JWN Andrewes
Poor Judge of Pasta.
Gosh, is this really the fourth year doing this? Would never have guessed it had the legs for it, but here we are, and as the euphoria generated by the splendid sight of a first winter Caspian Gull dossing on a car auction house roof subsides it is time to consider this year’s target. And it really has to be the push for 300. Can’t really put it off, but with 17 still needed, and only 21 notched up in 2018 this feels easily failable as the law of diminishing returns kicks in.
In theory the 17 “easiest” birds to target are -
Taiga Bean Goose
Cory’s Shearwater
Leach’s Petrel
Montagu’s Harrier
Rough-legged Buzzard
Common Quail
Dotterel
Pectoral Sandpiper
Grey Phalarope
Pomarine Skua
White-winged Black Tern
Little Auk
Yellow-browed Warbler
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Red-backed Shrike
Richard’s Pipit
Lapland Bunting
The precise composition of this list is about as variable as a Deep Purple line-up, and long debates could be had about which species to include or exclude, but the selection I’ve made will give some sort of idea of the challenge ahead. I’m still working on where we’ll be headed when, but we will certainly be trying to put ourselves in the way of some good stuff as the year goes by. Can’t imagine what 2019’s target will be, unless it’s the push for 300 again!
In theory the 17 “easiest” birds to target are -
Taiga Bean Goose
Cory’s Shearwater
Leach’s Petrel
Montagu’s Harrier
Rough-legged Buzzard
Common Quail
Dotterel
Pectoral Sandpiper
Grey Phalarope
Pomarine Skua
White-winged Black Tern
Little Auk
Yellow-browed Warbler
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Red-backed Shrike
Richard’s Pipit
Lapland Bunting
The precise composition of this list is about as variable as a Deep Purple line-up, and long debates could be had about which species to include or exclude, but the selection I’ve made will give some sort of idea of the challenge ahead. I’m still working on where we’ll be headed when, but we will certainly be trying to put ourselves in the way of some good stuff as the year goes by. Can’t imagine what 2019’s target will be, unless it’s the push for 300 again!