Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
If I had the time and the money (and the driving licence!) I'd definitely give this a shot...
What do you think would be the perfect itinerary for doing a self found UK year list? Leaving aside the 'rules' for the moment, I guess it would be a balancing act between the best sites, at the best times of year - but avoiding the largest numbers of observers.
And what do you think a realistic total would be?
Here's a starter off the top of my head
Jan: East Anglia for wildfowl, cranes, raptors, etc
Feb: More wildfowl, perhaps NW, NE scot,
Mar: NW scot for WW gulls,
Apr: SW for hoopoe, woodchat, melodious etc, then Outer hebs for corncrake, waders, raptors, seabirds, white-billed diver.
May:Scottish specialities, then some unwatched part of the east coast/northern isles
Jun:Stay on the east coast for week 1, then clean up on a few breeding spp, and target a few waders
Jul: Assess what you still need, and target!
Aug: Seawatching in the SW (from your own lonely little headland...)
Sep: Northern Isles (no twitching, mind...)
Oct:Northern Isles and then Scilly
Nov: Scilly and then ?
Dec: I guess a well earned break and targetting a few winter specialities
And a reasonable total - 260?
What do you think would be the perfect itinerary for doing a self found UK year list? Leaving aside the 'rules' for the moment, I guess it would be a balancing act between the best sites, at the best times of year - but avoiding the largest numbers of observers.
And what do you think a realistic total would be?
Here's a starter off the top of my head
Jan: East Anglia for wildfowl, cranes, raptors, etc
Feb: More wildfowl, perhaps NW, NE scot,
Mar: NW scot for WW gulls,
Apr: SW for hoopoe, woodchat, melodious etc, then Outer hebs for corncrake, waders, raptors, seabirds, white-billed diver.
May:Scottish specialities, then some unwatched part of the east coast/northern isles
Jun:Stay on the east coast for week 1, then clean up on a few breeding spp, and target a few waders
Jul: Assess what you still need, and target!
Aug: Seawatching in the SW (from your own lonely little headland...)
Sep: Northern Isles (no twitching, mind...)
Oct:Northern Isles and then Scilly
Nov: Scilly and then ?
Dec: I guess a well earned break and targetting a few winter specialities
And a reasonable total - 260?