Finding Rarities I need help

[beltonbirder]

I have been birding for 30 odd years, more seriously since 1987. In this time I have "found" three rarities. I birdwatch every day since being unemployed and yet i just dont find anything good. Looking at the Bird Reports and other birders blogs and web sites it seems that the same people find the rare birds, so what am I doing wrong, why dont I find anything?

Is it because I am a loner so have to rely on just my own observations to find anything? Is bird finding better with more than one person.

It is really becoming an issue with me so any tips and or assistance would greatly improve my patch working. What is the secret folks
:puzzled:

Thanks.
BB

[AndyB]

Hi BB, like anything in life, dogged perseverance often pays off. Acquired skill and focus also contributes. A local patch that you focus on repeatedly often helps.

Even when you see nothing on many repeated trips to your local patch, you have to keep working away at it and, when you least expect it, something turns up. Some of the more dedicated patch watchers are checking once or twice per day. And there's nothing more exciting than finding your own patch rarity which gives you the energy to keep plugging away even when you haven't seen anything of note for months.

Birding on your own is not a problem to finding vagrants. You do have an advantage that, in your location, you have a better chance than someone living in a more landlocked area.

Remember luck does also play a large part so the more you're out looking, the better your odds. Good luck!

By the way, what were the 3 rarities that you have found?

[Odonate]

I agree that dogged determination is the best strategy - I birded my (inland) patch for more than 10 years before finding a real rarity and even then I was cooking a bacon sandwich when I found it!

Luck plays a part as do your ID skills especially for calls but there are some tricks. Concentrating on the right habitat at the right time of year - for instance, now would be a good time to be checking lakes and marshes for rare ducks and geese while in late spring you should probably be paying more attention to flyover stuff hoping to pick up a migrant raptor or the like. Another trick is to pay attention to both the weather and the other birds that are around in the country - this will give you an idea of where to go and what to be looking for. Also, as the Punkbirders always remind us, you must stay focussed and think rare. For instance at the moment that would mean checking all of the Redwings and Fieldfares in Thrush flocks, every bird in Tit flocks and every square centimeter of an East Coast site.

Good luck!!

[MichaelF]

The main requirements for finding rarities are (a) possession of a car (which needs a lot of money; not easy for the unemployed), and (b) quick access to a coastal headland that isn't heavily visited by other birders.

Of course some of the people who are always finding things, are 'finding' birds that no-one else ever sees . . . from which one can draw the conclusion that said birds never existed in the first place ;-)

[beltonbirder]

My three I found were two Red Rumped Swallows(Together), a Red necked Phalarope and a Dusky Warbler. The Latter was re found after it or another had been seen briefly a week or so a mile or so up the coast.

[Colin Key]

I would not get too disheartened about this BB - the number of birders who find rarities (or even scarcities) for themselves are very few and far between.

Being a lone-birder does present a few problems, and it might be useful to befriend another birder of similar level of ability as yourself (steer clear of dimwits and smart-....s!). It is certainly true that "more eyes see more birds" but I find that if I am out with my mate (not a resident here but spends a week every month in Algarve) there is a competitive element which is just not present when I am birding alone. You tend to scrutinize each and every bird, and this is how rarities are found. On my own I look at huge flocks of waders knowing full well that amongst them could be Buff-breasted, Baird's or White-rumped Sandpiper, or Semi-palmated Plover, but it just does not seem worth the effort a lot of the time plus the fact there is no-one to confirm your I.D.

I think also that as a lone patch birder you get so used to looking at the same bushes, reedbeds, mudflats, etc. and often seeing just the same birds that you are quite likely to miss something unusual. It never ceases to amaze me how a "new pair of eyes" can find things which I have missed. I met a couple of Brits a few years ago at Ria de Alvor (my local patch) who were very excited at having found two adult male Rose-coloured Starlings in a flock of Spotless. One I might have taken an interest in, but two, no-way, so I just humoured them and said well done. The digiscoped shots one of them produced could have been anything - birds maybe, but not definitely. But, damn it, they were there when I went to look, I just hadn't bothered looking when I passed the flock twenty minutes earlier.

