HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! It has been a great start to 2020: Local Patch Birding on January 1st produced some very nice local birds and just under 30 species were recorded this afternoon. A good start to the new year; however the local Waxwings that were found on the 30th December were not rediscovered – but with Waxwing flocks being so mobile there is always a good chance that they will re-appear in the next week or so. It is always good to have a target at the start of the birding year and this year I am going to try and photograph 50 new species of bird that will take my tally of species photographed to 500. To set the ball rolling, I managed a visit over to Castle Howard on the 4th of January and had a very pleasant walk with the Mrs around the lake. On the way back, Gill spotted a Treecreeper; a species I had been wanting to photograph for a while now!!! With adrenalin pumping I held my breath as this small bird fed at the base of a Willow tree in deep shadow. Then it flew to a bough that was backlit with some nice early afternoon sun and the shutter button went into overdrive!! Treecreeper in the bag!!! The list has started !!
Species list for 2020 as of Jan 5th 2020 39
My 450th bird photographed a lovely Treecreeper!! Target 500
