Sunday 6th January

Today to

Kent


On route


Wellard Marsh

Dungeness

Scotney GPs

Greatstone

1st day of the year 2008

A New Year a new UK Year List

Every bird becomes a new fresh bird and you really look at them!

So to local patches today as the weather was very overcast and I thought that if it got any worse I could always get home quickly!

Bedfont Lakes Country Park

(List here)
Staines Reservoirs

(List here)

Barnes Wildlife and Wetland Trust (London)

(list here)

This was meant to be where I kept my lists! but I cant find a way to do tabs within the site and having asked one friend that seemed to have been forgotten. I will try again later.

Year List UK 237(BOU) struggled up to that over the last month...some easy birds missing!

631 species seen this year including non BOU and World Birds thats not so bad!!!

Lifers well 262 (Costa Rica) (will do a list later!)
Espana 8(WP) Wallcreeper, Lammergeir, Citril Finch, Alpine Accenter, Dupont's Lark, Orphean Warbler, Caspian Tern and Alpine Chough (Yellow bills!)
UK 7 BOU + 4 Non BOU
White-billed Diver, Gyr Falcon, Isabelline Shrike,Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Dusky Warbler Red breasted Goose and Buff-bellied Pipit being lifers
Brown Flycatcher, Pacific Diver and Black-eared Kite(non bou) lifers
Asian Lesser Whitethroat (sub species?)

Patch watching

1st of May...lovely sunny day so had to go birding.Added to the year list (not sure if I had said that I had seen both Swallows and Swifts now.
To Staines Reservoir....Common Terns (elegant birds)
Staines Moor ---- Sedge Warblers

The next day I went to Barnes and first year bird a Black Tern!
To the Wader Scrape hide and there amidst the LRPs, Redshanks and Lapwings were two Wood Sandpipers and I thought I didn't know these were here. They arrived today!
Later I saw a Greenshank..well two and on the Lake a Common Sandpiper was found by another birder who kindly pointed it out!

Lots of migrants still to see. I am not chasing around this year just seeing what I see where I go.

Forgot to say I went to Stanwell Moor and saw as expected my first Swallows...they nest at a farm there...and as I hadn't seen any I went deliberately to see them! (Thursday April 19th)

great...but I still haven't seen any Swifts ...or any Swallows apart from those!

This Friday I am going to Barnes (Wetland Centre) for 6am opening...usually it opens at 9.30.
I have often said I would have to volunteer so I could go in early and what do they do....answer my
dream!!
There have been some interesting sights there recently.

Wonder what will be there?

Added some new year birds as the migrants are arriving.

Little Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Sand Martins and House Martins.

Still awaiting my first Swallow s and Swifts!

Slip slip sliding away!!

Its Easter Sunday...Happy Easter to all my readers!!

Where does the time go?

It just whizzes away!
Been very busy with my voluntary work. Now this w/e I am helping to look after a few folks cats and dogs which means I can only bird on the walks or from the car....
My Eagles won 3-0 altho its too late for the play-offs at least they aren't going out for the usual end of season slide.
Today England play Oz in the World Cup and I'm very fearful, whatever favours Bangladesh may have done by beating SA - I still cant see us making the final 4. Will we be beaten out of sight or will Freddie find his batting class again...form is temp and class forever but when oh when will he rediscover class?(Talons crossed for the boys)

For the Canadians (and yes you Oceans and Forest) I will try to post a couple of photos of some local birds....to go with your Tufted Duck visitor.Ring nec Parakeets. These are birds that originally were escapes...they come from India...but now are accepted as self surviving and we have lots in the SW of London!! Richmond Park, Esher and around where I live in Isleworth!

Have to go coffee needs making!