I haven't written any birds up this year, so I thought I'd add a few of the sightings I have seen this year.
January
A Twite was present at Within Way at Hale in a flock of Linnets
3 Smew were present at Lapwing Hall pool, Chelford, along with this stunning drake
Snow buntings are now annual on the Wirral in the winter, and this bird showed really well at Derby pool-Wallasey
This Common Scoter spent a few days on West Kirby Marine Lake
February
The first week in February, I spent in Fuerteventura and saw some cracking birds during the week. The star bird of the week was the red-billed tropicbird at Atlantico Mall, Caleta, which showed so well, with absolutely amazing views.
Other birds of note through the week were:
Barbary Partridge
Spanish Sparrow
Cream Coloured Courser
Houbara Bustard
Fuerteventura Chat
Egyptian Vulture
Kentish Plover
Black Winged Stilt
Lesser Crested Lark
Spectacled Warbler
Lesser Scaup
Trumpeter Finch
Laughing Dove
Sardinian Warbler
Black Bellied Sandgrouse
Stone Curlew
Hoopoe
A day out in North Wales produced Black grouse, Baikal teal, Ring-necked duck and 2 Surf scoters
Black Grouse
Surf Scoters
Baikal teal-Foryd bay
Ring-necked duck-Llyn Cefni
MARCH
Long-billed Dowitcher showed well at Burton RSPB
South-westerly winds extending across the Bay of Biscay from Iberia and North Africa at the start of the first week in March produced perfect 'funnel' conditions for a large-scale migrant arrival, although even more noticeable still was an extraordinary Alpine Swift influx across Britain and Ireland.
When glancing at the BirdGuides sightings pages, it has been impossible to miss the scale of this record-shattering influx, with birds reported from more than 60 locations during the review period, including no fewer than 13 sites enjoying multiple birds. Ireland hosted the bulk of reports, with perhaps as many as 50 different birds, including an astonishing nine over Bray, Co Wicklow, on the 19th—the biggest flock ever recorded in Ireland. Six at Stanpit Marsh, Dorset, the previous day, meanwhile, is the largest modern-day flock recorded in Britain
Alpine swifts were reported from more than 60 sites during the week, and I managed to see one at Conwy RSPB.
April
On Monday the 10th, an absolute mega bird turned up at Burton RSPB, a Savi's Warbler
Recording of the bird
(C)Phil Woollen
It has been a great year birding so far, and I have just added a Grey-headed lapwing in Northumberland and a Forster's tern at Brownsea Island in Dorset. Hopefully, I will add a few more quality birds before the summer's out.
Forster's Tern
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