There is also a a lot of LUCK involved. I would not devalue anyone's ability and expertise but two years ago, almost to the day, Kevin Wilson, a visitor from Gib Point, found Portugal's first Moussier's Redstart, a few weeks ago Robin Chittenden found two Little Crakes at Qta do Lago, and very recently Nic Hallam found a Duskey Warbler at the same location. These guys are all top birders but is does amaze me that they just happened to be in the right place at the right time when these rarities were present.

Finding rarities, especially a country (or even county) "first" is the pinnacle of birding, finding scarcities (especially if it your own "first") is very exciting, but just watching birds is what it is really all about. I will be walking my dog around the marsh this afternoon and watching two Osprey's fishing, a Black-winged Kite, a dozen Caspian Terns and loads of Bluethroats, plus much more - if there is a rarity then fine, if not I will still have a pleasant two hours.

Colin:smile:

[Brian S]

Move to Shetland....no offence meant.....

Brian S

[beltonbirder]

So other than that Brian what are your tips, you have found some good birds, would you like to share your expertise with us?

[Steve Keen]

Thrashing a local patch is the best bet unless you are one of the top 1% who seem to find stuff wherever they go (and probably also do a patch). And don't let jealous birders such as MichaelF put you off when regular coverage starts turning up the odd scarcity. If you're there alone there's a chance noone else will see it, but who cares? Once you've got to know your patch "rarity" develops a new meaning anyway (Water Rail and Grey Plover were both scarcer in patch terms for me this autumn than Serin and Richard's Pipit). It's enjoying the birding that matters. I love the big vis mig days, and will stand in one spot counting all day long. But if there isn't so much on the move it gives me a chance to bash some bushes instead. I've been sulking for two days because I've not had the chance to go birding, not because I've not been lucky enough to see a scarcity.

[Brian S]

BB

Well it has all been said really. Luck, effort, concentration, confidence (but not over-confidence), good eyesight, knowledge, being young, but also a lot of experience behind you gained over the years through being lucky enough to have traveled a lot. As I said above, having the foresight of being in the right place at the right time, will also help.

I have been lucky to find rare birds, but have put a lot of effort in trying to find them also - my most important list is my self-found. I have found a good number of rare birds on call - Collared Pratincole, Greenish and Pallas's Warblers, for example - so knowledge and experience like that helps, too. Being alert and inquisitive all the time; not walking away from 'strange' birds that flit across your path, will help.

Some birders take their time, working a patch slowly and methodically, trying to make sure they miss nothing. Others 'burn' through quickly, still trying not to miss anything, but this method may leave time to work other areas or to go back and work the same patch a second time.

I know someone that treads in .... regularly, but this does not appear to have helped.

Brian S

[Colin Key]

I would concur with Odonate and Brian that honing your skills on recognising bird songs and calls gives you a powerful tool; a great number of rarities (especially passerines) are heard before they are seen.

I have to admit that this is an area of weakness for me - I do not have a musical ear (tone deaf) and actually remembering sounds is something I find very difficult. I have been in the company of some ace birders who amazed me with their skill at identifying on call alone - it just leaves me floundering.

I have all the available published bird song material, including the excellent Andreas Schulze 17 CD set which I have loaded onto my MP3 player, but I find it very "uphill" work. I am making some progress, and when out and about I attempt to identify every single call or song I hear - it does mean that I can sometimes recognise a call that I cannot identify (if you see what I mean!).

Colin :err:

[Joe stockwell]

i picked up a cd called, calls of eastern vagrants, it is really worth while especialy if you are not famillliar with such wanderers....... like me!

joe

[Odonate]

With calls, it is not just necessarily about being able to pick out the call of a rarity. A good knowledge of common calls is vital - sometimes I never even lift my bins during a walk around my patch in the summer. That doesn't mean that I don't "see" anything but with the birds being a little more secretive during the breeding season, it means that I know exactly what is around just by call. One huge advantage is that you can instantly pick out calls that you don't know - that arouses your curiosity and you then search for the bird. It doesn't always work - a couple of weeks ago, I was convinced that I had a very secretive Acro scratching on a southern headland and was getting all excited about Blyths Reed. When I eventually saw the bird, it was a Great Tit!!

As for what I said about keeping focussed and thinking rare, I set off on a mission to find a Desert Wheatear today........ Obviously I didn't find one but at least I tried!:certifiable:

[Colin Key]

When I eventually saw the bird, it was a Great Tit!!



Whenever I hear an unidentifiable bird, it is always a Great Tit!!

