Black grouse (lifer) 26/01/05 in Wales was finally bagged along with Common crossbill.
Then I went to the Isle of Mull and a White tailed eagle (lifer) 11/03/05.
Managed to spend the summer working on the Outer Hebridies and had Twite (lifer) 11/04/05, Golden eagle 14/04/05, Glaucous gull, Common redpoll (lifer) and Black throated diver (lifer) , White billed diver (lifer) , Red throated diver all in one day 22/04/05, Corncrake (lifer), Boneparte's gull (lifer), Snowy owl (lifer), Glaucous gull, Red necked phalarope (lifer) 20/05/05, Velvet scoter 18/06/05, Little gull 05/07/05, Corn bunting (lifer) 13/07/05, Cory's and sooty shearwater (lifers) and leach's storm petrel (lifer and in the hand) 04/08/05, Lesser yellowlegs 13/08/05, Great shearwater (lifer) 14/08/05.
Had a quick trip to Loch Garten and missed a Cappercaille but had Crested tit 03/10/05.
Back in Wales I caught up with the Black scoter (lifer) and Chough 09/10/05, Green winged teal and Long billed dowitcher (lifer) 14/10/05.
Yellow browed warbler and Brambling 16/10/05, Avocet 17/10/05 were bagged on a trip to Norfolk along with the escaped American kestrel 16/10/05.
On a quick trip to Salisbury I managed to catch up with a Grey phalarope 31/10/05.
A long staying pair of Ring necked ducks at Silverdale in Staffs had to be visited (lifer) on 06/11/05 giving very good views of the female and 1st winter male. Then big news arrived from Red wharf bay in Anglesey with a Green heron (lifer) on the 09/11/05 and off me and Rachael went, with the company of Dan from hampshire we went and cheered a very wet and misserable day into a very joyous occation.
A good influx of Laughing gulls (lifer) into the country gave me the chance to twitch one in Aberystwyth and also getting great views of a Snow bunting hopping around under our tripods to boot was great and a year tick too. Another year tick was a Aberystwyth classic, Purple sandpiper which was very obliging 13/11/05.
A trip to Venus pool on 17/11/05 produced a Marsh tit among large numbers of passerines. Fenn / Whixhall moss had a Great grey shrike and on arriving we were pointed in the right direction.
So what made the 200th bird position??? Well it was a volunteering trip to Conwy RSPB reserve where good views of Kestrel, Red brested merganser and Water rail were had and I even broke out the pencil and paper to draw an Oystercatcher. The hightlight was a great view though brief of a Water pipit 10/12/05 bringing me to my goal of 200 birds in a year. Last year on the farne islands came to 199 so had to beat it this year.
A late xmas present came in the form of 2 white Cattle egrets 27/12/05 where me and Rachael enjoyed some good views through the scope. Before heading back to Wales 28/12/05 I went south to Titchfield haven and had fabulous views of Cetti's warbler for about 15 mins.
Thanks for reading and I hope my little account has encouraged you to make your own year list or have another good go at nest years.
