Surely one of Scarborough's best years yet. Four Scarbro lifers for me; Radde's Warbler, Great White Egret, Rose-coloured Starling and White-billed Diver. Amazingly missed Little Egret ! Well done Justin. Doing a tiny area (Castle Headland) list in 2009 against two locals !...must spend more time with the kids! Most recent; 30/12 Hooded Crow & Glaucous Gull 22/12 Great Grey Shrike 26/11 Iceland Gull 7/11 RADDE'S WARBLER (1st for Scarbro) 5/11 Waxwing 4/11 Common Redpoll 2/11 Leach's Petrel, Little Auk, Long-tailed Duck 1/11 Bewick's Swan 30/10 Pallas's Warbler 29/10 WHITE-BILLED DIVER (Wow! breeding adult), R N Grebe 19/10 Twite 13/10 Lap Bunt, Jack Snipe 24/9 Rose-c Starling in a private garden , 19/9 Barnacle Goose, 16/9 RB Fly, 15/9 Barred and Yellow-browed Warblers, 12/9 Balearic Shearwater, 11/9 Pintail, 7/9 Wryneck, Ruff (at last!),6/9 Pied Fly, 1/9 Great White Egret (1st record for Scarborough), 18/8 L t Skua, Roseate, Curlew Sand, Marsh Harrier 8/8 Sab's Gull 20/7 Sooty Shearwater, 12/7 Arctic Tern, 6/7 Pom Skua, 8/6 Honey Buzzard, 30/5 Wood and Icterine Warblers, 29/5 Marsh Warbler, 26/5 Hobby, 24/5 Red-backed Shrike, 23/5 Turtle Dove, 22/5 Yellow-legged Gull, 18/5 Arctic Skua, 17/5 Black Redstart, HIGHLIGHTS; Hen Harrier, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Hoopoe, Water Pipit, Smew, White-fronted Goose, Snow Bunting, Black-throated Diver, Grey Phalarope, Velvet Scoter, Great Northern Diver, DESERT WHEATEAR, Firecrest.

What a shocking December which unfortunately saw me finish two short of my record! Can't complain to much though as 2008 certainly provided some good birding with my top bird being the Landguard Rustic Bunting. Other highlights included another five Peninsular ticks - Purple Heron, Night Heron, Stone Curlew, CITRINE WAGTAIL and Golden Oriole while other goodies included Red-necked Grebe, Bittern, Honey Buzzard (x3), Dotterel(x3), Pectoral Sandpiper, Temminck's Stint, Grey Phalarope, Long-tailed Skua, Sabine's Gull, Iceland Gull, Roseate Tern, Bee-eater, Shorelark, Marsh Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Pallas's Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Wood Warbler, Hawfinch, Lapland Bunting and Ortolan Bunting. That said though, I guess you always remember the birds missed of which the worst were Ruddy Duck and Osprey! Other perhaps expected species not in the reckoning were Smew, Slavonian and Black-necked Grebes, Red Kite, Glaucous Gull, Little Auk, Nightjar, Marsh Tit, Nuthatch and Mealy Redpoll while Egyptian Goose, Dartford Warbler and Great Grey Shrike were all available to get, albeit for a short time! A big well done to all the fellow patch-listers, particularly Nick for matching me and especially to those hardy souls working the inland sites. Here's to a prosperous 2009!

2/11 Pallas's Warbler 31/10 Purple Sand 29/10 Razorbill 22/10 R B Merganser 18/10 Jack Snipe 17/10 Tree Sparrow 16/10 Little Stint 12/10 Radde's Warbler 5/10 Leach's Petrel, Sooty 3/10 Grey Phalarope, B T Diver 27/9 YBW 23/9 Sabine's Gull 19/9 Tree Pipit 14/9 Balearic Shearwater, Y L Gull 9/9 Wryneck 8/8 Manxie 4/8 Arctic Skua 3/8 Black Tern, Arctic Tern 24/7 Curlew Sand 11/7 Roseate Tern 19/6 White-rumped Sand 15/6 Crossbill 12/6 Pec Sand 7/6 R C Pochard 6/6 Great White Egret 31/5 Whiskered Tern, Red-foot, Red Kite 22/5 Monty's 17/5 Avocet 16/5 Temminck's Stint (x5) 23/4 Pied Flycatcher 19/4 Velvet Scoter 18/4 Gropper 17/4 Garganey 16/4 Hobby 15/4 Nightingale 30/3 Ring Ouzel 26/3 Quail 22/3 Glaucous Gull 20/3 Black Redstart 18/3 Long-eared Owl 14/3 Little Ringed Plover, Bittern

