Ben Macdonald Birding

Links Page

Rare Bird Alert

www.rarebirdalert.co.uk

Definitive online sightings databank; always get the news out before Birdguides.

Surfbirds

www.surfbirds.com

Essential birding databank for everything from photo galleries to lists, trip reports & forums. 

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The Gloster Birder

www.birder.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Comprehensive, thorough coverage of Gloucestershire – have found many localised species by thanks to the many people who report to this site. Useful trip reports collated here too.

Severnside Birds

 www.severnsidebirds.co.uk

Brilliant local patch site with excellent photographs: daily coverage has meant well over 150 species get seen yearly including many local scarcities.

                                                    

Richard Ford Birding

http://richardsbirdingdiary.blogspot.com/ 

Website of fellow local birder Richard Ford, who's also beginning to get things going. 

Lewis Thompson Nature Photography

http://www.ltimages.co.uk/

Quality nature photography; you only have to look at that Hawfinch to see dedication and skill.

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Expert Weather

www.metoffice.co.uk  

UK Wind Map

www.xcweather.co.uk

Ace aid for seawatching: got the big days down in Cornwall thanks to this site.

Beaufort Wind Scale        

http://users.ox.ac.uk/~jesu0073/beaufort.html

For those who, like me, need to be reminded what a moderate breeze is in mph.

1:25,000 OS Mapping

getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Best OS mapping on the web.

Google Maps

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps

Brilliant for planning trips abroad.

UK Tide Tables

www.pol.ac.uk/ntslf/tidalp.html

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Public Transport

www.traveline.org.uk

I don’t have a car so this spot-on site has helped me get to most of my 260 birds this year.

Train Times

www.thetrainline.com

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Travelling Birder

www.travellingbirder.com

The most comprehensive online collection of trip reports on the web.

Rich Bonser

www.freewebs.com/richbonser

Probably one of the most thorough birders doing the WP at the moment, seems to use spot-on gen from several sources and his trip reports are fantastic.

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Oriole Adventures

www.orioleadventures.com

Ashley is a first-rate guide with disturbingly sharp eyesight – knows Norfolk and the UK intimately and now runs popular trips abroad including to Extremedura.

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