wolfbirder
Well-known member
I've had a pretty good year to be honest, and its not finished quite yet.
5 British lifers in the putative Paddyfield Pipit (awaiting DNA), plus Black-Headed Bunting, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, and Eastern Yellow Wagtail. Apart from the pipit seen all abroad though. A real eastern flavour!
But my undoubted highlight was the Common Nighthawk in Ballymena, which goes onto my British and Irish list. Never seen one of these before.
Other good birds but not UK lifers seen this year include a superb Red-Eyed Vireo, Arctic Warbler, Purple Heron, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Dotterel (x14), Red-Spotted Bluethroat, White-Winged Black Tern in summer plumage, 3 Spoonbills in breeding plumage at close range, and 7 summer-plumage Spotted Redshanks.
Only trip abroad was to a frozen Lake Kerkini in Greece in January where enjoyed great views of Dalmation Pelicans, and connected with a Greater Spotted Eagle and a Grey-Headed Woodpecker, both species I had only seen poorly before.
Only disappointments were dipping on a Bobolink in Lincolnshire, and a Lesser Kestrel in East Yorkshire, the Common Kestrel we were all watching was very educational though -.
2020 will take quite a lot to beat it.
5 British lifers in the putative Paddyfield Pipit (awaiting DNA), plus Black-Headed Bunting, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, and Eastern Yellow Wagtail. Apart from the pipit seen all abroad though. A real eastern flavour!
But my undoubted highlight was the Common Nighthawk in Ballymena, which goes onto my British and Irish list. Never seen one of these before.
Other good birds but not UK lifers seen this year include a superb Red-Eyed Vireo, Arctic Warbler, Purple Heron, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Dotterel (x14), Red-Spotted Bluethroat, White-Winged Black Tern in summer plumage, 3 Spoonbills in breeding plumage at close range, and 7 summer-plumage Spotted Redshanks.
Only trip abroad was to a frozen Lake Kerkini in Greece in January where enjoyed great views of Dalmation Pelicans, and connected with a Greater Spotted Eagle and a Grey-Headed Woodpecker, both species I had only seen poorly before.
Only disappointments were dipping on a Bobolink in Lincolnshire, and a Lesser Kestrel in East Yorkshire, the Common Kestrel we were all watching was very educational though -.
2020 will take quite a lot to beat it.