WOW! Just finished a Journey of 2105 miles around Britain 133 Species of Birds and 13 Lifers

132. Osprey
133. Redstart (Lough Garten, Scotland)
134. Puffin
135. Sedge Warbler
136. Grasshopper Warbler
137. Stock Dove
138. Rock Dove
139. Egyptian Goose
140. Corn Bunting
141. Marsh Harrier
142. Dark Bellied Brent Goose
143. Spotted Redshank
144. Common Scoter
145. Whitethroat
146. Avocet
147. Montagues Harrier (4 in the air at once)
148.Spoonbill
149. Stone Curlew
150. Wood Lark
151. Green Woodpecker
152. Cuckoo
153. Reed Warbler
154. Hobby
155. Little Tern
156. Cettis Warbler
157. Lesser Whitethroat
158. Common Tern
159. Turtle Dove
160. Little Owl
161. Mediterranean Gull
162. Jack Snipe
163. Bittern (Heard)
164. Garden Warbler
165. Bearded Tit (Heard)
166. Little Ringed Plover
167. Nightjar
168. Tree Pipit
169. Dartford Warbler
170. Nightingale
171. Kite
172. Ringed Neck Parakeet
173. Pomarine Skua

Peregrine's Birding Facts There are around 3400 breeding pairs of Nightjars in the UK. (And I have seen one of them!!)

Well I have just returned from a trip around Britain. I started in Scotland looking for the Crested Tit again at RSPB Abernethy and finished on the South Coast of England at Portland Bill where I saw my first Pomarine Skua. On the way I travelled via Northumberland where I visited the Farne Islands. Onto Norfolk via RSPB Bempton Cliffs. In Norfolk I stayed with Gordon Hamlett the author of "Best Birdwatching Sites: Scottish Highlands" who very kindly put me up and gave me a tour of the North Norfolk Coast. I then travelled to stay with my uncle who lives ten minutes drive from RSPB Minsmere (Very convenient) Then onto London and the Barnes Wildlife and Wetlands Trust site. Then to Berkshire where I was put up by Patrick Crowley of the Berkshire and Wokingham RSPB group, whom I had showed round Northern Ireland earlier in the year. It was here that I was shown around the Berkshire Heathland and saw my first Dartford Warbler. Then it was onto stay with my in-laws in North Dorset and visit the Portland Bird Observatory. At this stage the plan had been to go onto WWT Slimbridge and then the Kites at Gigrin Farm in Wales but the weather closed in and photography wasnt going to be possible. So I headed home.

On the way I took loads and loads of photos of which the cutest was at Lake Radipole in Weymouth, Dorset

and another of my favourites was of the Puffins on the Farne Islands.


Over the next week or so I will write about the trip in more detail.