In essence this is my 50th anniversary of birdwatching, which has proved to be one of the most enjoyable past times I've ever had and one that hasn't waned at all.
Below are the all the British Birds have recorded in that time and in amongst the residents I have highlighted a few of interest, that I've been fortunate to see.
Great Northern Diver
Black-throated Diver
Red-throated Diver
Grebes
Great Crested Grebe
Red-necked Grebe, Priorslee Flash, Shropshire 1998
Slavonian Grebe, River Stour, Kent 1968
Black-necked Grebe, Priorslee Lake, Shropshire 2009
True Fulmars
Fulmar
Shearwaters
Manx Shearwater
Storm Petrels
Storm-petrel
Leach's Storm-petrel, North Sea, Waxham, Norfolk 1996
Gannets and Boobies
Gannet
Cormorants
Shag
Cormorant
Herons, Egrets and Bitterns
Grey Heron
Great White Egret, Cotswold Water Park, Wiltshire 2008
Little Egret
Cattle Egret, Seend Cleeve, Wiltshire 2009
Bittern
Spoonbills
Spoonbill
Flamingos
Greater Flamingo, Isle of Grain, Kent 1974
Swans
Mute Swan
Whooper Swan
Bewick's Swan
Geese
Greylag Goose
Pink-footed Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
European White-fronted Goose
Greenland White-fronted Goose
Dark-bellied Brent Goose
Pale-bellied Brent Goose
Brant Goose
Canada Goose
Taiga Bean Goose
Barnacle Goose
Tundra Bean Goose
Egyptian Goose
Surface-feeding Ducks
Shelduck
Mandarin
Mallard
Gadwall
Wigeon
Teal
Garganey
Pintail
Shoveler
Diving Ducks
Tufted Duck
Ring-necked Duck
Pochard
Common Eider
Common Scoter
Velvet Scoter, North Sea, Waxham, Norfolk 1991
Goldeneye
Long-tailed Duck
Lesser Scaup, Monkmoor Pool, Shropshire 2005
Greater Scaup, Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire 1995
Red-crested Pochard, Paxton, Cambridgeshire 2001
Ferruginous Duck, Lydiard Park, Swindon, Wiltshire 2011
Sawbills
Goosander
Red-breasted Merganser
Smew
Stiff-tails
Ruddy Duck
Eagles
Golden Eagle
Buzzards
Common Buzzard
Rough-legged Buzzard, Forres, Scotland 1993
Hawks
Goshawk
Sparrowhawk
Kites
Red Kite
Osprey
Osprey, Reedham Marshes, Norfolk 1994
Harriers
Marsh Harrier
Hen Harrier
Montagu's Harrier, Burnham Market, Norfolk 2007
Falcons
Peregrine Falcon
Hobby
Merlin
Kestrel
Red-footed Falcon, Hickling NNT, Norfolk 1995
Grouse
Red Grouse
Partridges and Pheasants
Red-legged Partridge
Grey Partridge
Quail
Pheasant
Cranes and Bustards
Common Crane, Horsey Mere, Norfolk 1985
Rails and Crakes
Moorhen
Coot
Spotted Crake
Water Rail
Waders
Oystercatcher
Lapwing
Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Greater Sand Plover, Cley, Norfolk 1992
Golden Plover
Grey Plover
Turnstone
Long-billed Dowitcher, Weymouth 2010
Small Sandpipers
Curlew Sandpiper
Dunlin
Temminck's Stint
Knot
Sanderling
Purple Sandpiper
Snipes and Woodcocks
Snipe
Woodcock
Jack Snipe
Curlews and Godwits
Curlew
Whimbrel
Black-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Lesser Yellowlegs, Port Meadow, Oxfordshire 2010
Larger Sandpipers
Redshank
Spotted Redshank
Greenshank
Common Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Ruff
White-rumped Sandpiper, Breydon Water, Norfolk 1996
Pectoral Sandpiper, Weybourne, Norfolk 1996
Avocets
Avocet
Stilts
Black-winged Stilt, Titchwell, Norfolk 1994
Stone Curlews
Stone Curlew, Narborough, Norfolk 1993
Pratincoles
Oriental Pratincole, Gimmingham, Norfolk 1993
Phalaropes
Wilson's Phalarope, Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire 2007
Grey Phalarope, Gaily Reservoir, Staffordshire 2002
Skuas
Great Skua
Arctic Skua
Long-tailed Skua
Gulls
Black-headed Gull
