Final Totals for 2016

My final bird list totals for 2016 are ;

YEAR LIST : 261

LIFERS :  9

PENDING LIFERS : 3

I went on some amazing birding trips in 2016 and saw a total of  9 new species and a further 3 pending new species , here are photos of all new birds seen in 2016 plus the 3 pending acceptance or rejection species.

1. First new bird in 2016 was a Mourning Dove seen on Shetland in January.

Mourning Dove.

2. My 2nd new bird of the year didn't come until April and that was seen on North Uist and is up there as one of the best birds i have ever seen

Gyr Falcon.

3.  My 3rd new species was one bird i never thought i would see as they don't normally survive long once they reach our shores and it was another trip to North Uist in May to see this remarkable bird Black Billed Cuckoo.

Black Billed Cuckoo.

4. My 4th new species of the year was an American White Winged Scoter which i saw in June of the coast of Murcar GC near Aberdeen , sadly i didn't manage any photo's of this bird.

5. My 5th new species of 2016 was a very mixed affair , i once again traveled up to Shetland in October and dipped the Siberian Accentor which was a major disappointment , however i did have some compensation in seeing a Black Faced Bunting , once again sadly i didn't manage any photos.

6. To my absolute delight and surprise my 6th new species in 2016 was the UK's 2nd ever Siberian Accentor at Easington in Yorkshire , after dipping the one on Shetland i couldn't believe my luck.

Siberian Accentor.

7.   My 7th new species was in November at Minsmere Rspb reserve in Suffolk and it was a fantastic Cliff Swallow , having had very poor views of one on Scilly earlier in the year (not satisfactory for a lifer) i was very pleased to see this one, sadly i didn't get a photo.

8.   December produced 2 new species for me the first one and my 8th new bird of 2016 was a quite brilliant Dusky Thrush , having missed the Margate bird i was so very pleased to see this one.

Dusky Thrush.

9.   My 9th and final new bird of 2016 was another long trip up to Shetland to see the Killdeer which had been tempting me since it first appeared .

Killdeer.

My 3 pending acceptance or rejection from the Bourc are :

1.   A trip to Cornwall for the 1st of these 3 birds was  in May to see the Dalmatian Pelican, i am not sure if the Bourc will accept this a wild bird or not however it was a magnificent bird to see all the same.

Dalmatian Pelican.

2.   The 2nd of the pending birds was a superb Western Purple Swamphen at Minsmere Rspb reserve in August , i think this has a great chance of acceptance onto the British list.

Western Purple Swamphen.

3.   My final bird pending acceptance was seen in December and is a male Blue Rock Thrush seen in Gloucestershire at Stow-on-the-Wold , yet again this is one i can see being rejected but you never know (i thought the same about the Chinese Pond Heron) .

Blue Rock Thrush.

Well that concludes my look back at 2016 , so many highlights and an awful lot of miles covered , my outlook for 2017 is to stay mainly local and only twitch new species , hope everyone has a bird filled 2017.