14 days and counting...

#BWKM0 ND&B garden challenge
DAY 35
Dylan W kindly provided this image of a Chiffchaff from his Thanet, Kent garden
There was a mini-landmark here in Banstead today, as I chalked up my 70th species for this challenge when a group of four Common Swifts scooted through. Back on March 20th I estimated that I should reach 60, possibly 65 species, but considered 70 to be too ambitious a target. I have now used up all of my 'banker' species however. Of the possibles still to come there is an outside chance of a late Fieldfare or Brambling; a Lesser Redpoll in what has been a dire winter for them locally; or a drop-by Willow Warbler or Lesser Whitethroat, neither annual in the garden. I have been aware of reports of flocks of Mediterranean Gulls flying over gardens to the south, west, north and east of me and scan the skies in hope. I still haven't given up on a Marsh Harrier or Osprey paying me a fleeting visit - and have a quiet confidence that there must be some more waders to come - especially if I carry on sitting outside in the dark. Two weeks to go. There is still much to play for.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

OUR COMBINED TOTAL (BRITISH ISLES GARDENS) IS 175 SPECIES   Still to be recorded are: Pochard, Common Sandpiper, any skua, Arctic Tern, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Whinchat.

Our oversea's gardens (New Zealand and Albania) add an additional 22 SPECIES 

Todays additions are: Glossy Ibis (Martin C) and Lesser Whitethroat (Matt P)

You can find the combined #BWKM0 list by clicking on the right-hand tab above.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ENTRIES
Our 'garden collective' stands at 59

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Garden firsts
Bernard B (Ruckinge, Kent) - Ring Ouzel
Sam B (Enniskeane, Cork) - Coot
Mark N (Stutton, Suffolk) - Mediterranean Gull

There have been 174 garden firsts across the competition.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Visual interlude - #14 Ramsdean Down and Rake Bottom, Hampshire
Whisper it, but I find the South Downs to be a more majestic and wild place than my beloved North Downs. Here before you is the haunt of Duke of Burgundy Fritillaries, but you will spend as much time gawping at the spectacular scenery as the butterflies.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

How are we getting on?
Alphabetical order by first name. The first figure is the garden score as on March 20th. The second is since then (as up to date as I am aware).

Arjun D (Wallington, Surrey) - 74/66; Bene A (Tirana, Albania) xx/30;
Benno W (Goodnestone, Kent) xx/37; Bernard B (Ruckinge, Kent) 107/62; 
Bob S (Worcester Park, Surrey) 86/35; Callum M (Hemel Hempstead, Herts) 64/61;
Cheech A (Langley Vale, Surrey) xx/38; Chris P (Claygate, Surrey) - 43/40; 
Dave B (Chatham Islands, Pacific Ocean) 30/29; Dave P (Shoreham, West Sussex) - 55/43; 
David S (West Raynham, Norfolk) - 87/59; Debbie S (Portland, Dorset) 155/50; 
Dylan W (Thanet, Kent) 111/54; Ed S (Farncombe, Surrey) - 79/77;  
Gavin H (Bridport, Dorset) xx/46;  Geoff B (Chessington, Surrey) 69/28; 
Gill H (Tenterden, Kent) 60/31; Gordon H (Redhill, Surrey) 80/46; 
Ian K (Leigh, Surrey) 62/37; Ian S (Sidcup, Kent) - 113/48; 
Ian W (Merton Park, London) 86/47; Isaiah R (New Malden, London) 76/52; 
John P (Banstead, Surrey) xx/xx; Jono L (Wanstead, London) 83/67; 
Josephine S (Leatherhead, Surrey) 40/40; Justin T (Charmouth, Dorset) 59/32;
Mark D (Dorking, Surrey) 59/54; Mark H (Littlestone, Kent) 135/61:
Mark N (Stutton, Suffolk) - 77/61; Martin C (Lydd, Kent) 140/89;
Mathew B (Wrotham, Kent) - 33/51; Matt P (Pulborough, West Sussex) 126/106;   
Michael D (Craster, Northumberland) 106/62; Mike P (Malling, Kent) 70/62; 
Mike R (Battle, East Sussex) 97/51;  Oscar D (Chiswick, London) - 67/64;
Paul D (London) 84/44; Pete B (Shadoxhurst, Kent) 101/48;
Phil B (Ramsgate, Kent) 54/30; Rebecca G (Balham, London) xx/15;
Reuben B (Tufnell Park, London) - 45/44; Richard F (Pinner, London) 63/35;
Richard P (Charmouth, Dorset) - 101/75;  Robin S (Cranleigh, Surrey) - 101/53; 
Sam B (Enniskeane, Cork) - 67/65; Seamus E (Thornton Cleveleys, Lancs) - 67/40; 
Sean M (Pinner, London) - 50/39; Seth G (Uig, Skye) 64/50;  
Stephen R (Harrogate, Yorks) 66/43; Steve C (Guildford, Surrey) 66/37; 
Steve G (Banstead, Surrey) - 92/70; Steve T (Ewell, Surrey) 59/36;
Steve W (Hawes, N Yorks) - 91/59; Stewart S (Howick, Northumberland) 131/74;
Stuart C (Walkern, Herts) - xx/63;  Sye W (Aston Clinton, Bucks) - xx/40;
Tony B (Woodford, London) 69/52; Wes A (Capel, Surrey) - 96/87

