New Year miscount!....

Oh no! Once i started writing out my yearlist I've realised that I wrote Greenshank down TWICE in my notebook, meaning I only actually saw 99 species on th Islands! Gutted! Should have tried harder for those Guillemots and Razorbills!

A Very Happy New Year!

When you get the opportunity to work on the Isles of Scilly over the new year period you just dont turn it down! So on December 31st I flew out of Penzance headed for St Mary's to spend five days. Lovely.

Anyway, to cut a long story of four days birding/working short, I managed to see 100 species! The first birder on the islands to reach a tonne in 2011. This was finally achieved this morning with a Great Spotted Woodpecker in Holy Vale, a scarce bird on Scilly and a Scilly tick for me. I got at least 6 Scilly tick during my visit including Waxwing, Eider, Red-breasted Merganser and three superb Long-eared Owl. Other good birds included Rose-coloured Starling, Spoonbill (2+), Firecrest (4+), Woodcock (lots!), Jack Snipe, Hooded Crow, Jackdaw (only three birds on Scilly!!), Brent and Pink-footed Geese and Long-tailed Duck. One-hundred species on the islands is a good total and even more so when you think i still havent seen a magpie!

Can't wait to go back in October!

Waxwing Woe....

After missing the Waxwings at Hayle earlier in the month, thanks to poor communication again, the onset of more inclement weather brought with it the hope of catching up with more of these avian gems. I wasn't expecting one (or more?) flying over my house, which is why I was carrying a bag of rubbish (to the dustbin) and not my bins, when i heard the unmistakable ringing call!! A mad dash for the Lieca's and scan after scan of the mid afternoon sky proved fruitless. Gutted. Waxwing over the garden, heard only! A Peregrine half an hour later was scant consolation.

I know we 've been lucky with the snow down here but I drove up to Torquay (and back!) this morning and the snowscapes across Bodmin and Dartmoor were outstanding!

The Big Year, read it.

Ive just closed the final pages on Mark Obmasciks' 'The Big Year', which follows the exploits of three American Birders, hell bent on seeing the most species of bird in North America in one year, 1998. Its a gripping read and one that really does put our UK yearlisters to shame. The winner, Sandy Komito, finished on a total of 745 birds, logging 270,000 airmiles and spending over $60,000 in the process! It makes you wonder why people in the UK bother!? Anyway, back to the county list......................

287.....and counting!

What a great October and early November we've had in the county! Who would have predicted Green Heron AND American Bittern turning up, both superb birds, one slightly more obliging than the other! (don't belive the rumours about flushing the other either!) Well I was fortunate to connect with both birds, both of course were county ticks (neither were lifers), which got me thinking about my county list. On totting it up one evening I found Im quite near to the 300 mark, which isn't too bad for 7 years in the county. So I decided to make it next years goal to get to 300.

A trip to Devon with Ash and his Mum (Thanks for driving Kay!) to see the American Robin was a success with it being a lifer for Ash and my third for the UK. More importantly we called at Golia Falls on the way back for Treecreeper etc, found some nice Brambling amongst the Chaffinches and a timely stop at Ninebridges produced two very showy Willow Tits, county tick 286 for me. 14 to go.

American Robin, distant record shot!

I can't believe a goose could cause me so many problems. The Greenland Whitefront was reported sporadically then daily from the Hayle Estuary but could i find it!................

Anyway, today with a little help from Mr Barnard (Thanks Chris) I finally managed to see the bird as it swam with two Canadas in the main channel. Another county tick, 287. Hopefully 13 will not be unlucky for me!