2012 List

From what I hear, weddings tend to make you a bit busy. I guess this is going to be a busy year. Even in a "normal" year, like the one just gone, I don't have the time or lifestyle to do a proper yearlist justice, so this year I'd rather not try at all. Whether that's fortunate or unfortunate is still up for discussion. As in 2011 I'm not really going to head out looking specifically for year-tick species. I plan simply to count up what I've bumped into by the end of the year. I reckon it'll top 200, but not by much.

I thought I'd record it in terms of what I see, where and when, more or less in the order in which I see them. Because that's, like, totally a new and exciting way of doing it. So this isn't a yearlist, more a list of the year's species. I think.

To make it sound more scientific like I might call it "Species Acquisition 2012" or something. Of course, fancy name or not, it's still total bollocks, but there we go. This birding thing is total bollocks, isn't it?

1	Black Headed Gull	Grays, from flat	01.01.12
2	Common Gull	Grays, from flat	01.01.12
3	Mute Swan	Grays, from flat	01.01.12
4	Herring Gull	Grays, from flat	01.01.12
5	Lesser Black-Backed Gull	Grays, from flat	01.01.12
6	Great Black-Backed Gull	Grays, from flat	01.01.12
7	Teal	Grays, from flat	01.01.12
8	Wigeon	Grays, from flat	01.01.12
9	Mallard	Grays, from flat	01.01.12
10	Cormorant	Grays, from flat	01.01.12
11	House Sparrow	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
12	Robin	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
13	Blackbird	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
14	Collared Dove	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
15	Peregrine	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
16	Lapwing	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
17	Starling	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
18	Wood Pigeon	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
19	Golden Plover	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
20	Coot	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
21	Wren	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
22	Carrion Crow	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
23	Grey Heron	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
24	Little Egret	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
25	Mute Swan	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
26	Moorhen	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
27	Shoveler	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
28	Gadwall	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
29	Pintail	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
30	Greylag Goose	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
31	Shelduck	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
32	Black-Tailed Godwit	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
33	Pied Wagtail	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
34	Pochard	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
35	Snipe	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
36	Long-Tailed Tit	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
37	Blue Tit	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
38	Song Thrush	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
39	Goldfinch	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
40	Chaffinch	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
