Garden (Yard) List 2014 (1 Viewer)

[Jos Stratford]

Can't comment on wayward doves in London, but was quite astonished to have a Turtle Dove on my land today - flew in from the north, landed in a large birch tree, then dropped down to my neighbour's recently cut corn field. Getting quite rare in Lithuania these days, my first ever on my land (species number 165) - what an unexpectedly grand month August is turning out to be, two firsts!

Also Nutcracker again, still a family of Cranes, three lingering Red-backed Shrikes and one of the young Kestrels still in the area.

126. Turtle Dove.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Only two short of my highest ever year count ...

 

[Richard Prior]

Only two short of my highest ever year count ...

My bet is that you'll achieve that goal Jos, are there some species that are easier in autumn than spring (like Willow Warblers here!)?

A common resident herabouts is Goldcrest, I've only just realised that the adult and juv I saw flitting around in next door's pine were the first I've actually seen from/in the garden this year!

79 Goldcrest

That leaves me 21 short of my 100 year target, a bit of a tall order I fear :C

 

[Jos Stratford]

My bet is that you'll achieve that goal Jos, are there some species that are easier in autumn than spring (like Willow Warblers here!)?

Not really, the only sure fire autumn bird was Nutcracker. However, there is a reasonable chance of Coal Tit, either as an autumn mover or maybe on my feeders in early winter. Also haven't seen Tawny Owl this year (despite one nesting in my nestbox!), nor Long-eared Owl, so these are possible. Also missed Black Stork ..but unless one goes over in the next week or so, I guess it'll be my first blank year for this one.

Pity I didn't find Red-breasted Flycatcher or Greenish Warbler this year, the first usually breeds, the second was singing last year. Unfortunately, I also failed to clinch the identity on two good species during the year, the best of which was a distant large eagle I saw twice in the spring, both times circling the same area - almost certainly was Great Spotted Eagle, but just couldn't get enough on it.

PS. I do have one 'strange' personal rule that has deprived me of a couple of species - from the garden of my house, I can scope a nearby lake, Great Crested Grebes usual there, and a pair of Black-throated Divers last week. But I don't include this lake on my garden list ...so those two are not on the list (and not on the garden total either).

 

[KenM]

Some migrants through today including:

71) Garden Warbler

I'm still missing Spotted Flycatcher, Ken.

Here's my one from Wednesday Joanne...I couldn't find your 66th? does that mean that you are on 70?, if so...we might have achieved parity! As this pm, I espied quite high but (perfectly lit against a ''dramatic'' dark cloud) a House Martin, accompanied by a Sand Martin...No.70. Following on the heels of my retrospective Turtle Dove, which unlike Mr Stratford comfortably esconced in ''Jostonia'', I know everything about

 

[Richard Prior]

Unfortunately, I also failed to clinch the identity on two good species during the year, the best of which was a distant large eagle I saw twice in the spring, both times circling the same area - almost certainly was Great Spotted Eagle, but just couldn't get enough on it.

PS. I do have one 'strange' personal rule that has deprived me of a couple of species - from the garden of my house, I can scope a nearby lake, Great Crested Grebes usual there, and a pair of Black-throated Divers last week. But I don't include this lake on my garden list ...so those two are not on the list (and not on the garden total either).

You're very strict with yourself there Jos, for example, which was further away from your garden viewpoint, the eagle or the waterbirds on the lake
(if I can identify a bird from the garden I count it)?
What frustrates me often is being in the field behind the house watching a bird and being able to see the garden/house at the same time - naturally if I dash home and look FROM the garden, I can't relocate the perishing thing!

 

[Jos Stratford]

You're very strict with yourself there Jos, for example, which was further away from your garden viewpoint, the eagle or the waterbirds on the lake
(if I can identify a bird from the garden I count it)?

I don't include anything from this house, whether in or from - it is slightly separated from my main property, I bought it at a later date and I may well sell it some time soon ...so have never thought of it as part of my recording area.

The short of it is, if I am on my main plot, I can see birds flying above the lake and thus include them, pretty much as was the case with the eagle, but no chance to actually see the water surface.

Doesn't make much difference as I don't actually spend much time there anyway, I usually stay in the cabin by my feeders.

 

[joannec]

...I couldn't find your 66th? does that mean that you are on 70?, if so...we might have achieved parity!

