My 2021 Year List

Listing isn’t for everybody! But I do receive an extra motivation by trying to see as many bird species as I can. For me listing is both a means and an end.

As an end in itself, it is great to try to beat last year’s total or indeed see more in January than I did last year for example. One of the UK’s leading bird watching magazines supports people to try and see 200 birds in a year and this is an achievable but for most a stretching target (I saw 205 this year in UK). If you are going to start listing yourself I would recommend an app like Bird Track or for me I use, and thoroughly recommend, eBird.

But even for people who aren’t too motivated by listing I would argue that it can be a very useful tool for learning and gaining stronger ID skills. By forcing you to look out for new birds it expands your knowledge. For me this year I scanned lots of flocks of Black-headed gulls, for example, hoping for one with white wing tips and thereby see my first Mediterranean Gull (and indeed you will see in October I was successful). Or even at a more basic level, you have to separate your Song from Mistle Thrush or Common from Herring Gull and with that you strengthen your knowledge and skills.

So in this post I will share my list for the year with a few memories and photos.

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January (65 ticks)

The good thing about listing is that when the days are shortest and weather toughest even a House Sparrow or Blackbird can be a year tick again. So I started the year with some fairly relaxed birdwatching around where I live and added 65 of the most common birds to my year list.

A January highlight was finding a flock of 80-100 Yellowhammers joined by 40-50 Reed Buntings when out for a run. They gave a strong dash of colour in an otherwise grey day and month.

1	Pink-footed Goose – Anser brachyrhynchus
2	Mute Swan – Cygnus olor
3	Mallard – Anas platyrhynchos
4	Eurasian/Green-winged Teal – Anas crecca
5	Goosander – Mergus merganser
6	Little Grebe – Tachybaptus ruficollis
7	Common Woodpigeon – Columba palumbus
8	Common Moorhen – Gallinula chloropus
9	Eurasian Curlew – Numenius arquata
10	Black-headed Gull – Chroicocephalus ridibundus
11	Herring Gull – Larus argentatus
12	Great Cormorant – Phalacrocorax carbo
13	Grey Heron – Ardea cinerea
14	Eurasian Sparrowhawk – Accipiter nisus
15	Common Kestrel – Falco tinnunculus
16	Common Magpie – Pica pica
17	Eurasian Jackdaw – Corvus monedula
18	Rook – Corvus frugilegus
19	Great Tit – Parus major
20	Eurasian Blackbird – Turdus merula
21	European Robin – Erithacus rubecula
22	House Sparrow – Passer domesticus
23	Common Chaffinch – Fringilla coelebs
24	Yellowhammer – Emberiza citrinella
25	Common Reed Bunting – Emberiza schoeniclus
26	Rock Dove – Columba livia
27	Eurasian Blue Tit – Cyanistes caeruleus
28	Long-tailed Tit – Aegithalos caudatus
29	Eurasian Wren – Troglodytes troglodytes
30	Song Thrush – Turdus philomelos
31	Dunnock – Prunella modularis
32	Greylag Goose – Anser anser
33	Canada Goose – Branta canadensis
34	Eurasian Wigeon – Mareca penelope
35	Tufted Duck – Aythya fuligula
36	Common Goldeneye – Bucephala clangula
37	Eurasian Coot – Fulica atra
38	Common Gull – Larus canus
39	Common Buzzard – Buteo buteo
40	Common Kingfisher – Alcedo atthis
41	Carrion Crow – Corvus corone
42	Goldcrest – Regulus regulus
43	Common Starling – Sturnus vulgaris
44	Dunlin – Calidris alpina
45	Fieldfare – Turdus pilaris
46	Pied Wagtail/White Wagtail – Motacilla alba
47	Eurasian Siskin – Spinus spinus
48	Common Shelduck – Tadorna tadorna
49	Grey Partridge – Perdix perdix
50	Common Pheasant – Phasianus colchicus
51	Northern Lapwing – Vanellus vanellus
52	Black-tailed Godwit – Limosa limosa
53	Lesser Black-backed Gull – Larus fuscus
54	Eurasian Tree Sparrow – Passer montanus
55	European Goldfinch – Carduelis carduelis
56	Coal Tit – Periparus ater
57	Eurasian Bullfinch – Pyrrhula pyrrhula
58	Lesser Redpoll – Acanthis cabaret
59	Great Crested Grebe – Podiceps cristatus
60	Redwing – Turdus iliacus
61	Meadow Pipit – Anthus pratensis
62	Eurasian Nuthatch – Sitta europaea
63	Eurasian Oystercatcher – Haematopus ostralegus
64	Common Redshank – Tringa totanus
65	Great Spotted Woodpecker – Dendrocopos major

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February (17)

With a lot of the easy birds taken in January I saw another 17 species in February. I had a lovely day visiting Skinflats which added Short-eared Owl, Merlin and Peregrine but alas I didn’t have my camera with me. So you will have to settle for this lovely image of a Short-Eared Owl taken on South Uist last year.

