Best Year Ever ?

As  I'm compiling photos of Category A birds I'm obviously going over old records and photographs, and have begun to wonder "what was the best year ever for twitching in the UK?" Obviously not this year, but it's very much in the eye of the beholder.

I would contend that the best year was one in the best era for twitching which was undoubtedely the last two decades of the 20th century. There were far fewer birders then and most twitchers knew each other, but there were birds that haven't occured again, and it was a lot more fun. Obviously a personal opinion, but I think anyone who was birding then would agree. To an extent, the best year will always be the one when you saw the best birds, but hardcore twitchers in those days tended to see everything unless there was a good reason (such as hospitalisation, or possibly your wedding day, although that is open to debate). Work commitments didn't count, as most twitchers were in a position to pull a sickie, just not turn up, or have an arrangement with their boss. Or indeed didn't work at all. Where you lived had a big bearing on your list- do you live on Shetland or Scilly with the problems of getting off, or opt for Norfolk/Suffolk. I have always lived just outside Norfolk, and worked a lot in Norfolk, the result of which is I have Lancie, Oriental Pratincole and Lark Sparrow on my lunchtime list. I was once flagged down on my way to work in Sheringham to be told of an Alpine Swift over Beeston Bump, and saw numerous birds on my way home over the years.

So, of those years, which was the best? It's always a personal choice, but fun to look back on if you were there. If you weren't then I would stop reading now. My own candidate for best year ever is a choice between 1990 and 1999. I think many of my friends would say 1999, indeed beanie hats were produced reflecting the fact. We often tend to concentrate on autumn migration, and on that score 1999 is clearly the winner. But how many twitchers saw "everything"?. Ann and I were extremely lucky, staring with the Veery at St Levan which we just got to before dark (from Suffolk). We then went to St.Agnes and saw the Short-toed Eagle arrive whilst watching a Siberian Thrush, went back to try for better views of the White's Thrush (Radde's Warbler on the way), and never got there, thanks to a Blue Rock Thrush on St. Mary's. I had ten ticks that year, my best since 1990. I've always counted the Booted Eagle that saw us return to Cornwall in November, and the BOURC have finally seen the light on that one.

However, for me, 1990 edges it for several reasons. Although there were several other good birds in 1999, including Short-billed Dowitcher, Paddyfield Warbler and several Chimney Swifts, every one that I saw has occurred previously or since. Indeed, neither Veery not Siberian Thrush were new birds for me. I had more ticks in 1990 but that was because I didn't start twitching until late '84. The year began for me, with a Naumann's Thrush. I was on my way to Heathrow for a 3 week trip to Chile, but I had time to twitch it on the way. Unfortunately, due to a mix-up with directions, I dipped, but amazingly the bird was still there when I returned so the day after the whole family went to see it. There has only been one since which I believe wasn't identified until it had left. 

Of course, by June that had been forgotten, but then came a remarkable run of rarities- Pallas's Sandgrouse, Alpine Accentor, Ancient Murrelet, Tree Swallow, and Least Tern. Two of these are unlikely to turn up again, and whilst Alpine Acc. has become more common, the same cannot be said for Tree Swallow and Least Tern. I also well remember being on the Isle of Wight ferry when news of the Murrelet broke, to cries of " what the f***! is that?" Many people immediately tried to get to Lundy, with tales of all manner of boats being chartered (many illegally). I couldn't act immediately but the MV Oldenburg was chartered somewhat later, plus the bird actually returned the next two years. At the beginning of that year the famed Red-breasted Nuthatch was still here, giving far better views, another bird never seen again, although surely one day... Autumn was relatively quiet, but Ann and I caught up with Eye-browed Thrush on Scilly, which only one boat load got to see before it disappeared.
So my vote goes to 1990, but there are obviously other good candidates with outstanding birds, 2023, with its American Warblers, but who's to say they won't occur again.  1988- Bridled Tern, Northern Oriole, Needle-tailed Swift, Ross's Gull, Buff-bellied Pipit and Rock Thrush, and two which were not accepted-Pallas's Rosefinch, Indigo Bunting. All have occured since except the rosefinch, but aren't easy to catch up with these days, plus Buff-bellied (now American) Pipit was the first twitchable record. 

So, it's a personal thing, no point in arguing about it except for fun, but it's great to go back over your own records and photos, and remember, especially when the weather's rubbish and life is a constant reminder of Christmas coming! For some reason, I frequently haven't managed to photograph personal ticks, but often have photos of those species taken abroad, which many of these are. Here are my own personal favourites from 1985 to 1999, most aren't photos of the birds in the UK, I've posted many of them in previous blogs. Although I can't decide between the Sandgrouse and Ancient Murrelet for 1990, I've not photographed Ancient Murrelet anywhere in the world. Ann saw a flock of six from a ferry-I was on the other side of the boat!