Top 5 of 2022 (1 Viewer)

[david kelly]

As far as wildlife was concerned I didn’t leave East Lothian, which in 2022 wasn’t a bad place to be.

It started in the warm spell in early Spring when we were taking the dog for a walk in the fields behind our house. My wife said “What’s the big, yellow butterfly?” I turned to where she was pointing to see my first Scottish Brimstone, an adult male. We saw what was probably the same individual another twice in the same area.

Another dog walk in the summer saw me see a striking, large yellow and black caterpillar crossing a farm road in woodland near the River Tyne. It was an Alder Moth caterpillar and was the first record for East Lothian.

Later in the summer, we had taken the dog out again and were talking to a retired farmer about Partridges when he said “hawk!”. I looked where he was pointing to see a Hobby bombing into the swirl of Swallows and Sand Martins feeding over the newly cut stubble.

Otters. The fearless River Tyne Otters gave some excellent views. A mother and cub early in the year and the big male in the Autumn.

Lastly, the Haddington Black-throated Thrush. There had been one Lothian record of this species from Prestongrange on Christmas Day 1989, the observers were D.J. Kelly & J.R.W. Gordon but it didn’t hang around. A Black-throated Thrush was found and photographed in a private garden in Haddington. J.R.W.G. was home for a pre Christmas visit. So we went in search of the thrush on a very cold morning. We spotted thrushes in some tall trees near the garden and went to look. We turned a corner into Goatfield Road and almost the first bird we saw was the Black-throated Thrush! Got the news out and the biggest twitch in Haddington’s history ensued.

Honourable mentions go to Great White Egret (Lothian tick), White-rumped Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, American Golden Plover, Ring-billed Gull, Red-flanked Bluetail (lifer), Pallid Swift (British tick), King Eider, Red-breasted Flycatcher (Lothian tick), White-winged Scoter, Stejneger’s Scoter (lifer), Icterine Warbler, American Wigeon and a Water Rail in the centre of Haddington on the Tyne.

As I said East Lothian wasn’t too shabby in 2022.

David

 

[Owene]

That sounds great David. Obviously the place to be

 

[Paul Chapman]

Another dog walk in the summer saw me see a striking, large yellow and black caterpillar crossing a farm road in woodland near the River Tyne. It was an Alder Moth caterpillar and was the first record for East Lothian.

As I said East Lothian wasn’t too shabby in 2022.

David

Alder Moth had a really good year for us in 2021 but I didn't record many in 2022. Great record. I am sure many of these things will push north.

All the best

Paul

 

[KenM]

My top 5 for 2022 would be in date sequential order- 22nd April…Paphos,Cyprus.
Bumping into a superb male Hooded Wheatear, followed by an even more stunning Blue-cheeked BeeEater! 🤩

16th May at Beachy Head, East Sussex, heard before but never like this…c1m away at ear level.
Nightingale at full blast!…liquid virtuoso for a full minute, interrupted only by a growling Merlin throttling back (Spitfire overhead)…an assault on the senses in more ways than one.

21st of May, finally managing a half decent shot of a local flying Cuckoo (not easy), however most rewarding!

15th July “Albert” the Albatross at Bempton, was truly “outstanding!”(even though I only ever had it in the air 🤣)
and of course not forgetting his sidekick…Turkestan Shrike!

 

[wolfbirder]

My top 5 for 2022 would be in date sequential order- 22nd April…Paphos,Cyprus.
Bumping into a superb male Hooded Wheatear, followed by an even more stunning Blue-cheeked BeeEater! 🤩

16th May at Beachy Head, East Sussex, heard before but never like this…c1m away at ear level.
Nightingale at full blast!…liquid virtuoso for a full minute, interrupted only by a growling Merlin throttling back (Spitfire overhead)…an assault on the senses in more ways than one.

21st of May, finally managing a half decent shot of a local flying Cuckoo (not easy), however most rewarding!

15th July “Albert” the Albatross at Bempton, was truly “outstanding!”(even though I only ever had it in the air 🤣)
and of course not forgetting his sidekick…Turkestan Shrike!

I'd much rather have the Albatross in the air (especially if good close views like these) than sat doing nothing Ken. Its when that bird is at its best..............in flight!

Also, Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters................I agree totally gorgeous with their lollipop coloured face

 

[MKinHK]

Another go at my top 5, which I posted prematurely and then forgot about.

1) Breaking 100 species in a day on my San Tin patch on January 1st, of which the standout and a contender for pic of the year was this Japanese Quail that erupted at my feet as I walked along one of the bunds. I'm still amazed my camera (a Sony RX10iv) can do this. The path is around 20 Ha of fishponds which is accessed by a couple of tree-lined drainage channels that attract a few passerines in addition to the expected waterbirds.

​

2) Self-finding a Yellow-streaked Warbler while walking the dogs five minutes from home. A bird I've spent most of my 30 years in Hong Kong hoping to find for myself, I finally heard the distinctive bunting-like tic in early February, and was able to come back and secure some pix and video.



3) An epic six-albatross pelagic just a few weeks after arriving in Sydney. A last-minute call-up as stand-in for someone who called in sick this amazing day produced all of the many fabulous birds, including my lifer Wandering Albatross, within sight of the Sydney CBD on the horizon.


4) Watching a pair of Australian Brush Turkeys excavate their nesting mound and laying their eggs. A gift that keeps on giving, and the outright winner of the "Arsiest Bird of the Year" award, the male routinely chases me and the dogs for up to 150 metres from the nest and if we stop it turns its back and dirt in our faces !

5) Photographing an impossibly cute family of Tawny Frogmouths on my Cremorne Point patch. Another dog-walking discovery, and eagerly anticipated after finding two different and intermittently-used daytime roosting spots I was blown away with finding this family hunched on a branch a couple of metres above the path. I raced home to get the camera and found a vantage point on a parallel path with the light behind and a more or less eye-level view.

Many thanks to everyone who has read or commented on my various threats, to all who contribute to making BF such a great forum (staff and members) and best wishes to all for a birdy 2023.

Cheers
Mike​

 

[KenM]

Some great shots there Mike, particularly the first three!..keep it up.👍

 

[Himalaya]

1. Goshawks breeding somewhere locally to me - a much deserved first on this list! Having never seen the big female and clearly bigger than Carrion Crows male interact locally over the last 2 years, it was a big shock they fledged 2 young. One of the young appeared to be a female judging by the size. They remain undetected until the end.

2. A day out to Yorkshire in July which scored some nice rarities. My 3rd Stone Curlew in Britain at Fairburn Ings after seeing the species at Weeting Heath 2010 and Lodmoor Dorset in 2011. Black Browed Albatross and Red Tailed Shrike - both firsts and the former being my first ever and so far only southern hemisphere bird seen anywhere. The latter is my Fave Shrike - especially the adult male in summer plumage. Stopping off at Blacktoft resulted in 4-5 Cranes on the way back. 2 Megas in 1 day and at 1 place in July on the mainland. Individually all 4 were a bit underwhelming sorry to say.

3. Red Footed Falcon at Marton Mere, Lancashire - probably a first for me and good to see it whizzing around and flying over my head but I failed to take a decent photo. Nice to see it catch dragonflies and seen along with Buzzard, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Hobby

4. Black Winged Stilt family at Potteric Carr, Yorkshire - a huge success for the reserve and the North that they fledged all 4 young. A pleasure to watch. I saw 11 in Kent in 2017 which were distant so nice to see these very close.

5. Lesser Yellow Legs at Marshside, Southport - very elegant and delicate looking, and feeding very close but a shame the fence was in the way. It called as well. What a beauty.