Six months of the 12 months have now slipped through, so time to check the state of my fowl lists – my UK record, and my Ecu record. 3 months in the past the previous used to be on 139, but it surely’s now grown to 180, whilst the Ecu record used to be 173, however has now reached a a lot more enough 303. My goal in the beginning of the 12 months used to be 200 species in the United Kingdom and 300 in Europe, so I’ve accomplished the latter, whilst the possibilities of achieving the previous are lovely excellent.
An on a regular basis fowl, the Woodpigeon. This one used to be photographed in my lawn on a rainy day in April. One has a tendency to take woodies as a right
Brown however no longer dull: a Meadow Pipit
An on a regular basis fowl it could be, however the cock Blackbird’s music is among the very best. Blackbirds sing from February thru to July
My UK record is, if truth be told, an English record, as I haven’t wandered into the adjacent international locations of Wales, Scotland and Eire this 12 months, and I don’t have any plans to take action. Till final month it used to be an East Anglian record, as I hadn’t ventured some distance from house, however a travel to Northern England final month did upload some northern specials, corresponding to Dipper and Puffin. That travel used to be amusing, because it jogged my memory of the delights of observing birds like Golden Plover or even Meadow Pipit on their breeding grounds. I see quite a lot of Golden Plovers within the wintry weather, however (like such a lot of waders) they’re birds remodeled when of their breeding finery.
Golden Plovers are so a lot more good-looking when in complete breeding plumage
I’ve noticed a trifling 21 species of waders in the United Kingdom this 12 months, when put next with 35 in Europe, and it shouldn’t be tough so as to add a number of of the birds I’ve noticed in Europe to my UK record in the following couple of weeks, as autumn passage positive aspects tempo. I haven’t, as an example, noticed a Greenshank in the United Kingdom, nor a Noticed Redshank or Wooden Sandpiper, all 3 of which might be moderately simple to peer at the Norfolk or Suffolk coasts in July and August. To be truthful, this does spotlight the quite ridiculous follow of conserving two lists – why no longer only one? The solution is as a result of BirdTrack (the bird- recording device I exploit maximum) strikes a chord in my memory every time I log-in at the state of my British record, however I’ve to scroll right down to Discover Information to test on how my total Global record (simply Europe this 12 months) is progressing.
Wooden Sandpiper. This fowl used to be in Cyprus in April; I’ve but to peer one this 12 months in the United Kingdom
There are, inevitably, a couple of birds that I in reality will have to have encountered through now however have failed to take action. I’ve noticed just a unmarried species of diver (loon) this 12 months, Crimson-throated, but when I check out exhausting sufficient it shouldn’t be too tough so as to add Nice Northern and Black-throated to the record through the top of the 12 months. Nor have I see a skua (jaeger) of any species. Each Nice and Arctic Skuas aren’t tough to search out in Norfolk in September, as they’re attracted through the tern colonies as they migrate south. Pomarine and Lengthy-tailed Skuas also are chances, and the previous from time to time wintry weather within the North Sea, off the Suffolk/Norfolk coast.
Although I’ve noticed Crimson-throated Diver this 12 months, I’ve but to search out both a Black-throated or Nice Northern any place
There are a variety of birds that I’ve encountered simply the as soon as, however they have been memorable encounters. One of the crucial very best used to be the Lengthy-eared Owl which floated previous me one night time when I used to be out in search of Nightjars on my native heath. It used to be too darkish for pictures, however nice to peer. Similarly memorable used to be the Corncrake, rasping away at nightfall at the Welney Washes in overdue June. Two centuries in the past Corncrakes have been not unusual birds in Britain, however we now best have a small remnant inhabitants that survives at the islands of the Hebrides. The Corncrake I heard used to be a part of a reintroduction challenge. For some other people this devalues the fowl, but it surely doesn’t for me, whilst this used to be the primary time that I’d ever heard a Corncrake making a song in England, with all my fresh encounters in Jap Europe.
Crakes are a number of the maximum elusive of birds, and none are simple to peer in the United Kingdom. In Cyprus in April I overjoyed in observing a number of Little Crakes plus a very best Baillon’s Crake, all of which proved simple to peer, if no longer {photograph}. Spring migration is the most productive time to peer those secretive birds, as as soon as at the breeding grounds they have a tendency to stick in quilt and infrequently display themselves.
Crakes are tough to peer on their breeding grounds. This Little Crake used to be on migration in Cyprus
Raptors are all the time thrilling to come across, and I used to be overjoyed previous within the 12 months to revel in a few sightings of wandering White-tailed Eagles in Norfolk. I haven’t finished neatly with Golden Eagles, with only a unmarried fowl, noticed in short, in Greece, in Might. For the primary time in lots of visits I failed to peer Griffon Vultures on Cyprus, the place they’re critically endangered, however I’ve noticed many in Spain this 12 months in Andalucia and each Cantabria and Castile y León. Northern Spain additionally produced my very best perspectives of Honey Buzzards (I did see one in short in Greece in Might). Two years in the past 3 summered in Norfolk, and I noticed them a number of instances, however there were no experiences this 12 months, so that is one fowl that turns out not likely to be added to my 2024 UK record.
A wandering White-tailed Eagle in Norfolk in April. This used to be an surprising come across
Griffon Vulture: not unusual in Spain, however critically endangered in Cyprus
Shrikes are one among my favorite households of birds. My first shrike of the 12 months used to be a Nice Gray within the Brecks in March, no longer too some distance from house, whilst Kerkini in Greece gave me the chance to peer Crimson-backed, Woodchat, Masked and Lesser Gray, all of which nest inside the space of the lake. I ignored seeing Iberian Gray Shrike in Andalucia in February, however after all controlled to peer one in Castile y León final month. I be mindful when those shrikes are quite common in Spain, however my observations recommend that numbers have declined sharply lately.
The shrikes are one of the good-looking of fowl households. This can be a male Woodchat, photographed on its breeding grounds in Greece in Might
List is all a little bit needless until you proportion the information: I be aware all mine on BirdTrack, which no longer best permits me to seek advice from them on the press of a keyboard and a slightly of the mouse, but additionally makes them to be had to the British Agree with for Ornithology, which runs BirdTrack. The opposite to BirdTrack is Cornell’s very good E-Fowl, which is utilized by a number of of my fellow individuals to ten,000 Birds. Each BirdTrack and E-Fowl are satisfyingly simple to make use of, so there are not any excuses for no longer doing so.
The put up Final in at the Magic Double Century seemed first on 10,000 Birds.