Islbirder Dips!

I thought I should begin today’s new post by explaining some of the birding parlance that is used by birders. Hopefully, dear Reader, you will understand the relevance and also realise how cathartic compiling this particular edition has been following a traumatic birding morning.

Birder: A serious birder. Not birdwatcher or Dude (see below) and never a twitcher!

Dip Out or Dip: To miss seeing a bird that you were looking or hoping for.

Dude: A posh birdwatcher who doesn't really know much about birds or a novice birdwatcher, a slightly depreciatory term. Also used to refer to someone who primarily seeks out birds for photography rather than ornithological study. However, can I clarify; this does not include photographers who allow their photographs to appear on this blog. They are definitely birders.

Lemon-rumped Warbler Sams Photography

First: A first record of a species in a defined place, such as an area or country first. Or, indeed on one’s Life List (see below).

Grip Off or To Grip: To see a bird that another birder missed (or dipped) and to tell them you've seen it and, in the worst instances of this particular offence, show the disappointed birder a superb photograph that you took of the Mega (see below). Henceforth Grimmo will be known as “Grimmo the Grim Gripper”

Lifer: The first-ever sighting of a bird species by an observer; an addition to one's life list.

List: A list of all species seen by a particular observer (often qualified, e.g. Life List, Area List, Year List, etc.). Keen birders may keep several lists, and some Listers compete to accrue longer lists than their rivals. To list is to keep or compile a bird list

Red-billed Leiothrix Sams Photography

 Mega or Megatick: A very rare bird that has been added to one’s Life List

Tick (this one is huge): An addition to a Personal List (sometimes qualified as Year Tick, Area Tick, etc., TV Tick – yes some people tick birds they have seen on TV but only live broadcasts. TV Tickers are particularly fond of golf on TV)). Life Tick and Lifer are synonymous. A Tart's Tick is a relatively common species that you should have seen ages ago but have never caught up with it.

There now, you have all the information you need. This morning, Saturday 10 November 2012, started as many weekend mornings do with the alarm clock going off before dawn and out before it has got light. I met my birding companions for the day at Trail 5 car park with Venus shining brightly in the night sky. However, daylight appears quickly in this part of the world and we were soon off into the Margallas. We arrived at the spring before the birds had stirred, or so it seemed. A loud and, by now familiar, call resounded around the dell and we soon had the bird in the bins (binoculars). It was the third time we had seen the WHISTLER’S WARBLER but for the second time in succession it only appeared once. However, again, good views were obtained of this Mega (see above).

Whilst the Dudes, I mean photographers set up, I searched through the small flock of Warblers that had gathered in the foliage around the stream. We had wonderful views of LEMON-RUMPED WARBLER. A most exquisite and tiny bird that is a blaze of crown stripe, supercilium, wing bars, and rump patch of lemon yellow. Keeping a lens on this tiny bird taxed the photographers. However, these guys are good! Other species in the flock were GREENISH WARBLER, GREY-HOODED WARBLER and ORIENTAL WHITE-EYE.

We caught sight of what was clearly a female Redstart but we needed a better look. Shutters went into overdrive as the bird conveniently perched on an exposed branch. It was a female BLUE-CAPPED REDSTART. Following our confident identification it was great when the male arrived to confirm our diagnosis.

Female Blue-capped Redstart Sams Photography

 We saw two Tit species and one Bushtit. The former were represented by  several CINEREOUS TIT and a pair of the scarcer GREEN-BACKED TIT that breeds at much higher altitudes. The latter was represented by a small party of WHITE-CHEEKED BUSHTIT; fabulous little birds that turned out to be photogenic as well.

White-cheeked Bushtit Sams Photography

 At this time of year birding lurches from the frantic to periods of inactivity. This is because passerines of differing species group together in feeding flocks that rove around the area. If you use the sit and wait technique the flock will eventually return having completed its circuit. In Thailand these mixed flocks are known as Bird Waves and it is a good description.

In one such bird wave were the Warblers already mentioned, with the exception of Whistler’s, BLACK-CHINNED BABBLER and a COMMON CHIFFCHAFF. The appearance of a male RUFOUS-BELLIED NILTAVA in the darker area of the spring made it appear that someone had switched on a light as the blue hues of its upperparts shone and the orange of the underparts glowed.

Then it happened Dear Reader. Islbirder dipped (see above); not realising I had dipped I went along with Grimmo who said he’d been pointing his camera where others were but he had photographed what nobody else even saw. It was Grimmo’s casual announcement that he had seen a small bird with orange sides and blue on its back. My blood froze, even with GRIMMO’s laconic recollection I knew exactly what it was or had been. And it was, a Lifer. Was Grimmo stringing it? Could be? No, I know him too well, he’s no Stringer. Reaching a state of hypothermia (because my blood froze, you’ll remember), Grimmo calmly announced that he thought he’d captured the bird on film. Dare I look at what I was, so absolutely, sure that Grimmo had seen. Sure enough, there it was in crystal clear Technicolor, a stunning male ORANGE-FLANKED BUSH ROBIN. Others tried to console me by stating don’t worry Islbirder you’ll see another one. Such comfort was wasted I had dipped (see above). Forlornly, I watched the spot where this Mega had appeared but knowing that it would not reappear in a place from which I had only been about ten yards when it happened. Sadly, I had been facing the other direction. Gutted, yep! Consolable, nope! I had dipped on a Lifer (see above) and a Mega (you should know what this means by now). See what you think, Mega or what?

Orange-flanked Bush Robin Grimmo

I hate to say it but BLUE WHISTLING THRUSH, VARIEGATED LAUGHINGTHRUSH, KALIJ PHEASANT and any number of RED-BILLED LEIOTHRIX just didn’t do it for me. “Grimmo, the Grim Gripper” had visited. And, for those of you who will say get a grip, I say no thanks, I already had one and dipped on a Lifer (see above) and therefore a First (see above again)!

This is Islbirder signing out and seeking therapy!

Red-billed Leiothrix Sams Photography