1st January 2012
A Happy New Year to all Brickfielders, that’s to all who visit Cranham Brickfields !
A little Birdy story to start the year !
Most Birders, that’s birdwatching enthusiasts, in Birdspeak, will have been out today to start their ‘Year list’ of seen bird species. Most keen birders will have a ‘ Year list’ and a ‘Life list’ Over 250 seen species in a year is very good. You need to be able to go to some diverse habitats and be willing to cover thousands of miles travelling all over the U.K including the Shetland and Scilly Isles to stand a good chance of reaching that number. I am told a London Birder listed 302 species this year I would love to see his diary! Wonder if he came to Brickfields ? I doubt it, but went to Rainham RSPB I bet ! In fact I know he did.
Because in the second week of January last year a very rare Slaty –back Gull got blown into Rainham and stayed on a rubbish tip near to the RSPB Rainham reserve for a couple of days. I say very rare, but that is an understatement, it was a first for the U.K ! Nearly two thousand birders came from all over the U.K to add to their ‘Life list’ in the few days it stayed. I arrived at about 6.30am on the Saturday morning (15.1.11) and at least 500 people were there before me. By near Lunchtime it was recorded at over 1200. You can see why ! It was not only a first for the U.K but the Gull itself breeds on the western coast of Alaska but travels widely during non-breeding seasons. Claims have been made as to its (sometimes occasional) presence throughout North America as well as the eastern coast of Asia. Like other gulls, the Slaty-backed Gull is both a forager and a scavenger, that’s why it was at home on the rubbish tip...but Rainham...wow! I don’t think Cranham would have coped, let alone Brickfields Car Park!
I went to the Rainham Reserve today and listed over 50 species, but apparently 81 was recorded, so you see some and miss some ( dipped out, in birdspeak). Last year’s (2011) number of different birds seen over Brickfields is 49...never mind, come on its heaven to me! I’ll tell you about my ‘life list’ another time.
I will visit Brickfields tomorrow and happy to do so !
Bye for now.
A Happy New Year to all Brickfielders, that’s to all who visit Cranham Brickfields !
A little Birdy story to start the year !
Most Birders, that’s birdwatching enthusiasts, in Birdspeak, will have been out today to start their ‘Year list’ of seen bird species. Most keen birders will have a ‘ Year list’ and a ‘Life list’ Over 250 seen species in a year is very good. You need to be able to go to some diverse habitats and be willing to cover thousands of miles travelling all over the U.K including the Shetland and Scilly Isles to stand a good chance of reaching that number. I am told a London Birder listed 302 species this year I would love to see his diary! Wonder if he came to Brickfields ? I doubt it, but went to Rainham RSPB I bet ! In fact I know he did.
Because in the second week of January last year a very rare Slaty –back Gull got blown into Rainham and stayed on a rubbish tip near to the RSPB Rainham reserve for a couple of days. I say very rare, but that is an understatement, it was a first for the U.K ! Nearly two thousand birders came from all over the U.K to add to their ‘Life list’ in the few days it stayed. I arrived at about 6.30am on the Saturday morning (15.1.11) and at least 500 people were there before me. By near Lunchtime it was recorded at over 1200. You can see why ! It was not only a first for the U.K but the Gull itself breeds on the western coast of Alaska but travels widely during non-breeding seasons. Claims have been made as to its (sometimes occasional) presence throughout North America as well as the eastern coast of Asia. Like other gulls, the Slaty-backed Gull is both a forager and a scavenger, that’s why it was at home on the rubbish tip...but Rainham...wow! I don’t think Cranham would have coped, let alone Brickfields Car Park!
I went to the Rainham Reserve today and listed over 50 species, but apparently 81 was recorded, so you see some and miss some ( dipped out, in birdspeak). Last year’s (2011) number of different birds seen over Brickfields is 49...never mind, come on its heaven to me! I’ll tell you about my ‘life list’ another time.
I will visit Brickfields tomorrow and happy to do so !
Bye for now.
RSS Feed