Little Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Herring Gull
Yellow-legged Gull, Priorslee Lake, Shropshire 2006
Caspian Gull, Granville Tip, Telford 2007
Lesser Black-backed Gull, Larus fuscus
Lesser Black-backed Gull, Larus fuscus graellsii, Priorslee Lake, Shropshire 2006
Great Black-backed Gull
Glaucous Gull, Felixstowe, Essex 1985
Common Gull
Kittiwake
Iceland Gull, Priorslee Lake, Shropshire 2003
Terns
Sandwich Tern
Common Tern
Arctic Tern
Roseate Tern, Treyarnon bay, Cornwall 1970
Little Tern
Black Tern
Auks
Razorbill
Guillemot
Black Guillemot
Little Auk
Puffin
Pigeons and Doves
Rock Dove
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Turtle Dove
Cuckoos
Cuckoo
Owls
Barn Owl
Dark-breasted Barn Owl, Tyto alba guttata, Cotswold Water Park Wiltshire 2008
Short-eared Owl
Little Owl
Tawny Owl
Long-eared Owl
Nightjars
Nightjar
Swifts
Swift
Kingfishers
Kingfisher
Hoopoe
Hoopoe, Portland Bill, Dorset 1980
Parakeets
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Woodpeckers
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Wryneck, Kingston Seymour, Somerset 2008
Larks
Shore Lark
Lesser Short-toed Lark, Salhouse, Norfolk 1997
Woodlark
Skylark
Swallows and Martins
Swallow
House Martin
Sand Martin
Pipits
Tree Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Water Pipit, New Passage, Gloucestershire 2016
Rock Pipit
Wagtails
Pied Wagtail
White Wagtail, New Passage, Gloucestershire 2016
Grey Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Orioles
Golden Oriole, Lakenheath, Suffolk 2006
Starlings
Starling
Waxwings
Waxwing
Crows
Jay
Magpie
Chough
Raven
Rook
Carrion Crow
Hooded Crow
Jackdaw
Dippers
Dipper
Wrens
Wren
Accentors
Dunnock
Warblers
Grasshopper Warbler
Savi's Warbler, Hickling NNT, Norfolk 1988
Reed Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Cetti's Warbler
Common Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat
Garden Warbler
Blackcap
Dartford Warbler, Wimbourne, Dorset 1989
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
Wood Warbler
Firecrest, Waxham, Norfolk 1991
Goldcrest
Yellow-browed Warbler, Sutton, Norfolk 1994
Pallas's Warbler, Waxham, Norfolk 1994
Dusky Warbler, Waxham, Norfolk 1994
Flycatchers
Spotted Flycatcher
Pied Flycatcher
Wheatears
Greenland Wheatear, Harbledown, Kent 1968
Northern Wheatear
Chats
Stonechat
Whinchat
Common Rock Thrush, Isle of Portland, Dorset 1989
Blue Rock Thrush, Stow-on-the-Wold, 5 Jan 17
Redstarts
Black Redstart
Common Redstart
Robin
Nightingale
Red-flanked Bluetail, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk 1994
Thrushes
Blackbird
Ring Ouzel
Fieldfare
Redwing
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush
Tits
Coal Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Crested Tit
Marsh Tit
Willow Tit
Long-tailed Tits
Long-tailed Tit
Bearded Tits
Bearded Tit
Penduline Tits
Penduline Tit, Horsebere Reserve, Gloucestershire 2016
Nuthatches
Nuthatch
Treecreepers
Treecreeper
Sparrows
Tree Sparrow
House Sparrow
Lark Sparrow, Waxham, Norfolk 1991
Finches
Brambling
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Siskin
Greenfinch
Bullfinch
Hawfinch
Lesser Redpoll
Twite
Linnet
Crossbills
Scottish Crossbill
Buntings
Corn Bunting
Yellowhammer
Reed Bunting
Snow Bunting
Lapland Bunting, Happisburgh, Norfolk 1988
Lark Bunting, Halvergate, Norfolk 1988
UK Species Total: 271
Additional Species not included in my UK Life List
The species below I have classed as ungraded as they are unlikely to appear as a wild bird in the UK
Hooded Merganser, Radipole, Weymouth, Dorset 2008