Wednesday 15 April 2009

The big 300 reached today



















Recent Images: Red-rumped Swallow at Watermead Park, Leicester (Ian Merrill); adult Bonaparte's Gull at Farmoor Reservoir (Nic Hallam) and White-throated Sparrow at Old Winchester Hill (Chris Holt & Stevie Evans)


Well a particularly productive last 7 days has seen the total number of species recorded in Britain and Ireland rise to an impressive 300 species by 15 April. The 16 new additions are as follows -:

Montagu's Harrier - 3+ records
Hobby - numerous arrivals
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER - first-summer at Breydon Water, Norfolk
PECTORAL SANDPIPER - very early individual at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire
CASPIAN TERN - exceptionally early vagrant in County Wexford
Arctic Tern - large passage overland
Little Tern - English Channel passage
European Turtle Dove - 2+
European Nightjar - exceptionally early bird back on territory
Common Swift - remarkably early number of birds
WRYNECK - migrants in Kent and Suffolk
Whinchat - 3+ (early)
SAVI'S WARBLER - reeling birds back on territory
Garden Warbler - early arrival in Dorset
Wood Warbler - very early bird in Devon
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW - first-summer male in Hampshire (present since November 2008)