NT
1975
A day in North Somerset, firstly at Chew Valley Lake where we saw a male Smew, 4 White-fronted Geese, 5 male and 12 female Goosander, 229 Wigeon, 22 Goldeneye, 36 Shoveler, 15 Gadwall, 21 Teal and a male Ruddy Duck.
At Blagdon Lake the best were 3 male Ruddy Ducks, so we went to Stock Hill, on the Mendips, and a walk around the woodland produced a flock of about 50 Siskins, 2 Redpolls, lots of Blue, Coal and Great Tits, a few Long-tailed Tits, lots of Goldcrests and Chaffinches, a Marsh Tit and 2 Willow Tits.
On the way back near Wellington Farm at the top of Cheddar Gorge we saw 2 Yellowhammers, a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard.
1981
A visit to Slimbridge where there were 2,000+ White-fronted Geese, an adult Lesser White-fronted Goose, an immature and adult Pink-footed Goose, 64 Bewick's Swans, 140+ Wigeon, 60+ Pintail and a female Peregrine.
1986
In Pakistan, in Kirthar National Park where I saw 4 new birds and 3 new mammals.
Photo: Black Vulture.
1990
2004
A visit to Severn Beach where the 1st winter male Black Redstart was still on show, then a walk along the bank from Channel View Farm to the River Yeo seeing a mixed flock of around 500 Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, 30+ Curlew, 30+ Shelducks, 6 Turnstone and a Peregrine.
2008
In the garden, in Portishead, a female Brambling again, one of up to 4 birds which had been visiting for a couple of weeks, also a Merlin flew low over the garden and disappeared towards the estuary.