2024 wrap up

Christmas was spent in Bolton which gave the chance of a dipper - again!! Four walks at four sites which have dipper yielded nothing. There was a Caspian gull only five minutes drive away at Moses Gate Country Park. I visited four times but failed to see it. There were two reasons for this, firstly there were up to 60 large gulls, mainly herring gulls and a smattering of lesser black-backed and secondly I really wasn't sure what I was looking for. I thought I had it but thanks to Howard Jones (ace birder from Lesvos - remember?) it turned out to be a first year herring gull. I did see a nice kingfisher and some goosanders however so all was not lost.  It eventually moved on so I didn't have to visit on Christmas Day. A walk along the Irwell at Elton reservoir failed to find a dipper but did turn up a water rail preening out in the open along the canal. Not an easy bird to see as you all know but hey - right place right time! That pushed me up to 181 for the year. Richard's garden had treecreeper, nuthatch and two goldcrests in the same sycamore tree which augurs well for 2025. 

Withins reservoir in the mist

First year herring gull at Moses gate

....and again!!

Goosanders at Moses Gate

.... and again.

The two local patches stayed where they were in late November, well below the target.  However two late December strolls down Stricklands and west to Carnalea finally delivered mallard and curlew on the 29th and grey wagtail on the 31st.  My lack of mobility in the spring contributed to some missed birds but other seem to be the result of changing circumstances. The Bangor patch missed out on swallow and house martin - they simply weren't about in the places I expect to see them.  Swallows bred in Abbey Street in Bangor and house martins along Princetown Road but both have not bred this year. I haven't seen jays in Stricklands this year and I have not had a flyover raven. I think reed bunting and whitethroat have gone as well from the coastal path and the mild winter put the kibosh on redwing and fieldfare appearing in gardens. 

There were no reported curlew sandpipers in WOW this year and I have also missed out on redpoll, siskin, reed bunting and bullfinch on the feeders at WOW. I also failed to find willow warbler, chiffchaff and sedge warbler at WOW - mainly due to lack of mobility in the spring.

I genuinely think there are fewer migrants around and they have a harder time travelling with human interference and changing climate. A blogger from the South coast of England used to see thousands of migrants crossing from France in the 1970s and 1980s, now he is recording hundreds. All in all a bit depressing and I hope the trend can be reversed for future generations of birders. Then again who thought we would see little egret in Rathmore Road and have buzzard as a garden tick or expect to see great spotted woodpeckers in Castle Park?

Next year kicks off with the annual "Round the Lough" on New Years Day and a visit to WOW on January 2nd. That will kick start 2025 with the ongoing Irish garden birdwatch to start the local patch from the comfort of the house. Have a happy and prosperous New Year and a bird filled 2025.

2024

181: Water rail

NDCP

63; Stonechat

64: Mallard

65: Curlew

66: Grey wagtail

91: Goldeneye