GARRY BAGNELL'S BIRDING WORLD
Welcome to Garry Bagnell's Birding World
My Name is Garry Bagnell. I can be contacted by phone 07789-765163 or by email garrykim@btinternet.com
I would be delighted if any Birders/Twitchers join my website (whether you know me or NOT is not important). Its FREE and will always will be. All I ask is for your real name to be used to grant access. If you meet me in the field please say hello and if you want to leave a nice comment (about the website etc) in my Guest Book please do.
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One very handsome Garry Bagnell, coming back from a successful Citril Finch twitch on Fair Isle (2008). Kim & Georgie in Turkey (2008). |
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1977 - Age 10 - Started watching birds in my parents garden, then went to local parks/woodland. Become a YOC member. Went to the Crawley & Horsham RSPB group indoor meetings. They organised monthly outings, went on a few car & coach trips in the local area. 1981 - A School Friend took me to Gatwick Airport for a day, and I was instantly hooked on Plane Spotting. 1990 - Bought a house with girlfiend. 1992 - Discovered Birdline, and had another attempt at Birdwatching/Twitching. Restricted my Birding/Twitching to the Southeast of Britain only. 1997- Got married for the first time. 1999 - Whilst working at National Grid on a years contract, I met Neil Howes and he showed me his Nationwide Birding Notebook. I was then instantly converted into Nationwide Twitching (excluding Ireland at this stage). I bumped into Lee Evans and told him about the Richards Pipit I had found near Juliet's Tea room on St. Mary's. 2000 - Early part of the year, Lee showed me Lady Amerherst Pheasant's in Bedfordshire and he gave me a UK400 club bird checklist and names of all the birders that had seen over 400 birds in Britain (Approximately 720 then). From then on, I was phoning him regularly and going on twitches with him. That year I also met Mr. Sussex (Ian Barnard), he got me interested in County listing. 2000 - On the 30th June, I had 3 LCE'S (Life changing events). Which were- 1. I gave up Plane Spotting after 19 years. 2. I gave up smoking after being a heavy smoker for 17 years. 3. I left my first wife and house after 10 years. I then went to live back with my Mum. 2001- Lee introduced me to Chris Heard, we all then went to on a Thick-billed Warbler twitch and dipped. 2002- I was given a UK400 Club certificate for seeing 400 birds in Britain (Lesser Sand Plover @ Rimac). |
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2003 - Got married for the 2nd time (Kim see above). Started to twitch Ireland...don't mention the 2000 Blue-winged Warbler that now really hurts. 2004- My daughter "Georgie" was born (see above). New British Birds were becoming less and less frequent, so I turned my attention to local birdwatching, which started by listing the bird species I see at Weir Wood Reservoir. 2005- Got my seond UK400 Club certificate, this time for seeing 450 birds in Britain (Barrow's Goldeneye @ Ythan Estuary) 2009 - Still alive and kicking and hoping to achieve one of my Short term targets this year. (Sussex 300) |
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Short term targests Get out of the Championship and into the Premiership. (489 as at 31st Dec 08, UK taxonomy) Premiership status maybe achied by 2010. | |||
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300 different bird species in Sussex. | |||
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(297 as at 31st Dec 08, UK400 taxonomy). Hopefully be achieved by 2009. | |||
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600 different bird species in the Western P. | |||
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(537 as at 31st Dec 08, NETFUGL taxonomy). Hopefully be achieved by 2011. | |||
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Long term targets Clawing back some of the birds on my growing Dip List. Getting as close as I can to the Top 10. | |||
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1000 different bird species in the World. | |||
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(600 ish as at 31st Dec 08, UK400 taxonomy). | |||
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Hopefully be achieved by 2020? | |||
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400 different bird species in the Southeast. | |||
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(340 as at 31st Dec 08, UK400 taxonomy). 2024? | |||
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I would then be 57. | |||
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Finding a BB rarity in Sussex. | |||
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Finding a BB rarity elsewhere.
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Impossible & very unlikely target? To keep my wife happy all the time, and find a first for Britain. I will let my readers decide which one is impossible and which one is very unlikely?
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I will put more effort into long-term targets (i.e. finding such and such), when my daughter is older and my wife allows me more birding time..Until then I am going to be mainly a twitcher and occassional birder..sorry if this causes anyone a problem! (PM etc). | |||
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I must say a big thank you to the many birders that know me and have travelled with me on twitches in the UK. Especially regular car passengers, such as Lee Evans, Chris Heard, John Lees & Ian Barnard who have got me to where I am in terms of keeness and size of list etc and for that I will always be grateful.
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Countries I have visited
During my 42 years on Planet Earth I have visited 25 Countries (30 American states (60%))
GLOSSARY
Premiership Twitchers (UK500club)
Pager , Rearguard action , Emoluments, Mobile phone , Identification certificate , Enthusiastic, Ruthless determination, Sustainability (during/after dips), Home life balance (Tolerant partner/ single with minimal non-birding friends), Ireland friendly and Pragmatism
Championship Twitchers (UK400club)
League Twichers (<400 British Birds)
The above qualities can been found in many twitchers, but become most obvious in the Premiership.