Arrived 29th Mar...left 4th Nov - Little Auk - 200th 21/10, White's Thrush 1/10, SIBERIAN THRUSH, Arctic W 25/9, BROWN FLYCATCHER, Bluetail 24/9, PG Tips 23/9 (found!!), Western Bonelli's 17/9, Lancy 15/9, Paddyfield W. 13/9, Ortolan 3/9 (found), Sprosser 18/8, Two-barred Crossbill 28/7 (found some!), Honey Buzzard, CITRIL FINCH, Red-throated P, Nightjar, RBF, Savi's Warbler, Golden O, Rosefinch, Rustic Bunting, Subalp, Bluethroat, Cit Wag (found a couple), Surf Scoter (found), King Eider, Black Kite 7/5 (first for Fair Isle - found), Dotterel 4/5, CASPIAN PLOVER 1/5, Great Tit 25/4 - Mega! Great Snipe 24/4 (found), Short-toed Lark 23/4, Calandra Lark (found), Hawfinch 20/4, Black-bellied Dipper 12/4 (found), Canada Goose 10/4 (Fair Isle tick!), Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll 8/4 (found), Night Heron 5/4 (first for Fair Isle!), Crane 31/3. [An amazing year, October was a bit of a stuggle, gales etc. but September was sublime, spring wasn't bad either!]

A good year on the patch with plenty of patch ticks, although I fell just short of 200. Highlights - finds included Pallas's Warbler, Barred Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Cory's Shearwater, Honey Buzzard, Sabine's Gull (3), Yellow-browed Warbler (2) and Long-tailed Skua (2). Other sigthings of particular note included Black-throated Thrush, 3 Pallas's Warblers and 2 Icterine Warblers, as well as a good haul of scarce and plenty of common migrants for a change! Thanks very much to all who helped me during the year and a special thanks to my fellow patchworkes and friends. Lowlights included the usual clutch of surpression and dips, including the horrific fortnight in September where I missed Red-rumped Swallow, Alpine Swift and Thrush Nightingale. A good year, but what it does tell me is 4 good seasons will be needed to beat 200!

Two RW ticks so far - PURPLE HERON and RAVEN. My second Ring-necked Duck. Two Glaucs and an Iceland. Red-breasted Merganser (very scarce in recent years). More Kittiwakes than usual. Five Grebes. All the Geese. Spring Rock Pipit and Wood Sands. A satisfyingly brief Great Northern ;-). Loads of Avocets (well, several anyway). Sandwich and Little Terns. Getting Wheatear before October (!). Two Channel Wagtails - very pretty. Lesser 'pecker giving itself up after ten minutes, rather than four hours. Latest: Fulmar 25/5; Even better - 2 Fulmars, and not sitting on the water looking miserable either! 26/5; Red Tuesday - STILT SANDPIPER, MARSH SANDPIPER - unbelievable! 27/5; Spotted Flycatcher 20/6; RCP 13/7; Pec, Redstart 20/7; Spoonbill 6/8; Caspian Gull 8/8; Spotshank 30/8; Tree Pipit, PIN-TAILED WHYDAH 31/8; Feral Pigeon 5/9; Windchat 8/9; Curlew Sand 10/9; Marsh Harrier 13/9; Bewick's Swan 4/11; Autumn starts here - TUNDRA BEAN GOOSE 12/11; Black-throated Diver, Water Pipit 16/11; Mealy Redpoll 7/12; Long-eared Owl 16/12; Red-throated Diver 28/12.