66	Eurasian Treecreeper – Certhia familiaris
67	Mistle Thrush – Turdus viscivorus
68	European Greenfinch – Chloris chloris
69	Red Knot – Calidris canutus
70	Great Black-backed Gull – Larus marinus
71	Short-eared Owl – Asio flammeus
72	Merlin – Falco columbarius
73	Peregrine Falcon – Falco peregrinus
74	Rock Pipit – Anthus petrosus
75	White-throated Dipper – Cinclus cinclus
76	Grey Wagtail – Motacilla cinerea
77	Common Snipe – Gallinago gallinago
78	Gadwall – Mareca strepera
79	Red-breasted Merganser – Mergus serrator
80	Common Raven – Corvus corax
81	Water Rail – Rallus aquaticus
82	Red Grouse/Willow Grouse – Lagopus lagopus

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March (2)

And now the hard work kicked in with just 2 year ticks in March.

With a lot of fairly easy species taken, lockdown still restricting movements and it being too early for most of the migrants to make it as far north as Scotland this was a fairly quiet month for me. However on the last day of March I did see my first migrant Sand Martin flying overhead followed a few weeks later by a visit to the riverbank where they nest. Migration had begun!

83	Eurasian Skylark – Alauda arvensis
84	Sand Martin – Riparia riparia

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April (43)

April was a very productive month as we were able to travel again and the migrants were arriving thick and fast. I added 43 year ticks in April.

A self-found Ring Ouzel in the Ochils, a local Gargany at Black-Devon Wetlands, and my first ever Yellow Wagtail were highlights for me. A great month of birding.

It was also great to be able to travel to the coast and see lots of seabirds for the list. By this point in the year I had started birdwatching with a new friend who was much more experienced that me. This really helped me identify birds at distance which previously would have been beyond me too.

85	Red-legged Partridge – Alectoris rufa
86	European Stonechat – Saxicola rubicola
87	Common Pochard – Aythya ferina
88	Stock Dove – Columba oenas
89	Common Chiffchaff – Phylloscopus collybita
90	Eurasian Blackcap – Sylvia atricapilla
91	Tawny Owl – Strix aluco
92	Common Linnet – Linaria cannabina
93	Ring Ouzel – Turdus torquatus
94	Northern Wheatear – Oenanthe oenanthe
95	Eurasian Green Woodpecker – Picus viridis
96	Barn Swallow – Hirundo rustica
97	Willow Warbler – Phylloscopus trochilus
98	Smew – Mergellus albellus
99	Little Egret – Egretta garzetta
100	Western Marsh Harrier – Circus aeruginosus
101	Bearded Tit – Panurus biarmicus
102	Greater Scaup – Aythya marila
103	Bar-tailed Godwit – Limosa lapponica
104	Common Sandpiper – Actitis hypoleucos
105	Whooper Swan – Cygnus cygnus
106	Eurasian Jay – Garrulus glandarius
107	Garganey – Spatula querquedula
108	Northern Shoveler – Spatula clypeata
109	Common Eider – Somateria mollissima
110	Velvet Scoter – Melanitta fusca
111	Common Scoter – Melanitta nigra
112	Grey Plover – Pluvialis squatarola
113	Common Ringed Plover – Charadrius hiaticula
114	Little Ringed Plover – Charadrius dubius
115	Common Guillemot – Uria aalge
116	Razorbill – Alca torda
117	Black-legged Kittiwake – Rissa tridactyla
118	Sandwich Tern – Thalasseus sandvicensis
119	Northern Fulmar – Fulmarus glacialis
120	Northern Gannet – Morus bassanus
121	Long-tailed Duck – Clangula hyemalis
122	Ruddy Turnstone – Arenaria interpres
123	Sedge Warbler – Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
124	Western Yellow Wagtail – Motacilla flava
125	Common House Martin – Delichon urbicum
126	Rock Ptarmigan – Lagopus muta
127	Collared Dove – Streptopelia decaocto

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May (32)

May was also a productive month thanks in large part to a holiday with Heatherlea in the Highlands where I saw my first ever Capercaillie. I did also add a local Wood Warbler, and a life tick in Corn Bunting and a vagrant Pied-Billed Grebe.

