Ben M's 2007 Patch List

[Ben M]

My local patch is Bestwood Country Park on the north edge of Nottingham. I've been actively birding (and watching this patch) since September 2006 - I'm a beginner.

The more experienced birders who cover this patch seem to record 100+ species in the year, but most include some nearby lakes (technically not part of the park) that I haven't explored yet. In the last four months of 2006 I was visiting the park quite regularly - sometimes up to six days a week! In that period I recorded 59 species - missing almost all of the summer visitors, so my target for this year is to break 70.

The only species recorded in 2006 but not in 2007 is now just:

Peregrine: a rare visitor (only 1 record, a bit of luck).


Patch ticks are in black bold and life ticks are in red bold.

[Ben M]

A good start to the year with one life tick and my best day total.

1. Greenfinch
2. Goldfinch
3. Blue Tit
4. Magpie
5. Collared Dove
6. Blackbird
7. Woodpigeon
8. Carrion Crow
9. Chaffinch
10. Coal Tit
11. Great Tit
12. Great Spotted Woodpecker
13. Robin
14. Goldcrest
15. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
16. Long-tailed Tit
17. Nuthatch
18. Starling
19. Rook
20. Treecreeper
21. Black-headed Gull
22. Green Woodpecker
23. Redwing
24. House Sparrow
25. Wren
26. Coot
27. Tufted Duck
28. Mallard
29. Bullfinch
30. Canada Goose
31. Mute Swan
32. Moorhen
33. Pochard
34. Greylag Goose
35. Great Crested Gerebe
36. Egyptian Goose
37. Teal
38. Willow Tit
39. Sparrowhawk
40. Lesser Redpoll
41. Cormorant
42. Little Grebe
43. Dunnock

[Ben M]

Just a few missed on the first visit.

44. Meadow Pipit
45. Jay
46. Grey Heron
47. Song Thrush
48. Common Snipe

[Ben M]

A walk to the adventure playground with my little girl got me another usual suspect.

49. Kestrel

[Ben M]

My only real birding trip this month got me a patch tick and knocked four off my "seen in 2006, but not in 2007" list.

50. Skylark
51. Feral Pigeon
52. Ruddy Duck
53. Grey Partridge
54. Kingfisher

[Ben M]

A quick trip to an area that's bordered by farmers' fields got me a patch tick.

55. Lapwing

[Ben M]

A quick family walk around the Pit Top gave two Common Buzzard soaring above the Old Quarry area.

56. Common Buzzard

[Ben M]

Another quick trip to the same area as last week produced two patch ticks, both in the same fallow field. I'm quite proud of the plover, as it was at the far side of the field and only a blob through the bins... I had to use the video camera at 10x zoom combined with the 10x bins to make the ID. :cool:

57. Pheasant
58. Golden Plover

[Ben M]

A dawn walk to the Mill Lakes got three patch ticks and a year tick.

59. Shelduck
60. Chiffchaff
61. Grey Wagtail
62. Reed Bunting

[Ben M]

Two patch ticks this evening, but both are common birds on my patch. I think I've just overlooked the first when I've seen them in the past, but it's possibly because they're localized to a specific area. The second had all left by the time I started birding this patch. Both have been seen previously this year from my nearby garden.

63. Jackdaw
64. Barn Swallow

[Ben M]

An evening walk produced a singing patch first:

65. Willow Warbler

[Ben M]

An early morning walk added 7 patch ticks to my year list, including 3 easy ones that I've managed to miss until now!

66. Whitethroat
67. Lesser Black-backed Gull
68. Mistle Thrush
69. Yellowhammer
70. Blackcap
71. Stock Dove
72. Pied Wagtail

[Ben M]

Got absolutely soaked this evening on a walk to the Mill Lakes to get a reported lifer.

73. House Martin
74. Gadwall
75. Garganey

[Ben M]

After finishing my first full thesis draft, I took the kids out for a walk and added a rather easy summer visitor.

76. Common Swift

[Ben M]

My first proper birding trip in a long time: an early start and near on five hours' birding produced three patch ticks (one was iffy) and a good day total of 53.

77. Barnacle Goose [probably an escape/feral: its county status is "very rare winter visitor"]
78. Lesser Whitethroat
79. Sedge Warbler

[Ben M]

Had an evening walk to the Mill Lakes to see if anything was about. It was pretty quiet, but the walk home after dusk produced another lifer for me:

80. Tawny Owl

[Ben M]

A mid-day walk produced good views of many woodland and hedgerow birds, including a nice patch tick:

81. Linnet

[Ben M]

I've had fleeting glimpses of probables in my past few visits, but last night I finally got a good enough view for positive ID.

82. Reed Warbler

[Ben M]

An early morning walk before a day of rain, finally produced a tern:

83. Common Tern

[Ben M]

A tip off about a farm track/lane which is good for:

84. Tree Sparrow

[Ben M]

A flyover:

85. Common Gull

[Ben M]

Notts. Birders' Autumn Patchwatch Day:

86. Wigeon
87. Great Black-backed Gull

[Ben M]

Another blocker from last Autumn:

88. Shoveller

[Ben M]

Yet another life tick on my local patch; this time on the Pit Tip Top:

89. Stonechat

[Ben M]

Went back to film the Stonechat and added its rarer relation:

90. Whinchat

[Ben M]

Couldn't resist at least one trip to the Mill Lakes this month, and turned out to give me great views of a patch bogey bird:

91. Fieldfare
92. Water Rail

[Ben M]

Finally caught up with this winter visitor:

93. Siskin