Managed just one new bird in 2010

Black-headed Bunting - see my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001324791255

Lee - after getting my 8th consequetive 300+ at 68 I'm giving up my pursuit of annual 300's. Getting too expensive for us OAPs. Looks like you will have no one close enough to worry about! Going to make sure I dont miss any more lifers. Target 500 still got 34 to go tho!! American Robin, Squacco. 4th Green Heron ( double dipped Am. Bittern) Rose C Starling(adult), G.G.Shrike, Merlin, Red Flanked Bluetail, Pallas' Warbler,Richards, R B Fly, Little Auk ALDER/WILLOW FLYCATCHER, WESTERN BONNELLIS, Grey Phal, Yellow Browed, White R Sand, Wilsons Phal, Arctic Warbler,Red N. Phal. WHITE TAILED PLOVER. Great double RIVER WARBLER & new Grandson same day !!! Kentish Plover,COLLARED FLYCATCHER - will remove entry if proved to be just a pied fly) EASTERN OLIVACIOUS WARBLER, Glossy Ibis, Wryneck, Common Rosefinch, Lapland bunt, Barred Warbler, L.G.Shrike, Spot.Crake, Sooty,Balearic Shear. Chough, Stormy, Lesser Legs, Whiskered, Bairds Sand, Rosy Tern, Cattle Egret, Pec.Sand., Buff Br. Sand, (HOUSE FINCH) Little Bittern, Purple Heron, (2)Quail, MARMORAS WARBLER, (2) Ibchaff. RBShrike, (3rd. Trumpeter Finch, Marsh Warbler,All 4 grouse. 3 Crossbills, Both Eagles, Corncrake.R.B.Gull.,Golden Pheasant, Bufflehead, Alpine Swift, Black Kite, 2 Barred Crossbill, PALLID SWIFT.American Widgeon, Woodchat Shrike, Hoopoe, Blue W.Teal, Dotterel, Red R.Swallow,ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE, Honey Buzz.,Bluethroat, G.R.Warbler, RFFalcon.

(Full List on BUBO with dates) Highlights: Little Bunting, Iceland Gull, Lesser Legs, Leach's Petrel, Richard's Pipit, American Golden Plover, Pallas's and Y.b. Warblers, R b Fly, Isabelline Wheatear, Baird's and Semiplmated Sand, Wilson's Phalarope, West Bonelli's RF Bluetail, Spotted Crake, Grey Phalarope (House Finch) Sabines Gull, Glossy Ibis, Melodious Warbler,Icterine & Greenish Warbler, R-n Phalarope, Barred Warb. Ortolan Bunting, Sooty and Cory's Shears, Br. Billed Sand, Lesser Grey Shrike, Cattle Egret, Cirl Bunting, Kentish Plover, Pom Skua, Quail (6), Balearic Shearwaters, Stormies, Little Bittern, Buff b. and Pec. Sands, River Warbler, Fudge Duck, Marmoras W, W.t. Sparrow, B.w Stilts, Red-footed Falcon, (Thrush Nightingale? oh umm), Trumpeter Finch, White-tailed Plover, Purple Heron, Marsh Warbler, White-winged Black Tern, Great Reed warbler,Red-backed Shrike, Dotterel, Oriental Praticole, Honey Buzzard, Temminck's Stints,Wryneck, R r Swallow, G.Oriole, Woodchat Shrike, Montys, G W Teal, Bluethroat, LEO, Ring Ouzel, Snow Geese, Golden Eagle, Caper, King Eider, Pallid Swift, Lesser Kestrel at 2nd try! Alpine Swift, Garganey, Lapland Bunting, Black Redstart, Penduline Tits (4)Black Kite, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Dartford Warbler, Red Kite, Spoonbill, Golden Pheasant, Ruddy Duck, Firecrest, L T Duck, V Scoter, Waxwings, Hawfinch, Goshawk, Lesser Pecker, Mealy Redpoll, SEO, Black-throated Thrush, Shore Lark, R L Buzzard, Smew, Bewicks, Whooper, Bittern, Purple Sand, Ring-billed Gull, Serin,Red-necked, Black-necked Grebes, Slav. Grebe, GND, R.C Pochard Common Cranes, Jack Snipe

www.aquilabirdtours.blogspot.com - Trying to reach 300, although spending most of the year in Spain. Latest: Whites Thrush, Red-flanked Bluetail, Booted Warbler, Radde's Warbler, Arctic Redpoll, Buff-bellied Pipit, Woodchat Shrike, White-winged Black Tern, King Eider, Grey Phal, Green Heron, Sol Sand, Glossy Ibis, GWE, Pallas's Warbler (300th!). Full list and details on BUBO

