Dave Spratt
From Londonbirders
I am relatively new to birding (2 years keeping records and year listing). I have always “watched” birds but never recorded this. When I my early teens I spent a lot of time on Brownsea Island (Poole Harbour) doing conservation work and Birding. All serious activity then stopped for about 20 years (you know the story). I then moved to Waltham Cross and settled down with family etc (my patch for 2006, Mid lea Valley, is a short walk from my home). The birding gene was up-regulated again while taking my young kids over to Bowyers Water to feed the ducks where on various occasions I spied the odd duck (I always took a small pair of bins) which was a little odd. When I eventaully looked these upin my ancient Collins they turned out to be Gadwall, Smew and Goldeneye – all of which were new to me and really cool. This along with the now legendary Bitterns was the catalyst for what I am doing now.
I don’t have an impressive life list (actually it’s unimpressive) although I try to get out and about (Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk) a few times a year. I have never listed my patch although I spend a lot of time on it. The competition seemed a great opportunity to get me out and about more and perhaps do something useful (and enjoyable). Although “my patch” may be Premier League in 2007 I feel relegation a real prospect (I’ll need to attract some talent in the transfer window!).
2006 PatchList Competition, Mid Lea Valley (species shown in order seen)
1. Wood Pigeon
2. Blackbird
3. Magpie
4. Starling
5. Collared Dove
6. Black Headed Gull
7. Carrion Crow
8. House sparrow
9. Robin
10. Blue tit
11. Chaffinch
12. Dunnock
13. LBB Gull
14. Moorhen
15. Mallard
16. Tufted Duck
17. Coot
18. Mute Swan
19. Wigeon
20. Gadwall
21. Canada Goose
22. Great Tit
23. Goldfinch
24. Great Crested Grebe
25. Greenfinch
26. Green Woodpecker
27. Shoveler
28. Fieldfare
29. Lapwing
30. Wren
31. Cormorant
32. Sparrowhawk
33. Teal
34. Smew
35. Long-Tailed tit
36. Pochard
37. Golden eye
38. Grey Heron
39. Golden plover
40. Snipe
41. Siskin
42. Kingfisher
43. Little Grebe
44. Greylag
45. Mediterranean Gull
46. Common Gull
47. Herring Gull
48. Song Thrush
49. Jay
50. Lesser redpoll
51. Pheasant
52. Reed Bunting
53. Mistle Thrush
54. Great Spotted Woodpecker
55. Redwing
56. Pintail
57. Buzzard
58. Grey Wagtail
59. Chiffchaff
60. Willow Warbler
61. Sand Martin
62. Swallow
63. Blackcap
64. Redshank
65. Jackdaw
66. Little ringed Plover
67. Shelduck
68. Kestrel
69. Skylark
70. Garden Warbler
71. Whitethroat
72. Little Egret
73. House Martin
74. Sedge Warbler
75. Cuckoo
76. Ruddy Duck
77. Lesser Whitethroat
78. Nightingale
79. Common Tern
80. Wood Sandpiper
81. Grey Partridge
82. Goldcrest