41	Ring-Necked Parakeet	Rainham RSPB	01.01.12
42	Feral Pigeon	Grays, from flat	02.01.12
43	Kittiwake	Grays, from flat	02.01.12
44	Mediterranean Gull	Southend Seafront	02.01.12
45	Turnstone	Southend Seafront	02.01.12
46	Brent Goose	Southend Seafront	02.01.12
47	Sanderling	Southend Pier	02.01.12
48	Grey Plover	Southend Pier	02.01.12
49	Oystercatcher	Southend Pier	02.01.12
50	Dunlin	Southend Pier	02.01.12
51	Redshank	Southend Pier	02.01.12
52	Bar-Tailed Godwit	Southend Pier	02.01.12
53	Kestrel	Pitsea	02.01.12
54	Great Crested Grebe	Tower Bridge	03.01.12
55	Canada Goose	Thames, Concordia Wharf	04.01.12
56	Sparrowhawk	Grays, from train	05.01.12
57	Dunnock	Grays, Argent St	06.01.12
58	Great Tit	Tower Of London Park	06.01.12
59	Rook	Between Orsett/Stifford Clays	07.01.12
60	Short-Eared Owl	Rainham, Ferry Lane	08.01.12
61	Stonechat	Rainham, Ferry Lane	08.01.12
62	Linnet	Rainham, Ferry Lane	08.01.12
63	Stock Dove	Rainham, Ferry Lane	08.01.12
64	Redwing	Grays, Wharf Road	09.01.12
65	Mistle Thrush	Grays, Old Churchyard	09.01.12
66	Greenfinch	Grays, Old Churchyard	09.01.12
67	Grey Wagtail	London, Brewery Sq, SE1	09.01.12
68	Waxwing	Grays, Alley from church	12.01.12
69	Barn Owl	Burnham Market, Bellamy's Lane	13.01.12
70	Curlew	Burnham Deepdale, marshes	13.01.12
71	Pink-Footed Goose	Burnham Deepdale, marshes	14.01.12
72	Rough-Legged Buzzard	Burnham Deepdale, marshes	14.01.12
73	Coal Tit	Burnham Deepdale	14.01.12
74	Jackdaw	Burnham Overy Staithe	14.01.12
75	Marsh Harrier	Holkham, Lady Ann's Road	14.01.12
76	Goldcrest	Holkham Pines	14.01.12
77	Skylark	Holkham Gap	14.01.12
78	Meadow Pipit	Holkham Gap	14.01.12
79	Shorelark	Holkham Gap	14.01.12
80	Red-Throated Diver	Holkham Gap, on sea	14.01.12
81	Great-Northern Diver	Holkham Gap, on sea	14.01.12
82	Common Scoter	Holkham Gap, on sea	14.01.12
83	Eider	Holkham Gap, on sea	14.01.12
84	Rock Pipit	Holkham Gap	14.01.12
85	Pheasant	Holkham, Lady Ann's Road	14.01.12
86	Grey Partridge	Holkham, Lady Ann's Road	14.01.12
87	Treecreeper	Holkham Pines	14.01.12
88	Firecrest	Holkham Pines	14.01.12
89	Willow Warbler	Holkham Pines	14.01.12
90	Chiffchaff	Holkham Pines	14.01.12
91	Ruff	Cley, Arnold's Marsh	14.01.12
92	Ringed Plover	Cley, Arnold's Marsh	14.01.12
93	Western Sandpiper	Cley, Arnold's Marsh	14.01.12
94	Avocet	Cley, main pools	14.01.12
95	Whooper Swan	Cley, main pools	14.01.12
96	Slavonian Grebe	Cley, on sea	14.01.12
97	Razorbill	Cley, on sea	14.01.12
98	Hen Harrier	Blakeney Freshes	14.01.12
99	Reed Bunting	Cley, West Bank	14.01.12
100	Bearded Tit	Cley, West Bank	14.01.12
101	Common Buzzard	Road near Fakenham	15.01.12
102	Fieldfare	Road near Fakenham	15.01.12
103	Great Grey Shrike	Fakenham, east	15.01.12
104	Red-Legged Partridge	Fakenham, east	15.01.12
105	Goosander	Gt Ouse, Downham Market	15.01.12
106	Bewick's Swan	Cock Fen, nr Welney	15.01.12
107	Merlin	Cock Fen, nr Welney	15.01.12
108	Tree Sparrow	Welney WWT Carpark	15.01.12
109	White-Fronted Goose	Welney WWT	15.01.12
110	Corn Bunting	Welney WWT Carpark	15.01.12
111	Tufted Duck	Thames, by Design Museum	17.01.12
112	Blackcap	Grays, Wharf Road	18.01.12
113	Water Pipit	Rainham, Stone Barges	22.01.12
114	Jay	Orsett, Orsett House	28.01.12
115	Green Woodpecker	East Tilbury	29.01.12
116	Little Grebe	East Tilbury	29.01.12
117	Green Sandpiper	East Tilbury	29.01.12
118	Water Rail	East Tilbury	29.01.12
119	Little Gull	Grays, from Flat	05.02.12
