What can be a 'tick'?

Alastair Carr · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2009 3:22 pm

What actually can be classed as a tick, when you're out on a twich?

Is it that you see a bird through a telescope, binoculars or the naked eye? Or even with a camcorder? If the answer is yes, then what about a secondary screen (e.g. a television's A.V port) attached to the camcorder? If the answer is yes to that, then what about if that screen was located about 500 metres away, in the site's cafÃ©? If the answer is yes to that, then how far away can you say "That's a tick for me", in other words, how far away does it have to be away that the BOU (or whoever decides these things) say "That's the line!"

Or is it really you own decision to say "That's the line."

John Clarkson · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2009 3:48 pm

If you're a Dutch (or Swedish?) birder you don't even have to see them!

Katherine Birkett · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2009 4:16 pm

I have the following criteria for a 'tick'.

The bird is a tick if identified by either plumage or song
The bird is a tick if it is pointed out to you by another birdwatcher and you see it (to be phased out as my ID skills get better)
the bird is a tick if you have independently retrospectively ID'd solely by you after research.

The bird will not be a tick if it has been seen on television, video, Internet, DVD, CD-ROM or in a magazine, book or newspaper.
The bird will not be a tick if it has been seen in captivity i.e. zoo, specialist collection or in a bird cage.
The bird will not be a tick if it's a stuffed bird (taxidermy)
Out of respect, the bird will not be a tick if seen dead.

Alastair Carr · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2009 8:32 pm

But what is defined by TV, is it that you see it on a big screen but it comes from a camcorder, via it's AV lead, which is only a metre long? In which case, lots of people can see the bird on site, without even setting up their telescopes.

What sort of medium can it be seen by, to really call it a tick?

Stephen Routledge · **Posted:** Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:41 pm

I personally,only include a species as a personal first when i have seen the species in questions salient features,and well enough to get my own notes on the bird.Going back to the Amur Falcon at Tophill Low,i have spoken to several experienced birders who saw it,and did'nt know what it was at the time and are now including it on there life lists.The Lesser- Sandplover at Rimac was a prime example,on the day of the bird being found it was mis-identified as a Greater-Sandplover,on the following day it was re-identified as a Lesser so several people had to change there notes,including me :oops:

.In cases like this and the Amur it was all down to lack of experience of the species in question,but a big thanks to the guys who stuck there necks out and id'd the species correctly in the end.

Regards

Steve.

Katherine Birkett · **Posted:** Wed Feb 25, 2009 2:29 pm

Alastair Carr wrote:

What sort of medium can it be seen by, to really call it a tick?

On site, through the naked eye, telescope or binoculars, unassisted by any screen.

My most breath-taking tick was getting an eyeful of one of the Bassenthwaite Ospreys (with fish in claws) fly over our car on the A66 at a height of no more than 15-20 feet!

The Lincolnshire Bird Club

What can be a 'tick'?

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