Birders Twitter - S2E12

Jonny R gives sound advice to the youthful Birders Twitter listeners. Making mistakes so they don’t have to. Do not walk 13 miles then go to the pub without having any lunch.

Positive feedback revived following last weeks episode almost certainly has nothing to do with Dawn Balmer, our guest, and everything to do with our presenting prowess. Maybe...

DDL has had face-filling Cirl Bunt experience and a friend called Lee Collins who reads 1000 rings per year. With a tally of 11000 read and reported so far.

In fact DDL seems to be obsessed with all the better friends he has lately...

DDL (via his other friends) drops some mad Lundy seabird stats, like the fact that between 2001 - 2014 the Lundy Manxies have increased from 300 to 5k pairs following rat eradication. Same goes for Puffin, up from 5 to 800 pairs!

In similarly good news, the Devon Cirl’s are heading east and are now into Dorset. That's nearly Suffolk!

Jonny H goes full DDL by not turning in on time - or indeed at all! Out DDL'ing DDL at his own game!

DDL is on 41 species of wader for year - in comp with (yet another) friend @Waderworld1

DDL discusses creative birding. Which is a more free-flow, imaginative, creative writing inspired style of birding where you can keep a fiction and non-fiction list. DM DDL for more details and creative birding workshops.

Jonny R has covered all local sites and put a Wheatear on BirdGuides. Everyone acknowledges that Jonny R is a massive trend setter - which is pretty impressive #LeaderNotFollower

Jonny R still needs Alpine Swift for U.K. - which would've surprised Jonny H - had he been on the call. None of us have seen Alpine Swift in the latest influx - yet.

Jonny R did find a Mealy Poll and has had close encounters with Water Rails...

Jonny R has suppressed Lesser Pecker - which would make Jonny H proud - if he was on the call #SuppressionSession

We celebrate Brain’s epic twitch nocturnal twitch...

A Water Rail based cheating tweet inspires us...

What other cheating can we use in birding? Drones? Russian inspired state-based doping of all birders?

We’re decide to look to the biggest cheats of all; cyclists - to devise our Birders Twitter cheat school.

We do a scarce challenge update - following our Paul Watts inspired target for the year...

• Jonny H is on; Iceland - 1 point

• DDL is on; nowt - no points

• Jonny R is on; Mealy Redpoll - 0.5 points

DDL gives his 3rd edition Collins an RSI injury, Jonny R tells a distressing story then DDL hits the coaster Jackpot…

If you want to ring a crane - you need to run after then in late summer #TopTip

We learn that DDL would go birding with your best friend, by your house, without inviting you.

The listeners chime in with some wisdom, including:

Twitching a Scops Owl at night...

Ticking things 6 month after the event...

Chris Pendulbuey - goes t-total, will send us a load of drugs to aid cheating and recalls a North Norfolk Sibe Tbrush that people tried to torch in the dunes via torch light...

DDL says North Norfolk birders are the worst - which might make next week's episode a bit tense. We make our predictions and close out the call without actually managing to get Jonny H connected! That's the kind of technological glitch you can expect from Birders Twitter.

Stay classy - we have a guest again next week...