Day 12...

...of the freeze. Some snow yesterday and this evening means that Saturday is still the only day without some form of snowfall. This week looks like a cold one but may be just freezing rather than 2ft deep...

I have added a box in the right hand column from 'Bubo Listing' showing my Northumberland List. Although I'm not too obsessive, I do like a list or two especially my British and County lists. I've only done the county list on Bubo as it requires dates and places of rare bird sightings. It would take a good while to do my British List by checking my notes etc, but the Northumberland one was more straight forward.

323 species in Northumberland so far. All of them are records accepted by the county records committee and, if necessary, BBRC. There are no dodgy lone 'fly overs' on there.  To tell if thats any good we really need a benchmark to go on. I'm not really sure who has the record Northumberland List but I think it will be in the region of 345 - 350 species. Birders like Andy McLevy, Tom Tams, Alan Jack, Graeme Bowman and Mike Hodgson must be in with a good shout. A lot of Northumberland birders will surpass the 320 mark. As of the end of 2008 the Northumberland List was 401.

So how could I have improved things? My most glaring ommissions include -

Woodlark   - Farnes last week...
Nightingale - A few I could have had. Not interested in the impossible to see singer west of Morpeth last year, I'm more huffed at one on Holy Island running around a dry stone wall...
Ring billed and Laughing Gull - A famous pair spent a winter in Newcastle City Centre in the 80's...
Ross's Gull - I went for one once only 7 minutes from home. It was milling around the area for a good while. I should have put more time in...
Fea's Petrel - 7 County records and I do put in a bit of seawatching...
Red throated Pipit - Not a sniff...
Black Stork - A speck 2 miles away in flight wasnt good enough for me...
White Stork - I must see an unringed bird...
Alpine Swift - We need a twitchable one...
Cetti's Warbler -  I hope the one at East Chevington survives...
Corncrake - As numbers seem to be slowly increasing in Scotland, maybe my chances will too...
Bee-eater - On our wires next summer...

But I wont complain,  there have been some good county successes -

Arctic Redpoll - 2. The last ones in the county. 1996.
Pied billed Grebe - Druridge 1992?
Bridled Tern - 1988 and 1989
Black faced Bunting - A proper autumn juvvy 1999.
Red necked Stint - Wansbeck Estuary 1995
Isabelline Shrike 2
Woodchat Shrike 1
Lesser Grey Shrike 1
Pied Wheatear 2
Desert Wheatear 4
Great Reed Warbler 1
Roller 1
Bonapartes Gull 2
Franklins Gull 1
Slender billed Curlew just the 1 Druridge 1998
Hooded Merganser 1 a genuine one and accepted by all.
Squacco Heron 2
Surf Scoter 3
King Eider 2
River Warbler 1 singing male down to 10 yards 1996
Iberian Chiffchaff 1 2004
Pine Bunting 2 1989 and 1992 Big Waters and Cresswell
Rustic Bunting 1990 Newbiggin
Terek Sandpiper 2
Broad billed Sandpiper 1
Glossy Ibis 1
Black winged Stilt 1 1993 Druridge
Blyths Reed Warbler 1 in the hand Hauxley.
Olive backed Pipit 1 Woodhorn 1990
Citrine Wagtail 2
Pacific Golden Plover 1, the first one...

etc etc many other highlights too....

 I wonder what 2011's highlight will be? A twitchable Red footed Falcon or Cattle Egret wouldnt be too much to ask, but I would really like a snowy Ivory Gull...

If you enjoy keeping any lists have a look at Bubo Listing its free and quite a good way to keep your totals in order....