroad.

Spain.
Seeing Duponts Lark for the first time in last February was one.

Egypt.
Going on a small outboard motorboat around the Islands on the river Nile at Aswan and seeing at close quarters some amazing birdlife, close second here was catching boats in the Red Sea and having close up views on the islands of Sooty Falcon & Osprey.

South Africa
There were so many here. Getting close up views of Cape Rockjumper on the Swartberg Pass, the amazing Cape Gannet colony at Lamberts Bay. Spotted Eagle Owl chicks only a few feet from us close to the ground then seeing one of the adults close by. Close views of the amazingly beautiful African Emerald Cuckoo, the list could go on and on.

The other main highlight here for me was a place and a person David had booked, along with using the owner as a guide. His name was Tim Carr. Tim is developing an Eco Friendly project at the Wildernes N.P and it is an incredible project undertaken by an equally incredible guy. His skills as a guide are the most amazing I have come across and his bird and plant knowledge is second to none. I will never forget the few days we had with him as it was a real privelage to be in the company of such a person.

John

[Hobjob]

Yes John, but where was your telescope .... ? ........

Originally Posted by John

The other main highlight here for me was a place and a person David had booked, along with using the owner as a guide. His name was Tim Carr. Tim is developing an Eco Friendly project at the Wildernes N.P and it is an incredible project undertaken by an equally incredible guy. His skills as a guide are the most amazing I have come across and his bird and plant knowledge is second to none. I will never forget the few days we had with him as it was a real privelage to be in the company of such a person.

John

[earthdragon64]

Even though the weather was awful, my trip to the Uists in May has to be my highlight this year, although I didn't see any new species for me.

From the cottage we stayed in we saw quite a variety. The highlight was the Great Northern Diver in full breeding plumage, an absolute stunner. Also from the cottage was a pair of Shelduck with about 8 ducklings and a pair of Greylag with 6 Goslings.

Others we saw whilst moving around were more Short-eared Owls than I've seen anywhere else, male and female Hen Harriers, Peregrines, Eider with ducklings and even some Whooper Swans.

The weather, in particular the wind, was so bad that we only got out of the car once or twice for a walk. I'm sure if we'd managed to get out more we'd have seen a lot more than we did. Still, it gives us the perfect excuse to go back at some point in the near future, maybe next year if we can fit it in.

Regards, Audrey.

PS thanks have to go to PMG for recommending the cottage we stayed in, it was really nice, and in beautiful surroundings.

[pammosley]

Th highlights for me would be seeing Marsh Harriers for the first time while in Norfilk & watching the Starlings coming in at Leighton Moss in October, brilliant

Guinessman, wondering if you were the guy that was so excited about seeing his first Chough that we spoke to at Martins Haven in July? We sent you up the hill to watch them playing in the wind.