Well after posting my New Year's Greeting earlier today, I thought I'd get up and running with the Bird Challenge.
But before that, having had a Song Thrush as my last bird of 2008, this fed up looking Little Egret on a frozen pond near Burnham on Sea, takes honours for the first bird photo of 2009, and weirdly gives me my final bird of the Challenge.
So how did Border Reiver do in the NHU's Bird Cup (and blog challenge of course). Well, I think a respectable 90. I know I've not won as a colleague is on 91. But it's the taking part that counts, and as I boycotted going to any big Nature Reserves such as Slimbridge, or down on the Somerset Levels, I'm very happy with my score.
Highlights: Collard Dove nest building on Christmas day, 38 Turnstones, Red (I think) Throated diver off the coast at Sunderland, kept losing it in the waves, pretty certain though, Blackcap in Garden today as it was at feeders every day until Christmas, then went AWOL. As has been a Little Egret, until today, I see one every day on way to work, but nothing for 8 days, I think they know when to hide.
Lowlights: Loads of commoner birds missed this year, Dipper, Ring Plover, Peregrine, Merlin, all Owls, most Swans and Geese, Raven, Grey Wagtail, quite a few Waders (not even a Grey Plover!!), Kingfisher and so on. Could have got most of these at Slimbridge or down at Shapwick/Meare, but it's much more fun to be standing in an icy cold field, in a gale, freezing my chollocks off trying to find a winter thrush at 200 meters. Character building.
For those of you interested in what I did see, below the instructions for your reports, is a bird list.
Submit your sightings: If you are taking part in the challenge, please leave a comment to this posting. I don't need a species list as this will be on your own blog, but the number of species seen would be helpful and any highlights you'd like me to mention. And then on Sunday night I'll write up a summary of all the blogs, who won, as in most numbers, a summary of where you went birding and most importantly a link back to your own blog so we can all then have a read. And of course if something odd or bizarre happened to you, we want to know.
So until Sunday, I'm away to defrost myself. All the best, Border Reiver, trading as Andrew at Quicksilverbirds.
My List:
Woodpigeon
Blackbird
Coal Tit
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Robin
Dunnock
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Collard Dove
Wren
Rook
Goldfinch
Magpie
Wigeon
Black Headed Gull
Teal
Greylag Goose
Herring Gull
Common Gull
Snipe
Moorhen
Greater Black Backed Gull
Grey Heron
Curlew
Pheasant
Tree Sparrow
House Sparrow
Greenfinch
Starling
Feral Pigeon
Lapwing
Mallard
Coot
Turnstone (38)
Sanderling
Eider (on sea)
Golden Plover
Red? Throated Diver (out at sea)
Glaucous Gull
Pied Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Shag
Shelduck
Tufted Duck
Bullfinch
Chaffinch
Nuthatch
Willow Tit
Siskin
Reed Bunting
Jay
Treecreeper
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Mistle Thrush
Kestrel
Greenshank (on River Wear)
Canada Goose
Sparrowhawk
Long Tailed Tit
Goldcrest
Mute Swan
Mediterranean Gull
Skylark
Linnet
Lesser Redpoll
Stonechat
Buzzard
Fieldfare
Dunlin
Redshank
Oystercatcher
Knot
Pintail
Ruddy Duck
Pochard
Goldeneye
Water Rail (seen)
Shovler
Little Grebe
Cormorant
Great Crested Grebe
Lesser Black Backed Gull
Songthrush
Redwing
Green Woodpecker
Rock Pipit
Blackcap
Gadwall
Little Egret
Well......At pittswood i managed 67 species ( not including the feral Pigeons!!) This is a better tally than in the whole of any other December! (7years) All the festive sightings can be read from my blog www.pittswoodpatch.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteWell done Andrew!!
ReplyDeleteI managed 23 between my garden and Royal Botanical Gardens Kew!! (Not a "real" birding day)
Highlight: unexpected Goldcrest at Kew!
My post is here:
http://belfiebird.blogspot.com/2009/01/first-outing-of-new-year.html
A respectable 80, also with rather a lot of common species missed but found some nice things on the way. Also no quiet trips to the Tees or twitching anything (although did make an attempt on a local Bean Goose (failed).
ReplyDeleteMy blog is here: http://whitbybirding.blogspot.com/
But to cut straight to the list is here: http://badseawatcher.googlepages.com/quicksilverlist2008
Andrew. I thoroughly enjoyed the festive bird race.
ReplyDeleteMy results are now on my blog at www.mostlymacro.blogspot.com
77 - a (on reflection ridiculously overlong!) post can be found here...
ReplyDeletehttp://sheffieldwildlife.wordpress.com/2009/01/02/christmas-bird-race-results/
Well not very good I'm afraid, only 19....maybe I could get the least seen award! Well I have worked Christmas and New Year so thats my excuse....or maybe I should take the lens caps off those new bins! Good challenge though.
ReplyDeleteHi again Andrew :-)
ReplyDeleteWow… now that’s a healthy list and I see you’ve had a few results in already! Great stuff :-D
My tally was 21 from the garden and 4 more on my trip to SWT making a total of 25. I'm happy with that. My post is up now too if you would like to visit :-D
Hi again Andrew :-)
ReplyDeleteDone :-D Amendment made to my posting inviting others outside the UK to send you lists too. Here’s the one you spotted in my comments from Robin in Central Indiana, USA.
Her list read: “There are house finches, goldfinches, house sparrows, robins, blue jays, dark eyed juncos, doves, Cooper's hawk, great blue heron, Canadian geese, chickadee, starlings, downy woodpecker and American crow. That's 15 for me, actually more than I had thought it would be.”
A pitiful tally from me, only nine species. My blog,
ReplyDeletehttp://wytchwood-ramblings.blogspot.com/
Whoops... here's the link!
ReplyDeletehttp://urbanextension.wordpress.com/2009/01/04/the-christmasnew-year-bird-challenge/
Jane
Hi! Well I managed to get to 33. My list is here. I also hope to add a video of the Jackdaw roost later today. Sorry if I'm a bit late.... Jane
ReplyDeleteThanks Jane, 33 is a goodly score for garden and town. Well done. Looking forward to your Jackdaw footage.
ReplyDeleteMiranda, sadly, the food is just as wonderful, but they've lost something with the brand new cafe, there was always something special about eating in the cloisters, no matter how chaotic it was at times. (I've lost your comment sorry - its dissapeared)
Hi Again. I managed to post the video of the jackdaw roost at sunset. Thought I'd let you know, just in case you wanted to have a look:
ReplyDeletehttp://urbanextension.wordpress.com/2009/01/04/the-jackdaw-roost-at-sunset-in-sound-motion
How about a bird list from the New World? I will post mine up from Sechelt, BC, Canada.
ReplyDeleteHi Jane - great will have a peek now
ReplyDeleteAnd welcome Allen family, let me know what you've seen, there's a couple from over the pond. More the merrier.
Hi QuicksilverBirds. Here is my birding list from Sechelt, BC, Canada. A quick Google Earth visit will help give the lay of the land.
ReplyDeletehttp://ndvrclassroom.blogspot.com/
57 species over a two week period. All birding done in around home.
Notable misses were Merlin, Red-breasted and Common Merganser, and Kingfisher
Highlights were a Mountain Chickadee (very rare visitor to the Coast) and huge numbers of Red-breasted Sapsuckers. Both birds were present here due to extreme winter conditions experienced throughout BC and Canada.
Enjoy. Chris in Sechelt, BC
Thanks Chris, what a fantastic set of exotic birds, or would be if they were here in the UK... mouth watering selection.
ReplyDelete