Latest Addition: American Wigeon in Rutland - 301. Highlights: BLACK KITE in Powys. BUFFLEHEAD in Dorset. PARROT CROSSBILLS in the Highlands. KING EIDER in Moray. TWO-BARRED CROSSBILL in Bedfordshire. LESSER KESTREL, PALLID SWIFT & 2 ALPINE SWIFTS all in one morning in Suffolk. RED-RUMPED SWALLOW in Cambridgeshire. ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE & Rough-legged Buzzard in Lincolnshire. GREAT REED WARBLER, CITRINE WAGTAIL & Richard's Pipit in Derbyshire. IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF, BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER, Marsh Warbler, EASTERN OLIVACEOUS WARBLER, 2 x Barred Warblers, WESTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER, FERRUGINOUS DUCK, AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER & RUSTIC BUNTING in Yorkshire. BLUE-WINGED TEAL, Kentish Plover, Wryneck & American Wigeon in Leicestershire & Rutland. White-winged Black Tern, FRANKLIN'S GULL & Leach's Petrel in Staffordshire. MARMORA'S WARBLER in Gwent. Red-necked Phalarope & Lapland Buntings in Worcestershire. H*use Finch & GULL-BILLED TERN in Devon. White-spotted Bluethroat, RIVER WARBLER, Short-toed Lark, ARCTIC WARBLER, ALDER FLYCATCHER, Grey Phalarope, Red-necked Phalarope & WILSON'S PHALAROPE in Norfolk. WHITE-TAILED PLOVER in Gloucestershire. LITTLE BITTERN, SPOTTED SANDPIPER & GLOSSY IBIS in Somerset. WHISKERED TERN, RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL, Woodchat Shrike & DUSKY WARBLER in Cleveland. BAIRD'S SANDPIPER in Nottinghamshire. LESSER SCAUP & Leach's Pertrel in Warwickshire. SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, Ring-billed Gull & BAIRD'S SANDPIPER in Essex. LESSER YELLOWLEGS in Oxfordshire. Buff-breasted Sandpiper, GREEN HERON & AMERICAN BITTERN in Cornwall. PIED-BILLED GREBE in Greater Manchester. Please see www.archiesbirding.blogspot.com for full details. Please note that H*use Finch & Alder Flycatcher are not included in total.

Brown Shrike, Black-throated Thrush, Bufflehead, Lesser Kestrel, Pallid Swift, Trumpeter Finch, Mamora's Warbler, River Warbler, WT Plover, Sykes's Warbler, (Alder Fly), Olive-backed Pipit, Isabelline Wheatear, American Robin, Pied-billed Grebe, (Northern Harrier)

Full list on www.bubo.org. Thought i'd better update this before the end of the year, can't see me adding any more this year. Missed this year: Hawfinch; Bewicks Swan; Glaucous, Iceland & Caspian Gull; Puffin; both Eagles; Black Guillemot; Dotterel; Golden Oriole; Temmincks Stint & several other relatively common spp. Still not bad seeing as i don't drive. Thanks must go to my fellow ASBO drivers (you know who you are) and to everyone else for all the laughs along the way.

Alder flycatcher and lesser kestrel ticked. All but seven Norfolk and Suffolk

King Eider, Ptarmigan, Rough-legged Buzzard, Surf Scoter, American Wigeon, Little Bunting, Bufflehead, Pallid Swift, Bluethroat, woodchat shrike, Temminck's Stint, Hoopoe, Oriental Pratincole, Iberian Chiffchaff, lesser yellowlegs, Pomarine skua, Roseate Tern, Purple Heron, Buff Breasted Sand, Great Reed Warbler,Wilson's Phalarope, Broad Billed sandpiper, white winged black tern, white tailed plover, trumpeter finch, Red Footed Falcon, Mamoras's Warbler, Franklin's Gull, Honey Buzzard, Wryneck, Icterine warbler, Dipped on Black Duck, Black-throated Thrush, Lesser Kestrel, Two Barred Crossbill, savi's warbler, Little Bittern.

