Half time review 2021

Well I've made it the end of June in this second year affected by the global pandemic. I've been vaccinated twice now and although cases continue to rise with the new Delta variant it does feel as though things are slowly returning to normality of sorts. I'm back in the car with the Jims after over a year of not travelling together. The first half of 2021 saw my year listing badly affected for a second year as I missed many of the winter species due to the national lockdown for the first three months of the year. I nearly gave up on year listing after last years struggles but I didn't and have made the best of a bad time with my efforts.

I sit on 206 for the end of June which is my lowest every June total with my best being 264 and my ten year average being 239 and my previous lowest being 219.

I've picked up five life ticks so far in 2021. Firstly I was lucky that the Mockingbird hung around until I could travel for it in April and I picked up the American Herring Gull on the same trip. A White-throated Sparrow was a welcome addition too before this months River Warbler and then there's yesterdays show stopping Albatross. It's fair to say I didn't see any of these ticks coming but they sure lifted my spirits after a very long winter lockdown saved only by the local Shorted-eared Owls and some good socially distanced company.

Mockingbird

Black-browed Albatross

River Warbler

White-throated Sparrow

American Herring Gull

Looking forward to July I can say that it's a tough month for year listers.

My best year tick total for any July is just nine back in 2013 and my worst is just two. The most popular July addition to my year list is Curlew Sandpiper which I tick most years in July as birds head south again.

The best July Tick I've ever had was the White-tailed Plover at Rainham on 7th July 2010.

So I'm not expecting any fireworks for the rest of 2021 but will keep the year list ticking over without chasing it and just see where it ends. I hope to find another lifer or two before the years out and of course I'm trying to help Jim find the three ticks he needs to break the 400 barrier.

I'm still without Whooper and Bewick's Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Long-tailed Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, Red-necked Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Sanderling, Purple Sandpiper, Great Skua, Hen Harrier, Merlin, Shorelark, Snow Bunting, Whinchat, Dipper, Twite and Red-crested Pochard to name but of few of the common birds I've failed to connect with thus far in 2021. For another winter I missed any chance of chasing the Cornwall Pacific Diver, Black Scoter, Snow Goose and Cackling Goose ticks.

Since lockdown was relaxed in the second quarter of 2021 I've dipped Tawny Pipit and Eastern Subalpine Warbler but my regrets are not going for the Red-necked Stint in Northumberland and Thrush Nightingale at Spurn. Thankfully I don't look too hard at birds missed on the Islands as I've never twitched one to date but should either the Sulphur-bellied Warbler on Lundy or the Egyptian Vulture on Scilly have settled I may have had to break my own travel restrictions for them.

Happy birding for the second half of the year guys and keep well.

And already on the 1st July what looks like a first for Britain with the Soft-plumaged Petrel along the north east coast yesterday....what a year!