UK 2002 SIX-WEEK LUTMAN MOTORHOME BIRDING TRIP

Map

FUN WITH STATISTICS:

Trip Stats:

Motorhome rental cost: about $100 per day
Caravan park nightly cost: about $15 per night
Distance traveled for entire trip: 4200 miles, or about 105 miles per day (40 days)
Diesel fuel used: 791 liters (178 gallons)
Mileage: 24.2 miles per gallon (5.44 miles per liter)
Trip fuel cost: 625 pounds ($940)
Average fuel cost: 75.9 pence/liter ($5/gallon)
Trip per-mile fuel cost: 15 British pence (22 American cents)
Trip Cost: $1400 air tickets + $4200 motorhome + $600 caravan parks + $940 fuel + $400 transfer costs + $700 est. misc costs = about $8240.
Per Day Cost: = $8240/42 = $196 ($98 per person), not including groceries, whose differential cost from California is counted as zero.

Bird Stats:

153 trip birds
61 life birds
Average (life) bird cost: $8040/61 = $132 per bird ($132 for every bird except the Cirl Bunting, which cost $332 because of the broken mirror).

Biggest Bird Misses: Dotterel, Hawfinch, Golden Oriole, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Favorite Bird Candidates: Brambling, Bullfinch, Cirl Bunting, Capercaillie, Chough, Common Crane, Dipper, Fieldfare, Garganey, Barnacle Goose, Black Grouse, Hobby, Ring Ouzel, Tawny Owl, Red-legged Partridge, Golden Pheasant, Razorbill, Whooper Swan, Crested Tit, Dartford Warbler, Wood Warbler, Woodcock, Woodlark

Best Bird Experiences:
Golden Pheasant (late afternoon sun amble in the open, Thetford area, Norfolk),
Black Grouse (early morning lek, Aberfeldy area, Scotland),
Ring Ouzel (on second try, Minsmere, Suffolk),
Woodcock (flew over just as we were giving up, Thetford area, Norfolk),
Brambling (should have migrated out already, Martin Mere),
Crested Tit (pair working on nest, near Loch Garten, Scotland),
Tawny Owl (great spooky call, east of Edinburgh),
Hobby (pair, Titchwell flyover, Norfolk),
Bullfinch (beautiful bird at Woodwell, near Leighton Moss),
Common Crane (on second try, roost, near Horsey, The Broads, Norfolk),
Dipper (working on nest in Lorna Doone's valley, Exmoor National Park)


BIRD SUMMARY. 153 TRIP BIRDS, INCLUDING 61 LIFERS. ENGLAND, WALES, SCOTLAND.
1 APRIL 2002 thru 15 MAY 2002

Map

Trip Bird No. Life Bird No. dow Date First Name

Note: Red or Blue =
Life Bird

(Click links below to see photo, then BACK to return)

Last Name

Black = England,
Green = Wales,
Blue = Scotland

Location First Encountered
Comments
 No. Birds Encountered in entire trip
Trip Report Number
94 29 Sun 4/14/02   Bittern Leighton Moss
 
 3-4
5
13   Tue 4/2/02   Blackbird walk
shrubs around sidewalk
 100s
1
39   Thu 4/4/02   Blackcap Church Norton
 
 10
2
86 26 Sat 4/13/02   Brambling Martin Mere
 
 2
5
97 31 Sun 4/14/02   Bullfinch Woodwell
 
 4
5
54   Sun 4/7/02 Cirl Bunting Prawle Point
Dave Woodhouse an assist.
 2
3
45 10 Fri 4/5/02 Reed Bunting Radipole Lake
atop small treetop
 4
2
109 36 Thu 4/18/02 Snow Bunting Cairngorm
 
 2
6
55   Sun 4/7/02   Buzzard Marazion
in camp
 10s
3
110 37 Fri 4/19/02   Capercaillie Loch Garten
 
 2-3
7
11   Tue 4/2/02   Chaffinch walk
in trees around caravan park
 1000s
1
42   Thu 4/4/02   Chiffchaff Church Norton
 
 10s
2
75 19 Fri 4/12/02   Chough South Stack
 
 2
4
19   Wed 4/3/02   Coot Frensham Commons
same species as U.S.
 1000s
1
31   Thu 4/4/02 (Great) Cormorant Church Norton
 