Glossy Ibis (3), Cattle Egret, Spotted Sand, Surf Scoter also Fudge and R.N.Duck, B.T.Thrush (thanks to the home owners who put the news out. Bonapartes, G.W.Teal, Caspian Gull, Black kite, Shore Lark and R.B.Gull, G.G.Shrike, and 20+ Black Grouse, Alpine Swift (Hunstanton eventually after 2 attempts) also R.L.Buzzard. Tundra Bean and American Wigeon on the way back from a great trip to Scotland. Oriental Pratincole, G.R.Warbler, Woodchat and Iberian Chiffchaff. Latest C.Rosefinch, Nightjar and the cracking Marmoras. Also Sharp Tailed Sand after dipping the recent bird at Spurn.

Superb day at Spurn on Tuesday 28th Sept with Wryneck, RB Fly & YB Warbler amongst the many migrants....Latest highlights - RF Bluetail, Richard's Pipit & Solitary Sand & WWB Tern. Fudge & LT Ducks in Lincs....26th October. 15th Nov - finally caught up with the Morpeth Squacco Heron along with GW Teal at Cresswell & Little Auk at Newbiggin. Dipped on the buzzards at Sleddale Farm....Woodlark at Brereton Heath 18/11....Very wintry trip to South Ferriby for the RL Buzzard in a blizzard 01/12....Ring Billed Gull at Sands Lane after a long wait 12/12.... Full list on BUBO

Latest Glossy Ibis & Cattle Egret - W T Plover, Buff-breast Sand, River Wblr - In Scotland at start of year and Norfolk 2nd w/e were both badly hampered by heavy snow, so missed a few goodies. But did get King Eider, Surf Scoter, 3 Grouse sp, 2 Eagle sp up North. Cranes, Bean Geese among others, lots Woodcock, Purple Sand, G N Diver, etc. Later in month Rosy Starling, Ring-necked Duck, G W Teal, G W Egret, Mealy Redpoll, Jack Snipe, L E & S E Owls and others. Latest 24/4 W S BLUETHROAT - what a great bird! R N Grebe & flyover Bittern added by end Apr.

ing-necked duck, FERRUGINOUS DUCK, Rough-legged buzzard, Waxwing, Hawfinch. FEBRUARY: Bittern, Snow goose, Mealy redpoll, Lesser spotted woodpecker, Snow bunting, Shorelark, Mediterranean gull, Glaucous gull. MARCH: Goshawk, Slavonian grebe, Golden pheasant, Long-tailed duck, Willow Tit, Purple Sandpiper, Dartford Warbler, Jack Snipe, ALPINE SWIFT(28th), PALLID SWIFT(28th), LESSER KESTREL(31st), Great Grey Shrike(31st), Woodlark. APRIL: Spoonbill, Bearded Tit,......Holiday in Spain - Extremadura - Picos De Europa - but you don't want to hear all about that! Back to reality..... White-spotted Bluethroat(25th), Grasshopper Warbler, Garganey, Hobby, Stone Curlew, Garden warbler, Redstart, Woodchat Shrike. MAY: Montagu's Harrier, Black-necked Grebe, Nightingale, Temminck's Stint, Arctic Tern, Little Owl, Tree Pipit, Cuckoo, ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE (Frampton Marshes (9th) ) , Little Ringed Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Gull, Hoopoe, Golden Oriole, Dotterel, Honey Buzzard, Purple Heron, Red-backed Shrike, TRUMPETER FINCH (31st). JUNE: BLACK-WINGED STILT (4), RED-FOOTED FALCON, Black Tern , BLUE-WINGED TEAL (27th). JULY: Buff-breasted Sandpiper, RIVER WARBLER (8th), WHITE-TAILED PLOVER (Dungeness - 14th), Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Warbler, Osprey, Dipper, Raven, Black Guillemot. AUGUST: Golden Eagle (2), Great White Egret, Cattle Egret (Juv), LESSER GREY SHRIKE. SEPTEMBER: Red-necked Phalarope, Barred Warbler, Wryneck, ARCTIC WARBLER, KING EIDER, Lapland Bunting, Spotted Crake, EMPIDONAX FLYCATCHER SPECIES (n/c), Grey Phalarope. OCTOBER: WILSON'S PHALAROPE, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT, ISABELLINE WHEATEAR, Pallas's Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL, Cranes, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, Red Kite, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Caspian Gull, GLOSSY IBIS, AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, Green-winged Teal. NOVEMBER: Richard's Pipit, Little Auk, Merlin, Northern Harrier (n/c). DECEMBER: Iceland Gull, LESSER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. That's all folks! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Latest - Shorelark 29th Dec. Highlights - Alder Flycatcher, American Bittern, White-tailed Plover, Marmora's & River Warblers, finding Red-rumped Swallow in The Homeland, Black-eared Wheatear, Pallid & Alpine Swifts & Green Heron.

