Redgannet’s Year List 2015

The Management at 10,000 Birds are pleased to announce that they almost managed to persuade Redgannet to attempt to compile his year list whilst sober or, where that is not practicable, only mildly hung-over. For his part, Redgannet has committed to a trial period through January and will try to stick to a more socially responsible regimen of birds then beer for the rest of 2015.

Even at school, Redgannet’s report card consistently ended with “could try harder” and each year, The Management at 10,000 Birds try to shove him towards his potential. As the Sober Year List would be subjective, difficult to police and highly ambitious, The Management have conceded that a second list criterion should be employed. They have considered almost anything that might get Redgannet out into the field with his birding boots on, but have settled on Prefix-snap. Most will be familiar with a game that matches the face value of playing cards and prompts a loud “snap” to win a hand. In a similar way, birds will be admitted to Redgannet’s Year List 2015 by finding 2 birds with a matching prefix. The “snap” element will be voluntary and dependent on circumstances.

Once a match is made, for example Snowy Owl and Snowy Egret, any further examples with the same prefix, Snowy Plover let’s say, can be admitted. But slight variations (as per the eBird list) such as Snow Bunting, will not be acceptable. Local names (or even made up ones), such as Scottish Loch-Hawk will not qualify Osprey as a match for Scottish Crossbill.

Prefixes such as Northern, Common or American are likely to be productive, Whereas a Savannah Sparrow has only a couple of potential counterparts, the Savanna Hawk of Central and South America and the Savanna Nightjar of India and southeast Asia. It is hoped that the wide-ranging chase will provide him with the motivation to search for obscure matches.

Note; it has been pointed out that Savannah Sparrow is named after the town and has an ending”h” whereas the hawk and the nightjar drop the final letter in reference to their habitat. Please note however that the purpose of placing list criteria on Redgannet is to motivate his efforts and encourage him out of the bar, into the field. Redgannet’s tentative grasp on sobriety and reality might not stand the shock, so The Management (fearful that such information might provoke a relapse and recurrence of the “Great Tit Episode”), have elected to edit his list (according to the criteria laid out above) whilst he is otherwise occupied.

Please don’t scoff at his alphabetical list, it makes sense to him and as long as he is happy, the rest of us have a shot at some peace and quiet.

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Snowy Egret

Snowy Owl

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