Colin :puzzled:

[MichaelF]

Whenever I hear an unidentifiable bird, it is always a Great Tit!!
By the way, one final piece of advice from years of experience - if you hear a call and you don't recognise it - it's a Great Tit. — Bill Oddie's Little Black Bird Book (p.118)

[Ross Ahmed]

Belton Birder,

Here's a few thoughts from me: http://birdfinding.blogspot.com/2008/11/this-weeks-top-tips.html

(rest of blog in a mess at moment and as still getting my head round the layout).

[Colin Key]

Nice blog Ross; you write well and with a nice sense of humour.

Colin :cool:

[pabs]

BB,
I've had some success over the past 9 years. I had a poor year last year but changed my tactics and found myself back on form again in 2008 with Savi's Warbler, Aquatic Warbler, Cattle Egret, Red-necked Phalarope, Barred Warbler, Ferruginous Duck and Little Bunting. I'm not even based on the east coast. My trick this year was to have four patches. They are all close together and I travel to each one seeing which has had an arrival of migrants. I use any new arrivals as indicator species be it black-headed gulls or even a rise in Pochard numbers. These are all clues as to what groups to focus on on that particular day. Obviously if the first patch looks good then I hang around and reap the benefits, if not I'm off to the next thus increasing my chances. The first patch is a migration watch point, the second is an estuary and the third is a sewage works. Variety of habitat also helps. Sounds far fetched but I also keep fit and eat healthy, as it really boosts my concentration. If you're tired you can easily walk around your patch and suddenly realise you've been day dreaming. I'm always looking out for new habitats as today I walked along a shoreline that I usually drive past because it looked good for snow bunting and desert wheatear. Attitude is also important. Last year I got frustrated at finding no scarce birds, feeling dissappointed at the end of the morning but this year I went out just to enjoy the morning and it's worked much better. One more thing, I am really into bird migration. Predicting falls is not as difficult as you would think. Searching at key times of the year is important for increasing your chances. This year august and september were more rewarding than october and that was mainly due to the weather. Learning which weather patterns are productive for you may seem tricky at first but when learnt will prove a valuable tool. As with yourself, I go out daily. This really is vital for a serious finder. Out of the above birds I found this year, Savi's Warbler, Barred Warbler, Ferruginous Duck and Little Bunting were all found in the week. Good luck, Paul Bowyer

[Colin Key]

Paul,

This sounds like great stuff! But, just a couple of questions: did you get anyone else to see these birds and corroborate your findings, did you submit these records, and were they accepted?

This is often very important to the "lone birder" and can prove to be very frustrating. On the other hand, if you are completely satisfied yourself with your I.D.s then it doesn't really matter.

Regards,

Colin :smile:

[PeterD]

This has proved to be a very interesting thread so thanks to all.
I started birding this year and do 'patch birding'. My patch is in Langstone Harbour, usually the Havant side. What I have found as a newbie, is that I started to spend too much time at favourite spots and as a result missed opportunities and surprise, surprise got a similar range of birds. I ignored birds in flight and again missed opportunities. Towards the end of Summer, I became more aware of what was around me and bird flight patterns became a key to ID and I tried to follow them to their landing spots. In September, I caught sight of a Osprey on its migration from Scotland. Previously, I would have dismissed it. Fortunately I had my camera and photographed it. I make note of the types of plants that different bird types feed in or on. I am lucky that Langstone Harbour is a focus point for birds on migration and hope in the future this will lead to more success.
Peter

[forktail]

I don't think there are any great secrets to be revealed

1)move to the coast
2)stay out as long as possible, esp when the weather is looking good
3)learn your patch
4)avoid crowds

I've upped my strike rate markedly primarily by moving to a quiet part of the coast. I now expect to find scarce birds if the weather's good, and I'm always hopeful of something better. As long as you've got your head screwed on, then being on a good bit of coast for long enough will produce the goods. Just keep at it. The more you find, the more confident and proficient you get and this in turn inspires more success. Having a couple of other highly motivated birders to keep you going helps and Im fortunate in that respect too.

Once you know your area turns up birds, it's not hard to motivate yourself. With the amount of cracking birds in walking distance from home since I moved here, it's no wonder I'm only really in these days when it's dark.

F.

If all this fails, move to Shetland.