American Wigeon + Highlights:Alder Flycatcher/Green Heron/Sharp Tailed Sandpiper/Trumpeter Finch/Kentish Plover + PIED-BILLED GREBE/BLACK EARED WHEATEAR/ARCTIC WARBLER/E OLIVACEOUS WARBLER/SYKE'S WARBLER/MARMORA'S WARBLER/ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE/PALLID SWIFT/LESSER KESTREL + RIVER WARBLER[heard only/n/c] + HOUSE FINCH [ n/c]

Black-throated Thrush (2), Ring-necked Duck, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Broad-billed Sandpiper (2), Great White Egret, IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF, TRUMPETER FINCH, White-rumped Sandpiper, Whiskered Tern, Purple Heron, Montagu's Harrier, Baird's Sandpiper, Balearic Shearwater, Spotted Crake, SYKES'S WARBLER, Bonaparte's Gull, EASTERN OLIVACEOUS WARBLER, Greenish Warbler, Wryneck, Firecrest, Lapland Bunting, Barred Warbler, White-winged Black Tern, SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER, Woodchat Shrike, Shorelark, Great Grey Shrike (2), Yellow-browed Warbler, Red-flanked Bluetail (2), Dusky Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Snow Geese (6), Little Auk, Pomarine Skuas, Pallas's Warbler, Rough-legged Buzzard, AMERICAN BITTERN, GREEN HERON, PIED-BILLED GREBE, Squacco Heron, Ross's Goose (not counted), Bewick Swans (7), Mealy Redpoll (+40), Arctic Redpoll (2)

21 Dec 10 (BBA – 269)~ Black-throated Diver ~ Pied-billed Grebe ~ Rough-legged Buzzards ~ Yellow Browed, Dusky & Pallas’s Warbler ~ Jack Snipe ~ Red-breasted Flycatcher ~ Hooded Crow ~ Richard’s Pipit ~ Grey Phalarope ~ Leach’s Petrel ~ Black Tern ~ Red-necked Phalarope ~ Ring-necked Parakeet ~ Squacco Heron ~ Western Bonelli’s Warbler ~ Little Stint ~ GREAT SNIPE ~ Common Rosefinch ~ EASTERN OLIVACEOUS WARBLER ~ Sooty & Balearic Shearwater ~ Red-backed Shrike ~ Barred Warbler ~ Baird’s Sandpiper ~ Whiskered Tern ~ King Eider ~ Pectoral & Buff-breasted Sandpiper ~ River Warbler ~ Nightjar ~ Honey Buzzard ~ Broad-Billed Sandpiper ~ MARMORA'S WARBLER ~ Great Reed Warbler ~ Savi's Warbler ~Purple Heron ~ ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE ~ Iberian Chiffchaff ~ Golden Eagle ~ Bufflehead ~ Hoopoe ~ Ring-billed Gull ~ Black Kite ~ Black-throated Thrush

Counties visited: Berkshire, Cambridgeshire, Carmarthenshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Devon, Durham, Glamorganshire, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Monmouthshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Radnorshire, Rutland, Suffolk.
Highlights: Lesser Scaup, Long-billed Dowitcher, Black Duck, Little Bunting, Black Kite, Alpine Swift, LESSER KESTREL, PALLID SWIFT, ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE, TRUMPETER FINCH, Marsh Warbler, Red-footed Falcon, Bluethroat, Black-winged Stilt X5, MARMORA'S WARBLER, Blue-winged Teal, WHITE-TAILED LAPWING, White-winged Black Tern X2, Whiskered Tern, Barred Warbler, King Eider, Pallas's Warbler, American Golden Plover.
Latest: 31/12 Not too bad a way to end the year - Iceland Gull & Jack Snipe.

