End of year roundup for 2023

Well, there's another year in the bag.  2023 came and went in a flash and 2024 is upon us!  

2023 has been a really tough one for me, as I lost my wonderful mum suddenly at the end of May.  It's been a tricky year both emotionally and timewise, I haven't got out into nature nearly as much as I would have liked.  

Roland has also now moved to pastures new.  He was the member of the team who managed to bird nearly every day - finding us some amazing records and we really counted on him to get our numbers up each year.    It is now down to us part-timers!  The team that Roland has left behind really are a fantastic bunch; all great fun, enthusiastic and contributing to the Warwick 100 whenever they can - whether it's on a weekly birdwatching stroll, walking to work, cleaning the car or sitting in the garden.  This means we can't expect our totals to reach the heady heights of previous years, but we're ok with that. Occasionally Roland drops in for a visit, it's great to catch up with him and we always hope he'll add just one more for us while he's here!

This year, we hit our target on the 7th May - exactly the same date as last year.  It was a lesser whitethroat that took the prize for being our 100th bird, with 101 following just seconds later as a cuckoo rudely sound-bombed my recording of the lesser whitethroat's song!   

We finished the year on 106 species.  It was incredibly quiet from August onwards, but the final bird went on the list on 23rd December when a great white egret arrived at the Saxon Mill, moving onto Hopyards the next day.

Great egret - credit Mark Smith

Our highlights for the year were more about numbers than special birds (great egret aside.)  It's been brilliant to see red kites regularly, little egrets more often and growing numbers of skylarks in the breeding project on the Racecourse land.  Stonechats have been recorded in several areas, swift numbers were healthy in the Summer and peregrines and ravens are a daily sight around Warwick now.

So, lots to be celebrated in the Warwick 100 and we are looking forward to a new year with new opportunities.  

For me...I just want the waxwings to visit Warwick before Winter is out!

Happy New Year to everyone, happy birding to you all.

Lizzy and the Warwick 100 team.