Updated Year List (07.vi.18)

So far this year, I have had 2 trips to North Norfolk, a visit to local reserve at Amwell and a few walks around my patch. Also, a frequent walk, somewhere within 5 miles of the Bishop's Stortford town centre for my fortnightly column in the Bishop's Stortford Independent. Wednesday 14th Feb, a trip to Frampton Marsh RSPB Reserve added 3 to the year list. On 17th Feb Gary and I had a Saturday in North Norfolk where I added 2 more species to the year list, both at Holkham.
Consequently, year list is as follows, with first sightings listed.
Update:
Several more trips to North Norfolk, plus a successful Dungeness trip have added several more to the list. Now updated 03.05.18

Red breasted merganser (Brancaster Harbour)

1. Red throated diver (Holkham)
2. Little Grebe (Titchwell)
3. Great crested grebe (Titchwell)
4. Cormorant (Cley)
5. Little egret (Cley)
6. Grey heron (Little Hadham)
7. Mute swan (Cley)
8. Pink footed goose (Holkham)
9. Greylag goose (Cley)
10. Canada goose (Amwell)
11. Barnacle goose (Holkham)
12. Brent goose (Cley)
13. Shelduck (Titchwell)
14. Egyptian goose (Cley)
15. Mallard (B. Stortford)
16. Gadwall (Titchwell)
17. Pintail (Cley)
18. Shoveler (Cley)
19. Wigeon (Cley)
20. Teal (Titchwell)
21. Pochard (Amwell)
22. Red crested pochard (Titchwell)
23. Tufted duck (Amwell)
24. Common scoter (Titchwell)
25. Long tailed duck (Titchwell)
26. Goldeneye (Titchwell)
27. Smew (Amwell)
28. Red breasted merganser (Brancaster harbour)
29. Red kite (Little Hadham)
30. Marsh harrier (Cley)
31. Common buzzard (Little Hadham)
32. Kestrel (Little Hadham)
33. Peregrine falcon (Green Tye)
34. Merlin (Brancaster)
35. Red legged partridge (Little Hadham)
36. Grey partridge (Standon)
37. Pheasant (Little Hadham)
38. Water rail (Titchwell)
39. Moorhen (Little Hadham)
40. Coot (Little Hadham)
41. Oystercatcher (Wells)
42. Avocet (Cley)
43. Ringed plover (Titchwell)
44. Grey plover (Titchwell)
45. Golden plover (Cley)
46. Lapwing (Cley)
47. Knot (Titchwell)
48. Sanderling (Titchwell)
49. Turnstone (Salthouse)
50. Dunlin (Cley)

Knot (Titchwell)

51. Redshank(Cley)
52. Black tailed godwit (Cley)
53. Bar tailed godwit (Titchwell)
54. Curlew (Cley)
55. Woodcock (Little Hadham)
56. Snipe (Holkham)
57. Ruff (Titchwell)
58. Black headed gull (Little Hadham)
59. Common gull (Little Hadham)
60. Herring gull (Little Hadham)
61. Lesser black backed gull (Little Hadham)
62. Great black backed gull (Titchwell)
63. Stock dove (Holkham)
64. Wood pigeon (Little Hadham)
65. Collared dove (Little Hadham)
66. Tawny Owl (Little Hadham)
67. Barn Owl (Little Hadham)
68. Little Owl (Little Hadham)
69. Kingfisher (B. Stortford)
70. Rose ringed parakeet (Alexandra Palace)
71. Green woodpecker (Little Hadham)
72. Great spotted woodpecker (Little Hadham)
73. Skylark (Little Hadham)
74. Shore lark (Holkham)
75. Rock pipit (Cley)

Rock Pipit (Morston)

76. Meadow pipit (Cley)
77. Pied wagtail (Little Hadham)
78. Wren (Little Hadham)
79. Dunnock (Little Hadham)
80. Robin (Little Hadham)
81. Black redstart (Sheringham)
82. Stonechat (Holkham)
83. Song thrush (Little Hadham)
84. Redwing (Little Hadham)
85. Mistle thrush (Little Hadham)
86. Fieldfare (Little Hadham)
87. Blackbird (Little Hadham)
88. Cetti's warbler (Holkham)
89. Goldcrest (Little Hadham)
90. Great tit (Little Hadham)
91. Coal tit (Little Hadham)
92. Blue tit (Little Hadham)
93. Long tailed tit (Little Hadham)
94. Nuthatch (Little Hadham)
95. Treecreeper (Little Hadham)
96. Magpie (Little Hadham)
97. Jay (Little Hadham)
98. Jackdaw (Little Hadham)
99. Carrion crow (Little Hadham)
100. Rook (Little Hadham)

Black redstart (Sheringham)

