A chap I know showed me an app on his i-phone that tells you what plane(s) are flying overhead at any time. All we need is to translate this to birds...
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Would the Dusky Thrush be accepted on photographic evidence, even if the only person who saw it was a non-birder who couldn't be expected to submit a description, and probably wouldn't see the point if he's taken a perfectly good photo?
Hmmm let's see. Only photographic evidence exists of the bird. The only observer is a non birder. He isn't and quite frankly couldn't be expected to submit the sighting either.
It will be submitted on his behalf though and yes, I'd fully expect it to be accepted. The bird has been proven to have been present in the tree visible from his back garden. Exif data from the images confirms the date the photos were taken too. So, despite his single observer sighting and despite his complete inexperience with bird identification, in this case at least those images are acceptable alone.
I once got a cracking sighting of a Concorde (even better, a continental Air France subspecies!) flying just above me at Dovestones reservoir. Sadly the plane proved not to be a "long stayer".
Would the Dusky Thrush be accepted on photographic evidence, even if the only person who saw it was a non-birder who couldn't be expected to submit a description, and probably wouldn't see the point if he's taken a perfectly good photo?
By the way, just in case folk thought nothing was being done, the search for the bird continues too. Yesterday's search area is now being widened, it might be a terrible long shot but would obviously be worth it if redound!
Which is a very good point Tim and one I discussed with a mate yesterday.
If one of us birders had seen and photographed said 'very rare plane' would we have seeked out it's identification? Would we have gone as far as locating someone who could and sending the images to them? I wouldn't! I think one of the most fortunate aspects of this marvellous saga is that the finder of the Dusky Thrush has a brother who is a birdwatcher and who nagged him to death to seek it's identification
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 23rd of January 2011 07:32:39 AM
Amazing and wonderful! The more so that it posed for an audience of one who had the equipment and the wherewithal to get his (obviously rather good) camera out and get some cracking images for us all. Well done Mr Reynolds! Now all us birders need to do is get some equally good images of the rarest ever plane to fly in UK air space without having the faintest idea what it is....
As Blackadder might say, 'Clucking bell'. I think the message is that we must all work harder. I often ponder on how much might get through our region unseen, and I return again and again to the matter of how many of our birdwatching fraternity would be alert and knowledgeable enough to identify a real find when all they had done previously was chase other people's birds around?
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For info, the first British record of Dusky Thrush was of a bird shot at Gunthorpe (Nottinghamshire) in Oct 1905. There have been seven subsequent records, two of which remained for several weeks: Hartlepool (Cleveland) Dec 1959 - Feb 1960; and Major's Green (W.Midlands) Feb - Mar 1979. It has not been recorded in Ireland. (reference from 'The Status of Birds in Britain & Ireland, Parkin & Knox, 2010 - a cracking book and interesting read on many species). .
-- Edited by Sean Sweeney on Friday 21st of January 2011 02:34:36 PM
For the purpose of being thorough I thought people might appreciate the other British records of this lovely bird. I also found the pictures of the species in the Collins field guide a little off, whereas the fantastic 'Birds of East Asia' (Mark Brazil 2009), has some cracking plates of the species in its various plumages.
Anyhow, records taken from book 'Rare Birds - Where and When' (Russell Slack, 2009):
1905 Nottinghamshire: Gunthorpe, shot 13th October. 1959 Cleveland: Hartlepool, 1st Winter male 12th December to 24th February 1960, trapped 10th January. 1961 Shetland: Fair Isle, 1st Winter female 18th - 21st October, trapped 18th. 1968 Shetland: Whalsay 24th September. 1975 Shetland: Firth, Mainland, 6th - 13th November. 1979 West Midlands: Majors Green, 17th - 19th February, again 27th - 28th February and again 18th, 19th and 23rd March. 1983 Cornwall: Coombe Valley, Bude, male 13th November 1987 Pembrokeshire: Skomer, 3rd - 5th December
Interestingly the 1979 record shows that they can indeed stick around in the same place, so must still be worth keeping you eyes peeled in the area?!
