Slowing down

#BWKM0 ND&B garden challenge
DAY 43

A slow day all round. Six days to go. Maybe we are all starting to lose a bit of our enthusiasm - it has been 43 days after all. My daily (and nightly) birding intake has dropped considerably although there is still a steely determination to add just one more species to the list before the end of play this Thursday. I still haven't had a Willow Warbler or Lesser Whitethroat - one burst of song, that's all I'm asking for! There are still a couple of species that should make it onto our combined list (particularly Whinchat) and we only need three more garden firsts to break the 200 barrier, so eyes (and ears) to the skies!

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OUR COMBINED TOTAL (BRITISH ISLES GARDENS) IS 183 SPECIES   Still to be recorded are: Arctic Skua, Arctic Tern, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Whinchat.

 Today's addition is: Turtle Dove (Benno W)

 Our oversea's gardens (New Zealand and Albania) add an additional 26 SPECIES  

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 61

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Garden firsts
Gavin H (Bridport, Dorset) - Common Scoter
Steve T (Ewell, Surrey) - Coot

There have been 197 garden firsts across the competition.

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Visual interlude - #22 Berry Head, Devon
A botanical wonderland, where I have seen White Rock-rose, Small Hare's-ear, Small Rest-harrow and Honewort, among others. There was also a memorable visit in April 1986 that was graced by a pale-phase Gyr Falcon.
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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).

Alastair F (West Mainland, Orkney) 100/61; Arjun D (Wallington, Surrey) 74/67; 
Benne A (Tirana, Albania) xx/40; Benno W (Goodnestone, Kent) xx/43; 
Bernard B (Ruckinge, Kent) 107/65; 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/53;  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) 86/50; Isaiah R (New Malden, London) 76/59; 
John P (Banstead, Surrey) xx/xx; Jono L (Wanstead, London) 83/68; 
Josephine S (Leatherhead, Surrey) 40/41; Justin T (Charmouth, Dorset) 59/32; 
Mark D (Dorking, Surrey) 59/59; Mark H (Littlestone, Kent) 135/74: 
Mark N (Stutton, Suffolk)  77/62; Martin C (Lydd, Kent) 140/92; 
Mathew B (Wrotham, Kent) 33/52; Matt P (Pulborough, West Sussex) 126/112; 
Michael D (Craster, Northumberland) 106/64; 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) 101/53; 
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) 101/80;  Robin S (Cranleigh, Surrey) 101/55; 
Sam B (Enniskeane, Cork) 67/69; Seamus E (Thornton Cleveleys, Lancs) 67/43; 
Sean M (Pinner, London) 50/40; Seth G (Uig, Skye) 64/57; 
Stephen R (Harrogate, Yorks) 66/47; Steve C (Guildford, Surrey) 66/38; 
Steve G (Banstead, Surrey) 92/70; Steve T (Ewell, Surrey) 59/46; 
Steve W (Hawes, N Yorks) 91/64; Stewart S (Howick, Northumberland) 131/77; 
Stuart C (Walkern, Herts) xx/63; Sye W (Aston Clinton, Bucks) xx/42; 
Tony B (Woodford, London) 69/53; Wes A (Capel, Surrey) 96/89

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

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