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).



Tuesday, 20 September 2011

Another WHINCHAT at Luton Airport

A beautiful autumn-plumaged Whinchat was showing very well on the barbed wire fence at the airport from 13.30 to 14.00 today, with a supporting cast of 2 Yellowhammers and 5 Mipits (Jason Chapman)

Sunday, 18 September 2011

BEARDED TITS and CASPIAN GULL !

Popped over to to Chimney Corner South pit to do my WeBS count this evening - very few water birds on the pit, but the highlight were four high-flying, long-tailed, brown passerines - BEARDED TITS amazingly! I picked them up over the centre of the lake circling before they headed strongly west towards Kempston. Most unexpected.

Later at the Stewartby Lake roost a juvenile CASPIAN GULL showed well along with a handful of Yellow-legged Gulls (Steve Blain)

Saturday, 17 September 2011

Very Quiet

Hi all, nothing much of interest during afternoon visits yesterday to Rookery South ClP then Quest ClP.....

Rookery inc 2 Greenshanks, 1 Little Egret, 10 Dabchicks, 1 Wigeon, 1 Teal, 1 Pochard, 4a 5j Mute Swans, 1 Lapwing, 14 Tufted Ducks, no gulls, tractor cutting grass in the pit, an acre or so already ploughed up! 1 Treble Bar moth by "Jackdaw Bridge" near car parking area, 1 Muntjac near other railway bridge.

Quest inc 1 Little Egret, c350 B H Gulls counted, c450 L B Backs counted, 30 Gt B Backs, at least 8 Herring Gulls, c19 Yellow-legged Gulls, no Common Gulls, c15 Dabchicks, at least 22 Teal, 3 Pochards, a few Tufted Ducks, numerous Lapwings, 2 G C GrebesJust 23 species between the two sites - very poor.

MJPalmer

Biggleswade Common Chats

A male COMMON STONECHAT and up to 7 WHINCHATS remain for a third day on Biggleswade Common (per Steve Blain)

Thursday, 15 September 2011

Recent Days

In the gale force winds of Tuesday, a MANX SHEARWATER was picked up exhausted in Renhold. The 3 juvenile BLACK TERNS remained until Wednesday, with 4 WHINCHATS at Southill (Steve Heath), 8 at Ridgeway Wood (Dave Odell) and 2 with a male COMMON STONECHAT on Biggleswade Common (Steve Blain)

Tuesday, 13 September 2011

BLACK TERNS at Stewartby













Three juvenile BLACK TERNS remain on Stewartby Lake today (Monday) - these outstanding images taken by Neil Wright

Monday, 12 September 2011

The SPOONBILL













Neil Wright obtained these outstanding images as the SPOONBILL flew over him at Stewartby on Sunday. The presence of black tips on the primaries indicates that this is an immature bird and not an adult as originally thought. Spoonbills take up to four years to reach maturity. This bird was unringed.