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December
30th	• Iceland Gull (Ad), Ayr, Ayrshire.
24th	• Ivory Gull (1st-w), Loans, Ayrshire.
23rd	• Ross's Gull (1st-w), Ormsary, Loch Caolisport, Argyll.
22nd	• Barrow's Goldeneye (Ad m), River Teith, Callander, Forth.
18th	• Black-eared Kite & Little Auk, Snettisham, Norfolk.
17th	• Great Northern Diver, Brent Reservoir, London.
3rd	• Ring-billed Gull, Isle of Dogs, London.
November
17th	• Goosander (13), Kay Park, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire.   Goosander (Mergus merganser) · Kay Park · Ayrshire The past few winters have seen a few Goosanders turn up in the unlikely location of Kay Park pond - a unasuming municipal feature near the town centre of Kilmarnock. These large sawbills probably originate from the River Irvine. This morning produced a surprising 13 birds! Three adult drakes and 10 redheads. I haven't checked out the possibility that the ducks use Kay Park pond as a roost site but this may be true since two important roost sites (Craufurdland and Northcraig Reservoir) have been lost to 'modernisation'/development. Weather was overcast and rainy so just a few record shots posted here.
5th	• Yellow-legged Gull, Kensington Gardens, London.     Individual showing some characteristics of Larus michahellis atlantis (Azorean Yellow-legged Gull) still present on the Longwater in central London.
October
15th	• Yellow-legged Gull, Kensington Gardens, London.   Unusual individual showing extensive head streaking for Larus michahellis on the Longwater in central London. Found by Des McKenzie.
September
14th	• Little Owl, Sunny Hill Park, Hendon, London. Also a Hummingbird Hawk-Moth.
3nd	Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) in the East London Docklands · East India Dock Basin
August
30 Jul - 13 Aug	• Arizona, USA: Aztec Thrush, Elegant Trogon, California Condor, Common Black-Hawk, Wild Turkey • Inca Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Lesser Nighthawk, Berylline Hummingbird, White-eared Hummingbird • Gila Woodpecker, Arizona Woodpecker, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Thick-billed Kingbird, • Tropical Kingbird, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Western Scrub-Jay, Chihuahuan Raven, Juniper Titmouse • Mexican Chickadee, Cactus Wren, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Crissal Thrasher, Phainopepla, • Painted Redstart, Red-faced Warbler, Pyrrhuloxia, Varied Bunting & Painted Bunting.
	California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) & Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris) • [Trip Report] coming soon... meanwhile a short note on [Fraser's Birding Blog] • More Arizona Bird Photographs here.
July
23rd	• Purple Hairstreak at Shallochwreck Burn, Ayrshire.
22nd	• Scotch Argus (5) at Changue, & Northern Brown Argus at Pinbain Burn, Ayrshire.
16th	• 21 spp of dragonfly at Thursley Heath, Surrey inc Brilliant Emerald, Keeled Skimmer, • Small Red Damselfly, Beautiful Demoiselle & White-legged Damselfly. • Dartford Warbler, Woodlark, Silver-washed Fritillary & White Admiral.
1st	• Isle of May, Fife: Puffin, Razorbill, Guillemot, Arctic Tern, Shag, Eider, etc.
June
25th	• Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (47) at Allantonplains Wood, Ayrshire. • Large Heath (21) at Corsehouse Reservoir, Ayrs.
23rd-24th	• Ayrshire Midsummer Bird Race highlights: King Eider, Long-eared Owl, Little Tern, • Manx Shearwater, Tree Sparrow, Grasshopper Warbler, Crossbill & Black Guillemot.
18th	• Spoonbill, Walthamstow Reservoirs, London. • Also Hobby, Kingfisher, Banded Demoiselle and Emperor Dragonfly.   Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) · Walthamstow Reservoirs · London On the island on the East Warwick basin. It roosted most of the time I was there but did wake up once and snap at a passing gull.
17th	• The very confiding, displaying Nightjar still outside Teddington Station, London, 2135-2300h.   Male Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) · Teddington · London This star performing bird has been present in Teddington, a suburb of south-west London, since early June at least. Remarkable in many ways, the bird is out of habitat and extremely confiding as it hawks up and down a fairly busy street under lamp posts. It churrs and utters frog-like calls from roads signs, garden trees and roof tops and chases cars and dive-bombs cyclists. It almost perched on my head!   • Little Owl, Bushy Park, London.
