55, and counting. Chris' 2015 list (1 Viewer)

January 1, 2015. Haute-Marne, NE France

After 55 years of birding you'd think I'd have grown bored with things like year lists. Fat chance. Heeeeeeres another one. 111 .............. and counting :t:

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=3141886&postcount=18

03 January 2015. Belgian coast and Het Zwin.

I was very tempted to go via Dinant for the Wallcreeper, but I weighed up a stunning bird against spending the next couple of months spent sleeping in the shed. Cowardice won the day.|:$|

112 Lesser Whitefronted Goose
113 Pinkfooted Goose
114 Barnacle Goose
115 Dark-bellied Brent Goose
116 Ruddy Shelduck
117 Greater Scaup
118 Lesser Scaup
119 Common Goldeneye
120 Common Eider
121 Common Scoter
122 Velvet Scoter
123 Red-breasted Merganser
124 Red-throated Diver / Loon
125 Black-throated Diver / Loon
126 Great Northern Diver / Common Loon
127 Slavonian Grebe / Horned Grebe
128 Red-necked Grebe
129 Great Bittern
130 Eur. Spoonbill
131 Marsh Harrier
132 Northern Sparrowhawk
133 Eur Oystercatcher
134 Pied Avocet
135 Ringed Plover
136 Grey Plover / Black-bellied Plover
137 Red Knot
138 Sanderling
139 Purple Sandpiper
140 Dunlin
141 Ruff
142 Common Redshank
143 Spotted Redshank
144 Common Greenshank
145 Bar-tailed Godwit
146 Black-tailed Godwit
147 Eur Curlew
148 Jack Snipe
149 Ruddy Turnstone
150 Yellow-legged Gull
151 Less Black-backed Gull
152 Gt Black-backed Gull
153 Glaucous Gull
154 Horned Lark
155 Pied Wagtail
156 Black Redstart
157 Eur Stonechat
158 Cettis Warbler
159 Blackcap
160 Snow Bunting
161 Lapland Longspur

04 January 2015. West Kirby, Wirral

A quick look at the Marine Lake while shopping produced :-

162 Eur. Shag

05 January 2015. Wirral

163 Pale-bellied Brent Goose

at West Kirby

164 Grey Phalarope
165 Common Guillemot

at Seacombe.

01January 2015. Shotton / Connahs Quay / Fflint. North Wales

166 Black-necked Grebe / Eared Grebe
167 Spotted Redshank
168 Common Raven
169 Song Thrush
170 Twite
171 Reed Bunting

11 January 2015. Heswall, Wirral, UK

172 Common Chiffchaff

3, possibly 4 birds overwintering at the sewage farm. The wind was fairly strong so there wasn't much flying over the marshes but I did manage to pick up a 1st W Glaucous Gull off The Harp.

16 January 2015. Kuala Lumpur Airport.

I picked up a few more for the year while waiting for a connecting flight.

173 Brahminy Kite
174 House Swift
175 Barn Swallow
176 Pacific Swallow
177 House Crow
178 Common Myna

18 January 2015. Cao Lahn ( Tam Nong area ) Vietnam

Had a day off and, as there are bugger all birds in HCMC, I took a trip down into the Mekong Delta. As most of the day was spent in a boat very little "small stuff" was seen but, all in all, not a bad days birding.

179 Cotton Pygmy-goose
180 Indian Spot-billed Duck
181 Painted Stork
182 Asian Openbill
183 Wooly-necked Stork
184 Black-headed Ibis
185 Great-billed Heron
186 Purple Heron
187 Striated Heron
188 Javan Pond Heron ( could have been Indian but, Javan is the default sp. here. )
189 Cattle Egret
190 Intermediate Egret
191 Cinnamon Bittern
192 Oriental Darter
193 Indian Cormorant
194 Little Cormorant
195 Osprey ( Eastern? )
196 Black-shouldered Kite
197 Black-eared Kite
198 White-bellied Sea Eagle
199 E. Marsh Harrier
200 Shikra
201 Watercock
202 Saurus Crane
203 Red-wattled Lapwing
204 River Lapwing
205 Little Ringed Plover
206 Eur. Whimbrel
207 Marsh Sandpiper
208 Wood Sandpiper
209 Brown-headed Gull
210 Whiskered Tern
211 Thick-billed Pigeon
212 Pink-necked Pigeon
213 Green Imperial Pigeon
214 Spotted Dove
215 Peaceful Dove.
216 Edible-nest Swiftlet
217 Pied Kingfisher
218 Stork-billed Kingfisher
219 White-breasted Kingfisher
220 Mangrove Kingfisher
221 Blue-tailed Bee-eater
222 Blue-throated Bee-eater
223 Coppersmith Barbet
224 Common Goldenback Woodpecker
225 Gtr. Goldenback Woodpecker
226 Collared Falconet
227 Ashy Woodswallow
228 Black Drongo
229 Ashy Drongo
230 Asian Paradise-flycatcher
231 Large-billed Crow
232 Red-rumped Swallow
233 House Martin
234 Asian Martin
235 Small Minivet
236 Common Iora
237 Red-whispered Bulbul
238 Sooty-headed Bulbul
249 Yellow-vented Bulbul
250 Ochraceous Bulbul
251 Common Tailorbird
252 Buff-breasted Babbler
253 Oriental White-eye
254 Asian Magpie Robin
255 White-tailed Shama
256 Pied Bushchat
257 Eyebrowed Thrush
258 Crested Myna
259 Brown-throated Sunbird
260 Purple Sunbird
261 E. Yellow Wagtail
262 Olive-backed Pipit
263 Paddyfield Pipit
264 Red Avadavat
265 Scaly-breasted Munia
266 Java Sparrow.