Oops, guess I can't count.:egghead:. I'm on 70.

 

[Richard Prior]

I don't include anything from this house, whether in or from - it is slightly separated from my main property,

Ah, this bear of little brain finally understands! Hey, I suppose that makes you a listing NIMBY

 

[KenM]

Ah, this bear of little brain finally understands! Hey, I suppose that makes you a listing NIMBY

Does the ''B'' stand for Back or Baltic?

 

[Warixenjalka]

I wonder where the all (new) birds are? Only two new species in the past month:

#48 Willow Warbler
#49 Raven

 

[halftwo]

This morning a

77 :Raven

put in an appearance.

(I've removed Ring-necked parakeet, as don't think it would have been from a proper population)

 

[Jos Stratford]

Had a breeding pair one year, but otherwise usually a fairly uncommon spring bird on my plot, but four Yellow Wagtails today, I think my best ever autumn count.

Nutcrackers still scoffing hazelnuts, two Black Woodpeckers in the wood, four Red-backed Shrikes still lingering, plus one Marsh Harrier and the Crane family.

Best news though, the return of Red Squirrel to my peanut feeder


127. Yellow Wagtail

 

[Richard Prior]

Snap again Jos, here I've never seen Yellow Wag in spring, and sometimes I don't see any at all in the year, but this morning, along with other signs of autumn, (Tree Pipit, Redstart, Whinchat, lots of Chiffchaffs and the first southbound Sparrowhawk) a nice yellow male flew over:

80 Yellow Wagtail

 

[joannec]

71) Sand Martins passing through this morning.

 

[timsg80]

Nice to have two additions, my first since June, in the last couple of days. The first was a Green Woodpecker and then this morning, a fantastic new garden bird for me, with three Kingfishers perched by our pond. It takes me up to 67 species in the garden this year.

 

[Jos Stratford]

... three Kingfishers perched by our pond. ....

Neat indeed :t:

 

[Jos Stratford]

Snap again Jos, here I've never seen Yellow Wag in spring, and sometimes I don't see any at all in the year, but this morning, along with other signs of autumn, (Tree Pipit, Redstart, Whinchat, lots of Chiffchaffs and the first southbound Sparrowhawk) a nice yellow male flew over

71) Sand Martins passing through this morning.

Snap, snap :t:


Has been an excellent weekend here, barely needed to leave my deckchair - light southbound passage both days, especially on the Saturday.

Amongst a slow drift of raptors, mostly Buzzards and an occasional Sparrowhawk, three Lesser Spotted Eagles, two White-tailed Eagles, one Marsh Harrier and a Hobby. The local Kestrel still lingering too.

But better still, a lot of passerines moving - yesterday, about a dozen Whinchats, along with a little gathering of four Wheatears and flock of five Tree Pipits, new both for the year. Also three Red-backed Shrikes, two Great Grey Shrikes and, perhaps the most unexpected of all, a fly-over flock of 43 Cormorants (to put into context, I've seen three singles so far this year and the largest ever previous count was of nine birds flying over on 4th April 2011). Also one late White Stork.

Far less movement today, six Cranes over, one White-tailed Eagle ...but late in the afternoon, years of scanning hirundine flocks finally paid off - my third new species for August, at least two Sand Martins hawking with the Swallows (all feeding around a clump of birches).

But winter coming, White-backed Woodpecker returned to my feeders today, plus two Grey-headed Woodpeckers very close to them too. And a Red Squirrel.


128. Wheatear
129. Tree Pipit.
130. Sand Martin.


And with that, I have smashed my previous record of 128 in a year ...after edging close a week back, I sure did not expect it to be quite so quick!

 

[halftwo]

Good grief!!!
Well done, Jos.

Last night as at least four Tawny owls called, a flock of ducks wizzed past, too distant to id.

 

[Richard Prior]

A good fall of migrants around the fields by our place this morning, 10 Pied Flycatchers, Whinchat, Tree Pipit, Firecrests,Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers, one young Marsh Warbler still hanging around, and new for the year, 4 Wheatears in the field at the bottom of the garden. A Black Woodpecker even honoured us with a Spitfire-style flypast,as a Nutcracker chugged back up to the mountain with its crop all swollen due to its load of hazelnuts - a really special time of the year at the moment! :t:

81 Northern Wheatear

Richard