birdgirl: life list

Showing posts with label life list. Show all posts

Friday, 1 March 2019

5000 birds around the world in 16 years

Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig birding Castillo de Loarre, Spain
Copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

The main reason we were going anywhere in February half term 2019 was to go to Spain to practise my Spanish as I hadn’t been able to go on the school trip. We weren’t expecting to see a massive amount of birds as the last time my parents had gone (in 2004 when I was 1 1/2 years) there had been awful weather with very bad snow and there hadn’t been many birds there at all.

But the first day was very good, so we were surprised straight away. We drove out to some fields only a few miles out of Madrid and started scanning. Within a couple of hours, we had seen a pair of Spanish Imperial Eagle with a nest, Calandra Lark, and up to 30 Great Bustard! As well as lots of other birds as well - including Black Vulture, a new bird for my mum.

Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig birding in Spain
Copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

On our second day, Saturday, we went to El Planeron to look for Dupont's Lark. We saw lots of Short Toed Lark immediately and really well. We then saw Black Sandgrouse and Pin-Tailed Sandgrouse within ten minutes of each other and we were celebrating our luck. The Pin-Tailed Sandgrouse was a new bird for both me and my mum too. I managed to see them both really well and even grab some dodgy photos. After a few hours of trawling, I was beginning to lose hope of seeing our rare lark when we saw a bird perched upon a bush through the heat haze. I hurried to get the scope out and lo and behold it was the Dupont's Lark! Not the best views but definitely one.

Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig birding El Planeron, Spain
Copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

On the Sunday the tables turned, though. We tried lots of different sights looking for Wallcreeper, Bonelli’s Eagle, and more, but nothing turned up. In fact, we didn’t see much of anything that day. I was a little worried too; at this point my world list was on 4998 and I really wanted Wallcreeper to be my 5000th, but I needed to somehow only see one more bird before magically finding myself a wallcreeper.

Monday morning we went to Castillo de Loarre, in Arogan, to try and find an Alpine Accentor as it was supposed to be a really good sight for them. There was no sign of them, but we did spot Rock Sparrow pretty quickly in the castle itself. We were walking back to the car when a few birds flew along the tree line, and so we had to investigate. After a few minutes of walking around in the scrub, a male Rock Bunting flew out in full view onto a bush. It was perched up for several minutes with a few females flitting around it, and once it had finally flown away I cheered silently. It had been my 5000th bird in the world! Although I had been hoping for the Wallcreeper I wasn’t at all disappointed with the Rock Bunting, in fact, I was very pleased with it. 5000 is a bid deal for me because I’ve been working towards it for years at it’s almost half of the birds of the world and I’m the youngest person to see so many.

Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig birding Castillo de Loarre, Spain
Copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Rock Bunting at Castillo de Loarre, Spain

I am incredibly lucky to be able to travel to conservation projects around the world and hope that by highlighting these projects and the species they are protecting I am giving something back. From a birding point of view, it was absolutely incredible seeing my 5000th world bird species especially such a stunning bird as a Rock Bunting. That number represents to me 5000 beautiful birds, 5000 beautiful places and 5000 beautiful experiences.

Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig birding in Spain

About the Author

Young environmentalist and birder Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig

Mya-Rose Craig is a 16-year-old young British Bangladeshi birder, naturalist, conservationist, environmentalist, activist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes posts about birding, conservation and environmental issues from around the world.

She has been involved in the UK organisation of the Youth Strikes encouraging young people from around the world to not go to school once a month and protest instead demanding immediate action to prevent climate breakdown. This is an interview in New Statesman.

She was a Bristol European Green Capital Ambassador along with Kevin McCloud, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Tony Juniper, Simon King, Miranda Krestovnikoff and Shaun the Sheep! See the full list of Bristol Ambassadors. She has also been listed with the singer-songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people.

She organised four nature is helping to run four more in 2019. She also organised a conference, Race Equality in Nature, in June 2016 aiming to increase the ethnic diversity in nature and plans two more in 2019. She has also set up Black2Nature with the aim of working with organisations to increase the access to nature of Visible Minority Ethnic people and is President. Please connect with her on LinkedIn (Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig) so that she can invite you to join the Race Equality in Nature LinkedIn Group and be part of the change.

She has given over 50 talks, speaking at conferences such as being on a panel with George Monbiot and Caroline Lucas on Sustainability and the Future of Cities. She is a Minister in Chris Packham's Manifesto for Nature in 2018 and spoke in front of 10,000 people at the Walk for Nature. She has also appeared on TV and radio and is particularly proud of being in Silent Roars, a short film which was part of Listen to Britain 2017 https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-the-silent-roars-2017-online.

