Here's some data for you ... we all like data ... 1974 95,500 1975 83,939 1976 81,665 1977 66,428 1978 60,438 1979 56,488 1980 45,623 1981 25,344 Which of these totally plausible scenarios is the "right" one ... [a] Number of members of the " Young Ornithologist's Club." [b] Sales of " The Observers Book of Birds." [c] The results of the " UK Rookeries Survey" [d] The number of prosecutions of "egg collectors." [e] The sales of " Bill Oddie's Little Black Bird Book" There's something for you to think about in these lockdown times ... but now ... The Music ...... ( What's it all about ?) Alfie If you want to see if you got the "right" answer, here's the link to it.
You just scroll down to the end of that post 663, and there it will be, after the music .. 663-such-great-heights.html
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Yes, here's a selection of my exciting sightings in previous Aprils .. I think I've "done" all the other months now ...here we go then ..... 1st April Nowt. 2nd 1985 Black Grouse, my first, with Mr. G somewhere on the Pennine Way. 3rd Nuthink. 4th 1997 Rough-legged Buzzard, Dunsop Valley. ( + Goshawk) 5th -7th A barren wilderness. 8th 2008 White-Spotted Bluethroat, Sedburgh ( 374th tick) 9th 2004 2 Red-Rumped Swallows, Farnham Gravel pits. Woo ! Also 1 brilliant Hoopoe ,Settle, same day. 10th 2001 1st-summer Iceland Gull, Heysham Harbour North Wall. 11th 1987 Green-Winged Teal, Leighton Moss. 2010 Me and Tony Parnell found a magnificent and huge White-tailed Eagle flying North over L.M. ( I spotted it first)(so there) ! 88-white-tailed-eagles-and-me.html 12th Zero. 13th 1991 Ring-necked Duck (f), Dockacres GP, 15th 1989 Richard's Pipit, Inskip, Lancs. 16th 2004 Black Tern, off Heysham Harbout North Wall. ( HHNW) 17th 2003 Ad Pom Skua HHNW ... the best Skua I've ever seen. 18th 2000 Rose-coloured Starling, 1st-Summer, Ripon. Plus a Waxwing in a treetop over the road . 20th 2001 1st-summer Glaucous Gull at Lancaster Tip ... now sadly gone .... the tip I mean .... and, presumably, the gull. 21st 2000 Blue-headed Wagtail, Milnethorpe Sewage Works. Plus 2 Black- necked Grebes at LM Public Hide. 2001 Crane flew North over Ripley Heights, Lancaster at 5pm. Coo ! House Tick !! 22nd 2001 Ferruginous Duck... can't remember where ! 23rd 1997 Glossy Ibis x2 at Pilling Lane Ends on the Fylde. Wizard ! + a Spoonbill. 1996 Spoonbill at EM Pools, LMoss. 24th ............. nothing !! 25th 1993 Little Bittern (!!) Leighton Moss . Hey-ho ! 1996 Red-rumped Swallow, Ormsgill Res, Barrow. 26th Nothing whatsoever. 27th 1996 Lesser Yellowlegs, Delph Lane, Warrington. ( Warrington!!) 28th 2009 No rarities, but a hefty earthquake whilst I was teaching students about conic sections. It felt like a lorry had bashed into the wall ! 29th 1987 Spotted Crake .... can't remember where. 30th A large amount of nothing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here's a fine U2 song ... "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" But who has ?
Every so often revisions are made to the British List .... ..and here's the species that will be re-named .. Little Grebe Little Shearwater Little Egret Lesser White-fronted Goose Lesser Scaup Common Scoter Lesser Kestrel Little Crake Little Bustard Little Ringed Plover Little Stint Least Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Little Whimbrel Lesser Yellowlegs Common Sandpiper Little Gull Common Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Lesser Crested Tern Common Tern Little Tern Ancient Murrelet Little Auk Little Owl Common Nighthawk Little Swift Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Short-toed Lark Lesser Short-toed Lark Lesser Whitethroat Short-toed Treecreeper Lesser Grey Shrike Common Rosefinch Ovenbird Common Yellowthroat Rustic Bunting Little Bunting All of those birds have a diminutive, or a disparaging description such as Common. This may have been acceptable in the past, but must no longer be used. "Little", "Lesser", "Least" and "Short" will in future be replaced with "Stature- disadvantaged" " Common" will be replaced with " Frequent" or "Ubiquitous" depending on exactly how "Common " they are. The Committee is much minded to remove such disparaging adjectives as "Spotted", "Collared", "Rustic"*, "Thick", "Rough-legged", "Ancient" and "Oven." *"Rustic" will almost certainly be replaced by " Agricultural". These changes will be implemented on May 1st. There will, of course, be controversy and sadness at these changes, but we must move with the times. And now, some appropriate music ... |
AuthorThat's the author up there ... I was young and sprightly then. Archives
October 2022
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