 100s
2
153 61 Tue 5/7/02 Common Crane Stubb Mill
near Hickling Broad, Horsey
 2
13
60   Wed 4/10/02 Carrion Crow near Aberystwyth
common bird. Forgot to mention till now
 100s
4
102   Tue 4/16/02 Hooded Crow Mull
 
 20-50
6
121 45 Thu 4/25/02   Cuckoo Clumber Park
heard only
 4-6
9
33 4 Thu 4/4/02   Curlew Church Norton
in open field
 100s
2
135 53 Wed 5/1/02 Stone Curlew Weeting Heath
distant daytime views
 2-3
11
58 15 Tue 4/9/02   Dipper Malmsmead
pair building nest
 5
3
12   Tue 4/2/02 Collared Dove walk
chimney of house
 10s
1
1   Tue 4/2/02 Rock Dove airport
first bird of trip
 100s
1
120   Tue 4/23/02 Stock Dove outside Inverness
 
 2
8
93   Sun 4/14/02 Ruddy Duck Leighton Moss
 
 10-20
5
21   Wed 4/3/02 Tufted Duck Frensham Commons
wonderful views
 100s
1
130   Tue 4/30/02   Dunlin Belvide Reservoir
 
 10s
10
38   Thu 4/4/02   Dunnock Church Norton
 
 50
2
103 32 Tue 4/16/02 White-tailed Eagle Mull
 
 2
6
50   Sat 4/6/02 Little Egret Powderham Castle
 
 10
3
100   Tue 4/16/02 Common Eider Oban Harbor
 
 4-5
6
118 43 Sun 4/21/02   Fieldfare Glamis Castle
400 of them
 400
7
41 7 Thu 4/4/02   Firecrest Church Norton
in woods, next to marsh
 1
2
127 48 Sun 4/28/02 Pied Flycatcher Strid Woods
Unexpected
 2
10
47   Fri 4/5/02 (Northern) Fulmar Portland Bill
 
 2
2
88   Sun 4/14/02   Gadwall Leighton Moss
 
 10s
5
126 47 Sat 4/27/02   Gannet Bempton Cliffs
nesting on cliffs
 100
9
92 28 Sun 4/14/02   Garganey Leighton Moss
 
 2
5
81 24 Sat 4/13/02 Black-tailed Godwit Martin Mere
 
 100
5
52   Sat 4/6/02   Goldfinch Powderham Castle
 
 100s
3
65   Thu 4/11/02   Goosander Ynys-hir
Common Merganser
 <10
4
66 16 Thu 4/11/02 Barnacle Goose Ynis-Hir
 
 4
4
16   Wed 4/3/02 Canada Goose driving
 
 100s
1
26 2 Thu 4/4/02 Egyptian Goose Leisure Camp
not sure if wild
 30
2
27 3 Thu 4/4/02 Greylag Goose Leisure Camp
two flew over
 1000s
2
80 23 Sat 4/13/02 Pink-footed Goose Martin Mere
 
 1000
5
122   Fri 4/26/02 Little Grebe Blacktoft Sands
 
 3-4
9
8   Tue 4/2/02   Greenfinch 1st night's rv park
in trees around rv park
 100s
1
116 41 Sun 4/21/02 Black Grouse near Aberfeldy
on lek
 5
7
73   Fri 4/12/02   Guillemot South Stack
Common Murre
 1000s
4
98   Tue 4/16/02 Black Guillemot Oban Harbor
 
 6-10
6
36   Thu 4/4/02 Black-headed Gull Church Norton
abundant 
 1000s
2
107   Wed 4/17/02 Common Gull Loch Linnhe
Mew Gull in U.S.
 100s
6
76   Fri 4/12/02 Great Black-backed Gull South Stack
 
 10s
4
99   Tue 4/16/02 Lesser Black-backed Gull Oban Harbor
 
 10s
6
140   Fri 5/3/02 Little Gull Titchwell
on bar, flying
 1
11
91   Sun 4/14/02 Hen Harrier Leighton Moss
 
 5-8
5
90   Sun 4/14/02 Marsh Harrier Leighton Moss
 
 10-12
5
51   Sat 4/6/02 Grey Heron Powderham Castle
 
 10
3
148   Sun 5/5/02 Night Heron Blickling Hall
Black-crowned Night-heron in U.S.
 2
12
144 57 Fri 5/3/02   Hobby Titchwell
pair flew over
 2
11
14   Tue 4/2/02   Jackdaw walk
roofs of houses
 100s
1
61   Thu 4/11/02   Jay Ynys-hir
 
