Fight club

Had an interesting fight with SCB about SFYL criteria at lunchtime today. Sorry, did I say 'fight?' I meant 'chat.' ;-)

Ultimately, the conclusion we reached was that he is right about what is tickable and what is not ..and so am I.

But for the purposes of this challenge, he is right. If I wish to be a purist and play with myself, that is my prerogative, but can I please do it in my own time.

Atb,

D

'Like a giant, pale Bonxie'

For background, refer to:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/bedsbirds/conversations/messages/45843

I have been agonising over what to do with this bird throughout today, then this evening, Steve tells me that Glaucous Gull is not even a description species. I find this bizarre but I do not make the rules. I would want a description from me.

When I 'find' a 'tricky' or description species, my thought process is, ''Am I happy with it?'' In this case, the answer is yes. My next question to self is ''Would my description get past a Rarities Committee?'' In this case, I thought not, so I would then enter the record in my own personal database (in this case BirdTrack), then forget about it. However, having shown S my notes this evening, it would appear it would be satisfactory.

I even described the bird as 'being like some bloke who has put a bit of weight on around the middle and so pulls his stomach in and sticks out his chest to compensate.'

So gentlemen, I am afraid that in keeping with my new existentialist finding guidelines, Glaucous Gull goes officially onto my SFYL.

You win some, you lose some...

Please forgive the clumsy similes...

Atb,

DOM

Self-found in more than one way...

Dear and fellow SFYLers

This afternoon, an event occurred whereby my firmly-held existential belief that 'the world is essentially meaningless' was called into question. It was very brief, however.

The fundamental tenet of existential philosophy is ''to live one's life with clarity; be true to oneself and to never draw blood.'' That is how one makes sense of life in a meaningless, futile and utterly absurd world.

(I hope we can all agree that the random collision of random atoms a few billion years ago does not endow upon the universe any innate sense of purpose or direction. Ergo, the world is meaningless).

With this in mind, my list will be based upon existential principles, (although I cannot promise not to draw blood). ;-) So the following species come off, for the reasons stated.

i) Mediterranean Gull - a joint find with SCB
ii) Goosander - as above
iii) Goldeneye - as above
iv) Cetti's Warbler - I understand that Warren Villas was the site where Cetti's actually speciated from the locustella warblers.

With regard to i-iii, there is a good chance I will find these, and of iv, they will be like Little Egrets before too long. We should be looking for others along our river systems. I will also discount anything of which I have the slightest suspicion in terms of provenance and if I suspect the same bird has been seen at nearby locations or by other observers.

I am not 'in it to win it' but instead to provide myself goals and targets and give myself certain health benefits. We all have our own definition of the rules, none more or less valid than the next man's. Now I've purged my list and set out the boundaries, it is almost cathartic.

The classical existentialists would have loved 'self-finding.' It would work on so many levels!

Atb,

DOM

Great Northern

No idea whether this may be the Stewartby bird that has relocated or not, but a Great Northern in Chimney Corner South this morning is my first ever self-found diver sp. in Bedfordshire. Also this morning found my first Oystercatcher and Ringed Plover (Rookery South) for the year and two Bearded Tit pinking in the reeds of the MVCP complex. With sunshine as well maybe spring is not really too far away.

brr..brreezy..brracing..brr...brambling

Bit colder than I expected when making a 20 minute walk from a country layby to a game strip and back in civvies and boots this morning pre-work, but female Brambling located and one more in the bag and a species that has not been easy yet this year

Aerodrome stoner.

Finally, a half decent SFYT with a Stonechat (rare bird this winter) on the airfield. 

Cettia

My Wybo WeBS count this morning was bland.  Nice to be out and about at dawn though.  A Cetti's Warbler was singing down the river near Little Barford.  They have been in the area for several years now.