July's always a difficult birding month, most of the small birds are quietly going through their post-breeding moult, the ducks are hiding while they moult their wing feathers and the weather can be a bit overwhelming. Add to that this year bus strikes, rail strikes and train services that were as reliable as a government promise when they were running and I didn't get about nearly as much as intended.
Having said all that it was a productive month with a total of 113 species seen, rather to my surprise.
I try to get a bit further afield in July and August to keep the year list ticking over during the Summer lull. That paid dividends with the trip out to Bempton giving me a pair of life ticks in black-browed albatross and red-tailed shrike, as well as some very welcome puffins and gannets. I finally bumped into Egyptian geese at Pennington Flash and a green sandpiper at Martin Mere and I struck lucky with Manx shearwaters at Lytham.
Spoonbills, cattle egrets and wood sandpipers are still notable absentees on the year list, which should give me an incentive not to be any too idle. It's also a bit thin on peeps so I'll need to do a bit more beach watching in the hopes of seeing sanderlings and/or little stints now the waders have started their return passage.
The year list's currently at 194. I wonder if I'll hit 200 in August.
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