[Ross Ahmed]

Think that's all great advice Forktail, but I honestly think there's more to it than you suggest. Sorry to have to complicate things but I think our understanding of the way in which we find birds is still in it's infancy. Bird identification is now able to differentiate between the taks of Booted and Sykes Warbler, and the buzzes of OBP and Tree Pipit but our understanding of how we find birds is lagging well behind.

[Steve Keen]

Why is there always so much emphasis on other whether other birders have seen the birds? It just stinks of mistrust, and can only be a deterrent when it comes to reporting sightings. One only has to average out the number of scarce birds found in birders' gardens (especially if a couple of nets are put up, even inland) to realise just what is being missed, and factor in the big birds (Black Stork, Crane, etc) that are confirmed at one site but disappear and aren't seen elsewhere to see just how limited coverage is. Go to the CHOG (Hengistbury Head area) sightings page to see what can be seen in a not-especially-favourable area (there are much bigger headlands that get less birds) by dedicated birders with a bit of skill, and bear in mind that much of their stuff is seen by one very talented individual (compare Tuesdays, the day he his missing, to other days if you don't believe it). No one there thinks he is stringing.

[MichaelF]

Another tip - learn to walk softly and silently. Not always easy (gravel, dry leaves & twigs, etc., are unavoidably noisy), but a lot can be done by being careful.

[beltonbirder]

One trait I have is that I cannot always be asked to take my scope and tripod out with me as I find it gets in the way and is blimmin heavy hanging off my right shoulder. It does not get used much when out in the field so I often leave it at home.

I guess the secret is to bird different habitats during each session and perhaps stay out longer in the day. Trouble is with my depression I have to force myself out and sometimes just want to get home again as soon as possible.

I think my illness may have something to do with me failing to find anything.

But these comments do help.

[pabs]

HI Colin,
I carry a camera with me everywhere. A light canon S3 IS to document my findings. The Red-necked Phalarope, Barred Warbler and Ferruginous Duck were all photographed (see http://www.ukbirds.net/latest.htm ). The cattle egret and aquatic warbler weren't photographed but seen by others and the little bunting was just a flyover. But you are right, there are a lot of doubters and the avon rarities committee are notorious for rejecting records, something which sadly has caused many to stop submitting. The new county recorder may put this right hopefully....
Regards, Paul

Paul,

This sounds like great stuff! But, just a couple of questions: did you get anyone else to see these birds and corroborate your findings, did you submit these records, and were they accepted?

This is often very important to the "lone birder" and can prove to be very frustrating. On the other hand, if you are completely satisfied yourself with your I.D.s then it doesn't really matter.

Regards,

Colin :smile:

[Colin Key]

HI Colin,
I carry a camera with me everywhere. A light canon S3 IS to document my findings. The Red-necked Phalarope, Barred Warbler and Ferruginous Duck were all photographed (see http://www.ukbirds.net/latest.htm ). The cattle egret and aquatic warbler weren't photographed but seen by others and the little bunting was just a flyover. But you are right, there are a lot of doubters and the avon rarities committee are notorious for rejecting records, something which sadly has caused many to stop submitting. The new county recorder may put this right hopefully....
Regards, Paul

Thanks Paul,

Great website (I have bookmarked it) with some fabulous photos - those shots of the Purple Sand. are incredible.

This subject of corroboration of rarity finds is a BIG problem. I have now stopped submitting to the Portuguese Rarities Committee unless either: 1. I have a photograph or, 2. Someone else with some "cred" has also seen the bird. Without either of these it is very frustrating when you feel 100% certain of an I.D. At least in the U.K. there is a fair chance of being able to contact someone in the vicinity to come and take a look, here in this birder-poor country that is normally just not possible.

It has also been the case here that the Rarities Committee never acknowledged receipt of a submission or ever let the observer know the result (although that might now change with a new Brit member who I know quite well having joined the Committee) - I have two potential "firsts" for Portugal, Common Bulbul and Bearded Tit (Reedling), the submissions for which are still in "limbo" despite being also seen by other reputable birders.

