The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Several bird reserves in the Midlands are holding an All Day bird race on Saturday 3rd May. The aim is to see as many species of birds on the reserve on the day. I will be taking part at RSPB Middleton Lakes and the last time we entered in 2012 we got 94 species for the day. I should imagine that some of Lincs reserves could beat that (Gib Pt and Far Ings etc.). Is anyone interested in giving it a go?
For more details see the RSPB Middleton Lakes blog,
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/places ... is-on.aspx

I am interested in giving it a go at Far Ings but will need a team as family activities on a holiday weekend will prevent me dedicating all day effort. Anyone fancy joining in??

Hi Geoff. I will spend the day at Gib and let you know how it goes

Regards

Nige

Hi Nige, I did Gib Pt on my own for last years bird race but only got circa 60 species, I remember Richard Doan got over 100 species a few times last year.
Today I checked out Manby Flashes and managed 44 species so wouldn't win much with that but if I were to do it annually it would give me an idea of how things are changing.
Good luck to you.
Geoff

I see that Chris Andrews of RSPB Frampton Marsh may also give the bird race a go tomorrow so not a bad effort from Lincs. Any more local patches entering the race?
I checked out the Donna Nook Realignment Scheme today but only got 41 species, it will be interesting to see how the site develops for next years bird race. It looks good at the moment after the last 3 or 4 days high tides.
Geoff

I have a team of 6 people so we are having a go tomorrow. We have bought eggs and bacon to help lift spirits mid morning and the weather is set fine apart from wind direction and temps. I shall report our results and highlights.

Good luck to those having a go.

Little vismig and a few resident birds not being seen resulted in 84 species at Gib, a rather mediocre total for the site in May! Cast, in order of appearance as shown


Cuckoo
BH Gull
Whitethroat
Blackbird
Wood Pigeon
Yellowhammer
Willow Warbler
Chaffinch
Magpie
Pied Wagtail
Skylark
Lesser Whitethroat
Wren
Pheasant
Carrion Crow
Linnet
Great Tit
Blackcap
Goldfinch
Jackdaw
House Martin
Blue Tit
Greenfinch
Herring Gull
Chiffchaff
Long-tailed Tit
Pied Flycatcher
Shelduck
Swallow
Robin
Mallard
Avocet
Canada Goose
Sedge Warbler
Little Egret
Coot
Tufted Duck
Moorhen
Mute Swan
Greylag
Redshank
Shoveler
Cormorant
Common Tern
Lapwing
Oystercatcher
LBB Gull
Gadwall
Reed Bunting
Common Gull
Stock Dove
Teal
Wigeon
Marsh Harrier
Tawny Owl
Brent Goose
Curlew
GBB Gull
Dunnock
Rook
GS Woodpecker
Reed Warbler
Little Grebe
Whimbrel
Song Thrush
Kestrel
Little Tern
Wheatear
Turnstone
Dunlin
Grey Plover
Knot
Bar-tailed Godwit
Ringed Plover
Sanderling
Eider
Common Scoter
Sandwich Tern
Spotted Redshank
Greenshank
Common Buzzard
Turtle Dove
Red-legged Partridge
Starling

Regards

Nige

Our day reflected the above and we achieved 80 species at Far Ings. I shall put in the list later. Today there is a wheatear, a whimbrel and two barnacle geese (passing) Chowder, typical.

LIST (alph order)

Blackbird blackcap b h gull blue tit bullfinch

canada goose carrion crow chaffinch chiffchaff collared dove com gull com sand com tern coot cormorant curlew

dunnock

feral pigeon

gadwall goldfinch gbb gull g c grebe great tit greenfinch grey heron greylag

herring gull house martin house sparrow

jackdaw kingfisher lapwing l b b gull little grebe long tailed tit

magpie mallard marsh harrier meadow pipit mistle thrush moorhen mute swan

oystercatcher pheasant pied wagtail pochard reed bunting reed warbler robin rook

sand martin sedge warbler shelduck shoveler skylark snipe song thrush sparrowhawk starling stock dove swallow swift

tawny owl teal tufted duck

Water rail whitethroat willow warbler wood pigeon wren

yellow wagtail.

Also: Little ringed plover little egret avocet cetti's warbler buzzard treecreeper peregrine

Glaring misses: redshannk g s woodpecker kestrel goldeneye willow tit yellowhammer

I hope you all enjoyed yourselves and have another go next year. It seems as though RSPB Frampton Marsh won with 94 species and my reserve RSPB Middleton Lakes got 93 but I'm still waiting to see the final list.
Geoff

Middleton Lakes final total was 95 (for the list see 3rd May - Species List)



List of species seen on 3rd May all day bird watch at Middleton RSPB. Thanks to Fergus Mosey for providing it.


1. Blackbird
2. Goldfinch
3. Greenfinch
4. Coot
5. Moorhen
6. Nuthatch
7. Reed bunting
8. Chiffchaff
9. Grey heron
10. House sparrow
11. Sedge warbler
12. Lesser whitethroat
13. Great tit
14. Blue tit
15. Dunnock
16. Robin
17. Wood pigeon
18. Collared dove
19. Wren
20. Whitethroat
21. Song thrush
22. Canada goose
23. Blackcap
24. Pheasant
25. Mallard
26. Carrion crow
27. Rook
28. Great spotted woodpecker
29. Black-headed gull
30. Buzzard
31. Kingfisher
32. Magpie
33. Skylark
34. Long-tailed tit
35. Willow warbler
36. Chaffinch
37. Cettis warbler
38. Lapwing
39. Bullfinch
40. Swallow
41. Green woodpecker
42. Mute swan
43. Tufted duck
44. Common tern
45. Oystercatcher
46. Feral pigeon
47. Reed warbler
48. Grasshopper warbler
49. Gadwall
50. Shelduck
51. Little ringed plover
52. Great crested grebe
53. Ringed plover
54. Redshank
55. Avocet
56. Pied wagtail
57. Shoveler
58. Grey wagtail
59. Water rail
60. Coal tit
61. Treecreeper
62. Mistle thrush
63. Dunlin
64. Cormorant
65. Jackdaw
66. Common sandpiper
67. Mediterranean gull
68. Stock dove
69. Swift
70. Lesser black-backed gull
71. Cuckoo
72. Raven
73. Goldcrest
74. Sand martin
75. Little owl
76. Linnet
77. Kestrel
78. Yellowhammer
79. Teal
80. Greylag goose
81. Herring gull
82. Lesser spotted woodpecker
83. House martin
84. Yellow wagtail
85. Jay
86. Goosander
87. Starling
88. Common gull
89. Sparrowhawk
90. Little grebe
91. Whimbrel
92. Tawny owl
93. Meadow pipit
94. Brambling
95. Garden warbler




I see that Andy Sims did Boultham Mere and got 57 species.
Well done to all.
Geoff

The 2015 bird race is on Saturday 25th April if anyone cares to have another go.
I will likely be in Lincs this time so may give Manby Flashes a try.
Geoff

Given the way this spring is going I would have thought April 25th will have a lot of missing migrants

Here in the Midlands things have picked up a lot in the last two days, Whitethroat, Gropper, Sedge Warbler and Common Sand etc. So Lincs should soon catch up. I bet there will be some Swifts about on the day.
Geoff