Still giving

#BWKM0 ND&B garden challenge
DAY 44

Even after 44 consecutive days of birding from the back garden, the experience is still delivering plenty of interest. After several days of virtual inactivity, the raptor stream picked up again, with c20 Common Buzzard (a few way up high), three Red Kite, a Sparrowhawk, a Peregrine (monster female) and a Hobby, mostly drifting between north and east. There was a good show of Swift for the first time this Spring, with up to 25 birds recorded, the largest group being of seven. Singles of House Martin and Swallow also made it through the garden air space. A fair number of the local Starlings were feeding on the wing, maybe at a height of 30-50m, fly-catching and swooping in half-circles, not unlike Bee-eaters. At first I could not see what they were feeding on, but later in the day their insect prey dropped down and appeared to be the long-legged fly Bibio marci (St Mark's Fly). Although this is a common enough species I have not seen it in such abundance in and around the garden. We think that we know the wildlife of our gardens, but in reality most of us have just scratched at the surface.

Today we reached the landmark of 200 garden firsts. Plenty of pleasure wrapped up in that little lot.

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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.

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
Ian K (Leigh, Surrey) - Mute Swan
Sean M (Pinner, London) - Kestrel
Richard P (Charmouth, Dorset) - Greylag Goose, Brent Goose

There have been 201 garden firsts across the competition.

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Visual interlude - #23 Ben Lawers, Perthshire

The walk up to this peak is one accompanied by sheer excitement as you think about the alpine plants awaiting you. Apart from Ptarmigan (if you are lucky) and Ring Ouzel (almost certainly) it is not a place for the birder without other interests. But why would you not want to feast your eyes on the magnificent flora?

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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) 107/66; Bob S (Worcester Park, Surrey) 86/37; 

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) 111/58; 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) 62/42;  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) 101/84;  Robin S (Cranleigh, Surrey) 101/56; 

Sam B (Enniskeane, Cork) 67/69; Seamus E (Thornton Cleveleys, Lancs) 67/43; 

Sean M (Pinner, London) 50/42; 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