You will probably beat it next year Holly, or at least break 260, once you have reached that level it just sticks. I have broken 260 every year in the last 12 but I suppose it helps that I have one Scottish and one South Coast holiday each year!! 300 isn't impossible with a bit of travelling, I have done that 3 times and my best ever was 356 in 2005, so I reckon you will keep going onwards & upwards. You have the taste for it now so I doubt that you will relax when good birds appear in January!! Keep it going, that way the lifers will keep coming too
I started year listing in 2011 after a challenge from a friend . My total has increased each year (with the exception of 2012 when I suffered a bereavement so didn't get out as much) but 250 has always been my dream target.
I seem to have been extraordinarily lucky this year both with being able to go on holidays to birding hotspots (such as the Highlands and Norfolk etc) and also with rarities turning up when I've been free to twitch them! I reached my dream figure of 250 on 27th September (with a firecrest at Spurn) and, with 3 months of the year still to go, I was hoping I could reach 260. That figure was reached on Sunday with Siberian stonechat at Flamborough and dusky warbler was also added to take me onto 261. And there's still over 2 months of the year to go!!
The only "obvious" gaps I've got on this year's list are lesser spotted woodpecker, white-fronted goose, red-necked grebe, crane and twite but I've got plenty of time to get those birds and hopefully a few more rarities before the year's end. I tried 4 or 5 times for lesser spotted woodpecker at the beginning of the year without success so will be trying again once the leaves have disappeared.
I've also had some brilliant lifers (17) this year including Harlequin duck, black stork, black-winged pratincole, golden oriole, red-footed falcon and gull-billed tern.
I very much doubt I'll be able to beat this year's total in the near future so I'm going to try and go all out until the end of the year to make it a really memorable one.
(In case anyone is wondering I beat my friend by 10 species in 2011 - not that I'm competitive or anything!!!!)
Read my posts on the Berkshire thread if you want your Dartfords, Nightingales and Nightjar at one site. With Woodlarks too! In fairness the Dartfords and Woodlarks are residents, you could do them this year!
This is fun. I think we must have booked you up to Xmas now surely?
"The Berkshire Thread" .... wow, didn't realise we were posh enough to have one of those!
Yes definitely a full programme now till the end of the year. Just the small matter of our 4th grandchild on the way, too. That might even stop me joining the Leigh Ornithology trip to Leighton Moss......
I agree the list is a good incentive, my GM list serves in a similar way.
Read my posts on the Berkshire thread if you want your Dartfords, Nightingales and Nightjar at one site. With Woodlarks too! In fairness the Dartfords and Woodlarks are residents, you could do them this year!
This is fun. I think we must have booked you up to Xmas now surely?
Hmm all this discussion is whetting my appetite - as it should! Thanks all.
I have to confess I've never yet been to Marbury CP - this is obviously something needing a remedy! Be great to see Lesser Spotted Woodpecker again - I've only had one encounter and that was at Moore last year.
Totally agree Simon it's more about seeing good birds than ticking lists, but the list is an incentive to get out, too. A bit along the lines that since I decided that bagging all the Munros is out of my range, I've done much less hillwalking! Course I also blame birding for that - which doesn't keep you nearly as fit!! Still you don't tick Ptarmigan unless you get to the Scottish hills.....!
My list will suffer next year if we don't go to the Hebrides - the divers and the corncrake are pretty much guaranteed there. But we do need sometime to get a more southern UK experience - the Nightingales, Dartford Warblers and NIghtjars of this world! So many birds to see ...........
The other thing that struck me was that you could look for the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers as soon as the leaves are fully off the trees. I think they are fairly sedentary, so no reason not to find one before Xmas. Obviously they are very active in March but they are present all winter as I understand it.
You certainly could Simon. Either Moore NR or Marbury CP would be worth a look throughout November & December, the roving tit flocks would be a good place to start too. The reason they are always seen most in the early months of the year is because all the year listers are out looking so year end is the time to find your own :)
I totally agree, Tim, re the Bitterns. Marbury CP in Coward Reedbed, usually has one or more Bitterns arriving before the end of the year, so still every chance for 2015 there :) A failure of the Scandinavian berry crop will be the precursor to a Waxwing invasion, let's hope that it is this coming winter :)
I had a look at my list yesterday, I'm on 227 right now. I think it's a one off though; anyone who reads the forum will have seen that myself and Rob Creek and Steve have been bombing all over the place this year seeing lifers and I doubt we will have as much to go at next year. I have added 45 lifers so far this year, I'm sure it will never happen again!
By the way, those two will have seen more than me as well, although Rob doesn't do lists really. I didn't get to the Corncrake at Hale for instance, or the Waxwing at Orrell.
