Zim Girl's 6th Big Year 2023

[Zim Girl]

235.  UK 131.  Fieldfare

Silverdale, Lancs  -  16/12/23

[Zim Girl]

We saw hardly any Snipe this year for some reason.  The first pic was taken of a bird a very long way off, but I have included it just because we have never seen one in this particular area.

 

236.  UK 132.  Common Snipe

Forest of Bowland  -  01/05/23

RSPB Leighton Moss  -  29/12/23

[Zim Girl]

This is a duplicate, but goes with the female posted at UK 116.  We were walking along the canal and saw this male goosander sitting at the edge preening.  The males are normally really skittish and fly as soon as they see you, but this one just sat there, not the slightest bit bothered.

 

Goosander

 

Lancaster Canal  -  02/12/23

[Zim Girl]

So my BY 2023 ended on a total of 236 birds, actually my best to date.

There were 132 UK birds and of them, 4 were lifers.

Since doing BY, I have taken pictures of a total of 181 UK birds.

 

Now to catch up with everyone else.  Hope you all had a Happy New Year!

[PeterHG]

Well, your best score so far with 4 UK lifers, that’s a good conclusion of the year! And 181 species photographed in the UK, that is quite a number, too! I am looking forward to your 2024 contributions. Happy birding this year !

[Peter Connan]

That's scarily close to my best-ever attempt! a great effort, here in supposedly bird-rich Africa! Well done.

[Zim Girl]

Thank you @PeterHG and @Peter Connan

[Kitsafari]

love the fieldfare - I'd always thought it was a very attractive bird. and the goosander too.

 

Thanks for the great effort - really enjoyed seeing the UK birds - many of which we had missed when we were there. 

 

Looking forward to 2024!

[TonyQ]

Well done with your overall total and the UK one. I have really enjoyed following this.

(you seem to have misunderstood EBC)

[Galana]

Well done. Your best ever is an achievement in itself and may prove to be a good jumping off platform for more.

[michael-ibk]

Congrats to you best ever Big Year Angie, well done! As always really enjoyed following it, and looking forward very much to the next one! Lots of beautiful birds waiting in Botswana!

[BRACQUENE]

Congratulations with your 2023 achievement and that UK total is amazing ! 

[Zim Girl]

Thank you all very much for all your comments.  Now I just need to improve on the UK 181 in just the one year .

 

15 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Congrats to you best ever Big Year Angie, well done! As always really enjoyed following it, and looking forward very much to the next one! Lots of beautiful birds waiting in Botswana!

Thank you Michael.  I might have to go some to keep up with you in Botswana, but I will give it a try.  

 

[Dave Williams]

An excellent achievement, well done! I managed 3 lifers this year and one was a dodgy American vagrant. The longer you are at it the fewer you get but I still have a long way to go to join the 400 club...not that it's an ambition.

[pedro maia]

Congrats on the double century and on your BY personal best, I enjoyed a lot your Kenya series, my favourite is the D'Arnaud's Barbet, I like barbets and that’s a beautiful one.

[Zim Girl]

Thank you very much @pedro maia.  We were pleased to finally get that barbet.