Up to and including 31 December 2009 - a very average year coming after a gruelling year back-to-back touring many destinations in the Western P from February to July. It has been both a frustrating and rewarding year, what with 6 additions to my UK and Ireland Combined Life List and a reasonable wave of autumn goodies since mid July. Downside of course are the dips - so many of them at present - including the Kent BCBee-eater, two attempts at the Welsh African Royal Tern, the Tufted Puffin, 4 Wilson's Storm Petrels, a Madeiran Petrel off Pendeen not long after I had walked away following an all-day seawatch, North American Black Duck, Black Kite, Red-footed Falcon, Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, Spotted Sand, Stilt Sand, Terek Sand, both Laughing & Franklin's Gulls, NAHerring Gull, Caspian Tern (by seconds), Sprosser, Bluethroat (for the 3rd successive year), Great Reed,Booted Warbler, Lesser Grey, Saxaul Grey & Brown Shrikes, and Little Bunting. Latest additions today 28/9 - AQUATIC WARBLER and LBD..

My best ever year, never made 300 before, but I've spent a lot of time travelling and doing 'hard miles'. Many thanks to all those who travelled and particular thanks to Lee Evans for his 'mentoring' - he'll know what I mean. Here's to 2010 - Happy Birding to one and all !!!! 17/11/09 – serin – Rainham Marshes 7/11/09 – little auk – off Lowestoft beach 2/11/09 – dusky warbler – Gunton Warren, Suffolk 1/11/09 – little bunting, Lapland bunting – Spurn 30/10/09 zitting cisticola – Pegwell Bay 27/10/09– green winged teal, twite – cley26/10/09 – raddes warbler – st levan, cornwall 8/10/09 - pallas's - East Runton, shorelark - Titchwell, snow goose - Salthouse 15/10/09 - Pied wheatear at Horsey, Red flanked bluetail at Minsmere 13/10/09 - Brown Shrike at Stanwell Moor, Staines 11/10/09 - Short-toed Lark & Richard's Pipit at West Runton, RC Starling Chosely (thanks to my good mate Dave Fell of Holte). Many thanks to Lee Evans for his help and advice today, 8/09/09 - wryneck at Lathbury, Bucks 5/09/09 - steppe grey shrike at Lound GP's, Nottm. 4/09/09 - jack snipe at Titchwell, grey phal at grafham 30/09/09 - L.B.Dowitcher at Chew on way to Exeter Uni to take son back 28/09/09 - Leach's at Wilstone Res, Herts 26/09/09 - lapland bunting at Spurn 19 Sept - East Yorkshire, greenish warbler, yellow browed warbler, barred warbler 15/16/17 Sept - Spurn , 3 day trip - r.b.fly 13/09/09 - Icterine Warbler, Wells Woods 11/09/09 - Glossy Ibis, Suffolk07/09/09 Pallid Harrier, Haddenham, Cambs 06/09/09 Alpine Swift, Alexandra Park, London 02/09/09 Sabines Gull, Upton Warren NR01/09/09 Arctic Warbler, Landguard NR 27/08/09 - Following my Monthly Meeting in Manchester, Wilsons Phal at Martin Mere...thanks Jake for that one 24 and 25 August - 2 days seawatching in Cornwall, Porthgwarro, Gwennap Head, Hella Point - balearic, sooty & manx shearwaters, leach's & european storm petrels, arctic skua 20/08/09 - s.p.sand - Cresswell Pond NWT 18/08/09 - red foot falcon - Hickling Broad...I'll be glad to get to 300 and can then stop this mad chase !! Still have 2 Pelagics and seawatching in Cornwall next week 16/08/09 - common crane, Potter Higham (Higham Holmes) 13/08/09 - At last, something in the county where I live...ruddy shelduck at Dunstable STW 10/08/09 - In Norfolk...again...this county has been so good to me...pied fly - Winterton, bairds sand, caspian gull - Blackborough End Tip 09/08/09 - Spotted crake..thanks Hodgie for the directions, spot on ! 05/07/09 - Lesser Legs - Aberlady Bay, travelled up there after business meeting in Manchester -the real deal, not the very 'dodgy' one seen, apparently, at Titchwell last Friday/Saturday. 03/07/09 - Little stint - Cley, lucky one in that I was in Kings Lynn on business when it popped up. 02/08/09 - White rumped sand - Welney WWT25/07/09 - Pacific Golden Plover, Breydon Water24/07/09 - Great Spotted Cuckoo - fabulous views from sugar beet field 13/07/09 - spoonbill, buff breasted sand, 11/07/09 - white winged black tern, Fen Drayton 09/07/09 - Cornwall, chough, spot fly. 26/6/09 - curlew sand at Cley, 15/06/09 - marsh warbler, red backed shrike at Holkham Freshmarsh, 14/06/09 - golden orioles and 4 bitterns at Lakenheath, honey buzzard at Great Ryburgh watchpoint 13/06/09 - Quail in Herts, 7/6/09 - little bittern - Walton Heath, nr Galstonbury, roseate tern - Seaworth, between Crosby and Bootle, nightjar in Beds - photos on Birdguides, black duck - Bodmin, Cornwall, took the opportunity to see when visiting my son at Exeter Uni also got gull billed tern at Exe Marshes and Fudge Duck on way home at Chew, black tern - at last, after missing out on the large influx 2 or so weeks ago, hoopoe, honey buzzard, woodchat shrike, ruddy shelduck, turtle dove, squacco heron, curlew sand, spot fly,woodchat shrike, hobby, melodious warbler, collared & black winged prats, temmincks x5 in Beds, whiskered tern x 10, groppers in the field opposite my house, dotterel in Cambs, little tern, little gull, fantastic trip to Scotland

