On Reflection

Lanceolated warbler, Shetland Isles - bird of the year, but not photo of the year!

31st December 2010

I think for me 2010 has been a great birding year. So many memorable moments that I've forgotten some of them already. Some great twitches: the American Bittern, Mamora's and Syke's Warblers. The most satisfying tick though, was Lanceolated warbler on Shetland. By no means the rarest bird of the year but a bird I'd never got near since dipping a bird in the dark at Rimac, Lincs. sometime in the last century.

The most disappointing 'dip' though was undoubtedly missing out on the Brown Flycatcher at Buckton, East Yorks.

Enjoyed a lot of local birding this year with one or two good 'finds'. The County year list kept me on my toes. I ended up with 182 species not including a couple of noteworthy sub species. This was a couple of species better than the previous best. I must thank all those who have fed me with information from all corners of the county.

STOP PRESS:

Six Waxwings have just landed in the garden again, reminding me of an unforgetable moment I'd forgotten when I woke to find 20 outside the bedroom window.

I was also lucky to have enjoyed a few very successful trips to some of the more far flung parts of the Western Palearctic region, saw some wonderful birds and met alot of really nice people.

So to Friends and Birders everywhere have a great New Year.