So far pledging their allegiance to Manchester Birding and it's Tournament of the same name are:

Ian Woosey
Geoff Hargreaves
Jimmy Meadows
Andy Isherwood
Ian Mckerchar
Paul Heaton
Paul Hammond
Steve Collins
Rob Thorpe
Mark Rigby

If you're name isn't up there please get in touch and join in the fun.

Trouble is Simon that those county birds you mention are all very sporadic, one year they're rare the next they're not particularly and you can never tell what sort of year it's going to be, think of the big flocks of Little Stint's we've had in the past or the 8 Wood Sands in a year I've seen at Hope Carr (never to be repeated no doubt), also in changing species points year on year it negates the possibility of judging which yearly total is best, as none are on a level playing field. Also, the points are set so that no one competitior can really run away with on one sighting alone without it being exceptional, think a nice flock of a dozen Beeaters! Sometimes, you have to just make do, which didn't help me any when I found both Mealy Redpolls and Little Egret this year, both county rarities (so should be worth 20 points) but reduced to only 5 and 7 a piece respectively for the Tournament but atleast we all get the same points no matter who finds them which is all that really matters

As for confirming your involvement, never mind what I'm doing, get yer name down

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar at 22:13, 2007-12-05

Two points Mr Warford...junior

1. I haven't won it yet! The Tournament has proved that it doesn't take much to change your fortunes, there have been two 60 point birds in the past week that have gone begging by Tournamenteers. As for competing next year, I haven't decided but it may well be rude not to. Either way, if I do, I certainly will be just incorporating it into my usual birding and not going all out, although I said that this year and have been hell bent of amassing points

2. The points system has been carefully thought out, as hard as that might be to believe , and there will be no alterations although I had thought of adding a couple of other species this may not be necessary either. Fact is we're all on a level playing field either way.

You're on my 'hit list' anyway so get that email sent to me and confirm your involvement

Ian, 2 questions please

Are you defending your title?
Are you going to alter any of the species points?