Colin :puzzled:

[KenM]

BB Hi,
First get a 'ground' dog! unleash him! then circuit your local patch 2-3 times with a religious zeal that is second to none. In the seven and a half years that I had my Boxer I walked him daily in all weathers, he directly flushed Olive Backed Pipit, Richards Pipit, Red Backed Shrike, Woodcock and indirectly ( further afield from the car) having to walk him for 'penny' spend purposes, Little Bittern, Subalpine Warbler, ShortToed Lark etc.
Happy hunting KenM

[MichaelF]

I have two potential "firsts" for Portugal, ... Bearded TitIs that really not on the official Portuguese list??? The EBCC Atlas shows them breeding in the Guadalquivir delta just across the Spanish border, and I can't believe there's no reedbeds at all in Portugal! I'd have assumed it was a regular visitor after irruptions, and breeding in years with good numbers . . .

[Colin Key]

Is that really not on the official Portuguese list??? The EBCC Atlas shows them breeding in the Guadalquivir delta just across the Spanish border, and I can't believe there's no reedbeds at all in Portugal! I'd have assumed it was a regular visitor after irruptions, and breeding in years with good numbers . . .

No, this is not on the Portuguese Mainland list (I have just re-checked since my record is now a about three years old), and I can find no reference to any submitted records, whether accepted or not.

I find this very surprising too. When I found the bird (at Lagoa dos Salgados) I was with another British expat who is a professional bird guide. Without saying anything I told him to look through my 'scope and he immediately said "Bearded Reedling" (he knew the correct new name for this species, even though it was in fact a "lifer" for him). There was no doubt about what it was and I have spent a lot of time watching and photographing these birds at Stodmarsh. I did not at the time know the status of this species in Portugal and it wasn't until later that night that this guy phoned me and said that as far as he could ascertain this would be a first record for Portugal and we should sumit it as soon as possible. Unfortunately no photo and no further sightings, and I have not a clue what happened to the submission (if anything).

Similarly, the Common Bulbul (which was a lifer for me but was also seen by a visiting Norwegian birder who was familiar with both Common and Yellow-vented/Spectacled) record seems to have slid into obscurity. I did a bit of research at the time on this species, really trying to ascertain whether it was kept in captivity here (surprisingly it isn't, since they have a tendency to bung anything with feathers into a cage!!) and did find out that there is a small breeding population somewhere near Malaga in Spain. There must be a chance that this species has made the "hop" from N Africa.

There comes a point where you just give up; Rarities Committees seem to be pretty much the same wherever they are.

Colin

[RoyW]

The most important points for finding rare birds seem to have been covered - in my view they are;
1) Get as much experience of the commoner birds in your area as possible (you are more likely to pick out rare birds if you realise something looks or sounds 'odd') - and if you think you have something 'different' stay on the bird until you know what it is, or have good notes to ID it later (It may turn out to be something common, but if you assume that this will be the case you will, at some point, be walking away from something good).
2) Get out as often as possible (particularly if recent weather condition look like they may have brought birds in).
3) Improve your fieldcraft so you don't scare birds off, or into cover, before you see them!



As far as the submission/acceptance of rarities goes-

But you are right, there are a lot of doubters and the avon rarities committee are notorious for rejecting records, something which sadly has caused many to stop submitting. The new county recorder may put this right hopefully....
Regards, Paul

There comes a point where you just give up; Rarities Committees seem to be pretty much the same wherever they are.

Colin

The reason for having county and national rarity committees is to try and ensure that a suitable level of proof has been provided before a record enters the 'official' statistics - with rarer records, and more difficult species to identify, likely to require a higher level of evidence.
If a bird is photographed, or seen (and submitted) by more than one person, there is obviously likely to be more evidence - and unless this is contradictory, the record is more likely to be accepted.

A few points to remember are;
1) That (as it says it the BB rarities report each year) rejection does not mean the bird wasn't the species claimed - only that it wasn't fully proven by the evidence submitted.
2) Writing a good description, based on what you saw, is important if you want records accepted (note - I am not saying this wasn't the case in records mentioned in previous posts). If views were brief, and not all details were recorded, your record is less likely to be accepted - unless the species is particularly distinctive.
3) Actual specimens are no longer needed to prove bird records! In the past the record was unlikely to be considered valid unless the bird was shot, and the skin was available for confirmation (voucher specimens are still generally required for invertebrate and plant records).

