BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND......................................................MEDITTERANEAN GULLS CONDER POOL PETE WOODRUFF

Wednesday 21 October 2009

Erroneous!


No birding again today, to call this unfortunate is something of an understatement but hopefully things may change tomorrow when I can get back to checking out the birds of Conder Green and the Lune Estuary before turning my interests to some more upland - and elsewhere - birding/birds.

The main purpose for this particular 'gap filler' is to put my cards on the table in the brave manner I have become known for in my birding capacity and clear up an erroneous record I made on two occasions recently when amongst my sightings for the days in question I included the record of a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull on Conder Pool which in fact on reflection more resembles a 2nd winter Lesser Black-backed Gull, but not being the greatest 'gull' person in the world would you please note I have referred to it as 'more resembling' and so as not to make an even bigger cock up on the issue - in case I'm wrong again - we'll leave it there and depart from that avenue.

I know - and am friendly with - most of the 'good' birders anywhere in and out of the LDBWS area and have always been grateful in the past for the help they have given me both on request and without it, and the help in correcting this error is no exception.
In the good old music hall tradition the saying goes......I'm not going to let this worry me......well why should I, after all the latest and greatest 'boob's' by other birders from a long line I've picked up along the way recently is a Lesser Scaup which turned out to have been a Tufted Duck, which isn't quite as big a 'boob' as the Green Sandpiper which was a Common Sandpiper, and should I conclude this rant with probably the worst one of all, that of the Cormorant which - even I knew - was a Shag.

If I do need to apologise for this error then I'm doing so now, the trouble with me is that I really think I'm infallible when in truth there's no such thing but you do come across one or two birders who think there is and couldn't face up to the type of confession I just made.
Not being prepared to post without a picture to brighten up the blog I'm grateful to David Cookson for the two stunning images of Little Egret on the Eric Morecambe complex at Leighton Moss as the sun set one evening recently. My photographic contacts produce an ever increasing perfection in the art.

5 comments:

  1. Hi Pete, don't let it worry you. Everyone makes mistakes, those that appear not to are usually just better at hiding them. You can add the Leighton owl to your list and the Oswaldtwistle warbler. Both very interesting lessons! The future is definitely digiscoping things you are not sure of. BR, Mike

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  2. Thanks for this Mike.

    I'll sit back and wait for the other half dozen or so comments but won't be holding my breath.

    I'd sooner be birding!

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  3. A yes......the Leighton Owl Mike which I just realisd is 'joined at the hip' with the Shag I quoted.

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  4. never mind Pete, no-one knows it all. Are you sure they are egrets on todays post ? ;-)

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  5. No Mallard actually......always a little space left for humour.

    Thanks for looking in again Warren.

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