Latest Nothing in December. Good year but no Cuckoo, BT Diver, LT Duck, Spoonbill, Little Auk or Kentish Plover 30/11 Fieldfare 5/11 MEALY REDPOLL 2/11 Mistle Thrush 1/11 Redwing, Common Rosefinch, Short-eared Owl, Snow Bunting 11/10 Brambling 5/10 Tufted Duck, Long-tailed Skua 20/9 Coal Tit 15/9 Avocet, Little Stint 14/9 Curlew Sandpiper, Shoveler, Honey Buzzard 6/9 Wryneck 5/9 Grey Phalarope, Ruff 31/8 Nuthatch 30/8 Whinchat, Pied Flycatcher 29/8 Red-necked Grebe 28/8 SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER 24/8 Green Woodpecker, Tree Pipit, Merlin 23/8 Crossbill 16/8 Sabine's Gull, Sooty Shearwater 8/7 Storm Petrel 5/7 Yellow-legged Gull 2/7 Stock Dove 4/6 Cirl Bunting 24/5 Jay 20/5 Arctic Skua 15/5 Wood Warbler, Spot Fly 9/5 Nightjar, Garden Warbler 8/5 Black Tern 7/5 Common Sand 5/5 PURPLE HERON 4/5 Garganey, Hobby, Yellow Wagtail 3/5 Collared Dove, Swift, Little Gull 2/5 Lesser Whitethroat Highlights 30/4 Roseate Tern 29/4 Black Redstart 18/4 Pochard 8/4 Osprey 23/2 CATTLE EGRET 27/1 Whooper Swan, Treecreeper 25/1 Balearic Shearwater 13/1 Black Guillemot 12/1 Dartford Warbler. Jan 1st 86 species site record inc Whimbrel, Surf & Velvet Scoter, Goosander, Yellowhammer, Pom Skua, Spotted Redshank. Find out more about the reserve at www.dawlishwarren.co.uk

My best year ever beating 165 I got in 2006 this despite unhelpful weather conditions & high water levels. Highlights = Finding Ring-billed gull & Northern fulmar (both county & patch tick) + White-winged black tern & Firecrest (both patch ticks) other highlights include Red-throated & Great-northern diver. Black-necked (3) & Slavonian grebe. Northern fulmar (2). Little (6) & Great-white (2) egret. Whooper swan (79). Pink-footed goose (97). Gargany (3). Scaup (7). Long-tailed duck. Common scoter (23). Red-breasted merganser. Red kite. Marsh harrier (2). Osprey (6). Merlin. Grey plover (2). Black-tailed (194) & Bar-tailed (4) godwit. Whimbrel (5). Spotted redshank. Wood (4) & Curlew (3) sandpiper. Turnstone (13). Knot (15). Sanderling (8). Little stint (2). Grey phalarope. Ring-billed, Glaucous, Iceland (3), Caspian (2), Med. (7), & Little (15) gull. Kittiwake (43). Sandwich (3), Little (2), White-winged black & Black (175) tern. Turtle dove. Rock pipit (4). Black & Common (10) redstart. Whinchat (5). Yellow-browed warbler. Firecrest. Crossbill (16). Snow bunting.

Latest: Bewick's Swan 28/12, Brent Goose 26/12, found Mealy Redpoll 28/11 (another GW tick), Water Pipit 26/11 (GW tick!), Cetti's Warbler 16/11 (found, 2nd site record, close to where I found the first 4 years ago), Black-n Grebe (found) 9/11, Great Northern Diver & Whooper Swan 1/11, Red-throated Diver (found) 4/10, 2 Spoonbills (a GW first!) 14/9, Raven (found) 13/9, Manx Shearwater 6/9, Highlights: Spoonbills, Storm Petrel, Green-winged Teal and Firecrest are notable, as were the high water levels throughout meaning there have been no notable waders, and no records of Sandwich Tern (normally annual).