It is a shame if observers stop submitting records but surely it is better that official county records (and avifaunas when they are published) contain only records that have been considered 'fully proven', rather than also including records that 'probably were' (although some authors may include some of these records as footnotes).
If anyone is disheartened through getting records rejected I would suggest they try and find out why rather than stop submitting (if you can't get a reply from the rarities committee, get advice from an observer who does get birds accepted).

Roy.

[beltonbirder]

One can easily become labelled a stringer when solitary birders find rarities especially if they are brief. That is sometimes why birds are not submitted.

Sometimes if more than one birder sees a rarity they all assume that each other will submit a description, when I was editor of my Field Club annual report It was rather embarassing asking certain members for a description of an rare bird, or even a telephone call to collect more information had me squirming in my chair.

Well so far I have taken on board the comments and suggestions and although I have not found anything fantastic I have learned to walk much slower and search for all birds and scan all over the place, so thanks so far for the ideas, this has given me a fresh approach to birding.

[Jono Leadley]

Interesting thread this...with spring here and the prospect of lots of good birds coming soon, let's start it going again!

It was mentioned earlier about focus. I think this is hugely important and I am frequently bad at it, particularly when tired, which is a regular occurrence for me at the moment. However, when in the zone, this can really pay dividends.
To explain the focus needed is like when you are trying to relocate a reported rarity. Every last patch of suitable habitat is scanned and treble-scanned, every last call is followed up, every last whiff of a tail disappearing into a bush is grilled...now, if you can apply that level of focus to your birding, you will find good birds.
Ambling round your patch with your mind elsewhere or zoo-birding* will really reduce your chances of finding anything good, unless it really throws itself at your feet.

Some tips I have found can help find good birds (not necessarily big rares, but just good records for your location) are:
1. Keep ID guides by your bog. If you spend ten minutes a day sitting on the bog that could be 60 hours of (hopefully undisturbed!) bird ID study you can put in each year, so that when that Sykes pops up in front of you, you will know how to nail it.

2. Go the extra yard. Check the last bush, scan the reservoir one more time, give it an extra ten minutes before going home for your tea. Your mrs/hubbie will soon forgive you.

3. If you have a limited-species patch, do try and fit in some birding elsewhere to keep your eye in with species that only rarely turn up on your patch, so you maintain enough experience to clinch it should it appear.

4. Go birding in the rain. Usually far less disturbance by other people and big black clouds are good for dumping birds too.

5. Do intensify your efforts in good rarity weather and at known times of the year, but maintain your efforts (and focus) in the quieter times, as this can be when the really big rares can turn up (eg Blue-cheeked Bee-eater), plus all those lost vagrants, lingering around wondering where they should be going (eg yank gulls at gull colonies).

6. Practise rarity finding with other people's finds. This may sound daft, but if you twitch a rarity, see if you can pick it out without asking for help and then when you find it, work out how you did it. Could you have found it yourself? Would you have overlooked it? Would you have known the key features well enough to have clinched the id and got your record accepted? What features of the bird did you notice first? This can be useful practise as it is not always the obvious features of a bird when seen as an illustration in a field guide that you might notice first in the field.

7. And lastly, go birding as often as your lifestyle allows, and keep a positive attitude!

*zoo-birding: modern variation on twitching whereby birders use a pager or other news providing medium to go from one 'good bird' to another, sort of like going from one cage to another in a zoo.

[AndyB]

Number 6 is a good point. How often do you go for a previously found rarity and end up waiting around for quite a while staring at empty bushes or trees before the bird appears. I often think to myself that I would have walked on by now and would not have found the bird if I didn't know it was there. In autumn, many migrants do a circuit and will appear in certain trees and bushes every 30 or 40 minutes or longer depending on the species. Even though it can be exceedingly boring, I try to force myself to just wait patiently at empty but good habitat to be certain you've covered everything that might be doing a circuit or just skulking. 99.9% of the time there are no rewards but that 0.1%...

[Jono Leadley]

Similarly, if you are looking for a reported diver, grebe or diving duck on a big patch of water, you keep scanning until you find it. This can take three or four scans. However, if you were unaware the bird was there, would you have scanned enough to have found it? A few years ago at Grafham there were Great Northern and Red throated Divers present for months and they spent a lot of time underwater, often moving big distances while they were. Consequently, it often took a lot of patient scanning before you managed to get on the bird as it surfaced, and the question is, whether you would bother to scan that much if you were unaware of their presence?