The most overrated rarities?

Good morning/afternoon/evening again. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday - it's one of those days.

I've always considered birding to be slightly similar to gambling. I'm not saying Slimbridge is Las Vegas but hear me out. The basis of human existence is the intrigue in the unobtainable. Gold and diamonds are hard to find and thus valuable, but the same goes for birds. Unlike planes, trains or automobiles, birds can fly off and away without any feasible tracking, therefore when a rarity is reported, there's a likelihood that everyone else may not see it.You take a punt and if your luck is in, happy days. Essentially, the rarer the bird, the slimmer the odds. No one is going all in to hope and see a mallard.

Twitchers are birders but not all birders are twitchers and although we aren't all glued to our twitter feeds to see when the next pectoral sandpiper or icterine warbler to drop in, we all have an idea about what would be great to see. What makes a bird rare or exciting can depend on a lot of factors, including usual distribution, habitat, conservation etc. However, the buzz you get is based on your own context and understanding of a species. Someone who has dreamed of seeing a hoopoe, has a tattoo of a hoopoe and has hoopoe bed linen would probably implode at their first sight of one. Likewise, if you lived by Gigrin Farm, red kites must feel like robins.The bigger and brighter birds tend to command greater attention, but there are some species that just don't hit the note. In this case, there are plenty of examples for birds that may get some juices flowing but may also leave much to be desired for others.

In my opinion (key point right there) and in no particular order, here are the UK's most overrated rarities. To be clear, these aren't necessarily boring birds, they're rarer species that receive more appreciation than they're arguably due.

Water pipit

Small brown job is a colloquial and often unfair grouping for similar-looking drab passerines, but many of these birds have redeeming qualities. Dunnocks have a fascinating courtship ritual, tree sparrows are an ultra-rarity and nightingales have one of the greatest songs in all of ornithology. Water pipits though... not much to write home about. Yes they are relatively difficult to find but once you've deciphered that you're looking at a slightly pink front in comparison to a meadow pipit, there's not much else to marvel at. Maybe if they did something else other than skulk around the waters edge, they may catch the eye a bit more. A lot of hype but not a lot to show for it.

Stock dove

Okay maybe this one is harsh, given the steep declines in breeding numbers over the last century, but these guys are essentially dolled down woodpigeons. They're certainly rarer but they're definitely no more exciting. For anyone bored of the generic feral pigeon, a trip to the countryside and a glimpse of a stock dove might be a welcome change but that's where the novelty wears off. I remember working with the Suffolk Wildlife Trust to help with surveying barn owls a few years ago. Out of around 10 barn owl boxes we checked, four of them were occupied by stock doves. When you hope to find an owl and one of these grey geezers stares you in the face, it's a bit of a let down.

Ring ouzel

A blackbird with a bib. That's all it is. If I told my friends I'd spend all day staring at a field to find a bird that looks like a vicar, they'd think I've gone mad. I'm sure the ring ouzel is popular with other thrushes as they can ordain weddings and carry out christenings but for me, I'm not buying it. At least wheatears have a splash of colour, they're much more credible. I'm willing to accept that their arrival does signal spring and that is something to celebrate, but until they evolve to be multicoloured or do something cool, they'll remain pretty drab.

Literally any fancy gull

They're white, they live by the coast and they send a whole bunch of birders into a stir. My disinterest in gulls is definitely not linked to the fact that they're very difficult to remember and all the varying differences. Whether it's a first winter, second summer, pale breasted, stripe billed or black wing-tipped gull, the differences are so minimal, it hurts my brain. I find it difficult to understand how birders can be overjoyed by knowing their glaucous from their iceland or their sabines from their caspian. Maybe I just need to brush up before I can join the elite Gull Appreciation Society but for the everyday birder, herring and black headed will do.

To clarify, the above list is not the say that these birds aren't valued and that people who rate these species is wrong. As mentioned, we all have our own ideas, based on our own contexts, about which birds can be more exciting than others. The species mentioned are all rare for a reason and for those actively declining in numbers, we should all be concerned for and actively trying to help with their conservation. In summary, don't hate me if you're a massive water pipit fan.

Did I miss any out? Which birds would you pop on the list? Let me know in the comments!

Peace out.