Dawn till dusk today netted 95 species - a really good total but with just a little more luck and better use of time the ton was definitely on. So near and yet so far!

Highlights:
Hambridge - Barn Owl (1st bird seen at c0645)
Shapwick Heath - Great White Egret, Marsh Harrier
Westhay Moor - Goosander, Lesser Redpoll (in short supply elsewhere)
Wookey Hole - Dipper, Nuthatch, Treecreeper
Ebbor Gorge - Marsh Tit
Cheddar Reservoir - Red-crested Pochard, Goldeneye
Brean Down/Axe Estuary - Lapland Bunting, Water Pipit, Jack Snipe
Durleigh Reservoir - Great Northern Diver
Stolford - Little Gull, Common Scoter, Scaup
Steart - Little Owl

Lowlights:
Missing Black Redstart, Twite and Peregrine at Brean and the Richard's Pipits at Stolford (all seen earlier). Running out of light and a higher than expected tide at Steart so no Dunlin, Knot or Grey Plover. And not a sniff of a Song Thrush or Pheasant all day!

Still a good fun day out.

Impressive effort Julian - well done, especially given the windy conditions.

Too late now but a 5 minute stop (literally) at the Main Entrance to Steart Marshes (which you drove past) should have readily nailed Pheasant, Song Thrush and probably Peregrine too.

Happy New Year!

Nick

I have been looking for that Dipper for ages and I only live 50 meters from the river. Typical!

Many thanks, Nick, and Happy New Year. With daylisting there's the rub - birds are always likely to show to others at sites you visit, but not when you can fit the site into the day's schedule. Or you don't stop at one spot and choose another, see some birds and miss others. It's part of the fun, fascination,and frustration of it.