tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post8041159445208326523..comments2024-02-21T10:36:51.773+00:00Comments on Axe Birding: An Avian Black HoleSteve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-66508636004716815242016-10-11T20:11:55.708+01:002016-10-11T20:11:55.708+01:00Mike - so you are MKinHK! I remember that name fr...Mike - so you are MKinHK! I remember that name from my keen Birdforum days, it is great to chat more directly to you. Nice to hear you spent some time in Devon too, so many Devon birders started off in Plymouth, but the place never seems to hold birders for long!<br /><br />I had another look at the Undercliff today and part of it does look possibly accessible so will see what I may be able to sort out. It could well be a very interesting study.<br /><br />Thank you for reading my blog, and yes, take the step and launch your own blog - you won't regret it!<br /><br />Wishing you all the best,<br /><br />Steve Steve Waitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-43111332546830097732016-10-09T04:17:36.612+01:002016-10-09T04:17:36.612+01:00Many thanks for the reply Steve.
As an avid patch...Many thanks for the reply Steve.<br /><br />As an avid patch birder I enjoy following blogs of other committed patch birders, especially those that have a decent site with the potential for good birds, and are interested to find their own birds. I started following the Axe birding group on BirdForum several years ago, then followed you when you switched over to a standalone blog. I have long posted my patches on the China section of BirdForum and have at times wondered about making the same switch without ever quite finding sufficient motivation.<br /><br />Also, as a kid (1980s) I lived in Plymouth (my patch was the Plym Estuary), went to school in Dorset and had grandparents in Penzance. As a result most of my formative birding was in the Southwest, using the seminal Where to Watch Birds in Devon and Cornwall as guide to a superb range of sites I visited mostly by public transport, so I have some context for your records, which also evoke the occasional fond memory. <br /><br />As for the recommendation about ringing/birding the Underhooken, its all too easy to suggest to someone else "You should . . . (fill in the blank)" where there is not the slightest possibility of having to do any of the actual hard work yourself. I'm not a ringer and honestly have no concept of the logistical difficulties of setting up to ring there.<br /><br />My patches, which I write up in the China section of BirdForum under MKinHK, are predominately of this close quarters scrubland habitat, so I am at least familiar with the difficulties and frustrations - and the rewards - of trying to get views of something skulking in the bushes long enough for it to be identifiable or, even more rarely, photographable!<br /><br />Cheers<br />Mike<br />Mike Kilburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16002538923753334554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-72990944493182084892016-10-08T16:45:00.465+01:002016-10-08T16:45:00.465+01:00Hi Mike, thanks for your thoughts - and yes you ar...Hi Mike, thanks for your thoughts - and yes you are right mist netting there could prove very valuable. It would be a logistical nightmare, and the amount of work required to clear rides would be immense. But it really is a mystery as to how much passes through down there and ringing would help solve that.<br /><br />Amazing to see I have a reader as far away as Hong Kong! Thanks for following, and many many thanks for the comment.<br /><br />Heppy birding, <br /><br />SteveSteve Waitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-11913252054744284812016-10-07T13:32:36.523+01:002016-10-07T13:32:36.523+01:00Great Post Steve - Axe Avian Black Hole sounds int...Great Post Steve - Axe Avian Black Hole sounds intriguing. <br /><br />I do a lot of my birding in Hong Kong in close scrub like this. No question that its tougher than wetland/open country birding, but pishing, patience and plodding (very slowly) can deliver great results. Given the good coverage of the rest of the Axe Estuary /Seaton area it seems like a great potential patch for someone looking to find their own birds. Unfortunately it's a bit far from Hong Kong.<br /><br />I agree with Tim - and indeed your own observations/frustration - that anyone ringing there would likely get a hatful of birds. Whoever manages the SSSI might even welcome data collection that demonstrates a previously unknown ecological value of the site.<br />Cheers,<br />Mike KilburnMike Kilburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16002538923753334554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-36344146248902148972016-10-06T14:34:28.397+01:002016-10-06T14:34:28.397+01:00Highly doubt it. Would need to first cut ringing r...Highly doubt it. Would need to first cut ringing rides, and getting all the kit there would be a nightmare! Also it is an SSSI so there may well be some restrictions in place.Steve Waitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-70270923621478624502016-10-06T12:29:26.040+01:002016-10-06T12:29:26.040+01:00Is it not possible to do some ringing down there, ...Is it not possible to do some ringing down there, Steve? Tim Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06922612275440902523noreply@blogger.com