John Cantelo
Well-known member
Just in case anyone is feeling disappointed that their list hasn't gone as well as they might have hoped, I just tallied up mine for the year which may well make them feel a bit better. My list currently stands at 122 (all UK) which is the lowest it's been for 50 years or more. I've also missed some relatively common species that I've seen annually for even longer. Even so, it's a little longer than I'd expected.
The positive side of this is that I've learnt to more fully appreciate those 'dirt' birds that I would have previously scarcely looked at, one being the increasingly scarce Grey Partridge. Birds like Brambling and Ring Ousel are always welcome but even more so when they almost take on the frisson of being a rarity! The regular Peregrines on Canterbury cathedral have been a delight and Ravens there even more so. Seeing Buzzards over the city too has been good whilst a flyover Red Kite seconds after I'd told a friend it was a bird I hoped to see that day (at Stodmarsh) was very satisfying. Other highlights have included Cattle Egret and Yellow-browed Warbler but the biggest downside has been missing Kent's first twitchable Rufous Turtle Dove (a UK tick). I'm almost certainly the only birder in the county (Kent) that has been somewhat relieved that our year hasn't matched that further north! Next year I'll aim for 150 and plan to take a closer look at all that common stuff I used to ignore!
The positive side of this is that I've learnt to more fully appreciate those 'dirt' birds that I would have previously scarcely looked at, one being the increasingly scarce Grey Partridge. Birds like Brambling and Ring Ousel are always welcome but even more so when they almost take on the frisson of being a rarity! The regular Peregrines on Canterbury cathedral have been a delight and Ravens there even more so. Seeing Buzzards over the city too has been good whilst a flyover Red Kite seconds after I'd told a friend it was a bird I hoped to see that day (at Stodmarsh) was very satisfying. Other highlights have included Cattle Egret and Yellow-browed Warbler but the biggest downside has been missing Kent's first twitchable Rufous Turtle Dove (a UK tick). I'm almost certainly the only birder in the county (Kent) that has been somewhat relieved that our year hasn't matched that further north! Next year I'll aim for 150 and plan to take a closer look at all that common stuff I used to ignore!