Year listed with my dad and mum, Chris and Helena Craig. Beat both my targets for the year - to get to 300 and to beat my mum! 155 lifers in the year. Answers to the two questions people have been asking me: yes, I have seen all of these birds and no, I have not missed any school. My full list is at www.bubo.org. Favourite bird of the year - puffin. Highlights of the year - black-browed albatross (best birding experience), eastern crowned warbler (rarest bird of the year), glaucous winged gull, sandhill crane (furthest twitch), brown shrike, crested lark, white-thoated sparrow, pallid swift, pacific diver, collared flycatcher, red-flanked bluetail, great spotted cuckoo, river warbler, black-winged pratincole, collared pratincole, pacific golden plover, barred warbler, rb fly, ortolan bunting, short-toed lark, citrine wagtail, sabine's gull, wilson's storm petrel, long-tailed skua, wilson's phal, subalpine warbler, penduline tit, snowy owl (cutest bird of the year), r.l. buzzard, american golden plover, long-billed dowitcher, baird sand, buff-breasted sand, lesser yellowlegs, blue-winged teal, black duck, lesser scaup, r.b. goose, glossy ibis, squacco heron, little bittern, white-winged black tern, whiskered tern and red rumped swallow.

Serin Rainham 17/11, Spot Sand Abberton 15/11, Caspian Gull Rainham 10/11, Snow Goose Holkham 08/11, ECW South Shields 23/10, Radde's Scilly 16/10, Wryneck Scilly 15/10, BROWN SHRIKE Staines 13/10, Short-toed Lark & Richard's Pipit West Runton 11/10, RC Starling Chosely 11/10, YB Warb & RB Fly Sizewell 10/10, Lsr Scaup Draycote 04/10, LB Dow Chew 27/09, Barred Warb Seaford 22/09, WR Sand Abberton 16/09, Sabs & Leach's Sheringham 13/09, Pec Fowlemere 12/09, FAN-TAILED & Glossy Ibis Kent 08/09, PALLID HARRIER Cambs 07/09, LT Skua & Ortolan Cley 05/09, Alpine Swift Herts 05/09, Arctic Warb Landguard 02/09, BW Teal Hants 31/08, FEA'S & Gt Shear Porthgwarra 30/08, Citrine Wag Marazion 30/08, RN Phal Hants 26/08, Kentish Plov Canvey 07/08 , Corncrake (seen) Iona 30/07, GT SPOT CUCKOO Salthouse 24/07, BC BEE-EATER Kent 22/07, RB Shrike Cissbury 16/07, Buff-breast Cley 12/07, Caspian Tern Welney 05/07, Marsh Warb Amwell 21/06, Woodchat Orford 21/06, Quail (seen) Baldock 13/06, Rosefinch Essex 06/06, ORIENTAL PRAT Dunge 03/06, Am Wigeon Tayside 24/05, COLLARED PRAT Salthouse 16/05, Icterine & Melodious Dunge 13/05, BW PRAT Stodmarsh 12/05, WWBT Staines 11/05, Temminck's Stiffkey 09/05, RR Swallow Cley 09/05, CRESTED LARK Dunge 02/05, COLL FLYCATCHER Portland 02/05, Savi's Lea Valley 01/05, Lsr Yellowlegs Maldon 21/04, WT SPARROW Old Winchester Hill 13/04, Ferruginous Duck Trimley 22/03, Grey Phal KGV 07/03, RN Duck Foxcote 20/02, GW Teal Buckenham 16/02, GW Egret Pymoor 31/01, SNOWY OWL Cornwall 17/01, GG Shrike Herts 11/01, Penduline Rainham 11/01, Cat Egret Abberton 04/01, King Eider & Surf Scoter Fife 01/01. Also all scottish specials bar Ptarmigan, RN, Slav & BN Grebes, 3 other skuas, Spot Crake, Storm Petrels, Sooty, Manx and Balearic SW off Porthgwarra, RL Buzz in Cambs, Monty's in Norfolk, Surinamensis at Farmoor.

CRESTED LARK at Dunge. Scotland- all 4 Grouse, all divers inc. White Billed. Scottish & PARROT CROSSBILL, White Tailed and Golden Eagle, Corncrake, Velvet Scoter, Wood Warbler, Black Guillemots.Got the super Whiskered Terns on the way up to Scotland also on my local reserve- Summerleys. Also, Pec. Sand, Honey Buzzard, Montes, American G.P., WhiteThr.Sparrow, Stone Curlew in Wiltshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Northants !!, Bonapartes Gull, Penduline Tit, Night Heron, American Herring Gull, Surf Scoter, Ring Billed, Glaucous Gull, Iceland (& Kumliens), Cirl Bunts, (Managed good views of the Norfolk Blk Bellied Dipper) Goshawk, Lesser Scaup, Dotterel, BLACK WINGED PRATINCOLE also Collared Pratincole,got eaten alive watching Nightjars in Norfolk. Rd.Nk.Phalarope, Quail, Terek Sand, Sooty Shear,B.B.Sand,W.W.B.Tern, Lesser Legs, Pacific G.P., Grt.Sp.Cuckoo - I had to make 3 round trips from Northampton to see it. Spot.Crake, RB. & Woodchat Shrike, Fudge Duck, Melodious Warbler. Also saw the Terns @ Farmoor. Cley all 4 Skuas , Ortolan & Lapland, Little Auk, R.B.Fly, Y.Br.Warb. Bly.R.Warb, Hoopoe, 7 Glossy Ibis in Cambs. Missed the Pallid Harrier as the car was in bits!! My thanks to the Leic. ringer who allowed us access to his house to see the Common Rosefinch, also Long Billed Dowitcher @ Chew.Aquatic Warbler, Steppe Shrike, BROWN SHRIKE, Richards, Short toed Lark, Barred Warbler,2 Red Fl.Bluetails ( Minsmere and Bempton birds), Good to see Shorelarks are back @ Titchwell. EASTERN CROWNED WARBLER, Blue Winged Teal.Unexpected but very welcome late Red R.Swallow in Cambs.,Excellent scope views of Zitting Cisticola,Wilsons Phal, R.C.Starling, at last Grey Phal. Sabines, Leaches Petrel,Serin, Spot.Sand.

