Rarity of 2016 poll results
The incredible influx of Siberian Accentors in Autumn 2016 has been voted as the rarity event of 2016 in our annual end of year reader poll.
Over 3,000 votes were cast but the poll was far from close with 55% of you voting for Siberian Accentor. With multiple birds present along the east coast between 9th October and 13 November and thousands of birders managing to catch up with one, it is little wonder then that it took top spot.
After the Siberian Accentor landslide, the rest of the poll was a much closer affair.
In second place came the Derbyshire Dusky Thrush polling 13% of the votes. Found on 4th December and still present today [3 January] it has attracted birders to the small village of Beeley and in the process has raised thousands of pounds in donations as well as providing a boost to local businesses.
Polling 8% of the votes and claiming third place is the Western Purple Swamphen at RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk and Alkborough, Lincolnshire.
The fourth place spot was taken by a bird very few birders managed to catch up with and given question marks over it’s provenance, so it perhaps surprising to see the wandering Lammergeier polling as high as it did.
In fifth spot, with 6% of the votes, came the very smart Great Knot that spent nearly three weeks at multiple sites along the North Norfolk coast where it was originally found.
Our poll opened before news of the Gloucestershire Blue Rock Thrush and many votes had been cast. Looking at the numbers in the last few days of the poll it may have pushed the Swamphen into fourth place. In most other years running the poll with just a few days to go until the end of the year, would usually be a safe bet, but then again this was 2016 and we should have known better!
Thank you all for taking part in the poll. If at the end of 2017 we have a similar calibre of birds to vote on we will have once again been spoilt. One thing that is for sure – whether it’s a first for Britain or a local bird on your patch - we will be working as hard as ever to bring the news to you as quickly and reliably as possible.
4 January 2017
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