So I have finally crossed the line and made the personal milestone of 400 birds seen in Britain and this has got me thinking back on a few of them and which ones I enjoyed most.
Now you’d think it would be easy just by picking the rarest but it’s not that simple. One may have been more challenging to see or ID. Maybe a particular bird took more trips and dips before I finally connected or perhaps one is chosen just because it looks great.
I might consider the particular twitch to be most memorable or it could be that the bird was the most camera friendly so bear with me while I select my favourites for all of the reasons above.
![Best of the 400 Ortolan%2B1](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lkVdy9eFuZ0/XMDMsvdqbgI/AAAAAAAAOh4/Day2zm24-wY9kpbHy7Hn_dPNIhSbj4U1gCLcBGAs/s640/Ortolan%2B1.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Black%2BDuck](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tQYjh3zx3mk/XCexcLCpAqI/AAAAAAAAN4c/-wFfrGjrTeIInYZBI9mJ1C3sAcHDJEzmACLcBGAs/s640/Black%2BDuck.jpg)
![Best of the 400 GSC6](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K6J9pznjswg/XCeyG1QlJtI/AAAAAAAAN4k/8ew_uVb-dIwpkYFckKO8EpLGVRMazuLLACLcBGAs/s640/GSC6.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Blyths%2Bpipit%2B7](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bFptOz57Bn8/XCe1IemzBKI/AAAAAAAAN4w/Dy9IM384Y0QymEvBVlk9rX2XCNo09BtTQCLcBGAs/s640/Blyths%2Bpipit%2B7.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Swamphen](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5JntkOPfNa4/XCe4KjwW0FI/AAAAAAAAN48/F_mU8nChG2g-OJyMm9lhw6Me-baRnUfQwCLcBGAs/s640/Swamphen.jpg)
![Best of the 400 brt2](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8qlrRe13Q94/XCe8Fo_bTtI/AAAAAAAAN5I/x6v5j0O7664pnriWeiO0t8XawensFHVvwCLcBGAs/s640/brt2.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Cliff%2BSwallow%2BMinsmere](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n8StstyCj3U/XCe8m0H8fjI/AAAAAAAAN5Q/nGlaK5qONRsbYwE_mZSQ7jN1NUQd2LreACLcBGAs/s1600/Cliff%2BSwallow%2BMinsmere.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Hoopoe](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TV6iUTuzqQc/XCe9oQwGJ6I/AAAAAAAAN5g/eZ86xyQHnZoWEC5-nrDocUWOi_NYiJsJgCLcBGAs/s640/Hoopoe.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Siberian%2BAccentor%2B4](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n0-xXPcx_N4/XCe-MAbEYHI/AAAAAAAAN5s/AyXXcH7O3QsNXN42m3Bq4EuMT6Zb-PMhgCLcBGAs/s640/Siberian%2BAccentor%2B4.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Night%2BHeron%2B11](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5usGzBt4KcI/XCe_Z5y0dVI/AAAAAAAAN54/XT6eyZeYknge_0vRP7bwG8qUFY8zKqjtQCLcBGAs/s640/Night%2BHeron%2B11.jpg)
![Best of the 400 ROCK%2BTHRUSH%2BW](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NLHp2Y3nh3Q/XCfAV-J9VNI/AAAAAAAAN6E/CIrceSQHkg8yb87C2oK2T13SLTJBHICdgCLcBGAs/s640/ROCK%2BTHRUSH%2BW.jpg)
![Best of the 400 American%2BBittern%2B2](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bUeKdSPW2DU/XCfBDNLf_5I/AAAAAAAAN6M/Zq66MV-xVJQsPpSW-6o17Wyz95M47xT2gCLcBGAs/s640/American%2BBittern%2B2.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Snowy%2B1](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2a0jlX69_8I/XCfBwhUMKCI/AAAAAAAAN6Y/8BmQrNx-vlsrWau-2Evz_yuRZPxKoiEowCLcBGAs/s640/Snowy%2B1.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Rustic%2BBunting%2Btwitch%2BWanstead](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sYo-tZux9ug/XCfCjd3lS4I/AAAAAAAAN6g/ZZEE2ospZ-UegxZM9300a4RYqHWUwSxjwCLcBGAs/s640/Rustic%2BBunting%2Btwitch%2BWanstead.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Ross%2527s%2BGull%2B1](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SamXVqrH2i8/XCfDD8ZCUwI/AAAAAAAAN6o/ja-h5PRktMkxqHWoapBhLVxMHsv1VywBACLcBGAs/s640/Ross%2527s%2BGull%2B1.