The inaugural Naturetrek Great British Bird Race took place across the length and breadth of Britain in late January this year. Teams from Kent, Hampshire, Cornwall, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Northumberland and the Scottish Highlands spent 48 hours in their respective counties trying to see as many bird species as possible!
There were many highlights, the most outstanding of which were Black-winged Kite in Norfolk and Red-flanked Bluetail in Kent.
Other outstanding birds included Bonaparte’s Gull, Snow Goose, Lesser Yellowlegs, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Surf Scoter, Glossy Ibis, Iceland Gull, Caspian Gull and Tundra Bean Goose.
Combine this with fantastic birds such as Hawfinch, Black Grouse, Bewick’s Swan, Smew, Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Goshawk and Crested Tit and you can see that the race was very successful indeed.
The teams had a lot of fun in superb landscapes and between them recorded an incredible total of 176 species.
Quality accommodation in cosy pubs and country hotels was appreciated in the evenings as teams tucked into hearty offerings after their efforts in the field.
The winning county with 119 species recorded was Norfolk, led by John Williamson, with Andy Warren’s Kent team close behind on 117.
So congratulations to John, who will be taking home the coveted ‘Golden Bins’, and roll on next year when we will be doing it all over again!
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