128	Barnacle Goose – Branta leucopsis
129	Whinchat – Saxicola rubetra
130	Wood Warbler – Phylloscopus sibilatrix
131	Common Cuckoo – Cuculus canorus
132	Red Kite – Milvus milvus
133	Snow Bunting – Plectrophenax nivalis
134	Red-throated Diver – Gavia stellata
135	Black-throated Diver – Gavia arctica
136	Osprey – Pandion haliaetus
137	Hooded Crow – Corvus cornix
138	Golden Eagle – Aquila chrysaetos
139	White-tailed Eagle – Haliaeetus albicilla
140	Great Skua – Stercorarius skua
141	Black Guillemot – Cepphus grylle
142	Atlantic Puffin – Fratercula arctica
143	European Shag – Gulosus aristotelis
144	Corn Bunting – Emberiza calandra
145	Whimbrel – Numenius phaeopus
146	Common Tern – Sterna hirundo
147	Arctic Tern – Sterna paradisaea
148	Black Grouse – Lyrurus tetrix
149	Western Capercaillie – Tetrao urogallus
150	Common Crossbill – Loxia curvirostra
151	European Pied Flycatcher – Ficedula hypoleuca
152	Common Redstart – Phoenicurus phoenicurus
153	Tree Pipit – Anthus trivialis
154	European Golden Plover – Pluvialis apricaria
155	Slavonian Grebe – Podiceps auritus
156	Common Whitethroat – Curruca communis
157	Common Swift – Apus apus
158	Sanderling – Calidris alba
159	Pied-billed Grebe – Podilymbus podiceps

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June (4)

We had a lovely month in June with a trip to the wonderful Isle of May to see lots of Seabirds but of course none of these were year ticks. I did add a Spoonbill on my local patch (no camera again) and a lovely holiday to Mull added Hen Harrier and Barn Owl.

160	Eurasian Spoonbill – Platalea leucorodia
161	Hen Harrier – Circus cyaneus
162	Barn Owl – Tyto alba
163	Manx Shearwater – Puffinus puffinus

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July (0)

Summer tends to be quiet for bird watching and this was the case for me with a big fat Zero in year ticks. We did enjoy some wonderful whale watching though as well as some great views of Golden Eagle.

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August (2)

Another fairly quiet month but with two days staking out a likely spot (location not given due to sensitivities around this species) my friend and I did have distant views of a Honey Buzzard

164	Ruddy Shelduck – Tadorna ferruginea
165	European Honey-buzzard – Pernis apivorus

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September (13)

September added some fruitful sea watching with a life tick Pomarine Skua being a highlight at Hound Point. I also had a trip to Lancashire where I twitched a Pectoral Sandpiper. We also had an epic (and wet and cold) trip to Bass Rock to see the Gannets.

166	Northern Pintail – Anas acuta
167	Common Greenshank – Tringa nebularia
168	Pomarine Skua – Stercorarius pomarinus
169	Arctic Skua – Stercorarius parasiticus
170	Little Gull – Hydrocoloeus minutus
171	Pectoral Sandpiper – Calidris melanotos	*
172	Great White Egret – Ardea alba	*
173	Marsh Tit – Poecile palustris	*
174	Ruff – Calidris pugnax
175	Spotted Redshank – Tringa erythropus	*
176	Brent Goose – Branta bernicla
177	Surf Scoter – Melanitta perspicillata
178	Red-necked Grebe – Podiceps grisegena

(* denotes seen in England only)

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October (19)

In October we had a lovely week in Norfolk which added lots of ticks, I didn’t cover it on the blog as not really part of Scotland. I also took the opportunity on driving back from England to pick up two mega birds Long-Toed Stint and White-Tailed Lapwing both of which were life-ticks.

A trip to Musselburgh did add a life tick in Med Gull which I mentioned at the start. Keep looking through Black-Headed Gulls for long-enough and you will find one with white wing tips and stockier blood red bill.

