Total Number of Species Recorded in 2011

2010 saw a total of 196 species recorded in Bedfordshire. Of this total, LGRE recorded 183, closely followed by Jim Gurney and Steve Blain on 181, Lol Carman on 180, Martin Palmer on 179 and Bob Chalkley on 177.

In 2011, a total of 452 species was recorded in Britain and Ireland of which I recorded just 69% (312); Bedfordshire recorded 204 species (of which I saw 94% at 191), Hertfordshire 192 (of which I saw 88.5% at 170) and Buckinghamshire 192 (of which I recorded just 86% at 165)

In 2012, I came fourth (on 168), following Steve Blain (177), Jim Gurney (174) and Martin Plamer (171).



Tuesday 4 January 2011

BITTERN and BEWICK'S SWANS at Radwell - 3 January

My first bit of birding of 2011 and over to Radwell for the last 90 minutes of daylight. Scanning the Mute Swans and saw about 10 BEWICK'S SWANS. I walked to the viaduct pit, once again giving the reeds on the small pool a good grilling on the way to the viaduct pit. Nothing doing. The viaduct pit was hooching with birds - lots of Greylags and lots of Wigeon but nothing noticed among them - one male Goldeneye.

Then for dusk back at the reedy pool with fingers crossed. After about ten minutes I heard a crashing in the reeds and then a large brown bird climbed to the top of the reed to watch me. It posed for about twenty minutes while I tried to take mobile phone photos down my telescope. The best of which is here http://bedsbirds.blogspot.com/2011/01/radwell-bittern.html

Back at the swans in the gloom, three BEWICK'S, perhaps the original three, were near the portakabin and flew to the A6 pit. From the railway bridge, a group of eleven remained grazing. A fabulous start to the birding year - Richard Bashford

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