On a related matter which Pete Berry has touched upon;- What if this had been a birder's garden; - say one of you had been the house owner in this instance? I don't honestly know what the best course would have been. The setting appears to be in a very pleasant suburban estate. Bearing in mind the potential disruption to neighbours of say 1500 twitchers appearing, would total suppression have been the correct course? One would naturally be tempted to drip feed the news to one's circle of friends, but the thing would soon ripple outwards under its own momentum and develope into chaos anyway.
We all dream of a White's Thrush etc in the garden, but in reality the dream could become a bloody nightmare.
- moral dilemmas, and food for thought?
Regards, Mike P. ...................................................................................................
" Food for Thought".......... right Mike, just thought about it..... if it was in my back garden.
1500 - 2000 birders at £5 for a one minute peep (and no getting comfy). Our kid doing brews and bacon sarnies in front garden. Not included in the fiver of course. Form an orderly queue and sod the neighbours !
As we say " one can dream "....... Wheres my calculator ?
Roger.
PS. Hope no-one notices the black cotton from the Thrushes leg to the apple tree branch.
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Colin I may have misunderstood when you said "I agree" ( with Mike's comment). If that is the case then my apologies. Just goes to prove the point that things can be mis-interpreted as was my point in my rant earlier.
Mike my comment of 'Gutted' was also tongue in cheek as you say but I felt it had been picked out as a serious undertone for a lecture. So if I got the wrong end of the stick then I too aplogiise.
As far as I'm concerned 'matter closed!'
Hope to meet you both one day whilst out birding and we'll shake hands!! ( preferably at a Dusky Thrush twitch in a big open field in GM away from all housing estates !!!)
I'm just back in; (from checking through Redwing flocks in fact!)
My post was, as I said "tongue in cheek" and not meant to be critical at all of anyone, (and I did stress that as a "get out" clause for any of you simply joking; - so please do not take offence where none was intended ). With apologies therefore if I got your particular hackles up.
On a related matter which Pete Berry has touched upon;- What if this had been a birder's garden; - say one of you had been the house owner in this instance? I don't honestly know what the best course would have been. The setting appears to be in a very pleasant suburban estate. Bearing in mind the potential disruption to neighbours of say 1500 twitchers appearing, would total suppression have been the correct course? One would naturally be tempted to drip feed the news to one's circle of friends, but the thing would soon ripple outwards under its own momentum and develope into chaos anyway.
We all dream of a White's Thrush etc in the garden, but in reality the dream could become a bloody nightmare.
- moral dilemmas, and food for thought?
Regards, Mike P.
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Personally I'm relieved that the bird has disapeared,its a bird I'd give my right arm to see,but the thought of 2000 headless chickens running around a small housing estate ,peering into everyones houses etc,etc would destroy any enjoyment I might get from seeing the bird.Hopefully it might be re-located somewhere where it can be seen by numbers of people without causing problems of trepass,parking etc.This is a bird sought after by most twitchers in the country and I don't think 2000 people turning up is an underestimate,1200 hundred people turned up last Saturday to dip on the Slaty Backed Gull at Rainham Marshes..
Steven, I was actually agreeing with the bit about the photos and the occurance being inspirational, hence the reason why I cropped 90% of the original post. I thought that was obvious, and can see no reason why my comments would wind you up.
I should have added to my last post that my 'emotions' on the forum are still inoperative from my home computer. Otherwise there'd have been lots of smileys etc...
Frankly most people I've been in contact with (and that's a lot) have felt 'gutted' and 'sickened' about the sighting to some extent or another, none more so than the finders brother too! Surely that's a perfectly natural feeling considering we're all birders and would have given an awful lot to have seen such bird. No one is saying anything about the fact we have not had the opportunity to see it, that's just a fact of life and no one is to blame for that, hence my urgence to let everyone know the story behind the delay in the news getting out. I for one am only happy it happened here, in our county.
This forum has always enjoyed banter and humour and it's an essential part of it. Sure it has overstepped a mark on occasion but barely so and has never been anything like 'other' forums!
Let's not try to drag this on please. It's a mistunderstanding that's all and there's a lovely private message facility for you to use if you'd like.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 22nd of January 2011 12:30:42 PM
I always think of boards like this as being like sitting in a pub or a café with a group of friends. The problem with all these electronic fora is that we sit at our computers, typing away and no-one can see the twinkle in your eye or the lopsided smile that tells the team you are commenting "in jest"
edit for spelling mistook
-- Edited by Mike Crawley on Saturday 22nd of January 2011 12:19:25 PM
Colin and Mike. 'Gutted' was meant as a JOKE and most people realise that. Forgive me for sounding a bit arsey here but I don't need an essay lecture. We ALL realise that you can't see everything. That's what keeps us going out birding time after time because it's a challenge. Good luck to anybody who finds something new or special. I'm sure every contributor to this website is at least slightly envious but we are all grown ups and I hope most people are happy for the finder of any special sighting. If others get the chance to see it then, great, even better. If not, then hey, that's the way it goes! Just like you it doesn't effect my life either. It was 6 weeks or more ago. It may have well have been 6 years ago. The bird's probably long gone so what's the point in stressing about it and if people are 'stressed' over a hobby that is meant to be enjoyable then it's not much point to it. This the first time I've ever reponded to a post in this way but both your comments have really wound me up! Part of what makes this website so great is not just the sightings but the way that people can have a bit of light-hearted banter which is all my post was meant to be. If my innocent comment has offended you I'm sorry but I think one or two people need to lighten up a bit. I suggest in future we only post sightings and perhaps keep our opinions and (what some people think) 'funny' comments to ourselves so we don't offend anyone.
Next winter once the Atlas has finished, the BTO will be going back to species surveys, and the one they have lined up, yep Wintering Thrushes! Pity it wasn't this winter or this may have been picked up elsewhere.
Have a feeling there may be a few more takers now though......
The male DUSKY THRUSH that appeared in gardens in Leigh (Gtr Manchester) in early December and may have been the same bird seen at two further suburban localities in Central England has not been seen in January 2011 but may well be lurking with the large numbers of thrushes in SW England
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.........I found this occurrence and the photos just inspirational to be quite frank, the fact that I didn't see this bird affects my life not one iota: (why on earth should it?) Don't forget, seeing a bird like this is a privilege, never a right.
I completely agree. I thoroughly enjoyed Ian's write up, even the title he chose for the piece, and the photos are astounding. Probably more enjoyable than actually standing there in the cold with 5000 people struggling for a glimpse of the bird. It gives me hope, because it just shows what is out there waiting to be found, even in the most unlikely places.
I am definately not wanting to be critical of anyone here (honestly), but am just wanting to provoke a little sensible introspection, (and this in itself is intended to be a little "tongue in cheek" in itself.
Would some birders have seriously preferred it if this bird had never been found/seen? I wonder about this in view of some of the comments posted, admittedly mainly elsewhere, but one also on here.
On Bird Forum, one comment simply says "sickened", another here says "gutted". Now I dare say that these comments are perhaps just tongue in cheek, voiced mainly in jest, but as none of us is ever going to see every species on planet Earth in one lifetime, why not just enjoy the birds we do see and not get drawn into "sack cloth and ashes" about those we miss from time to time. If missing birds ever upset me I should have packed in birding long ago; it's supposed to be FUN.
I found this occurrence and the photos just inspirational to be quite frank, the fact that I didn't see this bird affects my life not one iota: (why on earth should it?) Don't forget, seeing a bird like this is a privilege, never a right.
Regards to All, Mike P.
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Its one thing to find a Mega rarity and when you are fortunate to do so they generally tend to be drab brown jobs and not that inspiring. The Yellow-breasted Bunting i found fits that category but this bird has that WOW factor. Probably the best looking and most striking turdus out there, even my wife passed comment. Dream bird, dream find, don't look to hard and you may just get lucky.
Ouch... That hurts! Just seen photos. They are superb. It's gonna be one hell of a bird to beat that as garden tick!! Well done again to the finder once again but only one word can express my feelings.....
