Tuesday 31 December 2019

2019 Wildlife Highlights

This is probably the longest post I've ever done. The highlights of 2019. As Jacob started pre-school in October we made the most of our last year of freedom by getting in as much travel as possible. So here's the wildlife highlights through the whole year. Found a few good birds, some good moths and saw loads of excellent and mind blowing stuff! Started and ended the year with a rare Gallinule. 

January
 Allen's Gallinule on Fuerteventura
 Dwarf Bittern on Fuerteventura
 Houbara Bustard on Fuerteventura
 Found this Yellow-browed Warbler on Fuerteventura
Glaucous Gull at Beddington 

 February
 Found this Pale-bellied Brent on Sheppey
 Short-eared Owls on Sheppey
 A record matching year for Water Pipit at Beddington 
 Black-throated Diver at Holmethorpe, Surrey 
 Pine Beauty and Buttoned Snout (below) in the Beddington traps during the 'hot' February 

 African Piculet in Ghana
 Blue Leaf Pansy in Ghana
 Black Mamba in Ghana (not this species but not sure what it is- a Cobra sp?) update 080424- its a Western Black Tree Snake  
Oleander Hawkmoth in Ghana 

 March
 Med Gull at Beddington 
 Cranes over Otmoor 
 Found this migrating adult Iceland Gull over Beddington 
The first spring Wheatears are always an annual highlight- Beddington 

 April
 Little Gulls at Farmoor
 Male Scaup at Staines 
Found this Spotted Redshank at Otmoor 

 May
 Balearic Warbler on Majorca
 Mediterranean Flycatcher on Majorca
 Marbled Teal on Majorca
 Summer Asphodel on Majorca
 Lilford's Wall Lizard, Majorca
 Spot Fly's back at the Old Vic
 Dewick's Plusia back at Beddington- a record year this year 
A stunning Netted Pug at Beddington- a first for the farmlands 

June
 Black Hairstreak at Bernwood Meadows 
Pale Water Veneer- a first for Beddington 
 Privet Hawkmoth at the Old Vic 
 Silky Wainscot at Beddington- a first for site 
Small Blue on the Inside Croydon walk to Roundshaw Downs 

July
 Eastern Gorilla in Uganda
 Chimpanzee in Uganda 
 Shoebill in Uganda
 Green-breasted Pitta, Uganda
 L'Hoerst's Monkey, Uganda
 African Grey Parrot, Uganda
 Grauer's Broadbill, Uganda
 White-crested Turaco, Uganda 
 Lesser Jacana, Uganda 
Biblical numbers of Belenois auroa in Uganda 
Three-horned Chameleon, Uganda 
 Golden Pearl at Beddington- a first for site 
 Spectacle and Dark Spectacle at Beddington 
Pine Hawkmoth at the Old Vic 

August 
 Alpine Swift in Bulgaria
 Tawny Pipit and Black-headed Bunting, Bulgaria
 Bee-eater, Bulgaria
 Convolvolus Hawkmoth, Bulgaria
 Flocks of Golden Oriole, Bulgaria (up to 50+)
 Lappet, Bulgaria
 Lesser Emperor, Bulgaria
 Pale Shoulder, Bulgaria
Pied Wheatear, Bulgaria

September 
 Juvenile Montagu's Harrier, Bulgaria
 First-winter Citrine Wagtail, Bulgaria
 Juvenile Broad-billed Sandpiper, Bulgaria
 Another stunning autumn male Pied Wheatear

 Episema glaucina, Bulgaria
 Jersey Black Arches, Bulgaria
 Marsh Warbler, Bulgaria
Found this Terek Sandpiper, a national rarity, Bulgaria
 Ruff at Farmoor
A platter of Sallows and autumn moths, the Old Vic

 October
 Hermit Thrush, Corvo, Azores (Vincent Legrand) 
Short-finned Pilot Whales, an Azores tick (Vincent Legrand) 
Found this RB Merg at Farmoor

 November 
 Flyover Woodcock on Sheppey
 Otmoor Otter
 One of very few Caspian Gulls at Beddington this year 
 Adult female Scaup at Farmoor
Tundra Bean Goose in Lisbon- a first for Portugal

 December 
 Goldeneye at Staines (and finally saw the Long-tailed Duck the same day)
Slavonian Grebe at Farmoor 
American Purple Gallinule- ok I didn't find this bird or even see it but I did identify it yesterday from photos while compiling the 2017 Azores report. Originally thought to be a Moorhen I was pleasantly surprised when I opened up the file to see the Azores 10th American Purple Gallinule photographed by Stanislaw Czyz.