23 January 2015. West Kirby, Wirral, UK

267 Rock Pipit

24 January 2015. North Wales.

Went over to Wales to look for the local specialities on the moors and on Anglesey.

268 Surf Scoter ( Llanfairfechan )
269 Red Grouse / Willow Ptarmigan ( Llandegla )
270 Razorbill ( Llanfairfechan )
271 Red-billed Chough ( South Stack )
272 Common Crossbill ( Newborough Warren )

28 January 2015. Okinawa, Japan.

Spent a couple of hours first thing this morning around paddi fields and orchards next to the house as well as a stroll along the beach.

273 Chinese Spotbilled Duck
274 E. Reef Heron
275 Pacific Golden Plover
276 Kentish Plover
277 Mongolian Plover
278 Red-necked Stint
279 Long-toed Stint
280 Common Sandpiper
281 Grey-tailed Tattler
282 Red-capped Green Pigeon
283 Oriental Turtle Dove
284 Ryukyu Scops Owl
285 Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker
286 Red-throated Pipit
287 Buff-bellied Pipit
288 Ryukyu Minivet
289 Chinese Bulbul
290 Brown-eared Bulbul
291 Red-bellied ( Blue ) Rock Thrush
292 Pale Thrush
293 Dusky Thrush
294 Zitting Cisticola
295 Varied Tit ( s.s. )
296 Japanese Tit
297 Japanese White-eye
298 White-eared Starling
299 White-rumped Munia
300 Chestnut Munia
301 Masked ( Black-faced ) Bunting
302 Yellow-throated Bunting

29 January 2015. Okinawa, Japan.

A walk to the bus stop, lunch in a local park and a short "in / from / over" the garden this evening gave me a few more for the year.

303 White-breasted Waterhen
304 Grey-headed Buzzard ( a first for the garden ).
305 Black-winged Stilt
306 Temmincks Stint ( disturbed from the drainage ditch by the bus stop ).
307 Pin-tailed Snipe
308 Ryukyu Green Pigeon ( nest building in the kaki tree in the garden ).
309 Japanese Boobook
310 Bull-headed Shrike
311 Japanese Crow
312 Japanese Bush Warbler
313 Ryukyu Robin
314 Daurian Redstart

31 January 2015. Toyooka, Hyogo-ken, Honshu, Japan

Nipped over to the Sea of Japan coast instead of checking out the Tokyo area ( mainly because I'll have most of Wednesday to do that :t: ).

315 Copper Pheasant
316 Green Pheasant
317 Oriental Stork - lifer. I've had plenty of opportunity to see the re-introduced birds here before but the numbers have been so few that I'd rather lose a tick than take a chance of doing possible harm.
318 Temmincks Cormorant
319 Brown-eared Rail
320 Grey-headed Lapwing
321 Black-tailed Gull
322 Glaucous-winged Gull
323 Slaty-backed Gull
324 Bohemian Waxwing
325 Japanese Waxwing
326 Japanese Lark
327 Red-billed Leiothrix
328 Javan Myna
329 Whites Thrush
330 Brown-headed Thrush
331 Red-flanked Bluetail
332 Russet Sparrow
333 Lesser Masked Weaver
334 Black-rumped Waxbill
335 Japanese Wagtail
336 Black-backed Wagtail
337 Oriental Greenfinch
338 Long-tailed Rosefinch
339 Japanese Grosbeak
340 Meadow Bunting
341 Chestnut-eared Bunting
342 Rustic Bunting
343 Grey Bunting

01 February 2015. Kanto, Honshu, Japan

344 Middendorffs Bean Goose
345 Falcated Duck
346 Baikal Teal
347 Japanese Green Woodpecker
348 Azure-winged Magpie
349 Asian Rosy Finch
350 Pallas' Rosefinch
351 Chinese Grosbeak

Koishikawa - Korakuen, Bunkyo, Tokyo

352 Baer's Pochard

06 February 2015. New Brighton, Wirral, UK.

353 Laughing Gull

My second record for Wirral, although the first looked a damn sight healthier than today's bird.

