Hawfinches: The beginning of 2018, saw the continuation of the unprecedented Hawfinch invasion. Having found a handful around the village of Thenford back in October 2017, numbers slowly increased and an amazing c20 birds were then present in the latter part of the winter. One particularly memorable day there stood out when a single male showed brilliantly in trees close to the church in gorgeous sunshine.
Fieldfare: The 'Beast from the East' arctic weather front of early March resulted in seeing quite a few species becoming displaced, in a desperate search for food. Fieldfares were one particular species that seemed to be turning up in every single birders' garden. My twitter feed was full of them as a result! My garden (and Twitter!) was no exception, with one ferociously guarding the pile of apples I'd put out in the snow!
Morocco: A fantastic 8-day birding trip to Morocco with Dan & Gareth, in search of desert & mountainous specialities in the Atlas Mountains and Desert beyond.
We saw pretty much all the main targets, with the exception of Pharaoh Eagle Owl, while Egyptian Nightjar was heard only very briefly. There were countless highlights, however for me, the main ones included point blank views of male Moussier's Redstart, the mission to connect with Desert Sparrow, sat in a wadi watching migrant Nightingales & Bluethroats, Hoopoe Larks and great views of the quirky Streaked Scrub Warbler. A trip I would fully recommend, in fact one I'd be very keen to do again!
Grimsbury patching: 2018 was my best year yet birding Grimsbury Reservoir (Banbury), in terms of number of species (124), but also for the number of scarcities too. It was astounding to find a gale-blown Grey Phalarope for the second year in a row, however the number one highlight for me, had to be the discovery of a singing male Pied Flycatcher on the 1st June! Other great finds included a very popular summer plumaged Black-Necked Grebe, both spring and autumn Wood Warblers, a couple of White-Fronted Geese, a flock of 3 Whimbrel, the site's 1st Cetti's Warbler, Common Scoter, Kittiwake, 3 Rock Pipit, Arctic & Black Tern & a good run of spring Sanderling. If 2019 comes even close to all that, I'll be a very happy man!
Hairstreaks: The scorching summer of 2018 meant on the whole, a really bumper year for butterflies.
It was also an absolutely outrageously good one for Black Hairstreaks, with record numbers at most sites. Thankfully, I managed to experience it for myself on what was a gloomy but humid morning at Glapthorn Cow Pasture, near Oundle on 16th June. What's more, I had the place to myself...almost unheard of during Black Hairstreak season!
On 19th May, I really enjoyed encountering several really fresh Green Hairstreaks at Ardley Quarry, 15 minutes from home and just into Oxfordshire. I had never seen as many there, as I did on this visit and nearly all of them were super fresh.
It was definitely my best year for White Letter Hairstreaks & Purple Hairstreaks in Bucknell Wood, in terms of encounters and numbers, with more pristine butterflies coming down to nectar on the Brambles or to the ground for moisture. Presumably a reflection of the dryer weather.
Thrapston Nightingale: What has now become a bit of a tradition for me in the first week of May, I spent a day around Northants with the aim of hitting 100 species. In 2017, it was an incredible day's birding notching 103 species, including a few great finds. This year it was a boiling hot day, not very conducive for pulling migrants out of the sky. The day did not though pass by without it's highlights. The most memorable being this very confiding Nightingale by the river at Thrapston. Sat singing on top of a hawthorn, it allowed me to creep to within around 10-15 feet to give some crippling views as it rattled off it's full repertoire!
New butterflies: I grabbed a couple of opportunities to see two new lifers.
Going to a wedding in Canterbury, towards the end of June gave me a chance to see my first Heath Fritillaries in nearby East Blean Woods. Thankfully, it was a gorgeous sunny day and they were simply EVERYWHERE, seeing my first ones before I'd even got out of the car! It was quite a spectacle and a good remedy for my hangover!
The second was a case of turning a crap situation into a good one! On Sunday 1st July, I was on my way down to see my mate Dan Watson in Somerset, however I was suffering with a bit of a stomach bug. By the time I got to Cirencester I decided it was best not to carry on. I happened to be very close to Daneway Banks, one of the premier Large Blue sites in the UK. With the flight period still in progress, I decided to take a short walk there for half an hour, in order to not make it a completely wasted journey. This worked out beautifully, seeing two Large Blues, with one particularly fresh one out egg-laying on wild thyme. Perfecto!
Rough Leg: This autumn produced a good influx of Rough-Legged Buzzards into the UK. On Saturday 17th November I had a good look for one in the rolling North Northants countryside, an area that certainly has potential to hold onto one. After a fruitless search, I decided to nip over the border into nearby Cambridgeshire and enjoy of one of the two Holme Fen birds that had been around a while. Having got good scope views for about 40 mins, I decided to leave. Turning the car around, I noticed the bird approaching the road a little further down. I shot off along the road and using the car as a hide, I was able to watch it hovering right next to the road...my best ever Rough-Leg views by far!
Nice write up of a great year, all the best for 2019!
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