A good year with highlights being: Red-necked Phalarope, Barred Warbler, Savi's Warbler, Little Bunting, Ferruginous Duck, Cattle Egret. Latest: finally made the trip for nuthatch and treecreeper in weston woods. Last new birds of the year: Grey Partridge and Water Pipit. See www.ukbirds.net

Happy New Year Everyone! 169 beats my previous best by one, so dead happy! Well done Mark H and everybody else patching during 2008. Latest: Egyptian Goose (27th), White-fronted Goose (30, 26th Dec, patch tick), Woodcock, Water Pipit (patch tick), Great Northern Diver, Black-necked Grebe, Resplendent Quetzal (well, in Costa Rica). Highlights: Cranes, Spoonbills, Honey Buzzard, Ring-necked Parakeet, Storm Petrel, Fulmar, Manx Shearwater, Bonxie, Arctic Skua (6), Whooper Swan, Firecrest, Crossbills, Green-winged Teal, Shags, Red-throated Diver, Loads of white-wingers, blah blah...

Another satisfactory year despite missing 7 species, with the Glossy Ibis in October hurting the most. 334 Visits were made this year which is a new personel best. The outstanding highlights for me were Glaucous Gull, Iceland Gull, Ring Ouzel (res tick), 2 Avocet, Red-breasted Merganser, Pectoral Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Fulmar, Spoonbill, Temminck's Stint, Purple Sandpiper, Tundra Bean Goose, Waxwing and Ring-necked Parakeet (res tick). Well done to Graham for setting a new Blithfield Record and to Mr Berriman, Hawkes and Leadley for their totals. Thanks to Kevin Clements, especialy for the 2 Avocets in April. Finally to Nick Smith for working a difficult place in Westport, but still getting it's rewards. Good Birding to everyone in 2009

Very poor year for me,(work and stuff) usually 195+ one local on 211 not bad for a small area

9/12Mealy Redpoll (recently missed Woodlark, RuddySheld & Brent) 25/10 RNParakeet, 19/10 LAPLAND BUNTING (tick). 15/10 Scaupx3. (28/9JackSnipe back) 23/9 Twite(&Redwing). 19/9Pied Fly(Tick), 18/9 M.Harrier, 20/9-19/9-15/9-14/9 x6Honey Buzzard(19/9 garden tick!) 13/9Ruffx3, 8/9Redstart 4/9twitched Marsh Harrier. 3/9GANNET. 26/8WRYNECK & OSPREY - 2 patch ticks 2day! 12/8Whinchat. 15/7Yaffle & Quail. 29/6Crossbill-garden tick. 15/5Common Tern. 12/5Greenshank 6/5WoodSand 4/5 HOBBY 1/5SpotFly 30/4GardenWarb. 29/4 Goshawk, Whimbrel. 27/4Swift Cuckoo LWhite Reed Sedge 24/4Ywag 23/4 Ouzel,TreePip,Whthroat,Groppa. 19/4PrGarg. 18/4Dunlin 16/4 Blkwit, RingPlov. 13/4CSand 12/4HoMart 8/4W'ear. Bcap. Leo incubating. 4/4Swallows,WillWob,LRP,SaMart,Kittiwake;Brambling,Whooper,IceGull,GCGrebe,: 13/2 Leos wing clapping. 3/2 Merlin & 11Snow Bunts. 27/1 Peregrine. 26/1 1Oik, 4TREE SPUG, (nordic jackdaw) 23/1LBBGull (20/1 Leo pr roosting 8' above Seo pr). 18/1Skylark in fullsong. 17/1Tawny on 2eggs), 16/1 Jack Snipe, Mandarin 11/1 HEN HARRIER. 8thYLGull. 7Buzzards. 5 owls seen by 2/1. 2Seos trying to take a Stoat. GreenSand/Dipper feeding side by side. W-front Geese surprise on 1stJan.

