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Lazza's 2017 lists (1 Viewer)

lazza

Well-known member
Same set-up as usual:

I'll be keeping a separate list for each country I visit, so each country's list will be numbered separately. This initial post will be used to keep a running count of each country's total, as well as an overall total of species seen across all countries visited and possibly list of anything else of note!

As there will be species that are common across several lists, the list on which that species first appears will be the one on which it is counted as "unique" unless the species is seen in the UK - my primary list - in which case, it will count towards the UK total (which probably makes no sense to anyone but me!)

UK: 161*
Switzerland: 57 (7*)
France: 55 (4*)
Spain: 87 (39*)
Sweden: 52 (4*)
USA: 43 (35*)

2017 Total: 250

And, for the record:
- mammal total: 14

* unique species to that country's list
 
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Rather a slow start this year, as I didn't get a chance for any birding outings in the first few days of January. Nevertheless, a few garden birds to tick, plus those seen when out-and-about for other things, brings me to 31 for my first post:

In the garden, at Stobhill in Morpeth (1st of January):
1. Starling (heard in their loft roost around 4am!)
2. Dunnock
3. Carrion crow
4. Blackbird
5. Black-headed gull
6. Woodpigeon
7. Robin
8. Magpie

Also on the 1st, in Morpeth town centre:
9. Goldfinch
10. Mallard
11. Feral pigeon
12. Jackdaw
13. Herring gull
14. Little grebe

On the 2nd, just one species added, driving through Stannington Station:
15. House sparrow (not sure where the garden sparrows have been hiding!)

And on the 3rd, another garden species added:
16. Blue tit

Finally, today: a very brief call by Shadfen and Bothal Pond (where an icy wind and inadequate clothing prevented me from lingering):
17. Fieldfare (Shadfen)
18. Rook
19. Moorhen
20. Teal
21. Canada Goose
22. Wigeon
23. Tufted duck
24. Coot
25. Greylag goose
26. Pochard
27. Goldeneye

And at the flash on the road down to Sheepwash bridge:
28. Pinkfooted goose
29. Pheasant

And on Stobhill Manor estate:
30. Collared dove
31. Coal tit
 
Today, while picking my kids up from school:

32. Greenfinch - eezzzzing from the top of a tree in the school grounds

And back at home, in the garden, two "usual suspects" finally decided to put in appearances:
33. Wren
34. Great tit
 
Another quick stop at Bothal Pond this morning, in rather warmer conditions than the last one, and so rather more productive with 31 species noted in all, in just 20 minutes. New additions for the list:

35. Redshank
36. Snipe
37. Cormorant
38. Mistle thrush - one in with a small flock of Fieldfare on the horse field
39. Gadwall
40. Chaffinch
41. Mute swan
42. Redwing - 9 flew over
 
Called in on friends living nearby, in Hepscott, on Saturday evening, and as I got out of the car, I heard a

43. Tawny Owl

ker-wicking from their neighbour's garden.

Then yesterday, as I was trying to tidy the garden a little, I was serenaded by an excitable sounding

44. Goldcrest

Finally, a couple of drives by Bothal pond (without stopping) still added:

45. Lapwing
46. Song thrush
47. Kestrel
 
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Still not had much time to get out, but I added:

48. Pied wagtail

at Birch services on the M62 last week!
 
Only two more species to add, but one's a beauty - a long awaited garden tick!

49. Waxwing - six of them in a neighbour's tree and flying over this morning as I left the house to take the kids to school! oh, yes!

50. Bullfinch - 3-4 seen around the estate when I went back out looking (unsuccessfully) for the waxwings!
 
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Still ticking along, but as 4 of the 5 below came from driving along motorways, you can see I've still not really got going yet this year!!

First, end of last week, near home:

51. Common gull

- one among a few dozen BHGs on the field next to our housing estate.

Then, on a drive down to my in-laws in Preston, and my own parents in Stockport, I added 4 more species from the driver's seat...

52. Long-tailed tit - flying over the A1 at the A69 turnoff , West Denton, Newcastle

53. Buzzard - perched on a fence post, Shap summit, M6

54. Grey heron - flew over M60 near the Ashton turn-off

55. Lesser Black-backed Gull - on a lamppost by the M65, near Bamber Bridge, Preston

Also, for the record, my first two mammal sightings of the year: firstly, a stoat [1] ran across the road at Stannington Station, Northumberland; and then, at my parents' house in Hazel Grove, the usual grey squirrels [2] made an appearance.
 
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A few updates from the last week.

Mid-last week, another addition to the year's garden list:

56. Sparrowhawk

Then, on a ride out to the coast on Sunday, I added several more species, including my target bird (and a lifer!):

57. Golden plover - about 400 in a field at West Chevington

Also, three roe deer [3] close to the road, which stopped to watch me cycle by!

58. Red-breasted merganser - Druridge Bay CP

At East Chevington reserve:
59. Pacific diver - lifer!
60. Curlew

At the mouth of Chevington burn:
61. Sanderling
62. Twite
63. Turnstone

At Druridge Pools:
64. Black-tailed godwit
65. Shoveler
66. Shelduck

At Cresswell on the "village green":
67. Oystercatcher

And finally, as I rode up out of Bothal Village:
68. Great spotted woodpecker - one calling from the woods, and another flew across as I struggled up the hill towards Shadfen farm
 
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My last addition to the UK list in January was on 30 Jan, as I drove to the airport for an early flight.

