It's tempting fate, I know... but I'm gonna chance posting my year list today, rather than waiting while tomorrow!
As I joined BF on 31 Dec 02, there is an almost perfect correlation between this years idings and my time on the Forum.
Joining BF gave me a bit of extra oomph for birding, and I began to take things just a little less casually - note taking, list making, that kind of thing.
Well, I've gone through this years trip notes - which started in earnest around March - and trawled through my BF postings for sundry reports, and pulled together a Year List, split by month, for your perusal should you so wish.
Early 2003 records are sketchy to say the least, and there are one or two slightly iffy records, where I recorded things in good faith at the time, but perhaps a few months later I am a little better informed (or more cautious). I didn't think there was anything to be gained from too fine a tooth-comb approach to, what in reality becomes a baseline for future records.
My final year total (all UK) comes out at 140, which considering my UK Lifelist is 161, erm... well... actually I'm not sure what that says.
For those who are not bothered about the actual species list, the monthly numbers are as follows:
Jan : 22
Feb : 38
Mar : 47
Apr : 59
May : 79
Jun : 90
Jul : 66
Aug : 15
Sep : 64
Oct : 61
Nov : 43
Dec : 60
(August looks very low, I know, but I had six weeks where I got almost no birding done for various reasons!)
Anyway, it's there if you wanna take a look.
All comments and criticisms would be gratefully and graciously received, respectively!
E&OE
My year list is 156 and that's not tempting fate since I'm not birding tomorrow. Then again my life list is uh 156!! And somehow I doubt I'll top that this year given my holiday plans!!
And you have 16 I'd love to have, Grasshopper Warbler for one!!
I think I just managed to push my life list to about 220+ today and my year list to 218. I am well chuffed with that. Like you, I reckon BF gave me more oomph to my birding too.
I will get back to you when I have trawled my lists properly early in 2004.
Here's hoping all BF members break their personal bests, whatever they may be, in 2004!