Here is a pictorial record of birding highlights that I experienced this year, 2019. It is a personal selection that is by no means comprehensive and the subjects are not necessarily rare but each image brings back fond memories and here's to repeating the experience in 2020.
Happy New Year to everyone although with a new and totally untrustworthy Government of liars, cheats and worse, I fear both for us and the wildlife we treasure.
Waxwing - Southampton Hampshire January |
Slender billed Nutcracker - Wageningen The Netherlands January |
Great Northern Diver - Goring on Thames Berkshire January |
Rose coloured Starling - Oxford January |
Jack Snipe - Slimbridge Gloucestershire January |
Common Crossbill - Forest of Dean Gloucestershire January |
Snow Bunting - Goring West Sussex February |
Black Redstart - Oxford February |
Long tailed Tit - Kingham Oxfordshire February |
Kingfisher - Farmoor Oxfordshire February |
Northern Soveler - Weymouth Dorset February |
Bearded Tit - Weymouth Dorset February |
Ring necked Duck - Weymouth Dorset February |
Tengmalm's Owl - Mainland Shetland February |
Iceland Gull - Lerwick Shetland February |
Long tailed Duck - Lerwick Shetland February |
Glaucous Gull - Lerwick Shetland February |
Hawfinch - Forest of Dean Gloucestershire February |
Great Spotted Cuckoo - Isle of Wight Hampshire March |
Mediterranean Gull - Hayling Hampshire March |
Water Rail - Farmoor Oxfordshire March |
Common Cuckoo - Thursley Surrey April |
Common Redstart - Thursley Surrey April |
European Stonechat - Thursley Surrey April |
Wood Lark - Thursley Surrey April |
Great Northern Diver - Isle of Arran Ayrshire April |
Black Guillemot - Isle of Arran Ayrshire April |
Red rumped Swallow - Banbury Oxfordshire May |
Sedge Warbler - Mansfield Nottinghamshire May |
Lesser Yellowlegs - Weymouth Dorset April |
Eurasian Teal - Weymouth Dorset April |
Common Redshank - Standlake Oxfordshire April |
Common Eider - Farne Islands Northumberland June |
Atlantic Puffin - Farne Islands June |
Northern Gannet - Noss Shetland July |
Great Skua - Lerwick Shetland July |
Wood Sandpiper - Spurn East Yorkshire August |
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler - Farlington Hampshire September |
Turnstone - Farmoor Oxfordshire September |
Eastern Black EaredWheatear - Pilling Lancashire September |
Red breasted Flycatcher - Mainland Shetland September |
Red backed Shrike - Mainland Shetland September |
European Bee-eater - Mainland Shetland October |
Yellow browed Warbler - Unst Shetland October |
Mealy Redpoll - Unst Shetland October |
Dusky Warbler - Unst Shetland October |
Semi palmated Sandpiper - Mainland Shetland October |
Wren - Mainland Shetland October |
Little Bunting - Mainland Shetland October |
Spotted Flycatcher - Mainland Shetland October |
Sanderling - Farmoor Oxfordshire October |
Yellowhammmer - Cleeve Common Gloucestershire October |
Common Nighthawk - Galgorm Northern Ireland October |
Spotted Crake - St Mary's Isles of Scilly November |
White rumped Sandpiper - St Mary's Isles of Scilly November |
Blue winged Teal - St Mary's Isles of Scilly November |
Pine Grosbeak male - Oslo Norway November |
Pine Grosbeak immature/female - Oslo Norway November |
Little Auk - Oslo Norway November |
Steller's Eider - Papa Westray Orkney November |
Hermit Thrush - St Mary's Isles of Scilly November |
Redwing - Whipsnade Bedfordshire December |
Slavonian Grebe - Farmoor Oxfordshire December |
Black throated Thrush - Whipsnade Bedfordshire December |
Red breasted Merganser - Isle of Arran Ayrshire December |