Day-dream believer

#BWKM0 ND&B garden challenge
DAY 39

Most of the gardens in the collective have not seen appreciable rain for weeks, so the forecast of a drop of the wet stuff both tomorrow and Wednesday is more than welcome. I have already started to daydream of flocks of terns and waders deciding to cut across Surrey and over my garden in response to it, but in reality will most probably spend tomorrow looking at the cloud and wondering why they haven't all turned up.

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OUR COMBINED TOTAL (BRITISH ISLES GARDENS) IS 179 SPECIES   Still to be recorded are: Pochard, Common Sandpiper, Arctic Skua, Arctic Tern, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Whinchat.

 Today's additions are: Bonxie (Richard P) and Bittern (Martin C).

Our oversea's gardens (New Zealand and Albania) add an additional 26 SPECIES  with Benne A, in Albania, adding Golden Oriole, Serin, Sardinian Warbler and Bee-eater.

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

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NEW ENTRY
Our 'garden collective' stands at 60

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Garden firsts
Reuben B (Tufnell Park, London) - House Martin
David S (West Raynham, Norfolk) - Bar-tailed Godwit
Arjun D (Wallington, London) - Whimbrel

There have been 189 garden firsts across the competition.

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Visual interlude - #18 Martin Down, Hampshire
This National Nature Reserve has it all. Chalk downland plants and invertebrates to die for and a suite of birds that leave you wondering whether or not you've stumbled back in time, with Corn Buntings and Turtle Doves vying for your attention along with Stone Curlews and Hobby. I've only visited twice, but on both occasions filled my notebook with memorable counts and observations.
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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) 74/67; Benne A (Tirana, Albania) xx/40;
Benno W (Goodnestone, Kent) xx/42; Bernard B (Ruckinge, Kent) 107/63; 
Bob S (Worcester Park, Surrey) 86/36; Callum M (Hemel Hempstead, Herts) 64/61;
Cheech A (Langley Vale, Surrey) xx/38; Chris P (Claygate, Surrey) 43/41; 
Daniel W (NW London) xx/xx; Dave B (Chatham Islands, Pacific Ocean) 30/29;
Dave P (Shoreham, West Sussex) 55/44; David S (West Raynham, Norfolk) 87/64;
Debbie S (Portland, Dorset) 155/50; Dylan W (Thanet, Kent) 111/57; 
Ed S (Farncombe, Surrey) 79/83;  Gavin H (Bridport, Dorset) xx/51;  
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) 113/52; Ian W (Merton Park, London) 86/49; 
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) 59/56;
Mark H (Littlestone, Kent) 135/68: Mark N (Stutton, Suffolk)  77/61;
Martin C (Lydd, Kent) 140/92; Mathew B (Wrotham, Kent) 33/51; 
Matt P (Pulborough, West Sussex) 126/109; Michael D (Craster, Northumberland) 106/62; 
Mike P (Malling, Kent) 70/64; Mike R (Battle, East Sussex) 97/53; 
Oscar D (Chiswick, London) 67/64; Paul D (London) 84/44;
Pete B (Shadoxhurst, Kent) 101/51; Phil B (Ramsgate, Kent) 54/30;
Rebecca G (Balham, London) xx/15; Reuben B (Tufnell Park, London) 45/45; 
Richard F (Pinner, London) 63/35; Richard P (Charmouth, Dorset) 101/76;  
Robin S (Cranleigh, Surrey) 101/54; Sam B (Enniskeane, Cork) 67/69; 
Seamus E (Thornton Cleveleys, Lancs) 67/41; Sean M (Pinner, London) 50/40;
Seth G (Uig, Skye) 64/56; Stephen R (Harrogate, Yorks) 66/47;
Steve C (Guildford, Surrey) 66/38; Steve G (Banstead, Surrey) 92/70; 
Steve T (Ewell, Surrey) 59/39; Steve W (Hawes, N Yorks) 91/64; 
Stewart S (Howick, Northumberland) 131/74; Stuart C (Walkern, Herts) xx/63;
Sye W (Aston Clinton, Bucks) xx/42; Tony B (Woodford, London) 69/53;
Wes A (Capel, Surrey) 96/87

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

Comments

Alastair said…
Steve,
I've neglected your blog and missed the challenge! I bird from the garden quite a bit so I would have no chance of getting a good comparitive total, however, I like the idea, and folk are surprised, no doubt, about what they can see. There are a lot of "common" species that are not so here, so I don't expect my total species since lock down will be huge either. Not such a surprise from here with great habo and an unobscured view. Not a great amount of vismig though. Hen Harrier is a quite regular garden bird, that's in the garden where they hunt our small Orkney Vole field. I've scored serious Orkney rares in the garden, Mistle Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Tree Creeper and star of the show Blue Tit. I've had some good "proper" rares as well of course. With a bit of effort I can probably solve the Pochard problem, there were two on a loch visible from the garden the other day. Fair chance of seeing Arctic Tern and Arctic Skua in the next few days as well. I'll see if I can do the math and work out what I've seen so far and what the actual garden list is, I'm not sure.
27 April 2020 at 22:19
Fleetwood Bird Observatory said…
Hello Steve,

I added Blackcap yesterday to my lockdown list, taking me to 42 species.

Cheers,

Seumus

Seumus E Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire
28 April 2020 at 09:34
Steve Gale said…
Hi Alastair, wonderful to hear from you. Plenty of time to add your garden to our merry band.

Thanks Seamus, ticking along nicely.
28 April 2020 at 17:01
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