16th	• Dawn chorus in Sunny Hill Park, London: Chronology of first song Species 2005 Song Thrush 0324h Blackbird 0327h Robin 0335h Carrion Crow 0345h Wren 0346h Wood Pigeon 0420h Chaffinch 0424h Great Tit   0428h
11th	• Dawn chorus in Dean Country Park, Ayrshire: Chronology of first song   Species 2006 2005 Song Thrush 0320h 0320h Carrion Crow 0324h 0325h Robin 0334h 0325h Mistle Thrush 0336h 0337h Blackbird 0340h 0334h Wren 0358h 0404h Wood Pigeon 0407h 0407h Goldcrest 0411h 0329h Chaffinch 0424h 0426h Great Tit   0454h    - • Orange Tip (18) along River Irvine between Dreghorn & Shewalton, Ayrshire. • Painted Lady (7), Kilmarnock-Dreghorn cyclepath, Ayrshire.
10th	• Large Skipper (12), Northern Brown Argus (3), Wall (6), Painted Lady (3), Silver-Y (37+), • Common Blue (1), Small Copper (1), Common Hawker (1) at Pinbain Burn, Ayrshire. • Northern Brown Argus (1), Wall (6) & Large Skipper (2) at Bennane Lea/Head, Ayrshire. • Wall & Four-spotted Chaser at Shallochwreck Burn, Ayrshire.
2nd- 9th	• Redstart, Dipper, Woodcock, Tree Pipit, Wood Warbler, Crossbill, Kindrogan Field Centre,    Perthshire [Trip Report]   • Dawn chorus at Kindrogan Field Centre, Perthshire: Chronology of first song   Species 2006 2005 2004 Song Thrush 0305h 0315h 0315h Robin 0309h 0307h 0306h Blackbird 0312h 0323h 0314h Spotted Flycatcher 0327h 0325h 0340h Garden Warbler 0330h    - 0331h Goldcrest 0337h 0329h 0331h Wren 0340h 0337h 0336h Willow Warbler 0342h 0338h    - Treecreeper 0352h 0402h 0403h Chaffinch 0353h 0357h 0405h Blackcap   0353h    -    -
5th	• Ring Ouzel (pr) & Red Grouse on Ben Vrackie, Perthshire.
May
6th	• Temminck's Stint, Little Stint, Garganey, Cetti's Warbler, Little Tern, Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk.    Read more on my blog
Apr
30th	• Sedge Warbler singing & Peregrine overhead, Tower Hill underground station, Tower of London. • Blackcap singing, Hungerford Bridge, Victoria Embankment, London.
29nd	• Hobby & Avocet (2), Whimbrel, Yellow Wagtail &  Little Ringed Plover, London Wetland Centre.   Avocet (Recurvirostra avocetta) & Sand Martins (Riparia riparia) One of two Avocets present for several days (will they stay to breed?) on the reserve and some of the breeding flock of Sand Martins which have been attracted to breed in the artificial bank at the Barn Elms reserve.
22nd -23rd	• King Eider (Ad m), Irvine Harbour mouth, Ayrshire.   Adult male King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) · Irvine · Ayrshire This spectacular Arctic sea duck has been off Irvine Harbour mouth for a couple of weeks now. Nice of it to wait around. It is more than likely that it is the individual that winters in Loch Ryan in Dumfries & Galloway and has stopped off on the Ayrshire coast in spring for the last few years now.
9th-16th	• Tenerife: Laurel Pigeon, Bolle's Pigeon, Blue Chaffinch, Plain Swift, Atlantic Canary, • Canary Islands Kinglet, Canary Islands Chiffchaff, Berthelot's Pipit, Trumpeter Finch. • Little Shearwater & Barbary Falcon. • [Trip Report]      Blue Chaffinch (Fringilla teydea) & Atlantic Canary (Serinus canaria) Two special and striking birds of Tenerife which make up for low avian diversity.
3rd	• Crag Martin, Short-toed Eagle, Atlanterra, Costa de la Luz, Spain. [Trip Report]
2nd	• Southern Grey Shrike, Lesser Kestrel,  La Janda, Costa de la Luz, Spain. • Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Griffon Vulture, Presa de Celemin, Spain. • Osprey, Black-eared Wheatear,  Emblase de Barbate, Costa de la Luz, Spain.
1st	• Caspian Tern (6), Night Heron (6), Marismas de Barbate, Costa de la Luz, Spain.
