The year list sits at 181 which I suppose under the circumstances is very reasonable given the travel restrictions we have endured for most of the year.
I'm down around 40 species on birds usually seen by this time of the year with a good few wintering birds moving on before the relaxation of Covid related restrictions. Summer visitors are coming in and I'm awaiting my first Tree Pipit, Whinchat, Redstart, Arctic, Little or Black Tern but these are all realistic targets and hopefully I'll pick up some of the missed winter birds later in the year when they return. I rescued the life ticks with the relaxed lockdown rules last month picking up three life ticks in April with Mockingbird, American Herring Gull and White-throated Sparrow but I've missed a few good birds that would have been twitch targets in normal times.
The Sociable Plover in Bude, Cornwall would have been a lifer and is the biggest miss so far this year along with the Eastern Subalpine Warbler at Treev Moor in Cornwall which would also have been a life tick having not had good enough views of one at Landguard a few years back but I'm not sure this one would have me making the long journey down to Cornwall and back. I'd also have liked to have seen The Nottingham Two-barred Crossbill, the Lodmoor Laughing Gull and Desert Wheatear and of course the Sheffield Long-tailed Skua (One for the camera).
Things in the UK seem to be improving as far as the pandemic is concerned with cases falling and vaccinations continuing at pace. I have my second on 20th May and we're set for further relaxations on 17th May before the end of restrictions which is planned for mid June and I'm even considering getting away for a break at some point in the future.
It's great to be able to get out again and the fact that the liberty has been removed for so long makes the most basic of days out so much more memorable and enjoyable.
Onwards and upwards
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