Total Number of Species Recorded in 2011

2010 saw a total of 196 species recorded in Bedfordshire. Of this total, LGRE recorded 183, closely followed by Jim Gurney and Steve Blain on 181, Lol Carman on 180, Martin Palmer on 179 and Bob Chalkley on 177.

In 2011, a total of 452 species was recorded in Britain and Ireland of which I recorded just 69% (312); Bedfordshire recorded 204 species (of which I saw 94% at 191), Hertfordshire 192 (of which I saw 88.5% at 170) and Buckinghamshire 192 (of which I recorded just 86% at 165)

In 2012, I came fourth (on 168), following Steve Blain (177), Jim Gurney (174) and Martin Plamer (171).



Monday 28 November 2016

Grovebury on a roll

MONDAY 28 NOVEMBER

Well GROVEBURY PIT is on a roll! After last week's juvenile GREAT NORTHERN DIVER (still present today but mobile & elusive), Saturday saw a PIED AVOCET appear briefly with Lapwings and today at lunchtime, a cracking pair of SMEW and 5 immature/female COMMON SCOTERS remained present. Unprecedented rarity action at this little-known site! The PEREGRINE pair were showing well too, sitting on one of the sand spits.....




Thursday 24 November 2016

A GREAT NORTHERN DIVER for a second day and VELVET SCOTERS relocated...

THURSDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2016
 
Had some great fun with Johnny Lynch at GROVEBURY SAND PIT in BEDFORDSHIRE, where the juvenile GREAT NORTHERN DIVER he espied yesterday afternoon was still present and afforded the two of us a fabulous swim past - see my photographic efforts below. Did a full inventory of the site whilst I was there with 22 Great Crested Grebe logged, Grey Heron, 18 Cormorant, 99 Atlantic Canada Geese, 12 Mallard, 8 Common Teal, 28 Wigeon, 66 Tufted Duck, 39 Northern Pochard, 6 Moorhen, 202 Coot, 4 Lapwing, 2 PEREGRINES (male & female), 22 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and an adult Great Black-backed Gull.











I later joined Jim Gurney at ARLESEY BLUE LAGOON mid-afternoon where the two wandering juvenile VELVET SCOTER, miraculously located the following morning after departing Gypsy Lane West by the location's regular checker Andy Grimsey, were both showing well, diving frequently on the far side of the boating lake.







Tuesday 22 November 2016

A local Mega: VELVET SCOTERS at Broom GP

Thanks to a conversation with Barry Nightingale this evening, he and I agree that today's two immature VELVET SCOTERS at Gypsy Lane West, Broom GP, represent the 11th county record and 20th-21st individuals and the first in 25 years!! An excellent find by Jim Gurney and seemingly the same two immatures that were recently present at Willen Lake South Basin on 7th-13th November but where have they been in the interim? 




















VELVET SCOTERS IN BEDFORDSHIRE
(21 recorded between 1983 and 2016)
 
1) A female at Chimney Corner CP on 19-20 November 1983 relocated on Brogborough Lake on 6 December;
2) A first-winter drake on Stewartby Lake on 19-20 & 24 December 1985 relocated at Millbrook Pit on Christmas Day and on Lidlington Fishing Pit on 27 December, where it remained until 13 January 1986;
3-4) Two at Stewartby Lake on 9 January 1986;
5-6) Two drakes at Brogborough Lake on 30 January 1986;
7) One at Stewartby Lake on 14 April 1986;
8-10) Three drakes at Stewartby Lake on 26 December 1986;
11-13) Two drakes & a female on Stewartby Lake on 20 November 1988;
14-17) Three females & a drake at Radwell Pits on 23 April 1989;
18-19) Two drakes on Stewartby Lake on 21 November 1991;

20-21) Two immatures at Gypsy Lane West, Broom GP, on 22 November 2016