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How is your 2008 List Going? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Penny Clarke
- Start date
Farnboro John
Well-known member
After party plans fell through (also I was partied out after Christmas - I like my real ale but there seemed to be a lot of nine-per-centers around this year and I had to try them all) I decided to have a crack at a century on January 1. I like to do at least one a year and the first day is always good fun, so it was early bed (we got up for the fireworks at midnight though) and alarm on for 0645.
I won't list all the hundred here, most are what you'd expect although in a funny order - it was gone 2pm before I got House Sparrow. Highlights:
0755 Jack Snipe. Private site which is why I was there at daybreak! At least two birds present, jammed Water Rail as well and a calling Brambling over.
0800 20 spp.
0850 Marsh Tit pair, Butter Wood. Known gay pick up place but first thing on Jan 1, deserted except for me and the birds. 40 spp.
First dip of the day, no sign of Red Kite near Wellington Country Park. Rats.
1020 Moor Green: Little Egret, pair of Goosander (male glowing despite the dull light) cracking point-blank Green Sandpiper (photographed). 60 spp.
Great Grey Shrike, Bramshot Lane, Farnborough. Steve Davis had it in the scope as I ran the ten yards from the car but it had gone by my arrival. Fortunately it reappeared after five mins, cracking views.
At this point I abandoned my local area and drove down to the coast around Chichester. I dipped the Cattle Egret at East Lavant but got close pix of Littles in the pig field and jammed a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker that unwisely shouted its head off on a visible branch. A male Linnet brought up 70 spp at 1258. By now the R-b Goose had flown off so I skipped the site.
Seawatching over flat calm water at Selsey Bill yielded three divers: Red- and Black-throats flying West and a monstrous Great Northern on the sea. An adult Gannet was a useful bonus. There were House Sparrows in the housing estate behind the Bill!
1410 80 spp as I began to roll call the waders at Church Norton. Nothing particularly outstanding especially as I couldn't see the Avocet that had been showing earlier.
1424 90 spp, Turnstone. To be fair I had been chatting to Pete Churton so it didn't really take me 15 mins to get through the shorebirds!
I walked out to the sea and enjoyed two classic winter Slavonian Grebes and a distant adult Mediterranean Gull. Its so much easier when the sea isn't going up and down a lot!
A quick shift to Sidlesham, where I ignored the ferry pond in favour of the upper reaches of the harbour. Brilliant views of Short-eared Owl kept me occupied while I waited for the tide to push the Avocet up out of its creek. Eventually I could see its upper back and head and that put me on 98 just after 1600.
I had no daylight left but two birds up my sleeve since I am happy to year-tick on call. I zipped back up to my local area and parked near Tundry Pond where a Tawny Owl obliged within five minutes. I waited some time in the hope of a similar performance from Little Owl but eventually (reluctantly) had to use the fall-back of Greylag Goose at Fleet Pond. Not the ideal but a century under the belt at 1810 on the first day of 2008.
Happy New Year and good birding everyone!
John
I won't list all the hundred here, most are what you'd expect although in a funny order - it was gone 2pm before I got House Sparrow. Highlights:
0755 Jack Snipe. Private site which is why I was there at daybreak! At least two birds present, jammed Water Rail as well and a calling Brambling over.
0800 20 spp.
0850 Marsh Tit pair, Butter Wood. Known gay pick up place but first thing on Jan 1, deserted except for me and the birds. 40 spp.
First dip of the day, no sign of Red Kite near Wellington Country Park. Rats.
1020 Moor Green: Little Egret, pair of Goosander (male glowing despite the dull light) cracking point-blank Green Sandpiper (photographed). 60 spp.
Great Grey Shrike, Bramshot Lane, Farnborough. Steve Davis had it in the scope as I ran the ten yards from the car but it had gone by my arrival. Fortunately it reappeared after five mins, cracking views.
At this point I abandoned my local area and drove down to the coast around Chichester. I dipped the Cattle Egret at East Lavant but got close pix of Littles in the pig field and jammed a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker that unwisely shouted its head off on a visible branch. A male Linnet brought up 70 spp at 1258. By now the R-b Goose had flown off so I skipped the site.
Seawatching over flat calm water at Selsey Bill yielded three divers: Red- and Black-throats flying West and a monstrous Great Northern on the sea. An adult Gannet was a useful bonus. There were House Sparrows in the housing estate behind the Bill!
1410 80 spp as I began to roll call the waders at Church Norton. Nothing particularly outstanding especially as I couldn't see the Avocet that had been showing earlier.
1424 90 spp, Turnstone. To be fair I had been chatting to Pete Churton so it didn't really take me 15 mins to get through the shorebirds!
I walked out to the sea and enjoyed two classic winter Slavonian Grebes and a distant adult Mediterranean Gull. Its so much easier when the sea isn't going up and down a lot!
