The Birds of 2024 - December

Well, that is the fourth/fifth year of sharing my birdy photos over and done with!

I can't believe we're entering the sixth year of taking notice of all the species I photograph! I don't know who, if anyone, cares about these types of posts and I understand that birding, on the whole, is vastly dominated by middle to older-aged males who probably aren't reading a 30-something female's blog! However, as with everything, I love having this all here to reflect on myself. 

(*technically 2024's images are year 5. In the past, I've posted the previous year's photos each quarter; however, last year, I posted each month, the following month).

So before we head into a new year of birding, here are December 2024's bird photos! 

Taken at home - 2nd December
Robin

Taken at home - 4th December
Blackbird

Taken at Washington Wetlands - 10th December
Moor Hen
Mallard
Goldcrest
Pheasant
Bullfinch
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Blue Tit
Coal Tit
Magpie
Nuthatch
Stock Dove
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Kestrel
Jay
Lapwing
Black Headed Gull
Herring Gull
Shelduck

Taken from the car on the A1 south of Berwick - 12th December
Buzzard

Taken at home - 17th December
Blue Tit
Blackbird

Taken at home - 18th December
Wood Pigeon

Taken at home - 21st December
Great Tit

Taken at home - 22nd December
Rock Dove
Herring Gull

Taken at home - 24th December
Rock Dove

Taken at Eden Place/Beamish Woods - 25th December
Robin

Taken at home - 26th December
Herring Gull

Taken at Berwick Beach - 27th December
Great Black-Backed Gull
Cormorant
Heron
Oystercatcher
Pied Wagtail
Sanderling
Dunlin
Purple Sandpiper
Turnstone
Rock Pipit
Long-Tailed Duck
Herring Gull

Taken at home - 28th December
Rock Dove

Taken on the Don - 29th December 
Crow
Jackdaw
Canada Goose
Moor Hen
Gadwall
Mute Swan
Mallard
Turnstone

Taken at Home - 31st December
Blackbird

---

I cannot believe that I actually surpassed 100 bird species photographed in 2024! To be honest, it was touch and go, and that beach visit on the 27th gave me 3 new species for the year who were the whole reason I was able to reach 101. So thank you to the Sanderling, Purple Sandpiper and Long-tailed Duck for giving me a special end to this birding year. 

It needs to be stated that although 101 may not be a huge number for a lot of UK birders, but everything I have photographed this year has been in the North East of England alone. I think that's pretty cool. There were some species I'd never even thought I'd get to see, especially so close to me (Ring Necked Parakeet, Spoonbill and more) and I cried multiple times getting to experience the sight of such beautiful animals.

I've no idea what 2025 will bring in terms of birds but I hope that I can reach 100 again!

Check out previous year's 'The Birds of...' posts below
The Birds of 2024 - November
The Birds of 2024 - October
The Birds of 2024 - September
The Birds of 2024 - August
The Birds of 2024 - July
Life Lately - June
The Birds of 2024 - May
The Birds of 2024 - April
The Birds of 2024 // March
The Birds of 2024 // February
The Birds of 2024 // January

The Birds of 2023! // January - March
The Birds of 2023! // April - June
The Birds of 2023! // July - September
The Birds of 2023 // October - December

The Birds of 2022!
The Birds of 2021!
The Birds of 2020!

The current species list for 2024, in alphabetical order, is:

Avocet

Barn Owl

Bar-tailed Godwit

Blackbird 

Blackcap

Black-headed Gull

Black-tailed Godwit

Blue Tit
Brent Geese

Bullfinch

-
Buzzard

Canada Goose

Carrion Crow

Chaffinch

Chiffchaff

Coal Tit

Collared Dove 

Common Swift

Common Tern

Coot

-
Cormorant

Curlew

Dunnock 
Dunlin

Eider Duck

Fulmar

Gadwall

Gannet
Goldcrest

Goldeneye

-
Goldfinch
Golden Plover

Grey Heron

Grey Wagtail

Greylag Goose

Great Black Backed Gull

Great Spotted Woodpecker 

Great Tit

Greenfinch

Guillemot

-
Herring Gull 

House Martin

House Sparrow 

Jackdaw

Jay

Kestrel

Kingfisher

Kittiwake

Lapwing

Lesser Black-Backed Gull

-
Linnet

Little Egret

Little Grebe
Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Tit

Magpie 

Mallard

Meadow Pipit

Mistle Thrush

Moor Hen

-
Mute Swan

Nuthatch

Oystercatcher 

Pheasant

Pied Wagtail

Pink-footed Goose

Pochard
Purple Sandpiper 

Razorbill

Redshank

-
Reed Bunting

Ring Necked Parakeet

Robin 

Rock Dove 

Rock Pipit

Rook

Ruff

Sand Martin
Sanderling

Sandwich Tern

-
Shag

Shelduck

Shoveler

Siskin

Skylark

Spoonbill

Starling 

Stock Dove

Swallow

Teal

-
Tree Creeper

Tree Sparrow

Tufted Duck

Turnstone

Velvet Scoter

Water Rail

Waxwing

Wheatear
Willow Tit

Wood Pigeon 

-
Wren

Annual total - 101