A few sea birds (Kent)and Grey Phalarope in Sussex. Zitting Cisticola - UK lifer, on the Kent List as well.Nice little trip oop north to South Shields - Eastern Crowned Warbler (stunner!), BW Teal and RFBT at Bempton - having dipped them in Shetland and Minsmere! 19/10 Brown Shrike on one of my local patches, on the pager while I am on Fair Isle, praying it didn't go before I returned! Shetland came up trumps! 5 Lifers - Veery,Pechora Pipit, Arctic Warbler, Taiga Flycatcher and Olivebacked Pipit along with Short-toed Lark, Bonnelli's and Blackpoll Warblers,Hornemann's Arctic Redpolls (4 different individuals!)-all UK lifers.AGP, Blyth's Reed and Barred Warbler's, Bluethroat(s), RB Fly, a delightful Rustic Bunting on Fair Isle , another River Warbler (lol),oh and a Spotted Sandpiper on the late afternoon of my final day on Shetland! I am going back next year, brilliant for birds and birders! Finally Spotted Crake - Barnes! Talons crossed for Shetland in October!All 3 Pratincoles - two being Lifers! Oriental on Kent and Sussex lists! Little Bittern and a Pallid Swift being UK lifers.

Red-breasted Goose, Spotted Sandpiper - Devon; Twite, Snow Goose, Wilson's Phalarope - Lancs; Serin. Alpine Swift - Greater London; Caspian Gull, (Azorean Yellow-legged Gull), American Black Tern, Marsh Warbler, Bonaparte's Gull, Cattle Egret - Oxon; Red-rumped Swallow, Squacco Heron - Cambs; Eastern Crowned Warbler!!! - Co. Durham; Dusky Warbler - E Yorks; Lapland Bunting - Cleveland; Grey Phalarope, Pied Wheatear, Short-toed Lark, Barred Warbler, Red-necked Phalarope, Great Spotted Cuckoo, White-rumped Sandpiper, Pacific Golden Plover, Honey Buzzard, Montagu's Harrier, Caspian Tern, American Golden Plover, Common Crane, Bean Goose, Mealy Redpoll, Golden Pheasant - Norfolk; Red-flanked Bluetail, Shorelark, Great White Egret, Roseate Tern, Golden Oriole, Great Grey Shrike - Suffolk; Brown Shrike, White-winged Black Tern - Surrey; Tawny Pipit, Yellow-browed Warbler, Wryneck, Rose-coloured Starling, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Common Rosefinch, Dotterel, Wilson's Storm Petrel, Cory's, Great & Balearic Shearwater, Sabine's Gull, Melodious Warbler, Lesser Yellowlegs, Buff-breasted Sandpiper - Scilly, Woodchat Shrike - Cornwall; Fan-tailed Warbler, Glossy Ibis, Red-backed Shrike, Black-winged Pratincole, Crested Lark, King Eider, Rough-legged Buzzard - Kent; Long-Billed Dowitcher, Little Bittern, Ferruginous Duck - Somerset; Leach's Petrel - Beds; Spotted Crake, White-throated Sparrow - Hants; Quail - Herts; Collared Flycatcher, Penduline Tit, Surf Scoter, Spoonbill - Dorset; Savi's Warbler, Ring-billed Gull - Essex; Whiskered Tern - Derbys; Pectoral Sandpiper - Leics; Lesser Scaup - Glamorgan; Goshawk - Gloucs; White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle; Iceland Gull; Scottish Crossbill, Parrot Crossbill, Glaucous Gull - Highland; Green-winged Teal - Ayrshire; American Wigeon - Berks; Ring-necked Duck - Bucks; Waxwing - Beds;

10.12.09 Latest:Ferruginous Duck(Pugney's)Highlight's:EASTERN CROWNED WARBLER-SANDHILL CRANE-AMERICAN BLACK TERN-CRESTED LARK-SNOWY OWL-GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL.Ferruginous Duck-Wilson's Phalarope-Lesser Yellowlegs-Shore Lark-Brown Shrike-Azorean Yellow Legged Gull-Short-Toed Lark-Sabine's Gull(2)-Red-Flanked Bluetail-Dusky Warbler-Pallas's Warbler-Ring-Billed Gull-Caspian Gull-American Wigeon-Wryneck-Grey Phalarope-Common Crane-Yellow-Browed Warbler(6+2 self found)-Barred Warbler-Buff-Breasted Sand-Blue-Winged Teal-Glossy Ibis-White-Winged Black Tern-Spotted Crake-Semipalmated Sand-Citrine Wagtail-Little Bittern-Red-Backed Shrike-Black-Winged Pratincole-Pectoral Sandpiper-Squacco Heron-Red-Necked Phalarope-Collared Pratincole-Woodchat Shrike-Great-White Egret-Marsh Warbler(3+1 self found)-Red Footed Falcon(self found) Icterine Warbler-Temminck's Stint-Dotterel(7)-Collared Flycatcher-Purple Heron(self found)-White-Throated Sparrow-Whiskered Tern(12)-Red-Rumped Swallow-Cattle Egret-Lesser Scaup-King Eider(2+1 self found)-Green-Winged Teal-Great-Grey Shrike(3)-Ross's Goose-Rough-Legged Buzzard(3).

