Stuff I missed

Perhaps its a bit early to reflect on the year, but there's a few things I missed and won't see now. I'm not too worried though as I've had a good year, and saw most things I went for, albeit after several attempts in some cases. Here's what I could have seen, in no particular order:

• Whimbrel - along the Gwent and Glamorgan coast on passage, but never managed to get out at the right time
• Puffin - missed the Skomer trip
• Spotted Crake - the Radipole bird hid from us
• Dotterel - we went too early for the Garreg Lwyd birds. They turned up a week after we went
• Ring Ouzel - somehow managed to miss the influx and the stragglers last month
• Wilson's Phalarope - I was stranded on the other side of the Solent
• Bee-eater - perhaps the dip of the year. Missed the Hampton Bishop pair the last open day of the view point. They reappeared later in the day
• Squacco Heron - stuck in work when Tim and Dan went
• Ring-billed Gull - the Cardiff Bay bird was never around when I was there. Could get one later possibly
• Red-necked Grebe - returning from holiday when it showed up in Kenfig
• Black Tern - didn't manage to get out when they were on passage through the area
• White-winged Black Tern - no time available to see the Weston bird
• Whiskered Tern - didn't know it was at CWP, but probably wouldn't have made it anyway
• Wood Sandpiper - none at Slimbridge or Goldcliff when we went after the Bee-eater dip
• Red-backed Shrike - no time to get to the Gower bird
• Grey Partridge - hoped for one on the New Forest trip and haven't searched the Vale
• Chough - haven't been West or searched Southerndown yet
• Little Stint - missed the main wader passage
• Temminck's Stint - ditto
• Baird's Sandpiper - ditto
• Turtle Dove - no chance!
• Tree Pipit - a shocking ommission
• Richard's Pipit - dipped the three at Huntspill on the Upland Sandpiper trip
• Firecrest - missed the birds at Portland and tried Kenfig North pool area without success

I'll draw up a list of highlights at the end of the month.