120	Egyptian Goose	Abberton, LB causeway	12.02.12
121	Great Spotted Woodpecker	Abberton Churchyard	12.02.12
122	Goldeneye	Abberton, from Abberton Churchyard	12.02.12
123	Long-Tailed Duck	Abberton, from Abberton Churchyard	12.02.12
124	Scaup	Abberton, from LDLH causeway	12.02.12
125	Smew	Abberton, from LB causeway	25.02.12
126	Nuthatch	ZSL Whipsnade	26.02.12
127	Red Kite	ZSL Whipsnade	26.02.12
128	Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	Thorndon	04.03.12
129	Brambling	Thorndon	04.03.12
130	Black-Necked Grebe	Lofts Fm GPs, Heybridge	11.03.12
131	Glossy Ibis	Lofts Fm GPs, Heybridge	11.03.12
132	Common Sandpiper	River Chelmer, Maldon	11.03.12
133	Black Redstart	London SE1	15.03.12
n/a	(Kumliens Gull)	Rainham, Stone Barges	17.03.12
134	Iceland Gull	Rainham, Stone Barges	17.03.12
135	Wheatear	Rainham, Wennington Marsh	17.03.12
136	Raven	Exe Estuary, nr Exton	21.03.12
137	Knot	Exe Estuary, nr Lympstone	21.03.12
138	Marsh Tit	Surrey, somewhere	24.03.12
139	Cetti's Warbler	Dungeness, ARC pit	27.03.12
140	Little Ringed Plover	Dungeness, Burrowe's Pit	27.03.12
141	Sandwich Tern	Dungeness, point	27.03.12
142	Sand Martin	Rainham RSPB	31.03.12
143	Jack Snipe	Rainham RSPB	31.03.12
144	Spotted Redshank	Rainham RSPB	01.04.12
145	Yellow-Legged Gull	Grays, from flat	04.04.12
146	Spoonbill	Brownsea Island Lagoon	06.04.12
147	Siskin	Brownsea Island	06.04.12
148	Greenshank	Brownsea Island Lagoon	06.04.12
149	Fulmar	Old Harry Rocks	07.04.12
150	Shag	Old Harry Rocks	07.04.12
151	Guillemot	Durlston CP	08.04.12
152	Dartford Warbler	Durlston CP	08.04.12
153	Yellowhammer	Durlston CP	08.04.12
154	Swallow	Durlston CP	08.04.12
155	Snow Bunting	Durlston CP carpark	08.04.12
156	Whitethroat	Ingrebourne Valley	15.04.12
157	Yellow Wagtail	Ingrebourne Valley	15.04.12
158	Nightingale	Abberton, LB causeway	21.04.12
159	Common Tern	Abberton, LB causeway	21.04.12
160	Swift	Grays, Argent Street	25.04.12
161	Whimbrel	Grays, from flat	26.04.12
162	Arctic Tern	Grays, from flat	01.05.12
163	Gannet	Dungeness, point	06.05.12
164	Whinchat	Dungeness, point	06.05.12
165	Hobby	Dungeness, ARC pit	06.05.12
166	Sedge Warbler	Dungeness, ARC pit	06.05.12
167	House Martin	Dungeness, ARC pit	06.05.12
168	Cuckoo	Dungeness, ARC pit	06.05.12
169	Lesser Whitethroat	Dungeness, reserve	06.05.12
170	Reed Warbler	Dungeness, reserve	06.05.12
171	Bittern	Dungeness, reserve	06.05.12
172	Wood Warbler	Sutton Common, Suffolk	13.05.12
173	Curlew Sandpiper	Minsmere RSPB	13.05.12
174	Garden Warbler	Minsmere RSPB	13.05.12
175	Redstart	Linn of Dee	17.05.12
176	Dipper	Linn of Dee	17.05.12
177	Tree Pipit	Glen Quioch	17.05.12
178	Ring Ouzel	Moorland near Braemar	18.05.12
179	Red Grouse	Moorland near Braemar	18.05.12
180	Crested Tit	Speyside	18.05.12
181	Common Crossbill	Speyside	18.05.12
182	Woodcock	Speyside	18.05.12
183	Osprey	Loch Garten	18.05.12
184	Ptarmigan	Cairngorm	18.05.12
185	Black Grouse	Glen Muick	19.05.12
186	Golden Oriole	Lakenheath	26.05.12
187	Stone Curlew	Weeting Heath	26.05.12
188	Red-Crested Pochard	Twickenham	27.05.12
189	Grasshopper Warbler	Rainham, Serin Mound	03.06.12
188	Marsh Warbler	Rainham, Serin Mound	03.06.12

Naturally, and as always, bold text is for good stuff.

Naturally, and as always, "good stuff" is dependent on a whole range of things like species, location/context, date, etc.

Naturally, and as always, you probably won't read this far as it's not your list and who the fuck cares?

Here, have a shorelark.