She has been awarded the Bath and West Show Environmental Youth Award 2017 for Bristol for her Black2Nature work EYA 2017. She was also listed as one of Bristol's BME top 100 powerlist.

She loved seeing Mountain Gorillas in East Africa and Penguins in Antarctica over Christmas 2015, her 7th continent. She became the youngest person to see 5000 birds in 2019 age 16 and is looking forward to visiting Brazil birding in 2019 and hopes to see half the birds in the world there. Please also like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter. If you would like to contact Mya-Rose about her work, please e-mail helenabcraig@hotmail.co.uk.

Monday, 1 May 2017

Eastern Subalpine Twitch at Portland Bill, Dorset on 1 May 2017

What I love most in my life is world birding. I love the thrill of hard core birding every day for 4 to 6 weeks, looking for targeted birds each day or place. Knowing that if you miss any of your endemic targets, that will be it, you may not get another chance on that trip or maybe never again if you never get to return. That's a tough feeling, dipping like that. On the plus, seeing a new bird that you have never seen in the world before, is an unbelievable feeling. Taking in its features and colours, so that it sticks in your brain forever.

The second best birding experience is seeing a new bird in the UK that you have not seen anywhere else in the world before. It's only one bird in the day, not say twenty, but a new world bird (even if not counted yet by the IOC).

On Monday 1st May 2017, we travelled down to Portland Bill on the South coast and finally managed to see a very rare Eastern Subalpine Warbler.

We had tried on the Saturday, but I had gone ringing in the morning and so we did not get there until 4 pm. When we arrived, right on the coast, it was really windy so although we heard the bird singing, we didn't see it. We waited until 6.30 pm but it was so breezy there was no way any bird was going to pop out from the heather and bracken, so we decided to go home.

On Sunday, it was the Chew Valley Cider and Cheese Fair where I was running the car parking with my friends. That was fun; especially telling complaining people that they had to pay me a whole £1 or go home because there was nowhere else to park! Miles and Luca who organised the event let my friends and me get in for free to the see the bands in the evening, which was loads of fun. They had Stone Foundation, Sophie Ellis-Baxter and Jo Whiley who were all amazing.

The next day I was exhausted and Dad was a bit hung over, so we didn't leave home until 11 am, not getting to Portland Bill until 1 pm. It was a much nicer day and when we got to the bird, we heard that it had been "seen a couple of minutes before". I think when people tell you that they think they are being kind. If it's been seen just before then that's a good sign because it will probably be seen again quite soon. However, for me, that gets me feeling despondent. If it was just seen, it means that it might not be seen again for ages or not at all. That's how I was feeling until eventually it started singing and then carried on.

Young Birder Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig at Eastern Subalpine Warbler twitch at Portland Bill
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig

After a while, a couple saw the bird again 'briefly", but did not get anyone else onto it. They then stuck around rather then going home celebrating. That's when I start having thoughts about whether they were stringing it. I know that's mean, but I suppose that's how the stress of twitching gets you thinking. If they are reading this, I apologise profusely for my suspicious and terrible thoughts.

I needn't have worried, as after a while we heard the male singing again. We were then able to get onto the stunning male which showed itself pretty well. I also got a few photos whilst it was perched out in the open. Fantastic!

Eastern Subalpine Warbler at Portland Bill
Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig

Young Birder Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig at Eastern Subalpine Warbler twitch at Portland Bill
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig

Ian Lewington, the famous and brilliant bird artist from Oxford was also there. We had a little chat with him, which was lovely as I hadn't seen him since 2010 when we were on the Isles of Scilly. He said that he was working on a new North America Field Guide, which will take over from Sibley. I'm looking forward to that come out in a few years.

It was my 469th bird in the UK (on my UK400 list). I'm hoping to see my 470th this spring, as then it will be a countdown to 500, which I am sure will still take a few more years. Sylvia Cantillans is not yet split on the IOC list from Sylvia inormata but is split from Moltoni's Warbler, Sylvia Subalpina.

About the Author

Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig in Antarctica
Photograph copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Mya-Rose Craig is a 15-year-old young British Bangladeshi birder, naturalist, conservationist, environmentalist, activist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes the successful Birdgirl Blog, with posts about birding and conservation from around the world. She loved seeing Mountain Gorillas in East Africa and Penguins in Antarctica over Christmas 2015, her 7th continent.