What a bird and in a Common everyday housing Estate, maybe we have it wrong going to all these Nature reserves?
Like its been said before there is stuff out there to be found, to have not been seen by any other birders is something to be said, well done that man for getting those photos, It give me hope to keep hunting
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................
What a stunning bird & absolute gripper! Amongst the most gripping photos I have seen for a long long time and especially being so local. I long to find something as equally as good as that, one day hopefully, in my dreams perhaps. Part of me feels like crying into a strong alcoholic drink tonight & part of me things wow just think what else could be out there to find in my local exploits around Bolton.
Dont suppose we could rally the 778 registed members on here to invade & search all of Leigh could we over the weekend?
For the residents, probably just as well it wasnt seen again, imagine the carnage from the huge crowds that would have no doubt descended!
The only thing that could make it worse was if it was photographed at Elton reservoir by some occasional random visitor.
I for one thought the Warford's marvellous Shorelark would surely take the accolade as best county bird in 2010! Who'd have thunk it eh, two huge national rarities at the back end of the year
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 21st of January 2011 04:36:00 PM
With apologies, - apparently I was not sufficiently up to date concerning previous occurrences in England and was not aware of the 1979 record in the West Midlands.
Having read the account of the Leigh sighting and seen the photos of this superb bird, it really does make you ponder on what does pass through Britain but never gets found. I suspect in the digital age there is huge potential for more and more "megas" being turned up like this; it really does make for exciting times!
What a cracker for Greater Manchester nevertheless; - how now do you decide upon G M 2010 "Bird of the Year"? The one that showed and performed so well, or the even bigger rarity that slipped through the net, leaving only its images to drool over?
Bowled Over of Durham
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For info, the first British record of Dusky Thrush was of a bird shot at Gunthorpe (Nottinghamshire) in Oct 1905. There have been seven subsequent records, two of which remained for several weeks: Hartlepool (Cleveland) Dec 1959 - Feb 1960; and Major's Green (W.Midlands) Feb - Mar 1979. It has not been recorded in Ireland. (reference from 'The Status of Birds in Britain & Ireland, Parkin & Knox, 2010 - a cracking book and interesting read on many species). .
-- Edited by Sean Sweeney on Friday 21st of January 2011 02:34:36 PM
Unsurprisingly given it has been six weeks since it's first and only sighting, a fairly thorough search of the immediate area since first light found no surprises. It's a nice area though with rugby pitches nearby, large swampy area and horse paddocks and Hawthorne hedgerows further over towards Lilford. No other thrushes (other than the local Blackbirds) were seen and the hedgerows all looked pretty stripped!
Still, worth a look and Coal Tit, Bullfinch and Siskin were all in the immediate area.
P.s. No fog whatsoever this morning either but a thick frost instead!
What a wonderful record of an enigmatic species, - a true Siberian waif (which in the words of D. Bannerman "has no excuse for ever visiting Britain"). It's been a while since one appeared in England; - 51 years in fact, since the famous Hartlepool bird of December 1959 which hung around until late February 1960. (That's when as a sixth former the only birds of interest to me wore skirts). One or two of the Teesmouth big listers have it proudly on their lists,obviously as a massive blocker!
I'm really looking forward to the photos and the story behind this, so shed no tears and get out onto your local patches; - anything could be round the next bush.....
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Ian - your sadistic side coming out again, don't you get enough with your Mystery Bird comp !!!! I'd rather not known, ignorance is bliss !!! I can still vividly recall trawling Sale Water Park lanes for the '83 Black Throated (the day after) !!!!!!!!!!!!!
On the 8th of December 2010, a male Dusky Thrush was seen and photographed in a garden in Blewbury Close, Leigh. The bird has not been seen subsequently and was present for only an hour on that one day.
Full details and images will appear on the website tomorrow.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 20th of January 2011 05:32:12 PM
let's see. Only photographic evidence exists of the bird. The only observer is a non birder. He isn't and quite frankly couldn't be expected to submit the sighting either. 
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