Dec - American Wigeon, Fudge Duck. Nov - Fan-Tailed & Dusky Warblers. Oct - Eastern Crowned Warbler, Snow Goose, Pallas's Warbler, Grey Phalarope, Shore Lark, Pied Wheatear, Short Toed Lark & Dick's Pipit. Sept - Spot Crake, Y-b warbler, Glossy Ibis, R.B Fly, R-N Phalarope, Balearic, Leach's, Barred Warbler, Cory's, Pom & L.T. Skua & Ortolan Bunting. Aug - Red Footed Falcon, Baird's Sandpiper, Great Shearwater, Wilson's Petrel, Marsh Sand & Pec Sand. July - White-Rumped Sandpiper, Pacific & American Golden Plovers, Great Spotted Cuckoo, WW Black Tern, Buff-B Sandpiper, Quail & Caspian Tern. June - GW Egret, Black Winged Pratincole(kent & Norfolk). May - Self found Hoopoe, Kentish Plover & Temmicks Stint, also Honey Buzzard, Woodchat Shrike, Collared Pratincole, Citrine Wagtail, 40+ Black Terns, 2 Red Rumped Swallows, 3 Dotterel, Montagu's Harrier, Crested Lark & Collared Flycatcher. April - Self found Rred Rumped Swallow also Wryneck, Kentish Plover, Hoopoe & American Golden Plover. March - Rough leg, Lesser pecker, Caspain Gull & Goshawk. Feb - R-N Duck, G-W Teal, Cattle Egret, Penduline Tit, Golden Pheasant & LEO. Jan - Black Bellied Dipper & Glaucous Winged Gull.

EC Warbler Sandhill Crane GS Cuckoo Crested Lark Collared Flycatcher See my web site at Norfolk Birders

Wonderful year. Year listing for first time and trying to see 300 in the year. Scilly to come!! Best bird by far the Sandhill Crane but other goodies too, notably Collared Flycatcher, and Crested Lark

Yet again failed to reach the landmark of 300, being out of action during May didnt help. Lifers - EASTERN CROWNED WARBLER, SANDHILL CRANE, ROYAL TERN, GLAUCOUS WINGED GULL. Also Brown Shrike, Booted Warbler, Rustic Bunting, Snowy Owl, Penduline Tit, Ring Billed Gull, Little Bittern, Squacco Heron, Pallas's Warbler, Spotted Crake, Leach's Petrel Spurn, American Golden Plover(3), Long Billed Dowitcher(4), Shorelark, Caspian Gull, Ferruginous Duck, Woodchat Shrike, Cattle Egret, GW Egret(5), Glossy Ibis, Surf Scoter, King Eider and wonderful Scottish trips to Western Isles and Speyside picking up all 4 skua's, Red Necked Phals & RN Duck. Local highlights at my patch of Elton Resr included Bittern, Curlew Sand, Wood Sand & Firecrest, another good year for the site!

Eastern Crowned Warbler, Radde's Warbler, Pallas's Warbler, Short-toed lark, Red-flanked Bluetail, Greenish Warbler, Barred Warbler, gt shearwater, balaric shear, Wood sand, Storm Petrel,

19th Dec 09 // BBA 275 ~ Sibe Chiff & 'Chat ~ Ring-billed Gull ~ Shorelark ~ Sabine's Gull ~ Dusky Warbler ~ Azorean Gull ~ Snow Geese ~ Great Egret ~ Red-flanked Bluetail ~ EASTERN-CROWNED WARBLER ~ BROWN SHRIKE ~ Long-billed Dowitchers ~ Richard's Pipit ~ Bluethroat ~ Steppe Grey Shrike ~ Ring-necked Duck ~ Blue-winged Teal ~ Buff-breasted Sandpiper ~ RedB Flycatcher ~ Short-toed Lark ~ Little Auk ~ Barred & Booted Warbler ~ Red-necked Phalarope ~ Ortolan Bunting ~ Spotted Crake ~ Pacific Golden Plover ~ Ferruginous Duck ~ Lesser Yellowlegs ~ Quail (Seen well for a change..) ~ Honey Buzzard~ Little Bittern ~ Corn Crake ~ Purple & Squacco Heron ~ Golden Oriole ~ Common Crane ~ Woodchat Shrike ~ Collared Pratincole (350th Yorkshire tick) ~ Whiskered Terns ~ Subalpine Warbler ~ Cattle Egret ~ Lesser Scaup ~ (3)Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers ~ Bean Geese ~ Mealy Redpoll ~ Rough-legged Buzzard ~ Caspian Gull ~ 'Greenland' White-fronted Goose ~ Pale-bellied Brent ~ Black Brant ~ Azorean Gull http://www.flickr.com/photos/darrenapward/ GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL ~ PALLID SWIFT ~ COLLARED FLYCATCHER ~ BROWN SHRIKE ~ EASTERN-CROWNED WARBLER

Highlights this year include Glaucous-winged Gull, Penduline Tit, American Herring Gull, White-throated Sparrow, Collared Flycatcher, Crested Lark, Western Sandpiper (pending), Black-winged Pratincole, Little Bittern, Black Duck, Lesser Yellowlegs, Wilson's Phalarope, Baird's Sandpiper, Sandhill Crane, Brown Shrike, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Citrine Wagtail, Fan-tailed Warbler and Pacific Diver. Latest: Spotted Sandpiper 28/11

Latest - Brown Shrike, 7 Glossy Ibis, Pallid Harrier (fantastic bird), Ortolan, Lap Bunt, Skuas & Shearwaters in Norfolk, The Terns at Farmoor, G SP Cuckoo, Fudge Duck, Lt Bitt, WWWBTern, Marsh Wblr. Also recently Coll Pratincole, Hoopoe, Dotterel, Crested Lark, Whiskered Tern flock, W T Sparrow, R R Swallow, Bony's Gull & many commoner migrants on visits to Dorset & Norfolk.

WELL THATS IT FOR THIS YEAR!!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!! FULL DIARY ON http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=59348 All in Norfolk apart from G. Oriole AND ECW!!!! — 6/12 American Wigeon 5/12 Ferruginous Duck 22/11 Black Throated Diver 15/11 Slavonian Grebe 8/11 Great White Egret (seen 2 in Pymoor earlier in year) 25/10 Pectoral Sandpiper 24/10 EASTERN CROWNED WARBLER!!! 20/10 Snow Goose, Lapland Bunting 19/10 Green winged Teal 18/10 Grey Phalarope, Mealy Redpoll 17/10 Pom Skua, Little Auk, Great Northern Diver 16/10 Shorelark 10/10 Barred Warbler, Rock Pipit, Razorbill, Yellow browed Warbler 26/7 Spotted Crake 19/7 Wryneck, Glossy Ibis 17/9 Red breasted Flycatcher 16/9 Shag 12/9 Red necked Phalarope 9/9 Scaup 5/9 Sooty Shearwater, Great Skua, Long Tailed Skua 4/9 ORTOLAN BUNTING 16/8 Osprey 10/8 Baird's Sandpiper 9/8 Red Backed Shrike (self found 7.40pm) 1/8 PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER, Barnacle Goose 31/White Rumped Sandpiper 30/7 Manx Shearwater 25/7 Long eared Owl 23/7 GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO 18/7 CORY'S SHEARWATER, Arctic Skua, Curlew Sandpiper 11/7 Buff breasted Sandpiper 5/7 CASPIAN TERN 13/6 Red Kite 3/6 BLACK WINGED PRATINCOLE 30/5 Short toed Lark, Quail 25/5 Honey Buzzard 23/5 Golden Oriole, Spotted Flycatcher 19/5 Woodchat Shrike 16/5 Hoopoe, Nightjar 15/5 COLLARED PRATINCOLE, Pied Flycatcher 14/5 Little Stint 13/5 Black Tern, Kentish Plover 12/5 Guillemot, Kittiwake, Arctic Tern, CITRINE WAGTAIL 9/5 Tree Pipit, Hobby 8/5 Dotterel, Garden Warbler 7/5 Temminck's Stint 6/5 Montague's Harrier, Dartford Warbler, Spoonbill, Wood Sandpiper 4/5 Nightingale, Whinchat 2/5 Common Swift, Little Tern 29/4 Stonecurlew 26/4 Turtle Dove, Gannet 25/4 Common Tern, Common Whitethroat, Greenshank, RED RUMPED SWALLOW 20/4 Whimbrel 18/4 Little Ringed Plover 13/4 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, Common Cranes 12/4 Little Gull, Sandwich Terns 11/4 Grasshopper Warbler, Ring Ouzels, Cuckoo, Common Redstart, Yellow Wagtail (inc. blue headed wag), Lesser Whitethroat 10/4 Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Garganey, White Fronted Goose 5/4 Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler 4/4 Swallow, Housemartin, Sandmartin, Red crested Pochard 1/4 Wheatear 29/3 Waxwing, Black Redstart 21/3 Common Sandpiper, Black Tailed Godwit 14/3 Twite, Chiffchaff, Ruddy Duck, Firecrest 13/3 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Manderin Duck 28/2 Crossbill 22/2 Bittern, PENDULINE TIT 21/2 Woodlark, Goshawk, Cetti's Warbler 15/2 Cattle Egret, Glaucous Gull 14/2 Red Throated Diver, Skylark, Black Necked Grebe 1/2 Velvet Scoter, Common Scoter, Peregrine 31/1 Great White Egrets x 2!, Corn Bunting, Bewick Swan 25/01 Black Bellied Dipper at last! Tree Sparrow 24/01 Caspian Gull, Yellowleg Gull, Med Gull, Grey Grey Shrike, Lesser Redpoll, Kingfisher, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Rough legged Buzzard, Whooper Swan, Merlin, Meadow Pipit, White Fronted Geese, Tundra Bean Geese, Stock Dove 19/01 Treecreeper, Siskin 18/01 Marsh Tit, Willow Tit, Sparrowhawk , Bullfinch 17/01 Black Tailed Godwit, Jack Snipe, Water Pipit, Short Eared Owl, Spotted Redshank 13/1 Feral Pigeon 12/1 Golden Pheasant 11/1 Smew, goosander, green sandpiper 10/1 Nuthatch, hawfinch, pied wagtail, little owl, knot, purple sandpiper, snowbuntings 9/1/09 Mute Swan 3/1/09 - Gadwall, green woodpecker, yellowhammer, common buzzard, egyptian goose, brambling, hen harrier 1/1/09 - 2 long tailed ducks, grey wagtail, fulmar, water rail, red breasted merganser, woodcock