Mya-Rose was a Bristol European Green Capital Ambassador along with Kevin McCloud, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Tony Juniper, Simon King, Miranda Krestovnikoff and Shaun the Sheep! See the full list of Bristol Ambassadors. She has also been listed with the singer-songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. She is an Ambassador for World Shorebirds Day, See It Her Way and a Charter Champion for The Charter for Woods, Trees and People. She organised a conference, Race Equality in Nature, in June 2016 aiming to increase the ethnic diversity in nature and plans to run her third Camp Avalon camp in 2017. She has also set up Black2Nature with the aim of working with organisations to increase the access to nature of Black Asian Minority Ethnic people. Please connect with her on LinkedIn (Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig) so that she can invite you to join the Race Equality in Nature LinkedIn Group and be part of the change. She has been awarded the Bath and West Show Environmental Youth Award 2017 for Bristol for her Black2Nature work EYA 2017. Please also like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter.

Monday, 4 January 2016

Chile - List of new birds

Our trip to Chile was never going to bring me lots of new birds, like the countries in the tropics, but the new birds would be of quality.

We travelled with Albatross Birding who were very knowledgeable, well organised and involved in the heart of lots of conservation projects in Chile. We would highly recommend them http://www.albatross-birding.com/

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig pointing out a bird

Alex Cruz Jnr and Snr

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig with Fernando Diaz from Albatross Birding

New birds seen in Chile:

89 new birds

Lesser Horned Owl
Yellow-rumped Siskin
White-sided Hillstar
Rufous-tailed Plancutter
Cream-rumped Miner
Common Diuca Finch
Scaly-throated Earthcreeper
Chilean Mockingbird
Buff-winged Cinclodes
Black-chinned Siskin
Austral Thrush
Black-fronted Ground Tyrant
Moustached Turca
Grey-hooded Sierra Finch
Chilean Swallow
Chiloe Wigeon
White-winged Coot
Brown-hooded Gull
South American Snipe
Black-necked Swan
Austral Blackbird
Ticking Doradito
Stripe-backed Bittern
Red Shoveler
Thorn-tailed Rayadito
Chilean Seaside Cinclodes
Coscoroba Swan
Lake Duck
Red-fronted Coot
Dusky Tapaculo
Austral Negrito
Spectacled Tyrant
Red-gartered Coot
Dusky-tailed Canestero
Two-banded Plover
Magellanic Penguin
Black-faced Ibis
Imperial Shag
Short-billed Miner
Magellanic Diving Petrel
Magellanic Oystercatcher
Dolphin Gull
Magellanic Plover
Upland Goose
Flying Steamer Duck
Patagonian Yellow Finch
Ruddy-headed Goose
Ashy-headed Goose
White-bridled Finch
Fire-eyed Diucon
Rufous-chested Plover
King Penguin
Rock Shag
Austral Canestero
Dark-bellied Cinclodes
Chocolate-vented Tyrant
Band-tailed Earthcreeper
Chilean Flicker
Yellow-bridled Finch
Patagonian Mockingbird
Austral Rail
Great Shrike-tyrant
Bronze-winged Duck
Ochre-naped Ground Tyrant
Elegant Tern
Fuegian Steamer Duck
Green-backed Fire-crown
Chestnut-throated Huet Huet
Magellanic Woodpecker
White-throated Treerunner
Rufous-tailed Hawk
Slender-billed Parakeet
Austral Parakeet
Burrowing Parrot
Des Mur's Wiretail
Patagonian Sierra Finch
Chilean Pigeon
Black-throated Huet Huet
Austral Pygmy Owl
Ochre-flanked Tapaculo
Patagonian Forest Earthcreeper
Chucao Tapaculo
Magellanic Tapaculo
Rosy-billed Pochard
Black-headed Duck
Crag Chilia
Chilean Tinamou
White-throated Tapaculo
Californian Quail

White-sided Hillstar
Photograph taken by and copyright Rodrigo Silva, Albatross Birding

Megallanic Plover

Dark-bellied Cinclodes

King Penguin

Patagonian Mockingbird
Photograph taken by and copyright Rodrigo Silva, Albatross Birding

Chocolate-vented Tyrant

Patagonian Forest Earthcreeper

White-throated Treerunner

Chilean Tinamou

Crag Chilia

About the Writer

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly

Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig

Mya-Rose Craig is a 13 year old young birder, naturalist, conservationist, environmentalist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes the successful Birdgirl Blog, with posts about birding and conservation from around the world. She loved seeing Mountain Gorillas in East Africa and Penguins in Antarctica over Christmas 2015, her 7th continent.

Mya-Rose is a Bristol European Green Capital 2015 Ambassador along with Kevin McCloud, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Tony Juniper, Simon King, Miranda Krestovnikoff and Shaun the Sheep! See the full list of Bristol 2015 Ambassadors. She has also been listed with the singer songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. Please like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter