AA Birdpix, Birds, Travel and More

 Harriers Harriers are among my favourite raptors, but their fortunes are constantly changing and they are subject to many pressures as most people will know, hopefully. It was a Hen Harrier that re-started me birding. I had done some as a youngster and went on holiday at the age of thirty to Scotland, having always kept an interest but been far too busy with the usual distractions to actually do any birding. However, you can't go to Scotland without looking at the wildlife, and we were lucky enough to see a beautiful male Hen Harrier, a rare sight even then. My then wife, Linda and I made a decision to take up birdwatching on that day.   At around that time you would go to Minsmere and there used to be a chap in the hide who would call up any sighting of a Marsh Harrier, it was the only place in the UK you could see reliably see them and there were about six pairs in the country. Their current status is well-known, and they are a familiar sight at many wetlands throughout England.

Misidentification. Mistakes are a fact of life, but when it comes to birding they take on a different meaning. When pager services first began people were at great pains to ensure information was correct before "putting it out". Some would say that this was so certain people could get there first, but I honestly think that was never the intention, at least initially. When I found a Caspian Tern on my way home there was a delay of about 20 minutes before the news was put out. I subsequently found that phone calls had been made to ascertain who I was (thankfully I was already "known", it was just a matter of putting a face to a name). I wasn't offended, quite pleased in fact because I have always had a fear of making a mistake which causes others to waste time and petrol. However, I am still very wary of making a mistake which inconveniences others, but it seems I am in a minority. Over the years, as more people take up birding it has not been possible to check on

 AABirdpix.com In the beginning was film, well when I started birding anyway. I've never considered myself a photographer, but always a birder with a camera. That way I never get the perfect shot, so there's always something to photograph again. As many will know, back in the 80's and 90's, buying and selling rarity photos became popular, and a number of people became well known for providing such photos. Bird photography then was relatively expensive, because not only did you need a "big lens" to get a reasonable size image, but the cost of film and processing meant that every individual photo had a cost to the photographer, including the ones that "didn't come out". It wasn't excessive, but selling rarity photos was a way to recoup some of the costs.  I was twitching a lot then, and saw some major rarities, some of which may never be repeated, but I didn't sell photos at first. Then one day, in 1994, ten years after we started twitching