Undisclosed Area of North Lincs Today.

Took ages to find this. I have brought it forward so I can send all sightings to Birdtrack next year and if needed to our county recorder. I will give the proper site name to both . 

Only reason I am releasing it's real name is because the expected amount of SEO evaporated due to the farmer ploughing up all the set aside land and a large area was sold off to build 1200 houses, sub station, pumping station plus infrastructure needed and a large lake. As yet no sign of the builders starting work, thankfully.

Sadly the numbers of birds each time I went dwindled, had been going there decades and still do as the site is very handy for me to get to. 

Cheers
John

Hello Brian
 If you ever come to Messingham sand Quarry and I find out who you are I will gladly let you know the area in North Lincs we talk about. The initial reason for keeping it quiet was because last winter it attracted good numbers of short eared owls  and we didn't want the very narrow road blocking as on at least one instance someone had a set to with a local farmer for trespassing on his land.Sadly the fields they hunted over have now been ploughed over and the owls appear to have moved on.To make matters worse planning permissions been granted to build arounfd 800 or so houses next to the fields even though it is on a flood plain !! 

Hi John,
I too remember the old forum and i used to look at that as well, before I was a member. I also have certain health issues and have to be careful.
Maybe we'll meet, you never know.
I'll be sure to have an arrow above my head with Moaning G-- on it.

Bye for now

Hello Brian,

thanks for your reply.

I also like to find a quiet spot but when I go out am not expecting to see anything much, and if I do it's a bonus. I always share my sightings wherever I go except for the Undisclosed area mainly for the reasons Alan gave it being on private land and a single track etc. 

Am sure if we ever met we would get on as I can get on most people unless they get wrong side of me!

I also don't use Bird Track (did in the past) or Twitter (X), sometimes post on the big Birdforum (been a member 21 years).

The people who use the forum and post regular have been doing so since we had the old forum, sadly newer members don't seem interested as they more than likely use other methods but that is there choice.

The hide comment is true but if I was in the hide when you came in I would 100% speak and probably continue until you went out lol I am known as a chatterbox but I can be silent as well. Since Covid I rarely mix with anyone and never go in hides etc, I cannot risk getting the infection!

I hope we meet up sometime to discuss birding but not the Undisclosed area.

Take care and enjoy finding good birds.

Kind regards

John aka Max 

Good morning,
It's an opinion and the snobbery remark is probably a bit strong I agree, so I take that back, I am 66 and like you I go birding as often as I can, have done all my life and I like nothing more than to find a quiet spot with plenty to see, I like to share my sightings with like minded people and I thought this was a safe place to do that, I thought that's why we have a password.
I don't report to Bird track or Twitter I look at this site hoping for local sightings and that's it.
As you say I've been a member since 2019 and have a look here most weeks.
I don't think its because people can't be arsed as you put it to use the forum, as you say there seems to be a select few who do and it can make it feel that a newcomer is butting in.
A bit like when you enter a full hide, speak and no one answers so you don't bother.
Again, just an opinion and I will contribute more often.
Have a nice day.

 

wrote:

Hi, I'm probably speaking out of turn here, but surely the idea of the bird club is to share sighting's and the places they have been seen, only member's have  access to the reports on this forum, so what is the problem ?
Does this bloke think he's something special and only he is aloud to have a look, This attitude is what keeps people thinking that the club is for a select few and maybe that's why people sometimes stay away.
Sorry, but it has driven me mad since i first read undisclosed area of north Lincolnshire. What's the point of the report, it means nothing !.

Its snobbery like this that kills clubs.

How do,
Your not speaking out of turn as you put it, your having your say like I have done many times but I don't remember you ever joining any of my discussions, but that's your prerogative. I see you joined in November 2020 but have only posted twelve times on the forum, you probably do like quite a lot of birders and send your sightings to Bird Track or use Twitter (X) or send them to the recorder. Not everyone can be arsed to use the forum , we seem to have a select band of people who do use it on a regular basis which includes me (the bloke you refer to).

You are correct in saying that a bird club should share its sightings etc but it's not compulsory to do so. In the twenty years I've been a member there are quite a number of birders who do not share all their info all the time, this is their privilege (I know who they are) and that is what I am doing by not sharing where the Undisclosed Area of North Lincs is and never will, if you don't like that, am sorry.   

As far as I know you have never met me so you cannot judge by its cover!  I am not something special as you put it in fact am a bog standard chap who is a birder and a good friend to many who can tell you all about me.  I'll do anything to help anyone I can if am well enough BUT I won't reveal to you the whereabouts of the Undisclosed Area of North Lincs. Both Alan and myself and one other guy know where it is and we made a pact beginning of this year not to reveal where it is!

In regards to people staying away from the club that couldn't further from the truth, I keep regular check on how many new members we get, and in the past two years it must be getting on for one hundred new members.

The report obviously means nowt to you but it means a hell of a lot to me and Alan and others or they wouldn't thank me for the sightings.

It's taken you long enough to say owt, it must be nine months since I first started doing it, maybe you have been getting up steam to say owt   Have been called many things by birders but never a snob, that's a joke mate. I'm as down to earth as they come and don't believe in pussy footing about, I tell it how it is, take it or leave it.

I appreciate you having your say, no point bottling it up. 

Cheers

John aka Max
PS: I have written this before seeing what others have written.