5th January

Last year was not my most productive year due to the fact that my wife and I spent much our time popping up to Norfolk finalising details on our future retirement home.

When given the chance to add to my UK list I tend not to travel much further than an 1.5 hours from where I happen to be when news of bird I need comes out. For that reason my UK list is still only 414 species. This years 4 lifers are below followed by some of my favourites from Norfolk, the west country and then the Royal Parks.

This Red-flanked Blue-tail was 2 hours from home

The origins of waterfowl can sometimes be tricky, it is often your down to you tom make that decision.

I enjoyed this cracking little bird with just a handful of birders.

I am normally holidaying at the other end of the country when the peak time for this little gem arrives in the UK.

The identification of some of the birds in this picture is being decided by the BBRC.

I had never made the effort to see a Glossy Ibis, but I bumped into 3 birds in just over a month, these 2 were within 10 minutes of my base in Norfolk.

The next batch of photos are from The Royal Parks

Numbers of Northern Wheatears were disappointing during the autumn, on the other hand it was the best year in a long-time for the other chats.

Never recorded in Regent’s Park before, this autumn saw 2 individuals turn up.

There are good numbers of Little Owl and Tawny Owls in Richmond and Bushy Parks but only a pair each in the Regent’s and Kensington Gardens.

The pair of Kestrels in area 32 in Regent’s Park successfully fledged 5 young.

The first breeding record for Common Buzzard in a Royal Park occurred in Bushy Park this year.

Eurasian Hobby bred in 3 parks

When I first started working in Regent’s Park large shoals of Roach and Perch were a common sight, this is the 1st Roach that I have seen since the mid 1990’s.