Year Listing

A focus of most Birders. It could be anything from Garden to World, I guess! Personally, I've never done a British Year List, in fact I've only "broken" 200 twice in 2002 (224) and 2004 (269) when I also did a Yorkshire List (266/7). The 3 I twitched (in case you were wondering) were...

CREAM-COLOURED COURSER

OVENBIRD

MASKED SHRIKE

Not a bad trio to roam for, I think you'd agree. Time has marched on and so has Taxonomy making comparisons impossible.

As I watch yet more precipitation through the lounge window I thought I'd fire up the "Old Thunderer" and see what my remaining targets are for 2023. As always my main focus will be on Holmpton and Duff. 

So, the Village first...

Species not seen this Year - from my Life List

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Bewick's Swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii)
Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus)
Taiga Bean Goose (Anser fabalis)
Tundra Bean Goose (Anser serrirostris)
European White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)
Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis)
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima)
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
Goosander (Mergus merganser)
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena)
Cory's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea)
Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus)
Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus)
Balearic Shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan mauretanicus)
European Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
Great White Egret (Casmerodius albus)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Black Stork (Ciconia nigra)
Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus)
Red Kite (Milvus milvus)
White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus)
Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
Red Knot (Calidris canutus)
Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)
Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus)
Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)
Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)
Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
Common Sandpiper (Tringa hypoleucos)
Pomarine Skua (Stercorarius pomarinus)
Arctic Skua (Stercorarius parasiticus)
Long-tailed Skua (Stercorarius longicaudus)
Great Skua (Catharacta skua)
Yellow-legged Gull (Larus cachinnans [argentatus])
Caspian Gull (Larus argentatus cachannins)
Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)
Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii)
Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)
Little Auk (Alle alle)
Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica)
Ring-necked Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)
European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus)
Hoopoe (Upupa epops)
Shore Lark (Eremophila alpestris)
Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)
Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus [spinoletta])
Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)
Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)
Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus)
Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)
Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin)
Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus)
Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)
Firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus)
Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)
Red-breasted Flycatcher (Ficedula parva)
Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca)
Coal Tit (Parus ater)
European Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla)
Twite (Carduelis flavirostris)
Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis flammea cabaret)
Mealy Redpoll (Carduelis flammea flammea)
Common Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)
Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)
Lapland Bunting (Calcarius lapponicus)
Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis)

My best Total was 138 in 2020. My current Year Total is 108. Erring on the cautious side as always, I've highlighted the Species I feel I should add. This would bring me to 137. Hopefully a few surprises (including PALLAS'S WARBLER) might mean I make 140 for the first time. I know this is a meagre total compared with down...and up...the road...but that doesn't concern me.

Over to Duff...

Species not seen this Year...from my Life List

Bewick's Swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii)
Taiga Bean Goose (Anser fabalis)
Tundra Bean Goose (Anser serrirostris)
Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus [fabalis])
European White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)
Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis)
Dark-bellied Brent Goose (Branta bernicla)
Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus)
American Wigeon (Anas americana)
Garganey (Anas querquedula)
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
Goosander (Mergus merganser)
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix)
Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)
Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris)
Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus)
Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Corn Crake (Crex crex)
Common Crane (Grus grus)
Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)
Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
Red Knot (Calidris canutus)
Sanderling (Calidris alba)
Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus)
Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)
Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus)
Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)
Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)
Common Sandpiper (Tringa hypoleucos)
Mediterranean Gull (Larus melanocephalus)
Iceland_ Gull (Larus glaucoides)
Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus)
Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)
Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)
Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)
Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)
Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)
Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus [spinoletta])
Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta)
Yellow Wagtail (Montacilla flava)
Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)
Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)
Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)
Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)
Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)
Marsh Tit (Parus palustris palustris)
Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio [cristatus])
Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor)
European Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla)
Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis flammea cabaret)
Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)

My best Total was again 2004 with 109 Species when I lived in the Village. I'm on 97 at the moment and my conservative additions would take me to 105. Much harder to add Species here and a strange mix? No doubt the odd mistake also lol! Maybe I'll beat my Best? Water level always key. Anyway, it'll keep me occupied for the remainder of the Year, with no doubt the occasional trip further afield plus my "Scilly Fortnight" of course!

I hope you have fun pursuing your goals...if it ever stops raining...