Couple of weeks on Shetland end sept/oct brought some lifers - but strangely still lacking a few that are usually bankers!Week on Shetland brought Bonxie and Arctic Skua plus seabirds and Black-throated Divers- one female RNPhalarope and hundreds of Storm Petrels!King Eider in midst of a massive Eider flock! But dipped Surf Scoter; and the Paddyfield Warbler -on a trip to Noss when news broke.Iberian Chiffchaff (Kent and Wales ) Uk Lifer, Bufflehead and Marmora's Warbler Lifers, Full list on www bubo.org. Sorry Sam its all Seth's fault - at the RB Shrike yesterday (not been able to do as much birding as I wished this year - small matter of Local Elections , so am missing some usual birds as well as a couple more lifers (grr) Still a week on Shetland soon might help claw back a few!

Most in Leics/Rutland so far, with 181 at Rutland Water. Just 30 BBRC birds, but 20 of them are Glossy Ibises: the Whitby BTThrush, Oriental Pratincole, Gt Reed Warbler, MARMORA'S, IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF, the Filey King Eider, my own Whiskered Tern at Rutland Water, Wilson's Phalarope, RFBluetail and Lesser Yellowlegs.

It's all over now. Broke the NON-MOTORISED YEAR LIST RECORD previously held by Chris Mills by 2. Had forgotten to put the great reed warbler on my list and KESTREL from January the 2nd!!! Long-eared owl, garganey, woodlark and Caspian gull, bean geese, Black Brants, 5 cranes, firecrest, golden pheasant, male hen harrier, 3 barn owls, grey phalarope, green-winged teal. Before these : waxwing, american wigeon, , little auk, little gull and sooty shearwater, 3 pectoral sand, sykes warbler arctic warbler rb flicker buff-bellied pipit, buff breasted sandpiper, bluethroat, subalpine, yellow-browed and pallas' grasshopper warblers, arctic and common redpolls, jack snipe and common rosefinches as year ticks on Fair Isle. So far the birdy highlights - 3 Golden eagle, 4 white-tailed sea eagle, 10 osprey, Dotterel, Great reed warbler, Bonaparte's gull, 3 lesser scaup, 3 ring-necked drakes, Red breasted goose, cirl buntings, 4 Great white egret, Great grey shrike, 3 water pipits, Green-winged teal and found a black redstart at Severn Bridge. Please go to my website www.bikingbirder2010.blogspot.com to get more details on my trip and how to sponsor the charities I am supporting, namely ASTHMA UK, WWT & the RSPB. Cycled to every RSPB & WWT nature reserve. Also look at my blog at www.bikingbirder2010.blogspot.com. Thanks.

Late Dec - Many Geese (Inc Lesser) Early Sept - Wryneck & Curlew Sand, August Pec sand & Hoopoe Mid July White-Tailed Plover & GW Egret - Mid June - New Forest Honey Buzzard, Goshawk, Spot Fly Late May - Norfolk/Suffolk Golden Oriole, Crane, Bittern, Monty's etc. Early May - Scottish Speciality Clean Up (Inc Corncrake in flight on Iona) - UK Additions this year - BUFFLEHEAD, IBERIAN CHIFF, WHISKERED TERN & WHITE-TAILED PLOVER

SYKES'S WARBLER ~ EASTERN OLIVACEOUS WARBLER ~ Green Heron ~ Black-Eared, Pied & Desert Wheatears ~ Black Kite ~ Squacco Heron ~ Bufflehead ~ Tawny Pipit ~ Little Bunting ~ Whiskered Tern ~ Alpine Swift ~ Ring-Billed Gull ~ Rough-Legged Buzzard (2 One Self Found) Black-Throated Thrush.

31/12 Highlights: Black-throated thrush, Surf Scoter, Oriental Pratincole, RL Buzzard, Franklin's Gull, King Eider, Whiskered Tern, displaying Bluethroat, Alpine Swift, RR swallow, Iberian chiffchaff, Baird's sand, Kentish plover, Western Bonelli's, Wilson's phalarope. Full list ob BUBO.

