First bird for 2011 plus a couple of overseas comments

[martin butterfield <>]

My first bird for 2011 was a Laughing Kookaburra - in fact two thereof - duetting at about 80dB and 4:45.  Why do birds whose names start with Ko have to be so noisy?

In the RSPB magazine there is an article bemoaning the decline in Starlings in the UK. Breeding numbers have apparently dropped by 77% between 1982 and 2007 in the UK with similar declines across Europe.  The most astonishing factoid in the article was that in Russia more than 20 million nest boxes are erected for starlings as they are seen as the first sign of Spring.

Secondly I have been following http://bikingbirder2010.blogspot.com/ which reports on the progress of a guy who has spent 2010 visiting every RSPB and WWT reserve in the UK by bike.  He was also hoping to break the human powered year-list record for the UK (251 species).  He equalled the record on 30 December with a Long-eared Owl  and knew of an Icelandic Gull within relatively easy reach!

Happy New Year to all

Martin