Andy Gibb: Where Only the Birds Sing » birds

2008: Pemberton? And Beyond?

Andy — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:51:25 +0000

It was a coin toss, effectively. I chose just as randomly, as throughout the tour – some good ones, some bad ones, some very bad ones. My days of building spreadsheets with weighted pros and cons had disappeared in 2001 with the advent of the Landmark Forum into my life. The power of choosing without [...]

Santa Clara County, June 2000

Andy — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:20:46 +0000

Wood-pewee, warbling vireo, common merganser (aka goosander), great-tailed grackle, black swift and black-throated grey warbler put the list at 158. Living as I was at the top of Page Mill Road, my San Mateo total also used to inch along and began to look a little respectable on 88, especially after a July 8 visit:

“I [...]

A Great Idea

Andy — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:10:19 +0000

New York state’s plan to kill two-thirds of its Canada geese doesn’t go far enough. I’d like to escalate the concept to kill four billion human beings (that’s fewer than two-thirds, folks). At-a-stroke solution to the Canada goose problem and every other damn problem on [...]

Build a British Bird List

Andy — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 15:57:03 +0000

New to, or just recently started birding? Wonder which are the birds you’re most likely to see? The first part of this book lists 250+ species in just that order. Now you have a plan to make a solid start on your British list. The next part lists likely sites for the species towards the [...]

15% Off British Birding Year

Andy — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:01:43 +0000

Seems like my printers want to promote this.

Here’s their disclaimer: “Use coupon code BEACHREAD305 at checkout and receive 15% off The British Birding Year. Maximum savings with this promotion is $10. You can only use the code once per account, and you can’t use this coupon in combination with other coupon codes. This great offer [...]

Wrens Split: Birds to Go Solo

Andy — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 07:59:51 +0000

Paul Stein

In a shock announcement, appropriately on July 4, the species’ manager IOC said that the Troglodytes Family – American twins, Hiemalis and Pacificus, and leader Troglodytes himself – will pursue their own solo careers. Pacificus, at his California forest retreat, cited artistic differences for the rift. Hiemalis is out of reach somewhere [...]

2000: Hooded Oriole, Santa Clara

Andy — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:23:34 +0000

The missing description for my May 27 Los Altos Hills bird:

“Is this possible? I caught a glimpse of a large (i.e. bigger than a finch) lemon yellow bird with black foreparts flying over my house just now. I immediately thought of an oriole but the only one that fits that description is Scott’s. I notice [...]

Corn Bunting, Dyrham Park

Andy — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:55:38 +0000

It’s been a good few weeks for this species: first, one up in East Yorkshire; then near Martin Mere; now, not quite on the National Trust estate but by the road down to Marshfield, which is their local stronghold. Another bunting, a yellowhammer also showed, for only the third time this year – a far [...]

Spotted Flycatcher, RSPB Ham Wall

Andy — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 10:27:42 +0000

Another new species for my Somerset list with an adult feeding two juveniles yesterday evening. Technically Lytes Cary should have the honour because a spotfly was hawking near the pictured bits of topiary late afternoon. In the name of efficiency though I’ll not add that National Trust house to my site inventory, unless it comes [...]

2008: Walpole-Nornalup National Park

Andy — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:39:33 +0000

My honeyeater tally rose to seven, with another lifer no less: western spinebill. Three families separate scrubbirds and honeyeaters at this prehistoric end of the taxonomic spectrum: bowerbirds; Australasian treecreepers; Australasian wrens. This last family then contributed lifer number 885 in the form of a red-winged fairy-wren.

I’d like to say I’d tracked it down in [...]