11 February 2015. Washington DC, USA

354 Snow Goose
355 Wood Duck
356 Am. Black Duck
357 Am. Wigeon
358 Green-winged Teal
359 Canvasback
360 Redhead
361 Black Scoter
362 Bufflehead
363 Hooded Merganser
364 Ruddy Duck
365 Wild Turkey
366 Mourning Dove
367 Common Gallinule
368 Am. Coot
369 Double-crested Cormorant
370 Gt. Blue Heron
371 Green Heron
372 Killdeer
373 Am. Oystercatcher
374 Gtr. Yellowlegs
375 Willet
376 Short-billed Dowitcher
377 Bonapartes Gull
378 Ring-billed Gull
379 Am. Herring Gull
380 Turkey Vulture
381 Red-tailed Hawk
382 Belted Kingfisher
383 Downy Woodpecker
384 Hairy Woodpecker
385 Nthn. Flicker
386 Am. Kestrel
387 Blue Jay
388 Am. Crow
389 Fish Crow
390 Carolina Chickadee
391 Tufted Titmouse
392 White-breasted Nuthatch
393 Red-breasted Nuthatch
394 Brown Creeper
395 Carolina Wren
396 Cedar Waxwing
397 Nthn. Mockingbird
398 Am. Robin
399 E. Bluebird
400 Am. Pipit
401 Pine Siskin
402 Am. Goldfinch
403 House Finch
404 Song Sparrow
405 White-throated Sparrow
406 Dark-eyed Junco
407 Red-winged Blackbird
408 Rusty Blackbird
409 Brown-headed Cowbird
410 Magnolia Warbler
411 Pine Warbler
412 Nthn. Cardinal

15 February 2015. Monterey, CA, USA

I had a day off before flying home so I wandered around the Moss Landing area and Elkhorn Slough.

413 Black Brant /Brent
414 Blue-winged Teal
415 Cinnamon Teal
416 California Quail
417 Pied-billed Grebe
418 Western Grebe
419 Clark's Grebe
420 Anna's Hummingbird
421 Sora Rail
422 Ridgeway's Rail - 1st since split.
423 Pacific Diver
424 Brandt's Cormorant
425 Am. White Pelican
426 Brown Pelican
427 Snowy Egret
428 Semi-palmated Plover
429 Snowy Plover
430 Black-necked Stilt
431 Am. Avocet
432 Less. Yellowlegs
433 Wandering Tattler
434 Least Sandpiper
435 Western Sandpiper
436 Spotted Sandpiper
437 Hudsonian Whimbrel
438 Black Turnstone
439 Long-billed Dowitcher
440 Wilson's Snipe
441 Western Gull
442 Heermans Gull
443 Royal Tern
444 Forsters Tern
445 Black Skimmer
446 Rhinoceros Auklet
447 Northern Harrier
448 Black Vulture
449 Huttons Vireo
450 Black Phoebe
451 W. Scrub Jay
452 Oak Titmouse
453 Bushtit
454 Marsh Wren
455 Bewicks Wren
456 Golden-crowned Kinglet
457 W. Bluebird
458 Less. Goldfinch
459 California Towhee
460 Spotted Towhee
461 Sooty Fox Sparrow- 1st since split.
462 Lincoln's Sparrow
463 Golden-crowned Sparrow
464 White-crowned Sparrow
465 Brewer's Blackbird
465 Great-tailed Grackle
466 Orange-crowned Warbler
467 Audubon's Warbler
468 Common Yellowthroat

06 March 2015, North Wales

World's End

469 Black Grouse

Bwlch Sychnant

470 Dartford Warbler

Llanfairfechan

471 Atlantic Fulmar
472 Long-tailed Duck

After a bit of a stall I'm back on track. As the forecast was for a bit of decent weather today I thought I'd nip over to Wales and try and catch up with Dartford Warbler. After calling in at the best known Black Grouse lek in Nth. Wales at first light, and seeing 3 males, I made for the Sychnant. There was still some snow on the pass but, with the warm sunshine, I didn't have to wait for very long before the fist bird popped up on top of some Gorse. After another half dozen good views I made my way down and returned home along the coast. The Fulmar were to be expected but 3 Long-tailed Duck flying out of the Menai Strait were a surprise.

10 March 2015, West Kirby, Wirral, UK.

473 Sand Martin / Bank Swallow
474 White Wagtail

First summer migrants starting to trickle in. :t:

16 March 2015. Okinawa, Japan.

475 Japanese Quail. Disturbed from empty lot on way to bus stop.
476 Black-footed Albatross. Off south east corner of island.
477 Streaked Shearwater. ditto
478 Black-billed Spoonbill. 3 in rice paddi.
479 Black-crowned Night Heron. 1 flying into roost south of Naha.
480 Brown Booby. Off south east corner of island.
481 Little Ringed Plover. Influx of c20 scattered along east side of island.
482 Eur. Wryneck. 1 in garden.
483 Brown Shrike. 1 luconensis on fence by bus stop.