Thursday, December 28, 2006

Birders and their lists - it's what makes us tick!

I'm sure I'm not the only birding sole to find themsevles checking over their lists come the end of the year. Make sure everything is in order. Everything that should be ticked is ticked.

Mine was spurred on by my 140th local patch tick in the form of a Woodcock which Liz and I flushed from an open arable field margin on the fen this afternoon. Shame it wasn't my 122nd garden tick tho - that would count as both!

As one's lists get ever bigger, adding to them gets ever more difficult. I've been lucky tho this year as I have added to all my important local lists -

Garden List - six species added in 2006 - Siskin, Whimbrel, Black Tern, Egyptian Goose, American Golden Plover, Twite. End of year total = 121 - and keeps me in fourth place in the Cambs county garden list stakes! Only ten behind third place - maybe still a few years away tho.

Farcet Fen List - three species added in 2006 - the above garden goodies plus Honey-buzzard, American Golden Plover, Twite. End of year total = 140.

Peterborough Area List - four species added in 2006 - Honey-buzzard, Nightjar, American Golden Plover, Twite. End of year total of 227 puts me joint highest in the Peterborough area listers with the old boy Martin Coates.

Garden moth list - lots added, but the stars being the large influx of migrant moths including Convolvulus Hawkmoth (2), The Vestal (4), Great Brocade (3), Small Mottled Willow (13) and the stacks of Hummingbird Hawkmoths around this year, with a max coun of seven around the house.

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