Sunday 1st January 2017


STATS

A new year begins and so I take a look back at 2016 - the facts and figures are below. As can be seen from a few of these stats, my focus for 2016 was definitely finding my own birds. I may have had a very low year list, but this was because I didn't go and see lots of uncommon and scarce birds that I heard about. In fact, only 4 birds I saw this year were not "self-found". Very disappointing was that I had no new birds for Guernsey or Britain at all in 2016, but at least, in Poland, I saw my first new World lifers since 2011.

5 new birds for the World - Pygmy Owl, Grey-headed, Middle Spotted, White-backed and Euro Three-toed Woodpeckers - now on 765.

0 new birds for Britain - still on 391.

0 new birds for Guernsey - still on 252.

1 new 'self-found' bird - Kentish Plover, makes 271.

4 new Hommet to Rousse 'patch' birds - Greylag Goose, Coal Tit, Shoveler, Kentish Plover, makes 157.

2 new garden birds (in or from) - Garden Warbler, Black Kite, makes 88.

2016 Guernsey year list total - 131, worst ever (but didn't exactly try!).

Official local rarities found - 3 - Kentish Plover, Black Kite, Short-toed Lark.

Official local rarities seen - 7 - Long-tailed Duck, Cattle Egret, Black Stork, Black Kite, Kentish Plover, Iceland Gull, Short-toed Lark.

End-of-year British Pan-species list - 2438.

End-of-year Guernsey Pan-species list - 2065.

Garden moth list - 627.

New Lepidoptera in Guernsey - 3 - Tachystola acroxantha, Barred Sallow, Lunar Hornet Moth.

New Lepidoptera in UK - 3 - Nemophora metallica, Small Waved Umber, Essex Skipper.

New mammals - 2 - Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Bison.


PHOTOS

I have picked out my favourite ten photos from 2016. I feel that I did not take many photos this year compared to previous years and did not have a lot to choose from. These are not necessarily the most perfect pictures I took, just ones that I like for varying reasons.

Vazon sea wall in February

Vazon sea wall in February

London's financial district in April

London's financial district in April

BUBO at Bialowieza at dawn in April

BUBO at Bialowieza at dawn in April

Lesser Spotted Eagle over the roadside in Poland in April

Lesser Spotted Eagle over the roadside in Poland in April

Lunar Hornet Moth at L'Ancresse in July

Lunar Hornet Moth at L'Ancresse in July

Brimstone on Scabious at Martin Down in July

Brimstone on Scabious at Martin Down in July

Little Egret at the Claire Mare in August

Little Egret at the Claire Mare in August

Reykjavik Cathedral in October

Reykjavik Cathedral in October

Ptarmigan in Iceland in October

Ptarmigan in Iceland in October

Black-throated Diver at Les Amarreurs in December

Black-throated Diver at Les Amarreurs in December


FILMS

I watch 40-odd new films a year on average - not as many as I'd like to - and these are my favourites released (online) in 2016.