Rarity or commonplace?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

What type of interest have you?

whyulittle

Just happy to learn what's around me for now. Mostly birds, purely because they are more plentiful/easier to spot.

LostCovey

whyulittle wrote: »

Just happy to learn what's around me for now. Mostly birds, purely because they are more plentiful/easier to spot.

Love to see the common birds doing well and settle for my local patch
AND
I set a target to see a species and will travel to find it

I would like to tick both of these, but I had to select one, and I would lean heavily towards the first one.

Last bird I traveeled to see was the Great Spotted Woodpeckers. They will come to me in time no doubt, but I thought they were too good to miss, and I took a trip to one of the sites on the East coast this spring in case they don't continue to thrive (I expect they will).

LC

trebor28

option 3 for me, though i wouldnt know that many plants!

would like to see more rare birds, especially BOP but wouldnt be one for going off to some far corner of the country for a whole day in the hope of getting a glimpse of some small rarity.

kincsem

I'm feeding the birds with sunflowers seeds on the ground, a ground cage feeder with a mix for the sparrows, and six hanging feeders with sunflower and nijer.

A month ago I put up a three compartment sparrow terrace, and have Alpaca hair hanging about if they want nesting material. In August I planted my garden with a meadow grass / wildflower mixture, and planted five border areas with wildflowers for bees and butterflies.

A lot of weeds are growing at the moment. :rolleyes:

littlebug

Option 3 for me, though like Trebor I wouldn't say i'm good with plants but I try to learn as I go. I don't see much in my back garden so would travel a little bit but still reasonably locally ie I have to be home by close of school! I am lucky to have frequent-ish trips to the Aran islands where things get more interesting.
With kids generally attached to me travelling to see rarities isn't really an option though my 7 year old really wants to see an Avocet ... maybe we'll go on an extended road trip to the South East next May.

V_Moth

So I am the only hardcore twitcher here? Tbh it is a mixture #1, #2 and #3 for me dependening on the time of year and what is around. Birds, Moths, Plants...its all interesting!

magicbastarder

i really only picked up an interest in the last few years; unfortunately i don't have a great head for remembering the differences between all the plants, birds, etc.

V Bull

Option 4 for me.... still on a long learning curve with ID of all birds, butterfly and plant types...however, my job brings me to a lot of counties so I make sure that I have time to visit areas of interest when out....

tricky D

#3 Blessed with plenty of wildlife on the doorstep or within a short walking distance.

Mothman

#3 for me as well.

I do occasionally target a specific moth species within the county and if I happen to be overnighting down the country somewhere I'll bring moth traps.

Apart from twitching my own woodpecker and another and another :o
I have once made the trip to Broad Lough one mile away, to see a Spoonbill...and while I was there, I was wondering what I may be missing at home :cool:

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

For all the sites I visit each week, I prefer my local patch of fields, wood and bog within a half mile radius of my house. It's there that I have found the more unusual species, the first of naturally re-colonising species, and the greatest wonder in the every day things that make nature so special. For me it's all about the ordinary and how it is surviving (or not).

magicbastarder

i live near the city centre. blessington basin is my nearest wildlife 'hotspot'.

Cardynal

No 1 for me , just love travelling to see a mega , often at a moment's notice.

thyme

Option 2 and 3 for me, would love to get away for a day or a weekend, just to see a red kite or a golden eagle, but then there is so much to see around here, like the three buzzards that have come to stay for a while.

bogtreader

Very lucky where i am lots to see only really taken a keen interest in the last few years
I have a like minded friend a lot more knowledgeable than i who i share my first sightings
with.So i have a lot to learn.Mostly birds i keep an eye out for but appreciate all wildlife

artieanna

3 for me too, I go for a good walk everyday locally and am often surprised by seeing something I haven't noticed before.
For example a few days ago I came across the yellow slime mould, never seen it before and I looked it up and learned a bit about it.
Today I came across a small hedgehog, aah it lifts my spirits:D...

Am always looking for plants, animals, birds where ever I go


Have learned a ton from folks here too

trebor28

how do you think your poll is fairing up, Srameen?

snowstreams

I have had an interest in birds from age 7 because my teacher was great at telling us about the birds that we could see from our classroom window. (its funny how I learned most of my knowlege of birds from books at age 7-10)

So I like to look out for birds where ever I go, Ive been moving and renting accommodation at the moment so I don't have my own patch, but I will make sure to have a nice wildlife friendly garden when I do buy a house (hopefully soon :rolleyes:).

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

trebor28 wrote: »

how do you think your poll is fairing up, Srameen?

I'm heartened to see that most are No.3 as I think for long term survival of Nature it is the most important.

Connacht

no. 4, just learning

LostCovey

Brooklynn Unsightly Grit wrote: »

I'm heartened to see that most are No.3 as I think for long term survival of Nature it is the most important.

As someone who would primarily plump for (2), I think most people who are interested in birds have a general interest in nature, but I for one have never got into moths, dragonflies or plants, beyond the very commonest ones, largely because I don't know where it might end!

I suppose I am saying that I suspect that for most people who ticked (2) you could merge them with (3).

LC

Rainbowsend

haha! I am the one that ticked 6 I love to set a task and will travel a fair distance though usually only a days outing, but can cover quite a bit of ground. I love anything in the wild, dont know too many flowers or bugs but love birds and mammals, mushrooms can be very interesting too though cant claim to know much at all about them.

Kess73

Went with option 3 as most of where I like to roam is within 10 miles of my home, but I have a strong interest in marine life as well so I do travel for that side of things.