Wintersett Round Up. 31st December 2013 - So near and yet so far!

2013 Weather:

It was  cold and wet until the end of May.  June was dry and warm.  July and August were glorious. The Autumn, particularly October, has been the best for years as far as quality birds are concerned.  So far, it has been a very mild winter.

The Wintersett  Area record was equalled on the 11^th November, with 179 species recorded.  Despite extensive searches, nothing new turned up in the last six weeks of the year!  Glaring omissions for the year were Red-legged Partridge, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Sanderling and Garganey.

The Top Ten birds seen here this year were: -

 1. Great Skua    (1^st and 2^nd record)

 2. Yellow-browed  Warbler   (2^nd record)

 3. Red-necked Phalarope   (3^rd record)

 4. Lesser Scaup   (2^nd record)

 5. Great White Egret    (3^rd record)

 6. Kumlien’s Gull    (2^nd record)

 7. Arctic Skua

 8. Gannet   (5^th and 6^th record)

 9. Ring Ouzel

10. Honey Buzzard.

Other major highlights were:-

The brief visit of Sir  David  Attenborough,

and the first  OTTER  to be recorded here  for 61 years!   It was seen by a few local fishermen and one very, very lucky local birder.

And finally -  We wish everyone excellent  birding in 2014. 

 and a VERY HAPPY  NEW YEAR