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Garden (Yard) List 2014 (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter halftwo
- Start date
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Steady on Gregor, 'awesome' is a word you should save up for that really 'mega' garden bird
. Still waiting for your harrier to reach me though....Although it's not Cape May, or Spurn Point, my garden does sometimes see migration overhead, this morning's squally weather is keeping migrating finches low, so I did a 'vis-mig' session from 8 till 10 before the call of the kettle and the toaster became too strong to resist. I had around 600 Chaffinches and 70 Hawfinches, plus a few other species in small numbers. Biggest surprise, was only my second-ever Peregrine, a smart male scooted past!
84 Peregrine Falcon
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Ah well, vive la difference and all that - I've seen them at Studley Royal near Ripon, but I suppose that's still a bit of a distance from you as the Hawfinch flies!
Warixenjalka
Birdwitcher
That's 68 Hawfinches more than I have ever seen anywhere! And I can give you couple Tree Sparrows if you send that Peregrine here... Actually - I might promise to give you my left little finger for that Peregrine. :t:
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
I should be so lucky, lucky lucky lucky
From our garden we can look south to the mountain of Sous-Dine (2001metres), and north to Lac Léman, but I’d need something like the Hubble telescope to see the birds on the lake, and although the mountain is much nearer, Alpine Chough are about the smallest species up there that I can identify from the house. The golfer Gary Player famously once said “I am a great believer in luck and the harder I work the more of it I have”. Well I’ve been putting the hours recently, most mornings doing two or three hours ‘vis-migging’, sitting on the house steps to count the finches and pipits on their autumn migration, and I’ve been ‘lucky’ enough to see Peregrine, Marsh Harrier and Hobby too, while the local Nutcrackers continue their return trips from the forest to the local hedgerows and back for their winter hazelnut provisioning. But this morning I got really lucky, a Garden tick to make even Jos jealous (I hope). Even though the snow hasn’t arrived (it’s unusually warm in fact), this unexpected garden mega had apparently decided to go on a recce ready for its descent from the mountain for the winter. So, come on garden listers, what do you think I saw?
From our garden we can look south to the mountain of Sous-Dine (2001metres), and north to Lac Léman, but I’d need something like the Hubble telescope to see the birds on the lake, and although the mountain is much nearer, Alpine Chough are about the smallest species up there that I can identify from the house. The golfer Gary Player famously once said “I am a great believer in luck and the harder I work the more of it I have”. Well I’ve been putting the hours recently, most mornings doing two or three hours ‘vis-migging’, sitting on the house steps to count the finches and pipits on their autumn migration, and I’ve been ‘lucky’ enough to see Peregrine, Marsh Harrier and Hobby too, while the local Nutcrackers continue their return trips from the forest to the local hedgerows and back for their winter hazelnut provisioning. But this morning I got really lucky, a Garden tick to make even Jos jealous (I hope
). Even though the snow hasn’t arrived (it’s unusually warm in fact), this unexpected garden mega had apparently decided to go on a recce ready for its descent from the mountain for the winter. So, come on garden listers, what do you think I saw?
joannec
Well-known member
Lammergeier?
A mountain species that descends should exclude Lammergeier, but neatly matches a bird that would be a mega by any account ...Wallcreeper
Warixenjalka
Birdwitcher
Citril Finch
Larry Lade
Moderator
Tichodroma muraria, came to my mind too!
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Well done Jos and Larry, a bottle of French wine for each of you, should you pass this way!
I had Citril Finch last late autumn, feeding on seed I'd put down, Lammergeier should be possible (a couple who bird up here occasionally have seen one), but I'd have to scan the mountains for hours I imagine, they don't breed too far away, so I'm hoping that, one day....
I swear I'd only had a mug of tea and nothing stronger when I saw that characteristic floppy flight as the bird made its way back towards the mountain, I'll have a glass of something stronger tonight perhaps. so:
85 Wallcreeper , the 3rd garden tick of 2014, retirement has its benefits after all:t:
I had Citril Finch last late autumn, feeding on seed I'd put down, Lammergeier should be possible (a couple who bird up here occasionally have seen one), but I'd have to scan the mountains for hours I imagine, they don't breed too far away, so I'm hoping that, one day....
I swear I'd only had a mug of tea and nothing stronger when I saw that characteristic floppy flight as the bird made its way back towards the mountain, I'll have a glass of something stronger tonight perhaps
. so:85 Wallcreeper , the 3rd garden tick of 2014, retirement has its benefits after all:t:
Larry Lade
Moderator
I still need that bird for my "life list". Perhaps one day I might be able to see one!
joannec
Well-known member
Me too.
halftwo
Wird Batcher
That's us all, then! One of the very few birds I'd twitch for if one was to turn up in the UK.
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
I'll let you all know when the wintering bird comes back to the château in Annecy town centre (only 40 minutes from Geneva airport, Easyjet flights from various UK airports (sorry Larry!) in the ski season (other airlines are available....)).
I'll get the spare bedroom ready for visitors B
I'll get the spare bedroom ready for visitors B
Except me
...but what a stonker for a garden list, eh? Just need them scampering up your patio next :t:
