January Footit challenge

Well, the challenge is over for another year and I've logged 67 species out of a possible 70 anticipated and walked 33 miles in the process. I even resorted to walking at night to pick up owls. There's been some glaring holes in the species list - Brambling are thin on the ground this year & I've not seen one in my part of Cheshire. Jack Snipe was a notable absentee and I only recorded a single each of Woodcock & Common Snipe. In conjunction with others I reckon the weathers been to mild. Kingfisher was a long shot but I'd hoped for the Lesser -spotted Woodpecker in Stanney Woods bit it wasn't playing ball in the wind and rain.


Last year I added a new species to the patch - a Water Rail flushed from my swampy Snipe corner. This year I added two new species  - Little Egret and Merlin! I also discovered another Coot on a small pond in the middle of a cow field. Little Egret wad added to the garden list when I had two fly over Christmas Eve but it wasn't until a few weeks back that  I discovered one feeding nearby during one of my perambulations.


Two of the highlights has actually been a garden bird-the possible Coue's Arctic Redpoll (not counted) and a nice Mealy Redpoll.


All good stuff & I'm going to continue through the year as part of the patch challenge:


http://patchworkchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/