17/10 highlights Brown Shrike, Alpine Swift, Pallid Swift, Lesser Kestrel, Iberian Chiff Chaff, Trumpeter Finch, Red-footed Falcon, Marsh Warbler, Alder? Flycatcher, Western Bonellis, Pallas's Warbler but not including House Finch

Brown Flycatcher of course!!!, Lesser Kestrel, Parrotbill, Scotbill, Am. Wigeon, Black-throated Thrush, Ring-necked Duck, RL Buzzard, Dusky Warbler, Bufflehead

29/8 Kentish & Pec Eyebrook Curlew Sand Rutland Water 1/8 Ad Franklin's Gull Gailey (5th attempt!) 9/7 WHITE-TAILED PLOVER Slimbridge WWT 4/7 Buff-breasted Sand Titchwell 3/7 5 Spoonbills Cley 28/6 Purple Heron(s) Dungeness 20/6 Red-necked Phalarope Upton Warren 14/6 White-spotted Bluethroat 10/6 MARMORA'S WARBLER 6/6 Monty & Dartford Warbler Norfolk 5/6 Golden Oriole Lakenheath Stone Curlew Suffolk 5 B-W Stilts Titchwell Nightjars Dersingham 23/5 White-winged Black Terns Rutland Water 21/5 Golden Eagle Mull Corncrake Rock Dove Arctic Terns & Bonxie Iona 20/5 White-tailed Eagle Mull 19/5 Hoodies Gannets Razorbills & Puffins Mull 17/5 Black Grouse Capercaillie BT Divers Red Grouse & Cresties Loch Garton and surrounding area 10/5 ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE Frampton Marsh RSPB

13/11/10 PIED-BILLED GREBE in Gtr Manchester. 30/10/10 AMERICAN BITTERN & 3 stunning Firecrest in Cornwall. 07/10/10 Semi-P & Baird's Sands, R-B Gull & R-C Pochards in Essex. Overall highlights : PIED-BILLED GREBE, AMERICAN BITTERN, Cattle Egret, Fudge Duck, Lesser Scaup, King Eider, Black Kite, Kentish Plover, ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE, Semi-P Sand, Baird's Sand, Broad-Billed Sand, Franklin's Gull, W-W Blk Tern, Citrine Wag, MARMORA'S WBLR, Great Reed Wblr, SYKES'S WBLR, 'TRAILL'S FLYCATCHER', Parrot Crossbills.

Highlights: Green Heron, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Wryneck, Icterine Warbler, Barred Warbler, Lesser Scaup, Kentish Plover, Baird's Sandpiper, Bluethroat, Blue-winged Teal, Alpine Swift, Pallid Swift, Surf Scoter, Ortolan Bunting, Citrine Wagtail, Marmora's Warbler, Iberian Chiffchaff, White-winged Black Tern & Great White Egret

A more laid back approach to birding this year: Recent: scaup 28/12 tree sparrow 14/12 eider, RN grebe 07/12 RT diver, Blk redstart LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, RED-BREASTED GOOSE 05/12 waxwing 01/12 BN grebe 19/11 GREY PHAL 17/11 RN Parakeet 14/11 water pipit Highlights: STONE CURLEW, Med. Gull, RL BUZZARD, CRANE, (Taiga bean goose), SEO, LEO, shore lark, GG SHRIKE, Oxon bean, WF & PF geese, ROSE-COLOURED STARLING, glaucous gull, WOODCHAT SHRIKE, HOOPOE, ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE, curlew sandpiper, GREAT REED WARBLER, wood warbler, IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF, MARMORA'S WARBLER, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, corncrake, quail, balearic shearwater, storm-petrel, puffin, SPOTTED CRAKE, WRYNECK, GREENISH WARBLER, MELODIUS WARBLER, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, GREEN HERON, BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, pomarine skua, water pipit, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, RED-BREASTED GOOSE, GREY PHAL Blog: Gnome's Birding Diary

14/11 P/B/Grebe 13/11 Tawny Owl(at last) 11 day trip to Highlands and Northumbria; Roseate Tern, Eider, Common Rosefinch, R/T/Diver, Hooded Crow, Goldcrest, Crested Tit, Capercaille, B/T/Diver, Scottish Crossbill, Red Grouse, Parrot Crossbill, Slav Grebe, Rock Dove, Ptarmigan, Dotterel, Snow Bunting, Arctic Skua, Great Skua, Twite, Golden Eagle, Woodcock

Highest ever yearly total - Could have been much more but tailed off towards the end of the year

30! Lifers so far highlights being- Fair Isle, Marmora's Warbler, Pallid Swift, Arctic Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, American Wigeon, Pallas's Warbler and Pied-billed Grebe. Latest- American Robin. Follow my blog at http://timsbirding.blogspot.com/

15/4 Arctic Tern, 10/4 Goshawk, Tree pipit, Nightingale, Ring Ouzel, 8/4 Black Winged Stilt, 5/4 Spoonbill, Peregrine 2/4 Penduline Tit, Bonxie, Garganey , 31/3 Mealy Redpoll 30/3 Two Barred Crossbill and Stone Curlew, Lesser Kestrel - what a bird !, Pallid Swift, 5 Alpine Swifts inc 1 self found, Bufflehead, Dusky Warbler, Little Bunting, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Snow Goose, Black Throated Thrush.