69. Barn Owl

- seen as I passed through Stannington Station.

Also, a couple of rabbits [4] by the roadside.

(so a fairly pathetic UK total for January for this year!)
 
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Then, on to my first trip away of the year - a visit to Switzerland for work.

On 30 January...

Basel Airport:
1. Rook - loads of them on the grass verges by the runways

At the motorway services near Pratteln:
2. House sparrow
3. Feral pigeon
4. Carrion crow
5. Black-headed gull

From the motorway, as I headed south (near Arisdorf):
6. Blackbird
7. Common buzzard

And in Zofingen, 31 January:
8. Blue tit
9. Jackdaw

Then, heading back to Basel on 1st Feb:
10. Red kite* - over the motorway near Tenniken

And at the same motorway services near Prattlen:
11. Great tit
12. Kestrel
13. Chaffinch

Finally, I had about an hour around Birsfeld, near Basel, before heading home:
14. Nuthatch
15. Great spotted woodpecker
16. Woodpigeon
17. Greenfinch
18. Goldfinch
19. Coal tit
20. Jay

* 1 species not on any previous/higher country list
 
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A quick stop at Prestwick Carr on the way back from the airport:

70. Reed bunting
71. Little egret

(but no shrike!)
 
Slow progress, still, but have managed an hour at the coast, at Newbiggin, adding:

72. Linnet
73. Great black-backed gull
74. Eider
75. Ringed Plover
 
One to add, heard singing over the neighbouring fields - probably for the last time, as the fields will be a housing estate by next spring :(

76. Skylark
 
Had a ride out to the coast on Saturday morning, and took a new route along the River Blyth out to the estuary (wasn't even aware of this rather nice tarmac path) and then down the coast to Whitley Bay.

At Blyth Estuary:
77. Bar-tailed godwit
78. Grey plover
79. Dunlin

Then at St Mary's Island, a short sea-watch from the hide while I ate my lunch:
80. Shag
81. Red-throated diver
 
First trip to France for 2017, so a whole new country list to start.

Firstly, at Lyon airport:
1. Skylark - actually new for France, it seems
2. House sparrow
3. Jackdaw
4. Woodpigeon
5. magpie
6. White wagtail

Also, a brown hare [5] running alongside the runway as we landed!

Then, a stop in a small town called Charvieu-Chavagneux to eat my lunch, with a short walk around a lake:
7. Mute swan
8. Mallard
9. Moorhen
10. Grey wagtail
11. Great tit
12. Blue tit
13. Goldfinch
14. Pheasant - new for France life list
15. Carrion Crow
16. Robin
17. Starling
18. Blackbird
19. Chaffinch
20. Long-tailed tit

Then, as I passed through Loyettes:
21. Feral pigeon
22. Rook
23. Buzzard

And at the "chalets" I was staying at in Chazey-sur-Ain:
24. Greenfinch
25. Reed bunting - new for France
26. Green woodpecker*
27. Blackcap

* 1 species not on an earlier list or UK so far
 
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Had an hour to spare before heading home from my trip to France, and had a drive around the lakes of the "Les Dombes" region in the early evening. It's a great place to visit with a little time to spare as there are dozens of dozens of lakes, which you can just park up by and watch the amazing spectacle of wildfowl and herons.

So, starting with Étang Fontaine:
28. Grey heron
29. Great egret
30. Coot
31. Great crested grebe
32. Tufted duck

also, a few introduced Coypu [6] in the shallows.

Then on to Étang Planche:
33. Pochard - I can honestly say I have never seen such a sight: maybe 2000 pochard almost carpeting one end of the lake!
34. Shoveler - new for my France life list

And then Étang Murit:
35. Song thrush
36. Green sandpiper* - new for France for me
37. Red-crested pochard

Étang Chapelier:
38. Gadwall - new for France
39. Wigeon - new for France
40. Cormorant

And finally, Étang Turlet:
41. Black-headed gull
42. Little grebe - also new for France, it appears!
43. Marsh tit

* 1 species not on an earlier list
 
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A few additions locally last weekend.

Firstly, on a short cycle round the area, as I rode along the river east of Morpeth:

83. Kingfisher
84. Grey wagtail

Then on a visit to Wallington Hall:

85. Nuthatch
86. Brambling
 
During the week, I have been up to Aberdeen in Scotland with work, with a couple of stop-offs on the way (one for work, one for lunch!)

As I drove up through Northumberland, I spotted my first UK:

87. Jay

of the year as I drove through Hartburn.

Then, I took the scenic coastal route up to Aberdeen through Arbroath, adding:

88. Rock pipit

After a couple of days working, and before I headed home, I went to the golf course/headland south of the Don estuary, where I unexpectedly added a lifer!

89. Iceland gull - lifer!! A lovely pale 1st winter gull in among common and black-headed gull
90. Purple sandpiper
91. Guillemot
 

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