Highlights Snowy Owl, Ring Billed Gull , Surf Scoter, Fudge Duck ,B.W.Pratincole, Pallid Swift , R.F.Falcon, co found Terek Sand at Gib Point. Glaucous Winged after an anxious 7 hour wait. A couple of days in Norfolk/Suffolk added G.G.Shrike, Lesser Legs and all the geese on offer. Spent a few days in Cornwall and added B.B.ALBATROSS (lifer) well worth getting soaked for! and plenty of Balearics. Recent Semi P, King Eider, B.W.Teal and B.B.Sand as of 25/9.

Latest - Woodcock 31st Dec; Brambling & Crane 30th Dec. Highlights - Glaucous-winged Gull, Brown Shrike, Crested Lark, White-throated Sparrow, Pallid Swift, (American Black Tern), Great Spotted Cuckoo, Black-winged Pratincole, Pacific Golden Plover, Spotted Sandpiper & Savi's Warbler.

Firecrest,Yellow-brow, Black Stork, Bluethroat,Black Redstart,Eastern Crowned Warbler,Barred Warbler,Sabines Gull,Snow Goose,Bewicks Swan,Lesser Yellowlegs, Baird`s Sandpiper

Upto 29th December - local Caspian Gull, Glossy Ibis, local BN Grebe, Fan-tailed Warbler, Brown Shrike, Radde's, Barred & Yellow-browed Warblers, LB Dowitcher x2, AGP, Sandhill Crane, Wryneck x2, Sooty Shearwater, a proper RC Starling, Baird's Sandpiper, local Purple Heron, Sabine's Gull, GW Egret x2, Cory's Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater, local Long-eared Owls (= all 6 Owls) & Wood Sands, Royal Tern, local SF Honey Buzzard, local SF Technobird (aka Nightjar), Savi's Warbler, Black-winged Pratincole, Pallid Swift, Crested Lark, Collared Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Stone Curlew, Nightingale, RN Duck, WT Sparrow, GS Cuckoo, Garganey, Velvet Scoter, LTD, King Eider, GW Teal, Osprey, Crestie, WT Eagle, Golden Eagle x6, BT Diver, WB Diver, Snow Bunting, Ptarmigan, Parrotbill, Scotbill, Black Grouse, Caper, Merlin, SE Owl, GG Shrike, Goshawk, Lesser Scaup, Bonaparte's Gull, Mealy Redpoll, Cattle Egret x3, Spoonbill, Penduline Tit, Glaucous Gull, Bittern, Iceland Gull, Waxwing, Smew, Hawfinch, Cirl Bunting, Firecrest, RB Gull, Snowy Owl (Sibe Chiffy - not counted)

Counties visited: Angus, Argyll, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cleveland, Cumbria, Durham, East Yorkshire, Essex, Fife, Greater London, Lancashire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, North Yorkshire, Perthshire, Suffolk, Surrey
Highlights: Rough-legged Buzzard, Glaucous Gull X2, Iceland Gull X2, Great White Egret X2, Bittern X3, Surf Scoter, King Eider, Ring-billed Gull, Cattle Egret, Temminck's Stint, White-winged Black Tern, Pallid Harrier, Red-necked Phalarope, Glossy Ibis X2, Blue-winged Teal, White-rumped Sandpiper, BROWN SHRIKE, Serin, Spotted Sandpiper.
Latest: 27/12 Docking, Norfolk - Snow Goose.

Few BBRC rarities, and all but three have more or less come to me rather than me going to them - Whiskered Tern (2), Wilson's Phalarope, Baird's Sandpiper (2), Citrine Wagtail, King Eider, Steppe Grey Shrike, LITTLE BITTERN, BROWN SHRIKE - but Cattle Egret, Red-rumped Swallow, 2 Pectoral Sandpipers, RNPhalarope, 2 Buff-breasted Sandpipers, Woodchat Shrike etc.

December - American Wigeon, Ferruginous Duck, Long-tailed Duck. November - Brown Shrike, Zitting Cisticola, Shorelark. October - Short-toed Lark, Lapland Bunting, September - Spotted Crake, Glossy Ibis, Ortolan Bunting, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Firecrest, Whinchat. Details at http://jamesbirdsandbeer.blogspot.com

Updated 23/11 LE Owls + Highlights: BROWN SHRIKE /PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER/BLACK WINGED PRATINCOLE/CITRINE WAGTAIL/ CRESTED LARK +SNOWY OWL + WHITE-THROATED SPARROW/KUMLIEN'S GULL [N/Cl] + BLACK-BELLIED DIPPER[N/C] + AMERICAN BLACK TERN[N/C] + Great Spotted Cuckoo + Kentish Plover + Lesser Scaup + Red-rumped Swallow at Soar Valley +Cattle Egret at R/W

Nov 7th-Finally connected with the Fan-tailed Warbler. Oct - MISSED the Eastern-crowned but had the Bluetail fly at my outstretched arm and almost land on my finger!!!! Widerscope's Oct Scillies Trip was pretty lean but I managed Radde's, Red-throated and Tawny Pipits, RCStarling, Little Bunting & YBW followed by a (thankfully!) long-staying Brown Shrike less than 10 miles from my house! Sep 25th Sandhill Crane!!! 2009 Highlights are GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, SANDHILL CRANE, BROWN SHRIKE, FAN-TAILED WARBLER, Oriental Pratincole, Squacco, Black Duck, 2 Blue-winged Teals, Red-flanked Bluetail, Buff-breasted Sand, Radde's, RTPipit, Leach's Petrel, Caspian Tern, RBGoose, RBGull, Night Heron, Penduline Tit, 2 Surf Scoters, Golden Oriole on nest, Black-browed Albatross, plus Cattle and Great White Egrets on self-found list. See www.freewebs.com/widerscoped to read all about it!

Pallid Swift. RR Swallow, BW Pratincole, Whiskered tern, Ptarmigan, Lesser Yellowlegs, Semi-P Sand, Baird's Sand, Wilson's Phalarope, Stone Curlew, Honey Buzzard, Hawfinch, Lapland Bunting, Firecrest, RN Phalarope, RB Shrike, Woodchat Shrike. Full list on BUBO

Highlights: Glaucous-winged Gull, Brown Shrike, White-throated Sparrow, Fan-tailed Warbler, Black-winged Pratincole, Crested Lark, Caspian Tern, King Eider, Glossy Ibis, Spotted Sandpiper, Penduline Tit, Citrine Wagtail, Red-breasted Goose, White-winged Black Tern, White-rumped Sandpiper, Wryneck, Cattle Egret, Great White Egret, Purple Heron, Ring-billed Gull, Spotted Crake, Pallas's Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Rosy Starling, Serin, Bluethroat, Spoonbill, Stone-curlew, Shorelark, Ring-necked Duck, Pectoral Sandpiper, Roseate Tern, Great Grey Shrike and other nice bits and pieces.

December - Tree Sparrow, Fudge & RN Duck

[NB Includes Ireland] Latest: GLOSSY IBIS 30/12, merlin 22/12 woodcock 06/12 SPOTTED SANDPIPER 02/12 willow tit 12/11 slav. grebe 10/11 black redstart 08/11 ROSE-COLOURED STARLING 07/11 Caspian Gull 23/10 (Azorean YL Gull) 15/10 BROWN SHRIKE 13/10 (Baltic Gull) 11/10 WRYNECK 03/10 Little Stint, Snow Bunting 23/09 Sabine's Gull, GW Egret 15/09 Am. Wigeon 14/09 Grey Phal 03/09 great & arctic skua, golden & WTS eagle, twite, eider, osprey 01-08/08 Highlights: GLOSSY IBIS, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, ROSE-COLOURED STARLING, BROWN SHRIKE, Wryneck, Snow Bunting, Sabine's Gull, GW Egret, Am. Wigeon, Grey Phal, Golden Eagle, WT sea-eagle, Twite, Osprey, Great Skua, Arctic Skua, Honey Buzzard, Golden Oriole, White-winged Black Tern, Little Tern, Bonaparte's Gull, Chough, Glaucous Gull, Black Guillemot, Goshawk, LS Woodpecker, Mealy Redpoll, GW Teal, Penduline Tit, Cirl Bunting, Spoonbill, Surf Scoter, Cattle Egret, Iceland Gull, GG Shrike, Waxwing, Hawfinch, Bittern, Scaup, GN Diver, Smew

Fan-tailed Warbler, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Red Flanked Bluetail, Sandhill Crane, Little Bittern, 2 x Pratincole, Savis Warbler, Night Shadow, Pallid Swift, Crested Lark, Collared Flycatcher, Whiskered Tern, White Throated Sparrow, Crossbill, Woodlark, SEO, GG Shrike, Goshawk, Marsh Tit, Red Necked Grebe, Lesser Scaup, Firecrest, Black Redstart, Water Rail, Mealy Redpoll, Hawfinch, Waxwing, Water Pipit, Smew, Peregrine

Highlights - CRESTED LARK, COLLARED FLYCATCHER, SANDHILL CRANE, B-W Pratincole, Caspian Tern, Dotterel and Whiskered Tern, R-R Swallow, Cattle Egret, G W Egret, Ferruginous Duck, G-W Teal, Iceland Gull, Hawfinch, Bittern, Waxwing, Caspian Gull, 2 Pecs, Temmincks, R-N Phal all in Leics and Rutland. Latest - EASTERN CROWNED WARBLER (23/10)

Dashing around the south-east in-between work trips to Denmark BW and Oriental Pratincoles seen in Kent, 5 days in Estonia in March with a trip report on our website..100 species recorded in West Sussex Jan 1st......anyone not seen a Waxwing yet this year??? trip reports and photo's on our website www.freewebs.com/widerscoped

Recent highlights include, Glaucous Gull @ Port Seton, Lothian. Wilson's Phalarope @ Musselburgh, Lothian. Baird's Sandpiper @ Belhaven Bay, Lothian. Greenland White-fronted Goose @ Threipmuir, Lothian. Eastern-crowned warbler & Yellow-browed warbler at trow quarry, Durham. Firecrest at Skateraw, Lothian. Dusky Warbler at Skateraw, Lothian. White-morph Snow Goose at Aberlady bay, Lothian. Glossy Ibis in Northumberland. Chough on the Isle of Islay, Argyll and Common Crane at Tyninghame bay, Lothian. Lesser Yellowlegs at Aberlady Bay, Lothian.

barred,greenish,booted warbler,sooty shear,pec sand,spotted crake,curlew sand,snow bunting,woodchat and red backed shrike,R.N Phal all in E.yorks during mid sept

Spotted Sandpiper (blog @ http://dippersrgreat.blogspot.com/ )

Brown Shrike,Aquatic Warbler,Sandhill Crane!!!! Purple Heron,Pallid Swift, Crested Lark, Collared Flycatcher,White Throated Sparrow, Penduline Tit, Snowy Owl, Firecrest, Ringed Billed Gull, Cirl Bunting,Slav Grebe, Dartford Warbler

long billed dowitcher ,rose colour starling ,great grey shrike ,GWteal, red bk shrike , GW egret , black tern ring neck duck pec,wood sand ,little stint nightjar,black neck grebe , spoonbill,montagu's harrier ,pallid swift , little gull , curlew sandpiper ,wood warbler whiskered tern , whinchat, nightingale, osprey, glaucose,iceland gull ,med gull ,yellow wagtail ,common and sandwich tern, black redstart ,waxwing, hawfinch ,bewick ,whooper swan, smew, all 5 owl sp , bittern , spot redshank ,greenshank, goshawk , dipper, grey plover , all tits except pend and crested

Dec : Recent highlights include the Worcs Glossy Ibis and Notts [Siberian Stonechat]. Highlights : Little Bittern, Glossy Ibis, B-W Teal, Lesser Scaup, Fudge Duck, [Azorean Y-L Gull], GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, ROYAL TERN, (American Blk Tern), W-W Blk Tern, Whiskered Tern x 8, Pallid Swift, CRESTED LARK, [Siberian Stonechat], Red-Flanked Bluetail, FAN-TAILED WBLR, EASTERN BONELLI'S WBLR, EASTERN-CROWNED WBLR, COLLARED FLY, BROWN SHRIKE.

Golden Pheasant, Grey Partridge, Black Grouse, Capercaillie, Parrot Crossbill, Scottish Crossbill, Ptarmigan, Crested Tit, Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Glaucous Gull, White-throated Sparrow, Purple Heron, Crested Lark, Redstart, Little Tern, Black-winged Pratincole, Tree Pipit, Quail, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Great White Egret, Wilson's Phalarope, Brown Shrike, Spotted Sandpiper, Bean Goose.

11 Lifers this year - GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, COLLARED FLYCATCHER, CRESTED LARK, BLACK-WINGED PRATINCOLE, Grey-Headed Wagtail, Caspian Tern, AMERICAN BLACK TERN, AZOREAN GULL + BROWN SHRIKE. Latest - EASTERN CROWNED WARBLER (24.10.09). check my blog at ianbennellsbirdingblog.blogspot.com

Nightjar, Stone Curlew, Quail, Marsh Warbler, Spotted crake, Corncrake, Sea Eagle, Caper, Great and Atrctic Skua

oriental pratincole pagham golden orioles and stone culews and montagues harrier norfolk

Missed most of Aug and first part of Sept crossing the US. Mostly in Essex, Spotted Sand, Great Northern Diver, Eider, Manx and Sooty Shearwater, Sabines Gull, Pec Sand, Great Skua, White Rumped Sand, Arctic Skua, Black Tern, Curlew Sandpiper, Savi's Wblr, Temminck's Stint, Little Tern, Arctic Tern, Hobby, Little Stint, Swift, Tree Pipit, Cuckoo, LRP, Garganey, Wood Sandpiper, Gropper, Nightingale

10/9 GLAUCOUS WINGED GULL, Willow Tit, Tree Sparrow, Purple Sand, L.E.O. ,S.E.O., Bittern, Red breasted Goose, Great Grey Shrike, Waxwing, Hawfinch, Ring-necked Duck, Penduline Tit, Cattle Egret, Great White Egret, White=winged Black Tern

14.4.09.Latest:My earliest ever Swift at Flamborough on the 8th,Red-Rumped Swallow(Watermead c.p),Osprey,Swallow,House Martin,Sedge Warbler,Common Tern,Yellow Wag,Sarnie Tern.Highlight's:GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL,SNOWY OWL(at last),King Eider(2+1 self found),Cattle Egret,Lesser Scaup,GW Teal,Ross's Goose,Rough-Legged Buzzard(2),Great Grey Shrike(3),Waxwing.

spoonbill,black kite

Snowy Owl, Swallow, R b Gulls, LEO, SEO, Chough, Hooded Crow, Tundra Bean, Velvet Scoter, Dartford, Hawfinch, Feruginous Duck, Glaucous Gull and fog, fog fog. RCP x 13, Ring-necked Duck, American Wigeon, Waxwing (1 will do), Great White Egret, 3 Bittern, Lesser Scaup (2nd attempt), Woodlarks, Surf Scoter, Penduline Tit, Cirls, Common Sand, Spoonbill, G-w Teal, Firecrest. After a whole lot of miles nice to get Little Owl 150metres from home. Water Pipits, Bearded Tits, Caspian Gull, Common Crane, Merlin, Great day out in Staffs (quite good County next to Warks)with Dipper, Red Grouse and Iceland Gull. Lesser Yellowlegs, Lapland Bunting, Twite, Golden Pheasant and Rough-legged Buzzard (3rd go). Called it a day on 28th after 5000 miles and no where near record set by LRGE in 2002 (221 sp). Big thanks to Gary Briddick (one of our biggest listers yet completely under the radar), to Terry Wogan for keeping me awake and The Volkswagen Group for their reliable motors. Best bird Swallow flying round the Scilly helicopter on 2nd.

Grey Phalarope, Great northern diver.