End of March 2018

Last week in March, 2008, I was on 125 (inc 17 'elites'). Year total: 189
Last week in March, 2009, I was on 131 (inc 22 'elites'). Year total: 187
Last week in March, 2010, I was on 126 (inc 15 'elites'). Year total: 177
Last week in March, 2011, I was on 130 (inc 18 'elites'). Year total: 182
Last week in March, 2012, I was on 134 (inc 21*(22) 'elites'). Year total: 183
Last week in March, 2013, I was on 128 (inc 20*(21) 'elites'). Year total: 187
Last week in March, 2014, I was on 124 (inc 17*(18) 'elites'). Year total: 187
Last week in March, 2015, I was on 114 (inc 11*(12) 'elites'). Year total: 172
Last week in March, 2016, I was on 127 (inc 13*(14) 'elites'). Year total: 188
Last week in March, 2017, I was on 134 (inc 23*(24) 'elites'). Year total: 186
Last week in March, 2018, I was on 124 (inc 14**(15) 'elites'). Year total: 195 (NEW record)
 * () Modern counting with Smew as an 'elite'
 ** () Modern counting with Smew as an 'elite'; plus (starting 2018) following changes:
Demoted from 'elite' to 'core': Crane, Cetti's Warbler, Bittern & Egyptian Goose
Promoted from 'core' to 'elite': Jack Snipe, Avocet, Turtle Dove, Barnacle Goose
Here is the traditional state of my personal PBC (Peterborough Bird Club area) year list summary, as of the end March (2018).
A pretty mediocre start to the year; though it is hard to judge, as there are new 'elite' rules in place (under last year's rules, I would have been on 18 'elites', which is still a pretty middling score). I have had a couple of weeks away on foreign work trips (Japan and Spain) and the weather has not been great for birding this year, with periods of heavy freezing, snow etc and in March some excessive rainfall. Still, undoubted highlights so far include a PBC tick: American Wigeon, just my third Red-throated Diver and just my fourth Kittiwake.