The geography of the gardens

#BWKM0 ND&B garden challenge
DAY 32

There are times when, as I put together each day's post, it is tempting to mention the weather, or a particular passage of birds, and am then reminded that this challenge involves gardens across the whole of our islands - plus a couple further afield. Such discussion would be of little relevance to those away from the 'south-east' bubble. Out of interest, our 'collective' comes from: Surrey (16), Kent (12), London (10), Dorset (four), Sussex (three), Yorkshire, Hertfordshire, Northumberland (all two) and Albania, New Zealand, Norfolk, Suffolk, Eire, Lancashire, Skye and Buckinghamshire (all one). It is heavily biased towards the south-east, but then again so is this blog, so no surprises there really. As the reports come in it is obvious on some days that movement over the gardens are happening on a broad front, be they of hirundines or, as on a couple of occasions, Mediterranean Gulls. The night time feast of nocturnal ducks and geese, back at the beginning of April, was shared right across our skies - as is the growing passage of waders, which will hopefully build as the month progresses and swell many a garden list. As ridiculous as it sounds, if one of our members reports a sudden burst of activity 100 miles away from me, I look up and double my efforts. Shame it didn't have the desired effect with any of the White-tailed Eagles...

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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 20 SPECIES  with Dave B adding Broad-billed Prion.

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
Gavin H (Bridport, Dorset) - Whimbrel
Arjun D (Wallington, London) - Kestrel

There have been 165 garden firsts across the competition.

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Visual interlude - #11 Loch Arkaig, Highland
It was in this area that three things happened. One - I found my first Azure Hawker. Two - I dipped on Chequered Skipper. Three - I got bitten to bits by midges. There was a happy end to the day as we found the butterfly at Spean Bridge. And the sun shone all day long.
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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) - 74/64; Bene A (Tirana, Albania) xx/30;
Benno W (Goodnestone, Kent) xx/37; Bernard B (Ruckinge, Kent) 107/60; 
Bob S (Worcester Park, Surrey) 86/34; Callum M (Hemel Hempstead, Herts) 64/61;
Cheech A (Langley Vale, Surrey) xx/38; Chris P (Claygate, Surrey) - 43/39; 
Dave B (Chatham Islands, Pacific Ocean) 30/27; 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) 86/46; Isaiah R (New Malden, London) 76/52; 
John P (Banstead, Surrey) xx/xx; Jono L (Wanstead, London) 83/64; 
Josephine S (Leatherhead, Surrey) 40/39; 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) 140/82;
Mathew B (Wrotham, Kent) - 33/50; Matt P (Pulborough, West Sussex) 126/101;   
Michael D (Craster, Northumberland) 106/58; Mike P (Malling, Kent) 70/59; 
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) - 67/61; 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) 131/66;
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

Chris P said…
Hi Steve, heard a Tawny Owl while out satellite spotting last night!Takes me up to 40. Thanks!
21 April 2020 at 09:04
Michael Drage said…
Anticyclonically slow up here! Sparrowhawk & greenfinch take my total to 106/60
21 April 2020 at 16:58
Steve Gale said…
Chris and Michael - thanks for the update. Very slow here in Surrey as well. Hoping for a bit of dirty weather to drop a few waders down low.
21 April 2020 at 17:27
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