Happy New Year

 Monday January 1 2024

I can't remember a first of January when we didn't go out birding from dawn until dusk. There was one occasion when we set off in thick fog, driving as far as Felbrigg before deciding that it was foolish to continue.

Then, there was the memorable Christmas and New Year that we spent with Sara and family in Brisbane.New Year's Eve was spent on the beach at Mooloolaba, ending with fish and chips followed by delicious fresh mango whilst sitting on the beach watching a magnificent firework display. We did our new year birding around our Queensland haunts seeing birds such as Rainbow Bee-eaters, King Parrots, Galahs and Wedge-tailed Eagle.

Pam is counting down the days until she can drive again, having made a very good recovery from her hip revision operation. New bird lists ready, printed and spirally bound, 



notebook selected and labelled, 



we watched the garden. feeders. 

There was an obvious lack of numbers all day. A small flurry just before light faded - 2.30 at the moment - added

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Chaffinch

Coal Tit

Goldfinch

Greenfinch. 

Jay

Wood Pigeon

Pheasant and

Long-tailed Tit.

Our daily visit from a Sparrowhawk failed to materialise. As did Nuthatch and Brambling .

The Red- breasted Goose present in the Eye field at Cley has been a tantalising prospect over the last few days.

When I first produced my own bird lists, in the days of those tiny Apple monitors. I also made a year by year record sheet, ending in 2021. I thought that 2021 was pretty ambitious at that time. Here we are in 2024, still able to enjoy our birding, although in a very limited way compared with the past. Thank you to all those who have made the years worthwhile and enjoyable.

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