BTO Challenge Update

As you may well know Blashford is entered into the BTO business challenge competition this year. One of the main parts of this competition is the recording of as many bird species as possible during the year. Luckily the competition is divided into size classes and Blashford is in the second level, so we are not in direct head to head competition with Rutland Water, which would be an impossible hill to climb. After two quarters Blashford is just in front in our category, ahead of Top Hill Low nature reserve, a Yorkshire Water site.


The list of species recorded so far in 2010 below. If you have any species to add I would be delighted to hear from you. There are a couple of species that I know have been recorded but I do not have the details to hand, they are knot and grey plover, I have a suspicion I even saw the plover but cannot find it in my notes. I also suspect there may have been a golden plover but I have not got any record of one.


There are also one or two species that I have heard have been seen but I have been unable to obtain any details, so if you can shed any light on any of these I would be very keen to hear, amongst these are turtle dove and firecrest.


Then there are the species that might be out there but that we still have not recorded this year, like rock and water pipit, kittiwake, firecrest (if we cannot track down a record), yellowhammer and jack snipe.


There are some species that are on the "wish list", like goshawk, red-necked grebe, slavonian grebe, hawfinch and perhaps this year only lapland bunting. The last is a bit of a wildcard but with an invasion going on there is probably as good a chance this winter than there will ever be, I fancy one of on the bare ground near the Tern hide. It would also be good to get a record of another owl species, I have always thought a barn owl or short-eared owl would look good hunting along the eastern side of Iblsey Water.



The BTO Challenge List:


mute swan
Bewick's swan
white-fronted goose
pink-footed goose
greylag goose
Canada goose
barnacle goose
Egyptian goose
shelduck
mandarin
wigeon
gadwall
teal
mallard
pintail
garganey
shoveler
red-crested pochard
pochard
tufted duck
scaup
goldeneye
smew
goosander
ruddy duck
red-legged partridge
pheasant
little grebe
great crested grebe
black-necked grebe
gannet
cormorant
bittern
little egret
great white egret
grey heron
glossy ibis
honey buzzard
red kite
marsh harrier
hen harrier
sparrowhawk
buzzard
osprey
kestrel
merlin
hobby
peregrine
water rail
moorhen
coot
oystercatcher
little ringed plover
ringed plover
lapwing
sanderling
little stint
curlew sandpiper
dunlin
ruff
snipe
woodcock
black-tailed godwit
bar-tailed godwit
whimbrel
curlew
redshank
greenshank
green sandpiper
common sandpiper
turnstone
long-tailed skua
Mediterranean gull
little gull
black-tailed gull
common gull
lesser black-backed gull
herring gull
great black-backed gull
yellow-legged gull
Caspian gull
common tern
arctic tern
black tern
feral pigeon
stock dove
woodpigeon
collared dove
cuckoo
tawny owl
swift
kingfisher
green woodpecker
great spotted woodpecker
lesser spotted woodpecker
woodlark
skylark
sand martin
swallow
house martin
tree pipit
meadow pipit
yellow wagtail
grey wagtail
pied wagtail
wren
dunnock
robin
redstart
stonechat
wheatear
ring ouzel
blackbird
fieldfare
song thrush
redwing
mistle thrush
Cetti's warbler
sedge warbler
reed warbler
lesser whitethroat
whitethroat
garden warbler
blackcap
chiffchaff
willow warbler
goldcrest
spotted flycatcher
pied flycatcher
bearded tit
long-tailed tit
marsh tit
coal tit
blue tit
great tit
nuthatch
treecreeper
jay
magpie
jackdaw
rook
carrion crow
raven
starling
house sparrow
chaffinch
brambling
greenfinch
goldfinch
siskin
linnet
lesser redpoll
common crossbill
bullfinch
reed bunting


ESCAPEES: (these do not count against the total)

ringed teal
bar-headed goose
black swan

The long-tailed skua and gannet may not be allowed on the total, as "fly-overs" are not included, although both did drop down over the water so these are a question of interpretation, we await the judges decision.