Happy New Year

Well there goes 2006, so take a deep breath and start again. Here goes...
Only popped to Boulmer for an hour yesterday morning. The weather was bright and sunny with a strong W6 and very cold.

No counts of species today only a list of those present to start the ball rolling.
Cast in order of appearance.
1. Herring Gull
2. Pied Wagtail
3. Sanderling
4. Oystercatcher
5. Dunlin
6. Redshank
7. Grey Plover
8. Bar-tailed Godwit
9. Ringed Plover
10. Jackdaw
11. Carrion Crow
12. Black headed Gull
13. Rock Pipit
14. Wren
15. Blackbird
16. Grey Wagtail
17. Starling
18. Shelduck
19. Blue Tit
20. Sparrowhawk
21. Curlew
22. Mallard
23. Cormorant
24. Red breasted Merganser
25. Teal
26. Eider
27. Knot
28. Great black backed Gull
29. Common Gull
30. Shag
31. Wigeon
32, Woodpigeon

That was a bit boring I suppose but a couple of weekends will thin out the commoner residents. Lists are only interesting to those who watch the same site. As this is the first full blogging year I just fancied doing a running total rather than the list at the year end.

I wonder how 2007 will differ from last year? If there's one thing for sure, it will be different and unpredictable (all years are!). What would I like to see? Well, trying not to be too greedy, I would like just a good bird or two to keep the interest going through the year. A Bluethroat in spring would be nice. ( That's put paid to that one. Everyone knows you never get what you wish for in birding...)

Back to New Years day. We took a walk up the Harthope Valley where the wind was not as strong. The only noteworthy sightings were two Ravens mobbed by a Merlin as they flew along the south ridge,and a nice Red Squirrel next to the car then running along a dry stone wall.

Of interest to any old timers out there who birded Druridge in the 80's I bumped into Frank Hopkin at Back Woodburn, in the Harthope. It was nice to see him and his wife fit and well and still looking for raptors as if the last 20 years had never happened.

Happy New Year and good birding to all in 2007.