Saturday 31 December 2016

2016 Highlights

2016 was a truly exceptional year for birds and certainly my best to date: 

January:

The year got off to a good start on 1st January with breif views of the DUSKY WARBLER at Ham Wall and one of the Yellow-Browed Warblers on Yeovil Openspace (there was a couple reports of 2 this month, but personally I can't say I saw both after the New Year). One bird stayed until 14th January at least.

Yellow-Browed Warbler - Yeovil Openspace
 

Februrary: 

Had my first Glossy Ibis of the year at Exminster Marshes.

Glossy Ibis - Exminster Marshes
 
A couple days in Cornwall failed to produce the pacific diver, but there was plenty of compensation including some stonking larids: a 1st winter AMERICAN HERRING GULL at Mousehole and 2 Glaucous Gulls at Newlyn. Also had a breif in-flight view of the HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL at Perranuthnoe.

AMERICAN HERRING GULL - Mousehole
 
Glaucous Gulls - Newlyn
 
Toward the end of the month I got the Ring-Necked Duck at Glastonbury Heath and the Pallas's Warbler at Portesham.

Ring-Necked Duck - Glastonbury Heath
 
Pallas's Warbler - Portesham
 
Also of note this month was finding an overwintering Ring Ouzel on my suburban street! Quite a cool find for Feburary. It lingered until early April at least, and I saw it on several occasions at early morning or late evening.

Ring Ouzel - Yeovil
 

March:

Only rarity seen this month was the LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER at Keyhaven which showed down to a few metres (which was lucky as there was heavy fog that day).

LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER - Keyhaven
 

April:

Another attempt to find the pacific diver in Cornwall again proved unsuccessful. Other highlights included an Iceland Gull at St Just and better views of the HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL again at Perranuthnoe.

Iceland Gull - St Just
 
HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL - Perranuthnoe
 
Got up to Tealham Moor one evening where I quickly located the White Stork, and a couple of trips to Portland produced a confiding Hoopoe and a western-race SUBALPINE WARBLER.

White Stork - Tealham Moor
 
Hoopoe - Portland
 

May:

A day in the Southeast proved well worth the journey. After just 2 hours of waiting, I had a brief view of the Lady Amherst's Pheasant at Lidlington, and the day was rounded off by the RUFOUS TURTLE DOVE at Otford, Kent.

RUFOUS TURTLE DOVE - Otford
 
Finally caught up with a long-time bogey bird at Exminster Marshes; an adult Purple Heron.

Purple Heron - Exminster Marshes
 
A rush down to Portland one evening proved uncessessary, as the GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO stayed for months. Gave great views while I was there.

GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO - Portland
 
A last minute day trip to South Wales proved worth while with a cracking adult SQUACCO HERON at Ogmore and eventually got a brief view of the SAVI'S WARBLER at Newport Wetlands.

SQUACO HERON - Ogmoor
 
Reeling SAVI'S WARBLER - Newport Wetlands
 

June:

Only bird of note this month was a Woodchat Shrike at Great Hill, Dorset.

Woodchat Shrike - Great Hill
 

July:

A couple of twitches to Ham Wall allowed me to connect with COLLARED PRATINCOLE, LITTLE BITTERN and Glossy Ibis.

COLLARED PRATINCOLE - Ham Wall
 
Glossy Ibis - Ham Wall
 
A week spent in Norfolk/Lincolnshore produced a great selection of birds, the highlights of which included a CASPIAN TERN at Hickling Broad, BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER and Pectoral Sandpiper at Frampton Marsh, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at Snettisham and self-found Montagu's Harrier at Bircham Newton and Honey Buzzard near Basingstoke.
CASPIAN TERN - Hickling Broad
 

BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER - Frampton Marsh
 
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER - Snettisham
 
Pectoral Sandpiper - Frampton Marsh
 

August:

Pleased with the collection of sandpipers from the Norfolk trip, I wasn't expecting to get a LEAST SANDPIPER at Black Hole Marsh and a SPOTTED SANDPIPER at Sutton Bingham Reservoir both in the following week!


LEAST SANDPIPER - Black Hole Marsh
SPOTTED SANDPIPER - Sutton Bingham Res
A day seawatching in Cornwall produced 4 Great Shearwaters and 44 Cory's Shearwaters, and I also finally had a look at the DALMATIAN PELICAN, though I doubt it stands much chance of getting accepted.

DALMATIAN PELICAN - Point Quay
Cory's Shearwater - Porthgwarra
Rounded the month off with 2 Wrynecks together at West Bexington.

2 Wrynecks - West Bexington

September:

The sandpiper theme continued this month with a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER at Upton Warren, Worcestershire.

BAIRD'S SANDPIPER - Upton Warren
This was followed by my 300th UK bird; the LESSER YELLOWLEGS at Fremington Pill which showed down to a few metres. Also had good views of another Glossy Ibis here.

LESSER YELLOWLEGS - Fremington Pill
Glossy Ibis - Fremington Pill
A trip to Plymouth resulted in mostly distant and one breif close up view of the LESSER GREY SHRIKE which thankfully stayed put just long enough for me to connect.

LESSER GREY SHRIKE - Plymouth

October:

A trip to East Yorkshire was in order to see the once (or 13!) in lifetime bird, the SIBERIAN ACCENTOR at Easington, a really cracking bird! Other highlights from the day included singles of RADDE'S WARBLER, Pallas's Warbler, 2 Shore Larks and 9 Tundra Bean Geese at Spurn and a SIBERIAN STONECHAT at Grimstone.

SIBERIAN ACCENTOR - Easington
SIBERIAN STONECHAT - Grimstone
Shore Lark - Spurn
Tundra Bean Geese - Spurn
Another trip up to Lincolnshire and, after several dips, I finally connected with Britains first WESTERN PURPLE SWAMPHEN at Alkborough Flats! Views were distant, light was poor and there was rain and heavy fog, but I'm just glad to have finally caught up with this thing.

WESTERN PURPLE SWAMPHEN - Alkborough Flats
Continuing on to Norfolk produced the ISABELLINE WHEATEAR at Burnham Overy Dunes and the DESERT WHEATEAR at Cley.

ISABELLINE WHEATEAR - Burnham Overy Dunes
DESERT WHEATEAR - Cley
A day at Ham Wall towards the end of the Month had me finally connect with both Glossy Ibises together.

Glossy Ibises - Ham Wall
Also of note this month was the Turtle Dove on Portland which showed like a feral pigeon!

 Turtle Dove - Portland
 
November:

Only bird of note this month was the regular Ring-Billed Gull at the Blashford Lakes roost, though not the same individual I saw here last year.

Ring-Billed Gull - Blashford Lakes
 

December:

Headed up to Beeley in Derbyshire for the lingering DUSKY THRUSH on the 10th, another nice December surprise.

DUSKY THRUSH - Beeley
Also got the HUME'S WARBLER on Portland on the 17th.

HUME'S WARBLER - Portland
Stayed in Norfolk again over Christmas. Birding highlights included singles of RED-BREASTED GOOSE and Todd's Canada Goose, at least 14 Tundra Bean Geese and 6 Waxwings.

RED-BREASTED GOOSE - Docking
Todd's Canada Goose - Docking 
 
Tundra Bean Geese - Docking
Waxwings - Costessey
December was nicely rounded off with the BLUE ROCK THRUSH at Stow-in-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, though it's origins remain a bit dubious.

BLUE ROCK THRUSH - Stow-in-the-Wold
It was a personal record-breaking year for me, with a total 41 lifers and 9 megas (previous records were 34 and 3 respectively). Happy new year to all, and good birding for 2017!