101. Starling (Little Hadham)
102. House sparrow (Little Hadham)
103. Chaffinch (Little Hadham)
104. Brambling (Titchwell)
105. Linnet (Little Hadham)
106. Lesser redpoll (B. Stortford)
107. Goldfinch (Little Hadham)
108. Greenfinch (B. Stortford)
109. Siskin (B. Stortford)
110. Bullfinch (Little Hadham)
111. Reed bunting (Titchwell)
112. Snow bunting (Salthouse)
113. Yellowhammer (Little Hadham)
114. Whooper swan (Frampton Marsh)
115 Tree sparrow (Frampton Marsh)
116. Spotted redshank (Frampton Marsh)
117. Rough legged buzzard (Holkham)
118. Black throated diver (Holkham)
119. Marsh Tit (Turner's Spring)

Lesser redpoll (Bishop's Stortford)

On 19th March I ventured down to Dungeness for a superb day's birding. As well as adding a fair few expected year listers, I got my first UK lifer since a flyover white stork at Cley in August of last year. However, this bluethroat was a first for me anywhere and a bird I had given up expecting to see. 4 trips to Poland, numerous occasions in The Camargue and Portugal and not a sniff of bluethroat. Also, many near misses in the UK, so this was certainly a red letter day. Apart from Sri Lankan birds (white rumped sharma, Kottawa Rainforest Jan 2018 being my last world wide lifer) the bluethroat was my first international lifer in the UK since the 2011 Western sandpiper at Cley.

adult male Bluethroat

120. Slavonian grebe (Dungeness)

121. Gannet (Dungeness)

122. Caspian gull (Dungeness)

123. Guillemot (Dungeness)

124. Razorbill (Dungeness)

125. Bluethroat (Dengemarsh Gully)

126. Firecrest (Dengemarsh Gully)

127. Chiffchaff (Dungeness)
128. Mandarin (Little Hadham)
129. Blackcap (Bishop's Stortford)
130. Wheatear (Bishop's Stortford)
131. Sedge warbler (Thorley Wash)
132. Cuckoo (Thorley Wash)
133. Whitethroat (Thorley Wash)
134. House martin (Bishop's Stortford)
135. Reed warbler (Amwell)

Dengemarsh Gully Firecrest

Bluethroat at same site, a different bird from one shown above.

136: swallow (Bishop's Stortford)
137. great white egret (Cley)
138. spoonbill (Titchwell)
139. whimbrel (Burnham Overy Staithe)
140. sandwich tern (Titchwell)
141. Wood lark (Kelling Heath)
142. House martin (Salthouse)
143. whinchat (Kelling water meadows)
144. garden warbler (Kelling Heath)
145. lesser whitethroat (Kelling Water Meadows)
146. willow warbler (Kelling Heath)
147. Bearded reedling (Titchwell)

Lesser whitethroat on track to Kelling Water Meadows

148. Hobby (Cley)
149. Common sandpiper (Titchwell)
150. Little tern (Blakeney Point)
151. Arctic tern (Blakeney Point)
152. swift (Cley)
153. sand martin (Kelling water meadows)
154. Grey wagtail (Cley)
155. Little ringed plover (Titchwell)

Little ringed plover (Titchwell from Parrinder Hide)

Little Tern at Blakeney Point

These additions follow a 3 day visit to North Norfolk with friend Anoma, visiting from Galle, Sri Lanka for his 1st UK visit. During this trip we managed over 100 species of birds, staying at the excellent Blakeney Manor Hotel. Highly recommended: great breakfast, clean and tidy rooms, superb bar service and sensible prices (£60 per night for a single room with breakfast.)
Next planned trip is a weekend coming up at Portland Bird Obs. Should add a few more to the year list.
Portland was both very sunny and hot, but also dense fog around Saturday lunchtime. Several year listers as I'd anticipated.
156. Rosy starling (Portland)
157. Manx shearwater (Portland)
158. Kittiwake (West cliffs, Portland)
159. Fulmar (West cliffs, Portland)
160. Shag (West cliffs, Portland)
161. Raven (Portland)

Rosy starling x 2 if you look closely

splendid raven

Next trip away: this Sunday off to the Isle of Wight for a week with Wendy. may get out for a spot of birding but not expecting too much. Norfolk on Friday 22nd June, guiding Trevor around some of the West Norfolk sites may offer a more realistic chance to add to the list.

Update 09.08.18 after a 3 day stay at Stiffkey campsite 5th - 8th August
162: greenshank (Stansted airport lagoons)
163: wood sandpiper (Cley)

After several more Norfolk trips, including 10th December on a bright but chilly day I have added.

164: Pintail (Titchwell)
165: Eider (Titchwell)
166: Great Northern Diver (Holkham)
167: Water Pipit (Titchwell)