At the end of October I was on 197 and the 200 goal for the year was very much within grasp.

179	Pied Avocet – Recurvirostra avosetta	*
180	Grey Phalarope – Phalaropus fulicarius	*
181	Yellow-legged Gull – Larus michahellis	*
182	Caspian Gull – Larus cachinnans	*
183	Cattle Egret – Bubulcus ibis	*
184	Rose-coloured Starling – Pastor roseus	*
185	Little Stint – Calidris minuta	*
186	Cetti’s Warbler – Cettia cetti	*
187	Egyptian Goose – Alopochen aegyptiaca	*
188	Long-billed Dowitcher – Limnodromus scolopaceus	*
189	Common Crane – Grus grus	*
190	Purple Sandpiper – Calidris maritima
191	Eurasian Woodcock – Scolopax rusticola
192	Brambling – Fringilla montifringilla	*
193	Stone-curlew – Burhinus oedicnemus	*
194	White-tailed Lapwing – Vanellus leucurus	*
195	Long-toed Stint – Calidris subminuta	*
196	Mediterranean Gull – Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
197	Twite – Linaria flavirostris

(* denotes seen in England only)

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November (5)

I tracked down a Glossy Ibis reported on the side of a main road south of Edinburgh only for the bird to upsticks soon after and fly to my nearby patch.

My friend and I visited the coast for a remarkable Little Auk passage and being on 199 it seemed rude not to try for a 200th. So a quick visit to Slamannan Plateau afterwards added my 200th bird of the year – Taiga Bean Goose. Here is a picture from January 2020 when I added them as a life tick.

We also twitched the Isabelline Wheatear which visited East Linton which was also life tick for me, on an absolutely baltic day the bird must have been questioning it’s life choices in coming to Scotland.

198	Glossy Ibis – Plegadis falcinellus
199	Little Auk – Alle alle
200	Taiga Bean Goose – Anser fabalis
201	Isabelline Wheatear – Oenanthe isabellina
202	Jack Snipe – Lymnocryptes minimus

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December (3)

With so many birds already seen it is quite hard to add year ticks in December but I managed 3. A Great Northern Diver at Burntisland as somehow I had missed them all year. I finally added the White-Winged Scoter at Musselburgh albeit very distant views. My final bird of last year was a Snow Goose and it was this year too after a couple of wild goose chases I caught up with this beauty near Airth.

203	Great Northern Diver – Gavia immer
204	White-winged Scoter – Melanitta deglandi
205	Snow Goose – Anser caerulescens

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Summary

I have really enjoyed my bird watching and wider nature watching this year. That has included sharing about it on this blog so thanks for following!

For next year I am going to try for 200 birds in Scotland (rather than UK), I made 186 this year so that is a significant step up but hopefully achievable. I would also like to get my UK life list to 250 (currently on 233) with a total of 28 birds added this year as shown below.

206	Garganey – Spatula querquedula
207	Little Ringed Plover – Charadrius dubius
208	Western Yellow Wagtail – Motacilla flava
209	Wood Warbler – Phylloscopus sibilatrix
210	Corn Bunting – Emberiza calandra
211	Black Grouse – Lyrurus tetrix
212	Western Capercaillie – Tetrao urogallus
213	Pied-billed Grebe – Podilymbus podiceps
214	European Honey-buzzard – Pernis apivorus
215	Pomarine Skua – Stercorarius pomarinus
216	Little Gull – Hydrocoloeus minutus
217	Pectoral Sandpiper – Calidris melanotos
218	Spotted Redshank – Tringa erythropus
219	Grey Phalarope – Phalaropus fulicarius
220	Yellow-legged Gull – Larus michahellis
221	Caspian Gull – Larus cachinnans
222	Little Stint – Calidris minuta
223	Long-billed Dowitcher – Limnodromus scolopaceus
224	Common Crane – Grus grus
225	Stone-curlew – Burhinus oedicnemus
226	White-tailed Lapwing – Vanellus leucurus
227	Long-toed Stint – Calidris subminuta
228	Mediterranean Gull – Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
229	Glossy Ibis – Plegadis falcinellus
230	Little Auk – Alle alle
231	Isabelline Wheatear – Oenanthe isabellina
232	Jack Snipe – Lymnocryptes minimus
233	White-winged Scoter – Melanitta deglandi