Review of 2022

With lingering snow and Ice and then the holiday period I didn’t see any new species in the second half of December. The cold weather brought nothing into London and many birds left so it was a very quiet end to the year.

I finished on 182 species, way higher than all my previous London Year Lists although this was the first time I actually aimed to get one. I was hoping to hit 190 (200 would have been a dream) but autumn was absolutely dire with no rarities and none of the expected birds such as shrikes, Ring Ouzel and Yellow-browed Warbler. My best find of the year was a Night Heron at Brent Reservoir in spring.

During the year I visited 41 sites across London from Swanscombe Marsh in the east to Staines Res in the west, Rye Meads in the north and Hutchinson’s Bank in the south. It’s been a lot of fun and I will try it again but not next year. Instead, my challenge for 2023 is to visit 100 sites across London and at each site record a species list on eBird and photograph at least one of them.

Happy New Year!