Little Egret, Red Kite, Osprey, Merlin, Knot, Yellow Legged Gull, Kittiwake, Arctic Tern, Black Tern, Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Raven, Barn Owl, Crossbill, Black Tailed Godwit, Garganey, Marsh Harrier, Med Gull, Ruff , Honey Buzzard, YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER (First for Valley) Grey Plover, Ruddy Shelduck (Patch Tick ) Hen Harrier, Corn Bunting, Long Eared Owl, Short Eared Owl (287 visits) Last Visit 23/12, (then of to Scotland for 2 weeks back on the 5/1). Missed 4 Species in the year. 161 was my second highest year list in the Valley. Well done to Richard Harbird seeing 93 species in a small area of the Valley maybe if Richard did all of the Valley 160+ !! I’m not going there.

Highlights: Bittern, Goosander, Smew, Black-necked Grebe, Great White Egret, Peregrine, Jack Snipe, Pink-footed Goose, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, Temminck's Stint, Red-footed Falcon, Common Crane, Mandarin, WHISKERED TERN, Wood Sandpiper, GLOSSY IBIS, Waxwing, Short-eared Owl, Red-breasted Merganser, Yellow-legged Gull, Caspian Gull.
Latest: 04/12 Fen Drayton Lakes - Shag.

27/12: Woodcock; 23/12: Mealy Redpoll & Waxwing (patch tick). Highlights: Tundra Bean Goose & Spoonbill (patch ticks), Pectoral Sandpiper, Avocet, Red Kite, Caspian, Glaucous & Iceland Gulls, Kittiwake, Arctic & Black Terns, Whooper Swan, Mandarin, Garganey, B-n.Grebe, Grey Plover, Black-t.Godwit, Spotted Redshank, Water Pipit, Crossbill, Little Egret, Turnstone, Ruff, Knot, Marsh Harrier, Wood Sandpiper, Temminck's Stint, Purple Sandpiper, Common Scoter.

Final total 153, latest additions: Lap Bunt (13th Nov), Snow Bunt (12th Nov), Little Owl (4th Nov), Snipe (30th Oct), Dartford Warbler (18th Oct), Treecreeper (17th Oct). Highlights: Manx & Balearic Shearwaters, Velvet Scoter, Montagu's and Marsh Harriers, Honey Buzzard, Avocet, Pomarine Skua, Iceland, YL & Glaucous Gulls, Short-eared Owl, Water Pipit, Dartford and Grasshopper Warblers, Treecreeper (first record!), Raven. Only misses so far - Red Kite, Buzzard and Bee-eater (ouch!). More at: www.freewebs.com/folkestonebirds

Latest Jack Snipe 8.12, Water Rail 7.12; Highlights - Cattle Egret, Black Tern, Marsh Harrier, Med/Little/Yellow Legged/Glaucous Gulls, BNG, Egyptian Goose, Merlin, Peregrine, 4 owls, Nuthatch, Knot, Sanderling, Bittern, Woodcock, Corn Bunting, Honey Buzzard, Common Scoter, Crossbill

well said mr jackson

Nick if you spent more time birding instead of slagging off others you might see more on your local patch

fieldfare.

highlights: Bullfinch (patch tick!), lesser whitethroat, marsh harrier, cattle egret (patch tick), sabine's gull, fea's petrel, tree pipit (patch tick), jay, ybw, grey phal (patch tick), whooper swan (patch tick), firecrest, swainson's thrush, wigeon, rb fly. Latest year tick - knot 27/12/08 - best ever year list total. check out www/surfbirds.com/blog/colinb

Best year at Elton for years! 4 site firsts this year, shame i missed 2 of them! Tawny Owl, Waxwing and R B Merganser in December. Highlights- Little Egret, Shag, Osprey, Pale Bellied Brent Goose(5), Redstart(5), Little Tern(2), Black Tern(2), Pied Flycatcher, Dipper, Med Gull, Hobby and 17 species of wader including Greenshank(6), Sanderling, Turnstone, Knot(2), Black Tailed Godwits(3), Green Sand. Missed WWB Tern & G W Egret!!

