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Gander's 2018 Two Hundred Or Bust List (1 Viewer)

Gander

Well-known member
Last year I set myself a loose target of two hundred species for the year. I didn't really keep track, and ended the year on about one hundred and sixty-five. This year, I'm really going for the two hundred.

I should explain that I work offshore for three weeks out of six. Although this means that I pick up the odd rarity, especially during migration periods, it does mean I lose a lot of opportunities back home. For example there was an American Wigeon last year, that sat on a local pond for nearly 3 weeks, then vacated a day or two before I got home.

You can keep track of my offshore findings on the "North Sea Thread" in the Scottish section.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=328422

Total offshore species seen there last year was 55, with a few yet to be seen onshore by myself.

A little later I'll post my year list for the year so far, which is off to a flying start, if I do say so myself. :t:
 
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January

January consisted or two full bird watching days (The first and the last days) with three weeks offshore and a few smaller sessions in Fife, mainly on my local patch, sandwiched between the big days out.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=334557

I thought I had fallen short of 100 for the month, but going through my notes this afternoon, I have found that I did indeed break the century mark for the month.

Highlight on the 1st of the month, must be the White-Tailed Eagles at Eden Estuary. My first clear views of them. Offshore was very quiet, but a Glaucous Gull did put in an appearance. I'm a little miffed though that I missed the Short-eared Owl that was seen onboard.

Last day of the month, I teamed up with Stonefaction, and he gave me a tour of some of the Angus hotspots. This produced two lifers for me in Twite and Little Gull.

2018 List
1. Mute Swan
2. Whooper Swan
3, Pink-footed Goose
4. Greylag Goose
5. Brent Goose (Light Bellied)
6. Wigeon
7. Gadwall
8. Teal
9. Mallard
10. Pochard
11. Tufted Duck
12. Scaup
13. Eider
14. Long-tailed Duck
15. Common Scoter
16. Velvet Scoter
17. Goldeneye
18. Red-breasted Merganser
19. Goosander
20. Pheasant
21. Red-throated Diver
22. Fulmar
23. Gannet
24. Cormorant
25. Shag
26. Little Egret
27. Grey Heron
28. Little Grebe
29. Great Crested Grebe
30. White-tailed Eagle
31. Sparrowhawk
32. Buzzard
33. Moorhen
34. Coot
35. Oystercatcher
36. Grey Plover
37. Ringed Plover
38. Lapwing
39. Curlew
40. Black-tailed Godwit
41. Bar-tailed Godwit
42. Turnstone
43. Sanderling
44. Dunlin
45. Purple Sandpiper
46. Green Sandpiper
47. Greenshank
48. Redshank
49. Woodcock
50. Snipe
51. Razorbill
52. Common Guillemot
53. Kittiwake
54. Black-headed Gull
55. Little Gull (Lifer)
56. Common Gull
57. Herring Gull
58. Iceland Gull
59. Glaucous Gull
60. Great Black-backed Gull
61. Woodpigeon
62. Barn Owl
63. Kingfisher
64. Great Spotted Woodpecker
65. Kestrel
66. Magpie
67. Jay
68. Jackdaw
69. Rook
70. Carrion Crow
71. Goldcrest
72. Blue Tit
73. Great Tit
74. Coal Tit
75. Long-tailed Tit
76. Chiffchaff
77. Wren
78. Starling
79. Blackbird
80. Fieldfare
81. Song Thrush
82. Redwing
83. Mistle Thrush
84. Robin
85. Stonechat
86. Dunnock
87. House Sparrow
88. Tree Sparrow
89. Pied Wagtail
90. Meadow Pipit
91. Rock Pipit
92. Chaffinch
93. Bullfinch
94. Greenfinch
95. Linnet
96. Twite (Lifer)
97. Lesser Redpoll
98. Crossbill
99. Goldfinch
100. Siskin
101. Yellowhammer
102. Reed Bunting
 
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February Update No 1

1st Feb

A Great White Egret had been reported at Rossie Bog, so with only a few hours to spare, I headed out there to try for this Fife rarity. There was no sign of the bird, and with a strong, bitterly cold wind blowing, I didn't hang about for long.

On the way home however, I ducked into a few of the local disused sand pits to see if I could find anything, maybe even the GWE if it was moving about. At the Wilderness, I still did not find the GWE, but I was able to add two ticks to the year list.

103. Pintail
104. Shelduck

2nd Feb

The GWE was reported again at Rossie Bog, a few hours after I had left yesterday. I headed along again, but this time I drove to the far side of the bog and viewed across it from Bowhouse Farm. There in the distant tree line, I spotted the white shape of my target, roosting in a large, leafless deciduous tree. Third lifer of the year. :t:

105. Great White Egret (Lifer)
 

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3rd Feb

No bird watching today, but I did pick out a Collared Dove just around the corner from my house.

106. Collared Dove
 
4th Feb

I headed for Lochore Meadows this afternoon for an hour or two with the youngest of my offspring. As we emerged from the woodland at the west end of the loch, there right in front of us on the water was a red headed Smew. :t:

107. Smew
 

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7th Feb

A full day out today around Fife and across the border to Loch Leven has produced several year ticks.

108. Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon)
109. Grey Partridge
110. Skylark
111. Stock Dove
112. Peregrine
113. Raven
114. Green Woodpecker
115. Knot
 
10th Feb

An unexpected opportunity to go birding today produced two year ticks, with one of them being an unexpected lifer.

Shoveler was the more expected tick, with Red-Crested Pochard being the star of the show.

116. Shoveler
117. Red-Crested Pochard (Lifer)
 

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8th March

Seafield, Fife

118. Grey Wagtail
 

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10th March

Bit of a slow grind at the moment, but.....

St Serf's Island, Loch Leven

119. Barnacle Goose
 
17th March

Today's entry was found in an icy, gusting wind on the Firth of Forth. They really should consider renaming this bird.

125. Mediterranean Gull
 
24th March

Near Scone, Perthshire

127. Red-Legged Partridge

Scone Palace Grounds

128. Hawfinch (Lifer)
129. Nuthatch
 
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26th March

Managed to find a lifer this morning. :t:

Letham Pools

130. White-Fronted Goose (Lifer)
 
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15th Apr

North Sea migrant spotted on offshore oil platform. A lifer for me.

131. Long-Eared Owl (Lifer)

EDIT - And a passing Great Skua this afternoon.

132. Great Skua
 

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18th April

Being back on dry land, I had a bit of catching up to do.

Central Fife

133. House Martin
134. Swallow

Mugdrum Island (from Newburgh)

135. Marsh Harrier

Morton Lochs

136. Canada Goose
137. Blackcap
 
19th April

An early morning wander on my local patch (Seafield, Fife) produced a year tick with.....

138. Common Sandpiper
 

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20th April

On my Seafield patch this morning.

139. Willow Warbler

And a trip to Elie produced

140. Black-Necked Grebe (Lifer)
141. Sandwich Tern
 

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