2010, an outstanding year

Just a short post to tie things up for 2010. The site total for the year was 104 species, amazingly Gary managed to see all of them whilst I finished on 88, still my best year ever on the patch. Severe weather at either end of the year and some fine clear days during the spring passage period were undoubtedly contributing factors to the high total, that and lots of hours spent in the field gazing expectantly at (more often than not) raptorless skies. Below is a full list of the species recorded in 2010, those in bold type are first records for the patch:

Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Common Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Scaup, Common Scoter, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Spoonbill, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Osprey, Kestrel, Merlin, Hobby, Peregrine, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Woodcock, Curlew, Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Mediterranean Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Black Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, (feral) Rock Dove, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Ring-necked Parakeet, Common Swift, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Black Redstart, Northern Wheatear, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Firecrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, Reed Bunting.