A quick shift to Sidlesham, where I ignored the ferry pond in favour of the upper reaches of the harbour. Brilliant views of Short-eared Owl kept me occupied while I waited for the tide to push the Avocet up out of its creek. Eventually I could see its upper back and head and that put me on 98 just after 1600.
I had no daylight left but two birds up my sleeve since I am happy to year-tick on call. I zipped back up to my local area and parked near Tundry Pond where a Tawny Owl obliged within five minutes. I waited some time in the hope of a similar performance from Little Owl but eventually (reluctantly) had to use the fall-back of Greylag Goose at Fleet Pond. Not the ideal but a century under the belt at 1810 on the first day of 2008.
Happy New Year and good birding everyone!
John
We managed 56 (which weirdly was what I guessed we might see first thing yesterday morning) which I was pretty pleased with. Highlights were being able to let my partner see goldcrest and reed bunting through the bins without them flying away which is what normally happens! He needs to get his own bins!
I did think we were going to miss out on pied wagtail which would have been a shocker as they are ten a penny on the coast round here but eventually (about 2.30) found 10 at once.
All in all I can't think of a better way to start the new year.
... and happy new year everyone!
I did think we were going to miss out on pied wagtail which would have been a shocker as they are ten a penny on the coast round here but eventually (about 2.30) found 10 at once.
All in all I can't think of a better way to start the new year.
... and happy new year everyone!
Farnboro John
Well-known member
birder of the south
Formerly Lee Fuller
Had 73 Species today at Keyhaven Marshes and 27 of which were new for the county year list which brings me up to a total of 95. Best being Ruff, 2 Raven, 5 Spot Shanks and 2 Water Pipits at Lower Test.
Penny Clarke
Well-known member
Well done with a 100 John!!!:t:
canadagurl123
Well-known member
Well 3 more in my yard
North Western Crow
Common Raven
Winter Wren
North Western Crow
Common Raven
Winter Wren
Michael W
Mountain Chickadee
Got out for several hours this morning and netted 48 species for the morning, bringing my year list up to 54. This is pretty typical of what's around in the winter here.
11. Red-tailed Hawk
12. Canada Goose
13. Common Goldeneye
14. Barrow's Goldeneye
15. American Coot
16. American Wigeon
17. Lesser Scaup
18. Ring-necked Duck
19. Gadwall
20. Bufflehead
21. Common Merganser
22. American Dipper
23. Green-winged Teal
24. Mallard
25. Hooded Merganser
26. Pied-billed Grebe
27. Song Sparrow
28. Marsh Wren
29. Red-winged Blackbird
30. Northern Pintail
31. Golden-crowned Kinglet
32. Cooper's Hawk
33. Great Blue Heron
34. Belted Kingfisher
35. Black-capped Chickadee
36. Downy Woodpecker
37. Common Raven
38. Ring-necked Pheasant
39. Bewick's Wren
40. Bald Eagle
41. Ring-billed Gull
42. Hairy Woodpecker
43. Rough-legged Hawk
44. Horned Lark
45. Rock Pigeon
46. Great Horned Owl
47. Northern Shrike
48. Barn Owl
49. House Sparrow
50. Prairie Falcon
51. European Starling
52. Mourning Dove
53. American Kestrel
54. American Crow
11. Red-tailed Hawk
12. Canada Goose
13. Common Goldeneye
14. Barrow's Goldeneye
15. American Coot
16. American Wigeon
17. Lesser Scaup
18. Ring-necked Duck
19. Gadwall
20. Bufflehead
21. Common Merganser
22. American Dipper
23. Green-winged Teal
24. Mallard
25. Hooded Merganser
26. Pied-billed Grebe
27. Song Sparrow
28. Marsh Wren
29. Red-winged Blackbird
30. Northern Pintail
31. Golden-crowned Kinglet
32. Cooper's Hawk
33. Great Blue Heron
34. Belted Kingfisher
35. Black-capped Chickadee
36. Downy Woodpecker
37. Common Raven
38. Ring-necked Pheasant
39. Bewick's Wren
40. Bald Eagle
41. Ring-billed Gull
42. Hairy Woodpecker
43. Rough-legged Hawk
44. Horned Lark
45. Rock Pigeon
46. Great Horned Owl
47. Northern Shrike
48. Barn Owl
49. House Sparrow
50. Prairie Falcon
51. European Starling
52. Mourning Dove
53. American Kestrel
54. American Crow
Gill Osborne
Well-known member
Blasted work still getting in the way so Year List is starting slow but hey, it's early days yet 
2: Blackbird
3: Feral Pigeon
4: Grey Heron
5: Rook
6: Kestrel
7: Black-headed Gull
8: Starling
9: Magpie
Dipped on a Barn Owl which flew over our car as we were driving home!!! We had a few bits of flatpack furniture stretching from the back seat through to my front seat so I was squashed into the back behind Neil's driver's seat - hence HE saw the bird and I didn't! :C
2: Blackbird
3: Feral Pigeon
4: Grey Heron
5: Rook
6: Kestrel
7: Black-headed Gull
8: Starling
9: Magpie
Dipped on a Barn Owl which flew over our car as we were driving home!!! We had a few bits of flatpack furniture stretching from the back seat through to my front seat so I was squashed into the back behind Neil's driver's seat - hence HE saw the bird and I didn't! :C
Nightjar61
David Daniels
This evening in my backyard I added two new birds to my Year List. Now up to 60.
