Returning/Novice birder learning the ropes again.
I started birding at 15 years old in 1969. When I married and had children I stopped actively birding, but the interest was still there, I only actively resumed birding a few years ago, which is a shame because during my working life I have visited over 40 countries on all continents! my life list would have been huge if I had birded in all those countries!!!
I am trying to bring my lists up to date and have only listed species from the past which I can remember to be 100% correct.
North Somerset
United Kingdom
From 11, birdwatching was local woods & gravel pits save for trips to the Outer Hebrides 1983, Tiree 1984 & Gibraltar Point 1985. I started twitching in summer 1987 at the end of my first year of University & on passing my driving test in January 1988, my horizons broadened. I made my first twitch to Scotland that year & first visited & twitched Shetland and Scilly in 1990 & Ireland in 1995. My main list is now a British Isles list comprising the United Kingdom, Ireland & the Isle of Man & there are a limited number of species that I have not chased in Britain that I have seen in Ireland or the Isle of Man. I now reside in Clevedon with a local patch list over 200. My obsessions are beginning to broaden to other "easy" wildlife such as macro moths & will hopefully broaden further. I also now keep a WP List but not yet added the few additional species for a World List.
NT volunteer at Brean Down.
Herefordshire
United Kingdom
I'm not an avid UK lister, although happy to see new species should I be in the area. Very keen on keeping my county list ticking over though and my local patch at Wellington Gravel Pits. The Scottish Highlands is probably my favourite birding area.
north yorkshire
United Kingdom
birding since small boy mainly in the UK and have only been outside europe once. i have a particular interest in birds of prey especially harriers
Birding 36 years ex-lister, would be birdfinder now. Love birding North America. Married to a birding wife thankfully.
Northumberland
United Kingdom
Birding for over 27 years, first in Lancashire, and then Lincolnshire, North Wales, Dorset and East Yorkshire. Now resident in Northumberland. It's all about the 'self-found', but will occasionally twitch if need for Brit List, it's not too far away, I have the time and I got out of the right side of the bed that morning.
Very recently starting Birding, as an antidote to the hustle and bustle of life. Enjoying the steep learning curve, and solitude in watching.
My birdwatching began in c1985 (aged 8) until c1992 (aged 15) and included a 12-year hiatus until recommencing in around 2004 (aged 27).
To create BUBO lists I have only been able to be 100% certain of species seen since 2014, which is when I began uploading sightings data to Bird-Track. Prior to 2014 I kept no permanent records.
There are species that I have seen between ’85-92 and from 2004 up to 2014 and where possible and confident to do so I have added them to the list with as much information as I can recall. If I cannot be sure I have seen a certain species or sighting details are sketchy, then they have been omitted from the list until seen again with 100% reliability.
I have created BUBO lists for some sites that are important to me. Mainly sites/reserves that I have birded most often due to locality or others sites that I like very much.
My local patch sites are RSPB Fairburn Ings and Swillington Ings (RSPB St. Aidan's) and lists have also been created for RSPB Blacktoft Sand (visited regular since '85), RSPB Frampton Marsh (fave site) and Spurn Point.
All lists are of visual sightings.
I have been birding since I was about seven years old when I was bought a copy of the collins gem guide to british birds.
First bird that caught my imagination was a great spotted woodpecker thst flew up in front of me as I enteted Bishops field woods in Fareham.
I ws hooked !!! I have been a bird watcher as opposed to a twitcher, thus my list is not thst extensive.
Now getting my two year old son hooked as well.
tyne & wear
United Kingdom
birding since childhood but serious since 1997, Northumberland only, rarely twitch.