Here we go again.

[Ptarmigan]

Unlike, I suspect, many members here, I don't go dashing around the countryside, never mind the World, ticking off every rare bird that I can, to add to my tickers list. To say that I'm a home bird is actually an understatement, cause I don't even own a passport!

Of course, everyone's entitled to their own approach.

However, I prefer and am quite content to, simply keep an eye on my own little patch here.
So I'm delighted to see that within the last few days, Snow Bunting & Redwing have been spotted up here in Norn Iron.

I get a lot of pleasure from simply being visited by birds like these, each year and for me there's something special about them visiting me, rather than the other way round.

I wonder who else will come a'calling this Winter.

Cheers
Dick

[Merlin]

You are very lucky to have such special birds visit your patch, and I agree with you over some of the more radical twitchers. But you have to remember some people live in areas that have very little other than an odd Sparrow, Pigeon or Starling, so we mustn't begrudge them a visit to some rare bird that shows up. I look forward to your future posts of the birds that visit you this winter.

[Ptarmigan]

Oh yes Merlin, I agree that everyone is entitled to go at this hobby in their own way. I was just outlining my own approach, for what it's worth.

This was brought home to me a few years ago, when a school teacher I know, described how he walked to school each day & as a keen bird man, he took a note each day of the species & number he saw. This gave him a fascinating insight into how numbers were going up or down & these were all common species he was dealing with, too.

It just struck me, that this was a far more worthwhile & I would think, far more satisfying & rewarding pass time, than just dashing round the country ticking a lot of names in a book.
Both approaches, I'll grant you, are about numbers, but to me one approach is quite frankly pretty pointless & little better than trainspotting!

So I guess what I'm saying is I reckon the tickers, are simply the Anoraks of our hobby.

[Merlin]

Originally Posted by Ptarmigan

So I guess what I'm saying is I reckon the tickers, are simply the Anoraks of our hobby.

I would certainly agree with you there have a look at my post "Whatever happened to manners and fieldcraft"

[Twitcheruth]

Welcome to the forum Dick.......nice to hear about your local birds and patch!
Snow Buntings are a delight to see aren't they!
I don't have a passport either and do most of my birding within my county.......and despite my user name don't twitch..... very often! lol!

[Merlin]

Oh yes sorry, welcome to the forum.

[Chrissy]

I don't think I have ever seen a snow bunting or a redwing...but one day maybe. I do have a passport and I do get to some distant places on occasion but don't have tick boxes. Half the time, I don't know what things are to tick them off anyway