 10
4
28   Thu 4/4/02   Kestrel Church Norton
trapped something on ground
 40
2
59   Wed 4/10/02 Red Kite near Aberystwyth
only one of trip
 1
4
78 21 Fri 4/12/02   Knot near Ogwen Farm
Red Knot in U.S.
 100
4
32   Thu 4/4/02 (Northern) Lapwing Church Norton
 
 100s
2
37 6 Thu 4/4/02   Linnet Church Norton
in tree, in meadow
 few
2
6   Tue 4/2/02   Magpie drive from Heathrow
fairly common in fields
 100s
1
5   Tue 4/2/02   Mallard drive from Heathrow
pond by road
 1000s
1
112   Fri 4/19/02   Mandarin Loch Garten
 
 2
7
139   Fri 5/3/02 House Martin Titchwell
bugging
 100s
11
138   Fri 5/3/02 Sand Martin Titchwell
bugging
 100s
11
106   Wed 4/17/02 Red-breasted Merganser Loch Linnhe
 
 2
6
23   Thu 4/4/02 (Common) Moorhen Leisure Camp
 
 100
2
151   Mon 5/6/02   Nightingale Minsmere
others had it treed, couldn't see. heard only.
 1
12
64   Thu 4/11/02   Nuthatches Ynys-hir
 
 8
4
150 59 Mon 5/6/02 Ring Ouzel Minsmere
here 3 days, missing yesterday, here today
 1
12
147   Sun 5/5/02 Barn Owl Blickling Hall
very white. Flying.
 1
12
125   Sat 4/27/02 Short-eared Owl Bempton Cliffs
Sharon chuffed.
 2
9
119 44 Tue 4/23/02 Tawny Owl in camp! Overhead!
heard, bob saw fly
 4-6
8
29   Thu 4/4/02   Oystercatcher Church Norton
in mud, more in field
 100s
2
115   Sat 4/20/02 Grey Partridge near Aberfeldy
in green field
 2-4
7
117 42 Sun 4/21/02 Red-legged Partridge near road
by side of road
 10-20
7
68   Thu 4/11/02   Peregrine mountain pass
 
 2
4
4   Tue 4/2/02   Pheasant drive from Heathrow
quite a few in fields
 100s
1
145 58 Sat 5/4/02 Golden Pheasant Wolferton
heard, Sharon saw part. Later spectac. Views
 3-4
12
143   Fri 5/3/02 (Northern) Pintail Titchwell
tipping
 3
11
46 11 Fri 4/5/02 Meadow Pipit Portland Bill
 
 100s
2
105 34 Tue 4/16/02 Rock Pipit Mull
 
 2-5
6
104 33 Tue 4/16/02 Golden Plover Mull
European Golden Plover
 4-6
6
84   Sat 4/13/02 Little Ringed Plover Martin Mere
 
 4-6
5
34 5 Thu 4/4/02 Ringed Plover Church Norton
in protected area
 3-5
2
87 27 Sun 4/14/02   Pochard Leighton Moss
 
 10s
5
72 17 Fri 4/12/02   Puffin South Stack
Atlantic Puffin in U.S.
 10s
4
95   Sun 4/14/02 Water Rail Leighton Moss
 
 1-3
5
71   Fri 4/12/02   Raven South Stack
 
 10s
4
74 18 Fri 4/12/02   Razorbill South Stack
 
 100s
4
67   Thu 4/11/02   Redstart Ynys-hir
 
 2
4
10   Tue 4/2/02   Robin walk
in trees around rv park
 100s
1
2   Tue 4/2/02   Rook drive from Heathrow
fields with lambs
 1000
1
82 25 Sat 4/13/02   Ruff Martin Mere
 
 100
5
114 40 Sat 4/20/02 Common Sandpiper Loch Garten
 
 2
7
101   Tue 4/16/02   Shag Oban Harbor
 
 10s
6
30   Thu 4/4/02   Shelduck Church Norton
 
 100s
2
89   Sun 4/14/02   Shoveler Leighton Moss
 
 10s
5
111 38 Fri 4/19/02   Siskin Loch Garten
 
 3-5
7
35   Thu 4/4/02   Skylark Church Norton
 
 <10
2
142   Fri 5/3/02   Snipe Titchwell
on bar
 1
11
9   Tue 4/2/02 House Sparrow walk
by house at rv park
 100s
1
77 20 Fri 4/12/02   Sparrowhawk near South Stack
 
