Spent the morning at Pennington marshes, dutifully recording all my Sightings on the excellent BTO birdtrack app.

Spent the morning at Pennington marshes, dutifully recording all my Sightings on the excellent BTO birdtrack app. By midday, I had seen 60 species, so decided to go for an optimistic 100 in a day!

Best of the birds at Pennington were Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Knot, Sandwich Tern and Spoonbill. Testwood added Great White Egret, Whinchat, and Common Sandpiper. The early afternoon, I headed into the New Forest which would make or break the attempt! Slowly the woodland species were ticked off.. Siskin, Crossbill, Nuthatch, Firecrest the highlights, and the open heath got me Stonechat and Dartford Warbler.

Mid afternoon and I was on 90! And still had a whole range of common birds missing.. Grey Wagtail, House Sparrow, Green Woodpecker, Redstart, Skylark, and plenty more. For some reason, Redstart and Green Woodpecker eluded me, so I headed North to farmland. A surprise Tawny Owl got me to 97. Then a single binocular view got me Blackcap, and Yellowhammer, and I just needed a Partridge or a Lark for the 100. They weren't to be however, and it took a quick stop at a local sewage works to see number 100.. a Grey Wagtail.

The following day I headed into the New Forest looking for snakes, unsuccessfully, but I did see Redstart and Green Woodpecker without any difficulty! Fortunately they weren't costly misses from the previous day.