Lists, facts and figures

Just how many species have the top Cambs listers seen in Cambridgeshire? Compare the County Lists of some of Cambridgeshire's best known birders.

To add your own list to this page or to have your entries updated, please contact Mark Hawkes.

In 2009, Ade Cooper took the County year record with a remarkable 218 species. The previous record held by Mark Hawkes, with an amazing 214 species was recorded in Cambs during 2003. View details of Mark's incredible year in Cambs.

The seven year record held by 'The Cambs Diehards' (Steve Cooper, Alan Hitchings, Richard Patient and Jonathan Taylor) of 130 on May 13th 2000, was finally beaten by 'Team Cambirders' (Ben Green, Mark Hawkes, Jono Leadley and Duncan Poyser) on May 2nd 2007 with a total of 131 species. Highlights included Common Crane, Curlew, Ring Ouzel, Mediteranean Gull, Bearded Tit, Common Scoter and Whooper Swan. Birds missed but present the previous day included Red-crested Pochard and Barnacle Goose.

However, from their many years of 'birdracing' in Cambridgeshire, the 'Cambs Diehards' (Richard Patient, Steve Cooper, Jonathan Taylor and Mark Ward) always felt a mark of 135 species was possible and on 10 May 2008, they finally reached their goal. Richard's brief summary: 

"A really enjoyable day was had by the team, with many potentially tricky species such as Little Owl, Jay and Kingfisher falling into place with little effort. Biggest surprise on the day was a magnificent male Goshawk which gave great views as it stooped after pigeons at Grafham Lagoons, but other finds by the team on the day included a Temminck's Stint at Maxey GP and a first summer Caspian Gull at Paxton Pits. Other highlights included views of a Corn Crake, and bugling Cranes. The team did not have sites for Mandarin or Lesser Spotted Woodpecker but, other than rare nesters, recorded all of the other breeding species. The final bird of the day was a humble Dunlin during what proved to be a very poor spring for the species locally".

This record is currently held by Steve Cooper and Richard Patient and was set on 1st January 2002, with a total of 95 species.

This record is currently held by Brian Stone and Mike Weedon and was set on 3rd May 2010, with a total of 110 species.
Further information can be found HERE

Richard Porter (now living in Norfolk) has set the pace with a mind-blowing combined list of 154! species from his two virtually adjacent gardens in Roundhouse Drive, Perry, overlooking Grafham Water. When Richard lived at number 17, between 1982 - 1988 he totalled an impressive 120 species and a staggering 143 when he lived at number 21, between 1988 - 1999. Mike Everett is in second place with an amazing 140 species since 1980 in his garden at Hemingford Grey and Mark Peck is in third place with a substantial 135 species recorded since November 1997 in his garden at Sutton Gault.

To add your own list to this page or to have your entries updated, please contact Mark Hawkes.

Mark Hawkes has compiled a useful summary of key facts about birds in Cambs.

A List of the birds that have been recorded from the RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes has been compiled by Richard Patient.