2013 review

We use www.bubo.org as our online tracker, which is a fabulous site to keep your birding house in order from top to bottom!
The Swilly website keeps the list live about once a month but individual users keep their list as up to date as is physically possible via the Bubo site.
I also like to use the BTO's Birdtrack website to record my lists, so the data I collate can be used scientifically and further-a-field than LS26.
2013's personal target of 150 was surpassed with a bit of a cheat as it was Cetti's Warbler, the 3rd record this year which is a new bird on the list for Swillington Ings, but as it was only heard and not seen, it can't be counted for the actual list. That included,  my Bubo list has me joint 9th on 153 so I'm pleased that I made the top 10 even without it!
Notable birds missed this year are Woodcock & Peregrine which I have had every year prior to 2013.
No one has seen the Cetti's, so that will be a big target for 2014, but equally high on the list will be bearded tit which was recorded for the first time in living memory (I think) and will hopefully go on to be a breeding species!
Highlights for 2013 will also be the 1st twitchable Crossbills that drew the crowds in January and also the pale phase Arctic Skua which was a fantastic surprise.
Several days of inland Gannet passage was missed by myself, but that was impressive as was a summer plumage red-throated diver (again missed by me) and a summer red necked grebe. That was a milestone bird for me as it completed the list of UK grebes and I've now seen all UK recorded grebes in thd area! Black Redstart in March was nice and the common redstart showed for most listers while I was at work, but I think despite these rarities, my personal highlights were 6 bitterns in June and the spotted flycatchers which reportedly bred.
The blog died a death quickly, but because of the list, my hunger to find birds continued right until the death, so thanks to the challenge, even when its wet windy & cold out, my mind is on what birds I need.
Hopefully 2014 will give me 12 months of blogging but also 160 species on patch.
I also want to get my life list closer to 300, so I may blog about out of area birds too. Who knows?! Just wish me luck and become a Swilly member :)