29/12/10 Bewick's Swan,Willow Tit, Common Redpoll, B. OWL,L/AUK, L/EGRET,G.N.Diver,G/G/Shrike,L/Whitethroat,Pintail,Water rail,B/T/Diver,Y-B-Warbler, Marsh Warbler,Barred Warbler,Ross's Goose x2,Grey Phal.Pec Sand,Black Tern,Pied fly,Pom/Skua,Artic Skua,Semi-Pee,Little Stint,Scaup,Curlew Sand,Ruff, Red Kite,Litte Gull,Reed Warbler,Little Tern,Corncrake,White Tailed and Golden Eagle,Manx,Bonxie,Rock Dove,B.T.Diver, Broad-Billed Sandpiper,Surf Scoter,Dotterel,Tree Pipit,Gropper,Capper x 2,White Billed x2,Cresties,Scottish Cross,Osprey,Tundra Bean,Black-Red,Puffin,Ring Ouzel, Kingfisher.Bluethroat,Hoopoe,Mandarin,Shore Lark,Merlin,American wigeon,B Goose,Lesser Scaup,Jacksnipe,Firecrest,Baird's,B/N/Grebe,Waxwing,H/Harrier,W/Pipit,S/E/Owl,R/N/grebe,

Red-flanked Bluetail, Great-grey Shrike, Bewick's Swan, Green-winged Teal, Hawfinch, Waxwing, Little Auk, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Purple Sandpiper, x2 Grey Phalaropes, Little Stint, Ruff, Dotterel, Storm Petrel, Sooty Shearwater, Pomerine Skua, Arctic Skua, Great Skua, Manx Shearwater, Little Egret, Little Gull, Little Tern, Arctic Tern, Hobby, Golden Eagle, Osprey, Hen Harrier, Red Kite, Surf Scoter, White-billed Diver, G/N Diver, B/T Diver, R/T Diver, Cuckoo, Capercaillie, Scottish Crossbill, Crested Tit, Willow Tit, Bearded Tit, Shore Lark, Ring Ouzel, Yellow Wagtail, Water Pipit, Tree Pipit, Pied Flycatcher, Pallas's Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Barred Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Reed Warbler, Gropper, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Firecrest, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Tawny Owl, Barn Owl, Lapland Bunting, Snow Bunting, Black-necked Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Smew, American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup, Greater Scaup, Ross's Goose, Greeland White-front, Black Grouse & Jack Snipe

Doing a Butterfly Big Year, didn't even bother with the Marmora's... April's LESSER KESTREL and PALLID SWIFT were British lifers as was the American Bittern in November. Will the twitching spark ever be rekindled..? See www.butterflyblitz2010.webs.com for my latest adventures!

LESSER KESTREL, Marmora's Warbler, Alpine Swift, Oriental Pratincole, Great Reed Warbler and 176 species in Leics/Rutland including BUFF-BREASTED SAND. Latest - White-tailed Plover (07/07).

Black Brant, Caspian Gull, Hen Harrier (male), Penduline Tit, Dusky Warbler, Ring Ouzel, Tawny Owl, Goshawk, Honey Buzzard, Dartford Warbler, King Eider, Pectoral Sandpiper, Pied Flycatcher, Chough, White-rumped Sandpiper, Buff-Breasted Sandpiper, Lapland Bunting.

