People keep lobbing species into the mix that I'd forgotten about. What seems clear is that its very hard to pick one bird over all the others...I do love my lapwings but also wrens,long tailed ****, nuthatches et al.....and bullfinch though I've not seen one for years.
In fact bar gulls and waterfowl ( most...especially coots) I am hard pressed to pick a stand out favourite. Never miss a chance to see a nightjar though...incredible things.
Having got my first waxwing last winter ( beautiful birds) my new "top of the bucket list" is a chough,though I'll have to make a special effort for one of those. None round High Wycombe
Spent hours watching two pairs of choughs whilst my missus and boys were farting around on a beach in West Wales,amazing in flight,then grazing for worms on the tops of cliffs,then a bearded assassin shot through looking for a pigeon,great day....
Lucky you. I'm rarely in the areas that chough frequent though the one time I was the damned things were not at home. I'm going to have to make a special trip.