counting coots

This is the last day of the year that I will be in the patch, and I doubt very much if anything will be added to the over all excitement today.  However, if I do find a Med on the foreshore at lunchtime I will add a hastily prepared and very sweary and happy post later today. Don't expect that post to appear.

For the sake of a final post, let me get all retrospective on yo' ass.  This year I have seen 63 species within the self imposed patch boundary, which makes this the 28th best patch in London - officially!  That's right kids, there are only 27 better places within 20 miles of St Pauls Cathedral that are better to watch birds in this year.  Kinda makes your heart sing eh?

Those 63 species are...

Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Egyptian Goose, Gadwall, Mallard, Pintail, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Moorhen, Coot, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Yellow Legged Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Feral Pigeon, Wood Pigeon, Ring Necked Parakeet, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Robin, Dunnock, Blackbird, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Long tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Mistle Thrush, Linnet, Redwing, Sparrowhawk, Stock Dove, Jackdaw, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blackcap, Song Thrush, Swallow, Common Tern, House Martin, Swift, Common Sandpiper, Collared Dove, Kestrel, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Jay, Linnet, Fieldfare.


Bet you are glad that I didn't have a hundred and fifty, not that anyone piles through a list of common birds like this anyway.

Rarity wise, the highlight had to be the Greenshank, which was mostly suprising.  The most annoying was a  Godwit that was reported flying up the Thames down river from here and ended up in Barnes, which means that it must have flown through Fulham.  The biggest dip was a Peregrine.  Despite the many hours spent in the patch, and the relative proximity of a pair, I didn't clap eyes on them once, which is annoying.  The most pleasure came from the Starling roost I reckon (which is also the ornithological highlight) and obviously the most pain came from the damned Coots on the shopping trolley.  You may have wondered why a blog that refers to a certain species in it's title hasn't mentioned them recently, well just wait until the spring folks, it will all change then!

And finally, this would be the perfect juncture to wish yuletide splenditude and sprinklings of magic santa dust to my massive fan fanbase and all those that pop in via Google on the hunt for bizarre forms of pornography.

Happy christmas Dear reader.  Happy christmas to you.