 4-5
4
152 60 Tue 5/7/02 Temminck's Stint Buckenham Marsh
near huge canal, old RR station
 1
13
48   Fri 4/5/02 (European) Swallow Portland Bill
 
 100s
2
20   Wed 4/3/02 Mute Swan Frensham Commons
 
 100
1
79 22 Sat 4/13/02 Whooper Swan Martin Mere
 
 2
5
134 52 Tue 4/30/02   Swift Belvide Reservoir
over one end of reservoir
 20
10
83   Sat 4/13/02   Teal Martin Mere
 
 50-60
5
133   Tue 4/30/02 Common Tern Belvide Reservoir
 
 2-5
10
141 56 Fri 5/3/02 Little Tern Titchwell
on bar
 1
11
146   Sat 5/4/02 Sandwich Tern Cley Marsh
four on island
 4
12
7   Tue 4/2/02 Mistle Thrush 1st night's rv park
in trees around rv park
 10-20
1
44 9 Fri 4/5/02 Bearded Tit Radipole Lake
heard only. Later seen elsewhere
 5-8
2
17   Wed 4/3/02 Blue Tit Frensham Commons
 
 100
1
70   Thu 4/11/02 Coal Tit Ynys-hir
a little out of order here.
 10s
4
113 39 Fri 4/19/02 Crested Tit Loch Mallochie
assist to Mark and Ike.
 2
7
24   Thu 4/4/02 Great Tit Leisure Camp
big central stripe
 100s
2
15   Wed 4/3/02 Long-tailed Tit Chipping Norton
by foam place
 20
1
96 30 Sun 4/14/02 Marsh Tit Woodwell
 
 1-2
5
57 14 Tue 4/9/02 Willow Tit Watersmeet
pair in/out of hole base of tree
 3-4
3
63   Thu 4/11/02   Treecreeper Ynys-hir
 
 8
4
108 35 Thu 4/18/02   Twite Cairngorm
 
 2
6
56   Tue 4/9/02 Grey Wagtail Watersmeet
bobbing on rock on stream
 2
3
25   Thu 4/4/02 Pied Wagtail Leisure Camp
great black and white
 100
2
149   Sun 5/5/02 Yellow Wagtail Blickling Hall
pair gathering nest material
 2-4
12
43 8 Fri 4/5/02 Cetti's Warbler Radipole Lake
heard song, got views
 2-3
2
22 1 Wed 4/3/02 Dartford Warbler Thursley Commons
great tape story
 1
1
131 50 Tue 4/30/02 Garden Warbler Belvide Reservoir
heard only. Seen later
 3-5
10
132 51 Tue 4/30/02 Grasshopper Warbler Belvide Reservoir
heard only
 1
10
129   Tue 4/30/02 Reed Warbler Belvide Reservoir
close views
 4-6
10
124   Sat 4/27/02 Sedge Warbler Far Ings
heard only
 5-8
9
49 12 Sat 4/6/02 Willow Warbler Dawlish Warren
Got by song!
 5-8
3
128 49 Mon 4/29/02 Wood Warbler Strid Woods
Unexpected
 1
10
69   Thu 4/11/02   Wheatear mountain pass
Northern Wheatear
 10s
4
123 46 Sat 4/27/02   Whitethroat Far Ings
Graham. Song flight.
 4-6
9
85   Sat 4/13/02   Wigeon Martin Mere
 
 10-20
5
137 55 Thu 5/2/02   Woodcock Dower House Camp
Roding over cleared field in woods
 3-5
11
136 54 Wed 5/1/02   Woodlark Weeting Heath
feeding fledglings
 5
11
62   Thu 4/11/02 Great Spotted Woodpecker Ynys-hir
 
 10
4
40   Thu 4/4/02 Green Woodpecker Church Norton
 
 3-4
2
3   Tue 4/2/02   Woodpigeon drive from Heathrow
very common
 1000s
1
18   Wed 4/3/02   Wren Frensham Commons
winter wren in America
 10s
1
53 13 Sun 4/7/02   Yellowhammer Prawle Point
Dave Woodhouse an assist.
 10s
3


Last Updated on 5/16/02
By Robert N. Lutman


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