Communication

#BWKM0 ND&B garden challenge
DAY 33

Keeping abreast of what is going on across all 59 of our gardens is made all the easier by many of the participants kindly letting me know by direct contact. That is not always possible, so I keep a keen eye out for any updates across social media. My normal methods of communication and data gleaning have been through Twitter (both posts and dm's), Messages, What'sApp, Facebook, email, Blogger, Instagram and  - wait for it - old fashioned phone conversation. The frenzy of the first couple of weeks has subsided somewhat - back then there were days when it felt as if I were running around keeping all of the plates spinning. It is quite sedate now, just the odd addition being announced, a few garden ticks being celebrated and our combined list limping along, although there are still plenty of holes to fill, some of which are quite surprising (see below).

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OUR COMBINED TOTAL (BRITISH ISLES GARDENS) IS 171 SPECIES   Still to be recorded are: Pochard, Bar-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, any skua, Arctic Tern, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Whinchat, Lesser Whitethroat.

Our oversea's gardens (New Zealand and Albania) add an additional 22 SPECIES  with Dave B adding Blue Penguin and Chatham Islands Oystercatcher.

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

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ENTRIES
Our 'garden collective' stands at 59

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Garden firsts
Sam B (Enniskeane, Cork) - Water Rail, Oystercatcher, Nightingale
Arjun D (Wallington, London) - Little Ringed Plover
Josephine S (Leatherhead, Surrey) - Swallow

There have been 170 garden firsts across the competition.

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Visual interlude - #12 Bluebell woods
The UK is the best place in the world to see Bluebells. As April rolls over into May many of our woodland floors are airbrushed with a smoky violet-blue. They persist for years where trees have been long felled. I've even see them dominate coastal headlands where the tree cover must have been removed centuries before. Beware the hybrids and the Spanish Bluebell - introduced interlopers that have jumped ship from nearby gardens or have hitched a ride with dumped soil. Sadly, a sight that many of us will miss by following the Governmental advice on staying at home unless absolutely necessary.
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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) 107/60; 
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) 111/53; 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) 80/43; 
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) 59/53; Mark H (Littlestone, Kent) 135/61:
Mark N (Stutton, Suffolk) - 77/60; Martin C (Lydd, Kent) 140/85;
Mathew B (Wrotham, Kent) - 33/50; Matt P (Pulborough, West Sussex) 126/104;   
Michael D (Craster, Northumberland) 106/60; 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) 101/47;
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) - 101/74;  Robin S (Cranleigh, Surrey) - 101/53; 
Sam B (Enniskeane, Cork) - 67/64; 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) - 92/68; Steve T (Ewell, Surrey) 59/36;
Steve W (Hawes, N Yorks) - 91/58; Stewart S (Howick, Northumberland) 131/74;
Stuart C (Walkern, Herts) - xx/63;  Sye W (Aston Clinton, Bucks) - xx/40;
Tony B (Woodford, London) 69/51; Wes A (Capel, Surrey) - 96/84

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

Comments

bob smith said…
one addition to my spring list a Cormorant west so now on 35 species

Best Wishes

Bob
21 April 2020 at 18:02
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