SUFFOLK BIRDING with BINS

Supported by BINS and local birders

The BINS Cup 2009

The Suffolk New Years Day Bird Race

Again there was a very positive response to this years challenge from many BINS members competing for the awsome New Years Day Challenge: BINS Cup 2009.  This again ran from midnight, for those keen and mad enough, through to 6pm.  Final scores were verified and submitted by 7.00pm, via a text to BINS, with results texted out by 8pm.

This years race was again based on the same format and rules, with teams again being made up of up to 4 people with usual rules of all species to be heard or seen by all team members !

As also with other years, the SOG again ran a sponsored New Years Day bird watch, with this years procedings going towards the Atlas Project.  As with previous years, teams were advised that if taking part in the SOG event, then their final day score can also be included and entered into the BINS Cup - The more teams the merrier   

Please go to SOG New Years Day sponsored event pages for further details of how to they got on...

Below you can look back at previous race details by clicking on either:

BINS Cup 2008

This years teams were again looking to both compete for the coveted BINS Cup, as seen above, as well as trying to have a stab at what is now the Suffolk New Years Day, day record, of 130 species, which amazingly was recorded last year, by the 'Silly Bustards' alongside the 'Martlesham Marvels' who also scored a tremendous 129, which would have also broken the previous record of 127, so the dust was off and the fun commenced !!

See table below for how this years teams fared:

Team Name

Team Members

Final Score

Best Birds

Worst Birds Missed

Headless Chickens

Lee Woods, Roy Marsh & Matthew Deans

116

Waxwing, Merlin, Firecrest & Little Stint

Linnet, Nuthatch & Sparrowhawk

Woodenspoonbills

David Craven, Nick Crouch

125

Hen Harrier, Jack Snipe, Waxwing, GND, Merlin, Sanderling & Little Stint

Green Woodpecker, Kittiwake, Firecrest & Buzzard

Young Pretenders

Scott Mayson & Nick Andrews

115

 

 

Trembling Wheelbarrows

Jon Gibb, Daryl Short & Matthew Smith

112

 

 

Owl Be Biking 

Gi Grecco

87

 

 

Team Lizard

Rob Wilton, James Brown, Andrew Easton & Kevin Wright

106

 

 

Felixstowe Flushers

Tina & Paul Oldfield

99

Jack Snipe, Waxwing, Woodlark & Nuthatch

Hawfinch

Rendlesham Redpolls

Dave Carr & Jude Rutherford

91

Merlin & Common Sand, Melton @ dusk

Little Stint & Stonechat

An official tick list of likely suspects provided via the SOG site including scored ratings can be found HERE

2009 was another strong year, with so many teams taking part in a day of extreme birding, as well as fun along the way, not to mention a chance of posting the highest January 1st score for 2009 or ever, the scene was set, so read on to see how they did !!

Woodenspoonbills - The Winners, and with another cracking score of 125, were way out in front early on, and had the guile to carry it off and across the finish line to become the 2009 BINS Cup winners - Well done lads, although I hear on good authority that Mr Craven may well also fallen foul of the bird race breakages, with a possible cracked rib, incurred during their 'breath taking' victory.  Below is a summary from Dave and Nick on their day, enjoy.....

Total: 125
Best Birds - Hen Harrier, Sanderling, Woodcock, Jack Snipe, Great Northern Diver, Merlin, Little Stint, Waxwing

Worst Dips - Green Woodpecker!!!!!, Kittiwake, Shag, Buzzard, Firecrest

The Woodenspoonbills started the day at 4am working the back roads around Boyton and Butley, before heading towards the Ipswich area for first light. Highlights of the day included almost stepping on the Jack Snipe in Bourne Park, which stayed motionless whilst we stood about 2ft away!! On the way to Melton we had a phone call from Steve Abbott to say that the Curlew Sand, Stint and Greenshank were all showing well, brilliant!! Sadly the Curlew Sand had disappeared by the time we had arrived but the Stint was a nice winter addition. Great Northern Diver off East Lane was an unexpected bonus, and a ringtail Hen Harrier at Bawdsey Quay made up for dipping Firecrest. We had reached 100 with Gadwall at East Lane before 11am and thoughts of the Suffolk record loomed large. A female Merlin at North Warren was watched feeding on some poor victim at close range. The Snow Buntings and a large group of Sanderling at Kessingland were surprisingly easy. We ended the daylight hours at Burgh Castle finally connecting with Sparrowhawk, our 125th and last species of the day. We trailed around Lowestoft Docks hoping to catch up with the roosting Shag, and then Sizewell hoping for roosting Kittiwake with no joy. We decided to call it a day at 6pm, pleased with what we felt was a very competitive score given the poor weather conditions during the day. Many thanks to all those people we bumped into during the day (especially the Lizards whose knowledge of the north was invaluable) who helped us pick up a number of species that we would no doubt have dipped.

Headless Chickens - This well drilled team got off to the worst start possible, with their midnight raids taking the tumble in the form of Matthew literally 'Falling Foul' at the first obstacle, and incurred a later diagnosed dislocated shoulder !!!  So with a few birds under our belt, it was agreed to take Matthew home, and three became two.  We headed East and soon had Purple Sand under our belt along with the Young Petenders, Team Lizzard and the Trembling Wheelbarrows, a true reunion in the small hours, as again was Beach Farm, where Tree Sparrows and Bramling and the first light Woodcock were enjoyed, but much time used !!  Kessingland beach proved fruitless also, so things were not going well.  We were able to get on to most of the other expected birds, and a few other handy day ticks: Whitefronts, Merlin, Chiffy, Firecrest, Little Stint, but missed the Curlew Sand !  Heading to Holbrook, via the strand and Jimmy's soon produced the welcomed Slav's (6) Cetti's and Brents.  A quick dash to Bourne proved fruitless, however, 30 yards from where we were, the Young Pretenders hit gold just 5 minutes later, gits  LOL !!  A last ditch look round the docks for Shag was not productive, and a final score had been reached, with a very respectable 116 after 16 hours and some 234 miles.  Thankfully Matthew is on the mend, good to see him in fine form at the Glaucous Winged Gull Saturday. 

The Rendlesham Redpolls' - Their final race score was 91 an improvement of 1 on last year's result.  Having missed the Little Stint, the unexpected Merlin at Melton in morning and Common Sandpiper there at dusk were definite highlights.  We were 'in the field' for 9 hours and did 87 miles.  We both had great race and thoroughly enjoyed it, and now relaxing with something long, cool and alcoholic!