Naughty Nine

Finally managed to get my blog going again. Went to Frampton the other day, found a White Wagtail, and a Black-winged Stilt had returned. As I was looking for it a pair of Bearded Reedlings (Tits to you) flew over my head and landed in the reed bed adjacent to the path. Needless to say no further sighting. Med Gulls look as if they're going to breed, they are one of my favourite gulls in breeding plumage, pity they were distant. The male Garganey was still there, awaiting a female (which is probably there already but no-one's seen it yet) and the Yellowlegs still seems settled. I can't believe the number of posts I see from people who are going to see it, but haven't yet. Why not? 


 This brings me on to my Naughty Nine, which is my personal "bucket list". It is those birds on the British list which I haven't seen anywhere in the world. It started as a Dirty Dozen, in 2022, when I saw White-winged Lark and Caspian Plover in Kazakhstan, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Bermuda of all places. The remaining nine aren't impossible, but several have occured in the UK since I've been birding, and the recent claim of a Red-throated Thrush hurt. It was doubly annoying because when the Shoeburyness bird turned up I was in Egypt looking for gulls. On the day we returned it was still there, but we elected not to go on the way home as we'd had problems in Egypt (a flash-flood washed away the road and we got back to our hotel with half an hour to pack before the pickup for the airport). So we decided on a good night's sleep before going the next day, unfortunately the thrush decided it was time to move on.......

Three other birds I could have seen in the UK fairly recently, all of which it was entirely my own fault that I didn't. Black-billed Cuckoo, every day I got up and thought "it can't live much longer, there's no food" So I never went, to my shame. Tengmalm's Owl, I was trying to give up twitching at the time, until coming to realise I can't completely, so just give me another chance! 

Amur Falcon, I'm sure there'll be another one, but I'm equally sure that many birders share a similar view of the Yorkshire bird. I thought about going when it first turned up as it was a quiet time and I was bored, but decided it was just a bit too far for a Red-footed Falcon, I've seen hundreds. Mike drove past it because a friend in the car wanted to get home for tea! So, returning from Ireland after dipping the Little Blue Heron I discovered on the ferry that not only was it an Amur, not a Red-foot, but that it had departed. I really to this day don't know why I didn't go for the Cornwall bird, just another example of as soon as possible-GO!

The other six on my list are all fairly easily gettable. I have already "got" one, since Yelkouan Shearwater has been deemed to be not a good species by the gods of taxonomy. I'm leaving it on my list because it gives me a good excuse to take Ann on a Mediterranean Cruise. I am hoping to get Pallas' Bunting on a trip to Mongolia next year (shame we can't go for Pallas' Cat), along with Amur Falcon and Red-throated Thrush. Hawk and Tengmalm's Owls won't be too difficult, nor Black-billed Cuckoo. I had hoped for at least one of those three when Ann and I went to see Belugas (she has her own bucket list) in the St. Lawrence last year, but the only tick I got was American Goshawk (only just split from Northern). That only leaves Egyptian Nightjar, good chance in Morocco, and MacQueen's Bustard. I'm sure travel to Israel will be resumed eventually, but I'll then have to think of another target. I may well not be travelling that long, but if I am I won't have any difficulty, I've already got one or two in mind.

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