I ended the year with a final total of 203 bird species for Scotland as a whole, which considering I was out of the country for the last part of April and the whole of May, missing some top short-staying rarities, I'm pretty pleased with. For the UK as a whole, I finished with 212, the balance of which was spotted during my visits back to Warwickshire in April and November.
I also added a creditable 26 new species to my Scotland Life List during 2022, a list I created when moving permanently to Aberdeenshire in late September 2020. This now stands at 236 species for Scotland.
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Greater Sand Plover ~ August 21st St. Combs, Aberdeenshire |
Mainland Highlights included: Ross's Goose, Ross's Gull, Greater Sand Plover, Dusky Warbler, Pallid Swift, Arctic Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Firecrest, Glossy Ibis & Baird's Sandpiper.
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Ross's Gull ~ Kinnaird Head Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire |
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Ross's Goose ~ Portlethan Aberdeenshire ~ This photo featured in Birdguides |
Shetland Highlights included: Least Bittern, Myrtle Warbler, Pechora Pipit, White's Thrush, Great Grey Shrike, Turtle Dove & Lanceolated Warbler during my visit in October.![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hyOs4gl_uc1p0X1JJTc95u_YQXqtY_RseQDk4vBd8IyFX0nrc5Wlk2eOuOmzhqogKBeAxVE-n6eQ6rLHW-XqX313bLRZ5MbhxlSFVFwWuJhcEHNsx_qkQU7X7yr4iPqca-5hzM0NcptdsX7n9u-GTbCwpCxOnWYWHktzVtrCnkHLTQ6pn9PN0LY3/w640-h400/IMG_8977.jpeg) |
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle Warbler) ~ Bigton Shetland |
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White's Thrush ~ October 9th Lerwick Shetland |
In late April and the start of May Dazza and I visited Hungary for eleven days recording 138 bird species with some wonderful moments which included our best-ever views of a Black Woodpecker and finally managing to secure a photograph of a Moustached Warbler. Other highlights included nesting Collared Flycatchers and seeing species such as Roller, Pygmy Cormorant, Red-backed Shrike, Wryneck and breeding Red-footed Falcons at close range.
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Collared Flycatcher ~ Hungary |
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Moustached Warbler ~ Hortobagy Hungary |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapS-U7bXPulwUNMHCeZoDxjjpSlNARvPJZy_ZOy9wzrTmwk4SAdeWa9rPZFNFSHyjDrVMnd3-mqrQa6cdatCRTmdp3CfYFRHJPoFfMfYjDLQWpjmyX6JHKOzs_RPvA_uUxl5yY-vms2cC1lQ0OlbdT49je_E1CFEKUFpClofGc1klPRNfCGWVpDRq/w640-h426/IMG_4947.jpeg) |
Black Woodpecker ~ On our final day ~ Csakvar Woodlands Hungary |
I also managed a couple of visits to my second home Spain, which took place in mid-May and late November, recording 140 bird species in total. Many highlights as usual and this year included my first sighting of a Lesser Flamingo at Fuente de Piedra. A sad moment came when visiting Cantera Los Arenales after the devasting wildfire in July. A wonderful habit in the mountains of Mijas simply wiped out but I'm happy to say already beginning to recover.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7MIYCcICMvzpsCMhjHIFfZUu2a_34JFs2aR0tcwXSU0FwqSNW0BwySxSPnDwow5NgFtfLYBRJw_2ATimLT_--t8qz0iwQWl3VTjglQWCEn5AKX3pMXCi-XZjT_9njKIn9Z6vf94V-zGWDfDIN1dFPsHccrfz-y5s4EKUg4ZmHXMmZvxHobu_XOhA/w640-h406/FXuLQfzUsAU1Vz4.jpeg) |
The devastating wildfire above the Mijas mountains ~ July 2022 |
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A Black Wheatear returns to the quarry at Mijas after the fire! |
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Black-eared Wheatear ~ Sierra Loja Granada Spain |
Of course, during my many field trips in 2022 other wildlife was recorded and there are some wonderful highlights to reflect on.