2014 - Can I see 1000 species? (1 Viewer)

Jon Turner said:

Well, knowing how some people can go for it I set something difficult but not impossible. And preferably without a guided tour - which could easily net 300/400 so, meet a few people around the world, to help, and see what I can here and in Spain. As for a competition, well I'll keep going as planned but you'll put the pressure on, which I probably need! Is it first to 1000?

Yesterday (16th Jan) as I went to my reserve a large Thrush flew in so:
111) Mistle Thrush: this is a first record for the reserve too! Good omen?
This afternoon went to Barnstaple and found a few more:
112) Goosander - 2 pairs
113) Goldeneye - a lone female
114) Lesser Black-backed Gull
115) Kingfisher - good sighting as it was perched on a post I put up in another reserve I warden!

Click to expand...

Okey doke... living in Azerbaijan at the mo, transferring to Egypt next month... yeah first to 1,000 (maybe in over 12 months) B

OK gang first day in sunny Spain has yielded 24 to add to the total,missed some goodies but caught up with some unexpected. Details later
141!!!!

Good luck John. I remember my first 'Grand Year', I hit a 1000 with Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo at Selangor, Pen. Malaya. I logged it, remained calm - then bounced around punching the air like a big kid ( and it was only October :smoke: ).

Arrive at Bristol airport security and both me and my friend's new hip replacements set off the alarms so we were given double/treble dose of (unnecessary) scanning!!!!
A quick flight to Malaga aided by mega tail wind and we were soon drinking coffee in San Julien. Down to the sea but only several Sandwich Terns and a Black-necked Grebe of real note. So up to Fuente de Piedra in bright sunshine - hooray!! Flamingos in large numbers. Found a small but significant flock of 20 Stone Curlews, Southern Grey Shrike, 600+ Cranes a few B-W Stilts, and on to Laguna Dulce at Campillos. 3 close Purple Gallinules, Red-crested Pochard the highlights. Teba Gorge revealed Blue Rock Thrush and Rock Dove. Raced over toRonda and right towards Seville. Big cliff Griffon Vultures and a Bonelli's Eagle!!! Just time to drive up behind Montejaque and find Black Wheatear. Down to Jimena snd a quick look at the WhiteStork on it's nest. Only lost my mobile phone and purse so good start!!
118) Yellow-legged Gull
119) Black-necked Grebe
120) Crested Lark
121) Spotless Starling
122) Crag Martin
123) Southern Grey Shrike
124) Black Redstart
125) Greater Flamingo
126) Black-winged Stilt
127) Sardinian Warbler
128) Serin
129) Corn Bunting
130) Cattle Egret
131) Stone Curlew
132) Crane
133) Purple Gallinule or Swamphen if you prefer.....
134) Red-crested Pochard
135) Barn Swallow
136) Griffon Vulture
137) Rock Dove
138) Blue Rock Thrush
139) Bonelli's Eagle
140) Black Wheatear
141) White Stork
Today has been a stunning day -the sun was wall-to-wall and the first half of the day was windless, which was a real bonus!! The birding wasn't half bad too!! Our Spanish list is now 88. We did Palmones, Los Lances, La Janda, Montenmedio and back to Los Lances.
142) Green Sandpiper
143) Ringed Plover
144) Kentish Plover I'm
145) Sanderling
146) Caspian Tern - bonus or what!!+
147) Zitting Cisticola
148) Spanish Sparrow
149) Hen Harrier
150) Booted Eagle (yes!)
151) Black Stork
152) Bluethroat
153) Black-shouldered Kite
154) SPANISH IMPERIAL EAGLE - 2 or possibly 3 seen
155) Red-legged Partridge
156) Audouin's Gull
More tomorrow!

And yes we did see Bald Ibis at Montenmedio, but for now at least I won't count it!

It's too bad you're staying at the wrong end of the Tablelands during your time in Qld Jon. Are you planning on getting the local endemics?

Now on 165. Home tomorrow, so details then....

Saturday we stayed local to Jimena, in a gale of wind which is never the best for finding small birds. The sun did shine though so not all bad. Added:
157) Lesser Kestrel
158) Woodlark
159) Crested Tit - glad about that, because I hadn't seen any for some years.
So yesterday we raced up to Montejaque again to give it a good grilling in the sunshine! The track up the valley has been regraded (last month) and is now easily driveable. We helped a local farmer who was driving down and had forgotten his key, so we drove him all the way to the top and got the key then drove him back down to his massive tractor, and off he went! We then carried on grilling the goodies:
160) Ring Ouzel - several males
161) Rock Bunting - lots, mostly on the track
162) Dartford Warbler - only one in the gorse at the top
163) Rock Sparrow - only a few, being elusive
164) Short-toed Treecreeper
And then over Grazalema, on the good information that Alpine Accentors had been seen in the morning, sadly we couldn't find them (too many noisy walkers) but we did see:
165) Red-billed Chough - a large flock of about 40
So the first Spanish holiday is over (back in May for the summer goodies) and we closed on 106 species in 4 days.
Oh, plus two I won't count - Bald Ibis - most of those we saw had transmitters on! AND
American Kestrel, which we saw on wires just outside Montejaque on the Ronda road (after a tip-off from a British birder we met up in the valley). We took pics and we think it has a ring on. I have reported it to SEO, and await their reply.

Pic of one of the Rock Buntings at Llanos de Libar:

Rather poor ringing session this morning enlivened by seeing about 12 Bullfinches feeding in Buckthorn berries, but avoiding for the most part the nets, and also seeing 2 and then catching 2:
166) Siskin

Off to Cornwall for a few days to try to clean up on odds and ends down west now.

167) Eider

SO, rather than cleaning up in Cornwall, I got cleaned up! Rain, wind cold. Other things to do. Did get out a bit and added:
168) Bittern - College Reservoir
169) Whooper Swan - Helston boating lake!
170) Lesser Scaup - Dozmary Pool, but couldn't find the RN Duck there.

I see I've slipped a long way behind Wintibird who's well over 300 up!

So the next trip just round the corner and a week sorting things out at home, whilst watching the series of Atlantic lows pummel the South-West, kept birding to a bare minimum and nothing added until today, when on the way to Oxfordshire, I couldn't resist calling in on Marshfield, where I had excellent views of:
171) Red-flanked Bluetail

Jon Turner said:

I see I've slipped a long way behind Wintibird who's well over 300 up!

Click to expand...

Launch a secret weapon or two and you'll be plain sailing :t:

Jos Stratford said:

Launch a secret weapon or two and you'll be plain sailing :t:

Click to expand...

The secret weapon is the next 7 weeks Jos.... if I'm not a long way along the line by the end of March I'm in trouble! I'll be in touch....

Jon Turner said:

The secret weapon is the next 7 weeks Jos.... )

Click to expand...

Good luck, this should be a fun ride ...

Just remembered the beginning of this thread ... 'a seven week whizz around the world'. Reckon we need to be upping the stakes, 1500 the target to keep you on your toes

Jos Stratford said:

Just remembered the beginning of this thread ... 'a seven week whizz around the world'. Reckon we need to be upping the stakes, 1500 the target to keep you on your toes

Click to expand...

In your dreams Jos, I've got three non-birders with me!

Porters and spotters

Enjoy your seven weeks around the globe. My next trip will be Ghana in April. Should bring me up to 700 or so....