In 2018 I took part in Birdwatching Magazine's #My200BirdYear challenge and spotted 78 different species of birds in the wild. In 2019, I saw and photographed 97 birds. In 2020, my total was 83 birds in the year even with the coronavirus pandemic ongoing. In 2021 I saw and photographed 102 different species (only in my local area due to Covid restrictions). 2022 set another record for my list - 105 species seen and photographed. That set the challenge for 2023.

It again wasn't the easiest of birding years, as the weather was mixed, featuring both drought and floods. ! again missed out on seemingly common birds such as Song Thrush, and I saw a Redwing but didn't manage to take its photo as it zoomed past. My planned trip to Titchfield Haven took some organising, too - my first attempt was cancelled as I caught Covid, then the second attempt was cancelled due to flooding, but the third attempt was very successful - I added Goosander and Bearded Tits to my list for the first time. The final result was 105 bird species seen and photographed, equalling the previous year's record and also bringing my all-time list of photographed species up to 141.

Here are some of the highlights of my bird year 2023 - photographs of Goosander, Golden Plover, Little Grebe and Bullfinch.

More photos can be found in my Birdwatching book on lulu.com

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