The raptor stream


#BWKM0 ND&B garden challenge
DAY 38

Blue skies + light winds = raptors drifting through - at least that is the case here in Banstead. Another day of Common Buzzards and Red Kites dribbling through, mostly eastwards. I must have surpassed 300 CBs and 70+ RKs so far during the challenge, but even so, each and every one of them gets a good grilling and they still have the power to excite me. Maybe it's because that I can still clearly remember the days when just the one would have me dancing around the garden with joy. Long may they drift on by...

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OUR COMBINED TOTAL (BRITISH ISLES GARDENS) IS 177 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 

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
Robin S (Cranleigh, Surrey) - Bar-tailed Godwit
Steve W (Hawes, N Yorks) - Blackcap
Stephen R (Harrogate, Yorks) - Shelduck
Mark D (Dorking, Surrey) - Moorhen

There have been 186 garden firsts across the competition.

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Visual interlude - #17 Rye Harbour, East Sussex
A shingle and wetland wonderland by the banks of the River Rother and the shore of the English Channel. Recent reversion of farmland into saltmarsh has expanded the potential of the reserve, which was already a superb place to go birding. It has a fine suite of botanical and entomological highlights as well. If you do find yourself walking along the seashore path, do stop at this lifeboat station. It was from here, on 15 November 1928 that the Mary Stanford lifeboat was launched, in atrocious conditions, to assist the Alice, a ship in trouble off of Dungeness. All 17 of the lifeboat's crew were lost at sea on that mission. As a mark of respect and in remembrance of them, this station was never used again. I always stop to think of those poor, brave souls.
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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/42; Bernard B (Ruckinge, Kent) 107/63; 
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) 43/41; 
Daniel W (NW London) xx/xx; Dave B (Chatham Islands, Pacific Ocean) 30/29;
Dave P (Shoreham, West Sussex) 55/43; David S (West Raynham, Norfolk) 87/62;
Debbie S (Portland, Dorset) 155/50; Dylan W (Thanet, Kent) 111/57; 
Ed S (Farncombe, Surrey) 79/77;  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) 113/48; Ian W (Merton Park, London) 86/48; 
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) 140/90; 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) 101/75;  
Robin S (Cranleigh, Surrey) 101/54; Sam B (Enniskeane, Cork) 67/69; 
Seamus E (Thornton Cleveleys, Lancs) 67/40; Sean M (Pinner, London) 50/40;
Seth G (Uig, Skye) 64/52; Stephen R (Harrogate, Yorks) 66/46;
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

Reuben Braddock said…
Hi Steve, the House Martin I had over today was also a garden first for me. Thanks for all the work! Reuben
26 April 2020 at 18:22
Gibster said…
I've often wondered about that building at Rye, that's a sombre tale indeed. When I was living on Scillies the RNLI team retrieved the body of one of their own two weeks after he went missing. Seventeen lost souls eh, that's very sad.
26 April 2020 at 18:26
Simon Douglas Thompson said…
Saw a slightly tatty male buzzard doing his thing while I was out cycling today
26 April 2020 at 19:23
Fleetwood Bird Observatory said…
Hello Steve,

Apologies for not being in touch for a day or two, but I haven't had any new species for the lockdown period until today. I unblocked Pied Wagtail, taking me to 41 species.

Cheers,

Seumus

Seumus E Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire
26 April 2020 at 19:55
Gibster said…
Up to 56 now Steve, thanks to Sand Martin, Peregrine, Grey Wagtail and (best of all) Starling!
26 April 2020 at 22:05
bob smith said…
6 Swifts over garden takes my tally to 36.

Best Wishes
Bob
27 April 2020 at 17:20
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