Mar
31st	• Northern Bald Ibis (21), Km-3.5, Barbate > Zahara de los Atunes, Costa de la Luz, Spain.     Northern Bald Ibis (Larus atricilla) & Caspian Tern (Larus atricilla) · Barbate, Costa de la Luz, Spain One of the (re)introduced Bald Ibises in the Sierra del Retνn. The flock regularly feeds in coastal meadows between Zahara and Barbate. These birds originate from a captive flock in Jerez Zoo and the reintroduction program, Proyecto Eremita, is led by Jose Manuel Lopez Vasquez.
30th	• Little Bustard, Calandra Lark, 100 Bee-eaters,  Parque Eolico, Zahara de los Atunes, Spain. • Purple Swamp-Hen, Black Stork, Short-toed Lark,  La Janda, Costa de la Luz, Spain.
29th	• Thekla Lark, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Valle de Ojen, Spain.
28th	• Audouin's Gull, Faro de Trafalgar, Costa de la Luz, Spain.
27th	• Bonelli's Eagle, Parque Natural Los Alcornocales, Andalcuia, Spain.
26th	• Caspian Tern, Marismas de Barbate, Costa de la Luz, Spain.
19th	• Northern Grey Shrike, Castle Semple Loch, Renfrewshire.
Feb
26th	• Ring-billed Gull (Ad), Isle of Dogs, London.     Adult Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) · Isle of Dogs · London This is the long-staying/returning individual on the River Thames foreshore opposite Lovell's Wharf. In previous years I've seen it as far north as Wanstead Flats and south of the river in Greenwich Park.
25th	• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker & Nuthatch in Hampstead Heath, London.
19th	• Peregrine on Millennium Dome, London.
18th	• Bittern & Water Rail (2), Bittern Watchpoint, River Lee Country Park, Essex.
11th	• Bittern, London Wetland Centre WWT, Also Bar-tailed Godwit, Water Rail & Shelduck.
4th	• Laughing Gull (Ad), Ardrossan, Ayrshire. • Waxwing (4), Capringstone, Dreghorn, Ayrs. • Mediterranean Gull (2nd-W), Noddsdale Burn, Largs, Ayrs. • Long-eared Owl, Meiklewood, Kilmarnock, Ayrs.     Adult Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla) · Saltcoats > Ardrossan · Ayrshire Following the record national influx of this North American gull in late 2005, the fourth for Ayrshire arrived in late January 2006. This is the fourth record of this species in the county.
Jan
29th	• Smew,  North Met Pit & Chiffchaff, Cheshunt Pit, River Lee Country Park, Essex. • First Chaffinch song of the year heard, Turnford Brook, Herts.
22nd	• Hawfinch (2), Turnford Brook, Hertfordshire. • Bittern & Water Rail, Seventy Acres Lake, Smew (m), North Met Pit, River Lee Country Park, Essex.     Starling roost forming at Seventy Acres Lake, River Lee Country Park, Lee Valley Park The creation of Bittern breeding habitat in the form of many new reedbeds appears to be providing some additional benefits. A flock of up to 1000 Starlings were observed gathering before diving into the reedbeds.
21st	• Gadwall, Shoveler, Teal, Ruddy Duck, Fieldfare (14), Snipe & Bullfinch, Brent Reservoir, London.
20th	• First White-tailed Bumble Bee of the year, Hendon Central tube station, London.
19th	• Numerous night-singing Robins around 0300h in Hendon, North London.
18th	• First Blackbird song of the year heard, Birchwood, Cheshire.
15th	• Scaup (110), Auchinharvie, Ayrshire. • Whooper Swan (16 inc 2 juvs), Drybridge, Ayrs.
14th	• Highlights of the Ayrshire Winter Bird Race: Smew (2), Merlin & Goosander (52), Martnaham Loch. • Tree Sparrow (23), West Plann, Knockentiber; Peregrine, Bogside; Puffin south off Troon. • Iceland Gull (ad), Troon Harbour; Twite (2) & Long-tailed Duck (5) south, Doonfoot. •  [Bird Race Article]
7th	• Blackcap (m),  Sunny Hill Park, Hendon, London.
4th	• Whooper Swan (14 inc 2 juvs), Drybridge, Ayrshire. • Tree Sparrow  (18), Knockentiber > Springside Disused Railwayline, Ayrs. • Ravens at Drybridge & Cunninghamhead, Ayrs.
3rd	• Common Scoter (4), Culzean Bay, Ayrs.
2nd	• Smew (2 redheads), Martnaham Loch, Ayrshire.
1st	• Jack Snipe (2) & Pink-footed Goose over Northcraig Reservoir, Ayrshire.
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