BRITISH TICKS-Bufflehead,Gull Billed Tern,Black Kite,Roseate Tern,White Tailed Plover,Iberian Chiffchaff,Trumpeter Finch,Marmora's Warbler,Bluethroat,Richard's Pipit,Pied-Billed Grebe LOCALLY-Glossy Ibis,Shore lark,Grey & Red Necked Phalarope,Black Tern,Black Necked Grebe,Ferruginous Duck,Lesser Scaup,Little Bittern,Red Necked Grebe,Cattle Egret,Long Tailed Duck,Lapland Bunting,Ring Necked Duck

Highlights of year - Western Bonelli's Warbler (Bempton), Black Redstart (Langsett), Pectoral Sandpiper (Kilnsea), Barred Warbler (Kilnsea), Wood Sandpiper (Old Moor), Crane (Yorks), Roseate Tern (Coquet Island), Montagu's Harrier (S.Yorks), Iberian Chiffchaff (Potteric), Goshawk (Derbys), American Wigeon (Martin Mere), Ring-necked Duck (Pugneys), Great White Egret (Bretton), Common Redpoll (Titchwell), Velvet Scoter (Titchwell), Ferruginous Duck (Calder), Smew (Calder), Bittern (Potteric). Not counting S.Yorks Black Grouse on this list due to probable Cat E status. Full list at http://steelcitybirding.tumblr.com

SPONSORED JANUARY LIST COMBINED WITH RALLYING. All proceeds doubled by The Barclays Bank Community Project and then donated to RSPB........Serin, Bonxie, Spot Sand, Snow Goose, Fudge,Shorelark, Goshawk,Dartfords, GWE, RUDDY DUCK, Glaucous Gull, Iceland and Caspian Gull, Great Grey Shrike, Dipper, Black Guillemot, Chough, Hawfinch, Blackcap, big scalp Lesser Spot, GND, RCP, LEO, AVFC, GWT. Golden Pheasant, Waxwing, Beans..... South West or bust..... Glossy Ibis, Woodlark, Surf Scoter, Black-throats, Cattle Egret, Balearic, Black Red, RND, JEF, Cirl, Firecrest, Water Pipit, Spoonbill, BNG, Bearded T... BIG DAY JAN 22 2010 ...Red-legged Partridge !!! Parakeet, Rose-coloured Starling, Jack Snipe. On to Scotland ....Black-throated Thrush, Red-necked Grebe, Velvets, LTD, Black Grouse, masses of Red Grouse but the white things were all Mountain Hares. Crested Tit, King Eider. To the East..Rough-legged Buzzard, SEO, Lap Bunt and Twite. 199, one day to go and with the aid of the back of an envelope 200 was always the target. Totally burnt out so couldn't even be bothered with another R-l Buzz. The best bet for 31st was the most dependable BLACK KITE ever. A saunter across Wales combined with a bit more snow rallying saw 200 at 1315 hrs. Thank you again to Gary Briddick ( hope you enjoyed your Virtual January) and enjoy running about for the rest of the year. I'm back to BTO Surveys. RIP JEF, THE TOP MAN.

Oriental Pratincole, Purple Heron, Hoopoe, Temmink's Stint, Honey buzzard, Iberian Chiff, Lesser Kestrel, Palid Swift, Two Barred Crossbill, Bluethroat, Golden Oriole

7 Lifers this year - PALLID SWIFT, ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE, MARMORA'S WARBLER, WHITE-TAILED PLOVER + HOUSE FINCH + PIED-BILLED GREBE. Latest - NORTHERN HARRIER (30.12.10) Follow my blog at - ianbennellsbirdingblog.blogspot.com

Two new: MARMORA'S WARBLER, ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE.
One splendid year tick: Trumpeter Finch; and lots of other great stuff as well.

30.3.10 Latest: Alpine Swift & Wheatear. Highlight's: Alpine Swift ~ Bufflehead ~ Hoopoe ~ Spoonbill ~ Hooded Merganser(2) ~ Great-White Egret ~ Hawfinch ~ Rough-Legged Buzzard ~ Ring-Billed Gull ~ Great Grey Shrike ~ American Wigeon ~ Waxwing ~ Rose-Coloured Starling ~ Black Brant ~ Snow Goose ~ Black Kite ~ Ring-Necked Duck (2) ~ Black-Throated Thrush ~ Firecrest ~ Bean Goose (Taiga & Tundra) ~ Shorelark ~ Iceland Gull ~ Water Pipit ~ Glaucous Gull (Self found) ~ Mealy Redpoll ~ Smew ~ Lapland Bunting ~ Bittern ~ Black Redstart ~ Ruddy Duck :-)

Ruddy Duck, Bewick's Swan, White-fronted Goose, Glossy Ibis, Little Owl, Red-crested Pochard. Blog: http://dippersrgreat.blogspot.com. Full list on Bubo listing.