THE CHALLENGE WILL END AT 18.00hrs ON THURSDAY MAY 7th

Comments

Steven W said…
Redstart & Red-legged Partridge to put me on 61 please Steve
23 April 2020 at 21:41
Chris P said…
Hi Steve, I creep ever on with Cormorant to add to mine please.
24 April 2020 at 07:17
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Kwowww"

On Tuesday evening, at 20.05hrs, I was taking out the rubbish, when I heard a call from south-west of the house. I froze, knowing what it was at once, but scarcely believing it. I had listened to this call on Xeno-Canto many times, getting ready for such a moment but not really considering it something that I would hear over the back garden. After 15 seconds the call came again from the blackness, now directly over head. Yes, there was no mistaking it! Another 20 seconds it called a third time - now further away to the north-east... "Kwowww" A lazy drawl, part bark, part yelp. A Bittern. Nocturnal flight-call. I went back inside and played the call on Xeno Canto just to make sure that I had remembered everything correctly. I had. Bloody hell, a Bittern over suburban Banstead! And only a week after an Arctic Skua had blessed me just a mile or so away. Sometimes the birding Gods do smile on you. To some birders these two species are just small fry, mere starters to the main cou
Read more

Mike Netherwood

Image
I first met Mike Netherwood at Beddington Sewage Farm in early 1975, me being an ultra-keen and ultra-green 16-year old birder, he some 20 years my senior. Mike, together with Ken Parsley, were the remnants of a once much larger ringing group which carried out the trapping and ringing of birds across the open expanse of the sewage farm. Whenever I bumped into them, which I often did, they would both tolerate my many questions about what they had seen and trapped and listen to me waxing lyrical about my own observations. Over the coming months they showed me how they caught the birds, allowed me to witness the ringing and measuring of them and, if I were very lucky, allow me to help them out by holding mist-net poles, carrying bird bags or writing down (scribing) the data that they were collecting into notebooks. By the summer of 1976 I had joined them, proudly in possession of my trainee ringer's permit. For the next three years (until I 'defected' to Dungeness) I spent man
Read more

To tell it like it is, or not...

Image
I am grateful to Gavin Haig (Not Quite Scilly) who drew my attention to an opinion piece, penned by Matt Phelps, which appeared in the November issue of 'Birdwatch' magazine, entitled 'Positive Approach', which I have now read. In it, he suggests that there is too much negativity being posted on social media regarding the state of our birding world, which is then acting as a deterrent towards a younger generation in adopting conservation and wildlife study. He also suggests that a lot of this negativity is being generated by older birders, and that these old timers keep banging on about the 'good old days' which isn't helpful in encouraging the youth to pick up a pair of binoculars and get out into the field. Does he have a point? Now, I am undeniably an older birder, and I am also guilty of having posted, blogged, written and spoken about the slump in bird and invertebrate numbers. I also like nothing better than to revisit my notebooks and share in the hi
Read more