I think the main thing is seeing nice birds anyway. I only started a proper year-list this year after I'd started seeing loads of good birds and thought I would probably get a good set together. With the Bearded Tits for instance, as Doc says, they are special birds and seeing them is always exciting so it's worth a run up to Leighton Moss to see them. The same goes for the Divers and Grebes, I love sea-watching so I am looking forward to getting over to North Wales. I have only seen 1 Slavonian Grebe, which was the one on the canal at Pennington, so I would like to see one on the sea. I've seen Black-necked Grebes on the sea a few times, it's amazing seeing a tiny thing like that on some rolling swell, diving again and again. I've only ever managed one Black-throated Diver too, so that's another it would be great to see again.
The other thing that struck me was that you could look for the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers as soon as the leaves are fully off the trees. I think they are fairly sedentary, so no reason not to find one before Xmas. Obviously they are very active in March but they are present all winter as I understand it.
You'll be glad you didn't go for one lone Waxwing for a lifer - much better to experience them for the first time in a large flock tucking into berries. We are due another invasion - maybe this winter...
I had a look at my list yesterday, I'm on 227 right now. I think it's a one off though; anyone who reads the forum will have seen that myself and Rob Creek and Steve have been bombing all over the place this year seeing lifers and I doubt we will have as much to go at next year. I have added 45 lifers so far this year, I'm sure it will never happen again!
By the way, those two will have seen more than me as well, although Rob doesn't do lists really. I didn't get to the Corncrake at Hale for instance, or the Waxwing at Orrell.
I think the main thing is seeing nice birds anyway. I only started a proper year-list this year after I'd started seeing loads of good birds and thought I would probably get a good set together. With the Bearded Tits for instance, as Doc says, they are special birds and seeing them is always exciting so it's worth a run up to Leighton Moss to see them. The same goes for the Divers and Grebes, I love sea-watching so I am looking forward to getting over to North Wales. I have only seen 1 Slavonian Grebe, which was the one on the canal at Pennington, so I would like to see one on the sea. I've seen Black-necked Grebes on the sea a few times, it's amazing seeing a tiny thing like that on some rolling swell, diving again and again. I've only ever managed one Black-throated Diver too, so that's another it would be great to see again.
The other thing that struck me was that you could look for the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers as soon as the leaves are fully off the trees. I think they are fairly sedentary, so no reason not to find one before Xmas. Obviously they are very active in March but they are present all winter as I understand it.
Fascinating all of it! Leighton Moss definitely needs a visit and thanks Doc for the tip about the Lower Hide community - keep it to this forum haha! My only encounter with Bearded Tits was at the grit trays a couple of years ago and it was simply too crowded to be enjoyable.
Could have helped you with the Tawny Owl at the back of our garden last year John but seen neither hide nor feather of it this year. Mine were an owlet on a path in Roscow's Tenement Clough up on t'moors, and a woodland adult at Pen Sychnant.
220 would be a dream for me, Simon! British Isles list 171 last year, 186 so far this. Still hoping for a few very obvious lifers this winter - woodcock anybody? I guess that's a separate thread
I was at Leighton Moss yesterday and the Bearded Tits showed at 10.20am - just one male and one female. At least 4 Marsh Tits in a mobile mixed tit flock on the path to Grizedale Hide showed very well indeed. Get there for 9 - 10am for Bearded Tits as the show is over by 11am. No Bittern though on this trip. The lone male has not been seen for a while so a visit for Bittern now is too early. Wait till November when it is joined by winter birds - last year I'm told there were 7 and I saw 2 out at the same time! Extensive reed bed management is taking place there to try and bring breeding numbers back. The reed bed viewable from the sight-screen/hide affair at Marbury CP is another good spot for winter Bittern and they could be back at Penny too. My year list is more like yours Paul. 261!, 220! Wow! I clearly spend too much time at Chorlton Water Park (but you CAN get Woodcock there in winter ;)
Fascinating all of it! Leighton Moss definitely needs a visit and thanks Doc for the tip about the Lower Hide community - keep it to this forum haha! My only encounter with Bearded Tits was at the grit trays a couple of years ago and it was simply too crowded to be enjoyable.
I won't tell a soul Paul
Missed that you need Green Woodpecker until Simons post, keep eyes & ears out if/when you go for the Smew at Newchurch Common, as they are resident there & we saw one when I found that the Smew was back. So it could be a 'two birds with one stone' job, if you'll excuse the expression!!
With my wife being rushed into hospital this year I knew that my yearlist would suffer and I missed a few birds that I see every year, Wood Warbler, Honey Buzzard. Dotterel and Black-throated Diver (may still get!), to name just four. But since she came out and is still off work we have had a few more days out birding than usual in autumn and I've clawed my way back to 261. Happy with that in early October given the sort of year 2015 has been
Fascinating all of it! Leighton Moss definitely needs a visit and thanks Doc for the tip about the Lower Hide community - keep it to this forum haha! My only encounter with Bearded Tits was at the grit trays a couple of years ago and it was simply too crowded to be enjoyable.