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Green%2BHeron%2B4](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-53wsn3FisOE/XCfD3iwmz0I/AAAAAAAAN6w/HsI7l1YU7nsMPxkhkCygZJ9z3q8seeepQCLcBGAs/s640/Green%2BHeron%2B4.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Grey%2BCatbird%2B2](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KwK9RHIEB9U/XCfEPkp076I/AAAAAAAAN64/3aockr9ZoXoqSTOF4QCEr13cA6vP8Dp7ACLcBGAs/s640/Grey%2BCatbird%2B2.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Horned%2BLark%2B1](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DcgpioUXkI8/XCfE4YfsmXI/AAAAAAAAN7A/Msmv9Ga573g9JqybTwTUI82nyBI-bobzQCLcBGAs/s640/Horned%2BLark%2B1.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Pallid%2BSwift%2B4](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U0NtrG4Y2nc/XCfFYVcipaI/AAAAAAAAN7I/x8eP5PC0Gw0IP2ZFmsYDLwKHYUvXcxtQACLcBGAs/s640/Pallid%2BSwift%2B4.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Capercaillie%2B1](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zZRoRribcuw/XMDP_V6Dv0I/AAAAAAAAOiA/dDdoCAPRa9UiwVjPPXy8CaryJ1YryBwFwCLcBGAs/s640/Capercaillie%2B1.jpg)
![Best of the 400 American%2BCoot%2B3](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bidbRq-JkrA/XMDTuwddHAI/AAAAAAAAOiY/zbEZPxVYIaQ4PVImxlJqoh9zPn3EvNzCACLcBGAs/s640/American%2BCoot%2B3.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Harlequin%2BDuck%2B1](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dYTXTK4YY-Y/XMDT-CIxGkI/AAAAAAAAOic/tmYPpDslRugmhD1MILwq0NzmHF_QJLgkwCLcBGAs/s640/Harlequin%2BDuck%2B1.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Rose%2Bcoloured%2BStarling%2B4](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ksvd-YxMqBo/XMFTebn6TgI/AAAAAAAAOi4/qKAwC8nv-cIVMFKfZQig8pVCHcedKS3mQCLcBGAs/s640/Rose%2Bcoloured%2BStarling%2B4.jpg)
![Best of the 400 RB%2BShrike%2Be](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--ZbGfLEs0mo/XMFUF_DAamI/AAAAAAAAOjA/HUNyGtAbkUMBSHx0ywoBRPTPbb5CMSfhgCLcBGAs/s640/RB%2BShrike%2Be.jpg)
![Best of the 400 WHEATEAR%2BTWITCH](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JQb5ZDk5WFc/XMFVnxTn2RI/AAAAAAAAOjI/Xeove-A9IgQoafKnxcxhsZJs7JsW2TbGACLcBGAs/s640/WHEATEAR%2BTWITCH.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Twitchers%2Bat%2BBurnham](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0JZLy3Noh5k/XMFWHQ4nnpI/AAAAAAAAOjQ/5WzVF-c4Mcc5SVn-EA79f7LEqUAddjfUwCLcBGAs/s640/Twitchers%2Bat%2BBurnham.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Jimmy%2Band%2Bme%2Bat%2Bthe%2BHume%2527s%2BLeaf%2BWarbler%2Btwitch](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_1MjOQ9HwN4/XMFWTkQZMII/AAAAAAAAOjU/-T3izUDhUGoE-D1GxPrVk8ISNvk9DSPhgCLcBGAs/s640/Jimmy%2Band%2Bme%2Bat%2Bthe%2BHume%2527s%2BLeaf%2BWarbler%2Btwitch.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Twitch%2B%25282%2529](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oLLeimEG6qE/XMFWf3TWtPI/AAAAAAAAOjY/0MYIiZjBjW0qyqoF_-oHhtApAjYhdCqnQCLcBGAs/s640/Twitch%2B%25282%2529.jpg)
![Best of the 400 Brunnich%2527s%2BGuillemot%252C%2BPortland%2BHarbour%2BDecember%2B2013](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TsPjKsSyu1o/XMDUpUa6xRI/AAAAAAAAOiw/NYXX-WIyUpQRiPRUs_F2IbNVvETDlEW9ACLcBGAs/s640/Brunnich%2527s%2BGuillemot%252C%2BPortland%2BHarbour%2BDecember%2B2013.jpg)
There’s obviously a lot more but these are a few of the memorable ticks…..now where’s the next one?
![Best of the 400 Brian Anderson](https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/wp-content/uploads/brian_anderson.jpg)
Brian Anderson
Essex Birder using the blog as a diary of my trips around the country chasing birds. Enjoying the places it takes me and the people I meet along the way. Great to spend time with my Dad and brother as we chase our year lists and grow our life list in the process.
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