ANOTHER YEAR OVER - A NEW ONE ABOUT TO BEGIN

Year 2008 saw a new record of 445 species recorded in Britain and Ireland, plus two further species still under consideration - Hooded Merganser and Canvasback.

A total of just 11 observers recorded more than 300 species during the year, with LGRE recording his lowest annual total in at least 20 years. The Top 10 finishers were as follows, with details of all 50 finalists published on the British Birding Associations website at http://www.uk400clubonline.co.uk/

1) ALASTAIR ORTON (CHESHIRE) 340 Species
2) DAN POINTON (STAFFS) 337
3) LEE EVANS (BUCKS) 334
4) TONY HULL (HERTS) 321
5) DICK GRIZZELL (HERTS) 321
6) BRIAN BENNETT (BERKS) 312
7) KEN MOORE (BERKS) 310
8) MARK POWELL (CHESHIRE) 304
9) JOE DOBINSON (TYNESIDE) 303
10) DAVID & MATTHEW ROBERTS (LINCS) 300