Highlights: Garganey (2), Red-crested Pochard, Red Kite, Sanderling, Little Stint, Whimbrel (18), Wood Sandpiper (3), Mediterranean Gull, Yellow-legged Gull (3), Kittiwake, Black Tern (4), Scandinavian Rock Pipit, Water Pipit, Black Redstart. Latest: Pink-footed Goose (2/11). See the websites: www.worcesterbirding.co.uk & www.westmidlandsbirding.co.uk

Latest : 01/11/08 Scaup. 07/09/08 3 Arctic Terns. 27/08/08 3 Barn Owls. 19/08/08 Another 4 N-N Grebes. Highlights : B-N Grebe(6), Slav Grebe(patch tick), Garganey x 2, Scaup, Red Kite x 2(patch tick), Merlin, Peregrine, Water Rail, 3 Woodcock(patch tick), Med Gull, Black Tern(12), Barn Owls, Lesserpecker, Redstart, [Nordic Jackdaw], Ravens.

30/8 Redstart/Wheatear/Whinchat/Spotted Fly all at Cossington Meadows

Said by some to be the toughest of local patches! 29th nov-bearded tit,wigeon,7th nov-bittern ,1st nov-hen harrier,a very nice male.21st sept-grey wagtail,30th aug-black tern [2nd reserve record],24th august-shag[1st for reserve],curlew,spotted fly.barnacle goose,common sandpiper,red kite,whinchat,wheatear,greenshank,mandarin,redstart,green sandpiper,firecrest,woodlark,lapland bunting,Barn Owl,Merlin,Brambling,peregrine.The competition,Angry Steve-108,Arfur Jones-115.The fowlmere reserve year record is 112,which i set in 2006.

Highlights: Grey Partridge, Brambling, Water Rail, Woodcock, Jack Snipe, Shoveler, Gadwall, Barn Owl, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Redstart, Yellow Wagtail, Hobby, Oystercatcher, Turtle Dove, Wood Sandpiper (patch tick), Garganey, Mandarin (patch tick) Latest 18/10 Merlin at Bearley Bushes

97 on Jan 1st. SEO 12/2, Water Pipit 20/1, Spotted Redshank, Firecrest, Cettis Warbler etc 19/1 Ross`s Goose 13/1 Highlights: Lapland Bunting, Glaucous Gull, Caspian Gull, Pink-footed Goose, Ruff, Green Sand, Black-throated Diver, Purple Sand, White-fronted Goose. http://www.freewebs.com/cortonbirds/

Well done to Graham and the two Steve's for letting me come last again in Staffs. And well done Mr Valley - you've managed it again. 329 visits this year saw Latest 29/12 Yellow-legged Gull (my 1st for 16yrs) Beat my record by three this year - Highlights - Fine county tick with Sabine's Gull plus patch ticks with Tree Sparrow and Pheasant. Second Blackwit, Yellowhammer, Whinchat and Sibe Chiff. Also Arctic, Black Terns and Med Gull, Scand Herring Gull and Kittiwake.

30/12: Jack Snipe. Highlights: found three site firsts - Iceland & Mediterranean Gull and Spotted Redshank. Also Garganey, Raven, Barn Owl, Yellow-legged Gull, Peregrine and Hobby.

Highlights: Brambling, Woodcock (patch tick), Little Grebe, Ruddy Duck, Peregrine, Redstart, Oystercatcher BLACK REDSTART (patch tick), RED KITE, Common Tern, Hobby, Teal, Raven, Yellowhammer Latest: 1/12 Barn Owl (patch tick) A fitting species to break my previous record total with.

Common Scoter, Barn Swallow-29/3, Yellow Wagtail, Slavonian Grebe, Garganey, Red Kite, Hobby, Whimbrel, Greenshank, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Black Tern, Turtle Dove, Nightingale, Grasshopper Warbler, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat - Abberton Res. - 25th April