Could have helped you with the Tawny Owl at the back of our garden last year John but seen neither hide nor feather of it this year. Mine were an owlet on a path in Roscow's Tenement Clough up on t'moors, and a woodland adult at Pen Sychnant.
220 would be a dream for me, Simon! British Isles list 171 last year, 186 so far this. Still hoping for a few very obvious lifers this winter - woodcock anybody? I guess that's a separate thread!
Good grief, where do I start. Probably with Eider, Crossbill and Tawny Owl. (Yes, I know. Get to the coast. Get up Horwich Moors. Anyone know a regular Tawny Owl roost?). Must get out more.
My most disappointing miss, although I suppose there is still a chance, so far at Elton is Greenshank (3 seen, 1 whilst I was there
) but I really wanted Osprey (Simon Johnson saw one in the Spring), definately too late for that now. Still we never know what tomorrow will bring which is what makes birding such fun, (together with Titan bars , is that true Brian).
My worst misses this year are Little Gull and Black Tern, which passed through Elton and Pennington as they do, but I couldn't get to them as they all seemed to be midweek when I'm away. The others are things that I will struggle on, Golden Eagle for instance, not sure when the last one at Pennington Flash turned up! Also rubbish is Egyptian Goose, where I've been too lazy to head over to Etherow CP...but possibly the worst miss of all is Bittern, which I have never seen before ever. So I will be off to Leighton Moss soon to try and rectify that!
I was struggling with Whinchat until somebody who was fed up of my moaning found one for me, so thanks to Steve Burke for that one!
My yearlist is going to be good this year, I'm on about 220 at the moment and should get a few more before Xmas with some luck, I have a few targets like Great Northern Diver and Slavonian Grebe that should surface off the North Wales coast in the next few weeks, plus a certain Bean Goose that is out there at Martin Mere taunting me!
Was up at Leighton Moss last Sunday (see Lancs thread) and the Bearded Tits have been at the grit trays for a couple of weeks now. Even better were a group on the boardwalk leading to Lower Hide. After we had seen them (10) we were told that this is a regular spot at the moment and feels better as you're not in a scrum around the grit trays area!
And yes I refound the redhead Smew at Newchurch Common yesterday, returning for possibly its third winter (according to a fisherman I chatted to
-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Wednesday 14th of October 2015 12:22:14 PM
Grasshopper Warbler. Total no show at my usual South GM sites this year. Cuckoo slipped through my fingers too. Coming up about now is the time for an early start for Leighton Moss as the Bearded Tits will be visiting the grit trays, or, better still natural grit off the causeway, as they change their diet over to grain. Marsh Tit and Bittern can be had. I got all three on a splendid trip in the last week of October last year with two Bitterns and two Water Rails on view simultaneosly with 10 Bearded Tits on the causeway. And a Martin Hughes-Games in the cleanest purple Landy in the World!
It's quite interesting to review my ongoing Excel spreadsheet year tick list and see things I haven't yet ticked - after finally seeing a Merlin today for the first time this year!
Still needed and perhaps a chance to tick:
Green Woodpecker - Well I haven't been to Dunham Massey yet.....
Brambling - hopefully could turn up locally soon!
Bittern (not seen one for 2 years! LOS going to Leighton Moss soon......)
Smew - I believe there's one in Cheshire!
Probable no-hopers:
Ring Ouzel - time running out I guess. Partly why I went up Burnt Edge today.
Whimbrel. Doh! Didn't even see one in Western Ireland. They were all doggedly Curlew!
Dotterel. Was otherwise engaged in the crucial Spring weeks. Next year for certain!
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - a date with Moore early next Spring I think.
Tree Pipit - never did find the one Andy Makin told me about in August. Getting late.....
And then there's the Glossy Ibis not seen since the Horwich Four were here, the Lesser Scaup and Pectoral Sandpiper of Penny and Rumworth fame ..... maybe never to be repeated.
But I hope there's a chance to make up dipping on the single Orrel Waxwing earlier in 2015!
On a positive note, it's been a good year for me for lifers so far:
Great Grey Shrike
Shore Lark
Long Eared Owl
Purple Sandpiper
Bewick's Swan
Laughing Gull
Wryneck (UK lifer)
Mediterranean Gull
Grasshopper Warbler
European Bee Eater (in Castelbay, Barra, Hebrides!)
Storm Petrel
Red-Footed Falcon
Sabine's Gull
Ring-Billed Gull
Wood Sandpiper
I wonder in anyone else has a 2015 bogey bird like my Whimbrel that they've tried hard for and probably missed?
