Some experiences of a newbie watcher - at my stage of the game, EVERYTHING is a highlight!! The 7 (2011) stages of a new birder....

7. Scargill House retreat centre in Wharfedale - great feeding station brimming with Siskins

6. Snow Buntings on Winter Hill!

5. Martin Mere in January - believe me, I had NEVER seen a Whooper Swan. I have seen one or two now!! Also Brambling (another first) at the feeding station. Beautiful.

4. Finding out that Pennington Flash (home patch!) is a top place in the NW - spotting the kingfishers, and several "firsts" for me - Teal, Goosander, Goldeneye, Snipe, Goldcrests, Redwings, Willow and Sedge Warblers, Blackcaps..... top place!

3. Marshside reserve - what a place! Avocets and chicks (sadly fast-food for Black-Headed Gulls!) in the spring, and later in the year, my first sight of a Hobby on the far side of the reserve - spectacular!

2. Wildlife guided day out on Mull in a monsoon, and the rest of the week too: dreadful weather but some memorable sights - but included White Tailed Eagle, Short-Eared Owl and a Black Throated Diver on the guided trip, and on our OWN - another White Tailed and two Golden Eagle, plenty of Red-Breasted Merganser, and some bottle-nosed dolphin.

1. Puffins and Arctic Tern on Inner Farne, Northumberland - what a magical day.

Some great birds last year, Crested Tit and Ptarmigan in the Scottish Highlands, Least Sandpiper at Old Moor, Sharp tailed Sandpiper at Chew Valley and the Oriental Turtle Dove at Oxfordshire all spring to mind amongst many others.

2011 was a memorable year but the highlight for me personally though has to be the Collared Pratincole at Immingham, Lincs.



-- Edited by Phil Owen on Friday 13th of January 2012 11:03:47 PM

Quite right Joe. I'd forgotten about that one.

In Greater M/c it was the breeding avocets at Rumworth. I can honestly say that nothing else in the county rated as a highlight last year.

In Britain it was watching the cranes flight into the RSPB reserve at West Sedgemoor at dusk, whilst a quail called a few feet in front of me (and my 'digs' were just a few meters behind me so I could quickly withdraw from that chilly May evening in Somerset).

In the world, possibly the world's best birdfeeders at the Los Tucanos Lodge in SE Brazil. Blond-crested woodpecker is a bird worth travelling afar for.

Highlights:
It was a good year personally for me in that I added quite a few Uk lifers, but given that at the start of the year my Uk lifelist was just over 150, that wasn't too difficult. Some I put of lot of effort into trying to see and others were pure flukes with me turning up at the right place at the right time. 

- Marsh Harrier @ Vange Marsh (Essex)
- Red backed Shrike @ Vange Marsh
- Bearded Tit @ Vange Marsh
- Marsh Tit in Dorset and Le Foret De St Germain (Paris)
- Crossbill @ Boy's Grave, Forest of Dean
- Chough @ South Stacks

just as enjoyable were
- Kingfishers @ RSPB Rye Marsh
- Sandwich Terns nesting on Bardsley Island, Dorset
- some long staying Winchats and the numerous Wheatears passing through my local patch in NW London
- Watching Hunting Little Owls in Regents Park, early one morning
- Watching a grounded Tawny Owlet In Hyde Park
- seeing Nuthatch, Goldcrest and Peregrine in my local cemetery one October morning.
- seeing Bullfinch, Treecreeper and Kingfisher in Alkrington Woods / Rhodes Lodges 

I can't talk about highlights without also mentioning a few lowlights
- the year-long futile search for a Dipper
- a fairly frustrating couple of visits to the Forest of Dean to find a Goshawk. When I did finally sees one,  literally 10 mins before I was about to get back in the car to travel home, it seemed like a bit of a letdown.
- Missing out on a Pied Flycatcher at RSPB Nagshead by about 30 mins
- Visiting Rspb Conwy and missing the Buff breasted Sandpiper
- missing out on the Wryneck at Alexandra Palace

Wryneck At St Gowans and Goshawk at Conwy (both self found)
Close up view (20m) of Short Earred Owl hunting at Hesketh Bank in bright sunlight
Long weekend trip to Hartlepool with North Cheshire RSPB group during October,
Farne Island trip in June, absolutely stunning
Roosting Nightjar on Aylesbeare Heath
Following the nesting Peregrines in Manchester city centre and the Dyfi Ospreys
Walks to Hilbre Islands, never fails to disappoint
Black Grouse at Worlds End
Synchronised flying displays by Choughs and Ravens (luck to witness this several times during the year)
Woodpecker hatrick (Warrington 12.03.11)
The Little Tern colony and a dozen Dolphins close in at Gronant
The grey seals at Donna Nook (early December)
Year list finishing on 211
And everytime I saw, Oystercatchers, Gannets, Artic Terns and Eiders!

2011 could have been called "my year of the Sandpiper" having seen 6 new species in my list of 28 first timers for the12 months. Many of these lifetime firsts I have shared with others, all of whom I thank for their friendship and expert driving when required : - the Oriental Turtle Dove, Spotted Crake in Warwick, White Throated Robin, Wykeham Forest Turtle Doves and the Greater Yellowlegs at Hauxley, Yellow-browed Warbler at Spurn and some when I travelled alone like the Anglesey Rosefinch and the Chat Moss Quail - all candidates for my bird of the year but without a doubt that prize goes to the Nightingales at Whisby - one of the best birding experiences I have ever had on a wonderful day in great company.

Snow Bunting At The Point Of Ayre
Pied Flycatcher and Melodius Warbler In One Pool!!!!!
Thousands of Barnacle Geese Flying Over My Head
9 Lifers

Little Egret in Plymouth, Avocets at Marshside, Golden Oriole near Vransko Lake Croatia, Arctic Tern and Spotted Redshank at Pennington :)