59. Eastern Bluebird
60. Sharp-shinned Hawk
Dave
59. Eastern Bluebird
60. Sharp-shinned Hawk
Dave
prairiemerlin
registered guy
Biking around some local areas added 18 more today:
82. Cinnamon Teal
83. Canvasback
84. Common Moorhen
85. Killdeer
86. Least Sandpiper
87. Red-crowned Parrot
88. White-throated Swift
89. Lewis's Woodpecker
90. Northern Flicker
91. Cassin's Kingbird
92. Tree Swallow
93. Mountain Chickadee
94. Red-breasted Nuthatch
95. California Thrasher
96. Yellow Warbler
97. Western Meadowlark
98. Brown-headed Cowbird
99. House Sparrow
Neil G.
82. Cinnamon Teal
83. Canvasback
84. Common Moorhen
85. Killdeer
86. Least Sandpiper
87. Red-crowned Parrot
88. White-throated Swift
89. Lewis's Woodpecker
90. Northern Flicker
91. Cassin's Kingbird
92. Tree Swallow
93. Mountain Chickadee
94. Red-breasted Nuthatch
95. California Thrasher
96. Yellow Warbler
97. Western Meadowlark
98. Brown-headed Cowbird
99. House Sparrow
Neil G.
Charles Harper
Régisseur
.
A weak start. In an area I usually get closer to a hundred species in the first couple of days of the year, I only got 75 this year. Beautiful weather-- clear, crisp and sunny-- on this side of the Pacific, but the water so calm that it yielded few seabirds. Nor were there many shorebirds, which usually winter in small numbers. The most interesting was a smithonianus Herring Gull, out of range here.
A weak start. In an area I usually get closer to a hundred species in the first couple of days of the year, I only got 75 this year. Beautiful weather-- clear, crisp and sunny-- on this side of the Pacific, but the water so calm that it yielded few seabirds. Nor were there many shorebirds, which usually winter in small numbers. The most interesting was a smithonianus Herring Gull, out of range here.
Attachments
A weak start to the year for me - I'm in Vermont skiing (well, snowboarding) with friends, and it is honestly a desolate wasteland for birds. I've only seen:
1. American Crow
and at a feeder I drove by on the way to the mountain:
2. Black-capped Chickadee
3. Northern Cardinal
4. Hairy Woodpecker
Once I get back to CT (this afternoon) I'm sure I'll feel better!
1. American Crow
and at a feeder I drove by on the way to the mountain:
2. Black-capped Chickadee
3. Northern Cardinal
4. Hairy Woodpecker
Once I get back to CT (this afternoon) I'm sure I'll feel better!
Steve Lister
Senior Birder, ex County Recorder, Garden Moths.
Got up to 100 today, rather sooner than I usually manage it.
100. Jack Snipe
101. White-fronted Goose
All in Leicestershire/Rutland so far. I was planning a trip to the Lincs Wash today but the scare-mongering weather forecasters put me off.
Steve
100. Jack Snipe
101. White-fronted Goose
All in Leicestershire/Rutland so far. I was planning a trip to the Lincs Wash today but the scare-mongering weather forecasters put me off.
Steve
StevieEvans
Well-known member
83 on local patch (74 non-motorised) with 5 owls bagged by yesterday teatime
Highlights
2 Short-eared owls repeatedly trying to catch a Stoat - it turned on them-jumping at them!
Fly-through White-fronted Geese x5
3 "Tame" Water Rails at JBs feeding station
Odd combo of Green Sandpiper & Dipper feeding a metre apart
Kingfisher pair feeding together on a tiny stream
cheers
SE
Highlights
2 Short-eared owls repeatedly trying to catch a Stoat - it turned on them-jumping at them!
Fly-through White-fronted Geese x5
3 "Tame" Water Rails at JBs feeding station
Odd combo of Green Sandpiper & Dipper feeding a metre apart
Kingfisher pair feeding together on a tiny stream
cheers
SE
Last edited:
Nightjar61
David Daniels
On my way to work this morning, I added another bird to my Year List, which is now up to 61.
61. American Robin
Dave
61. American Robin
Dave
