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All Time Best Bird in Your Garden (Yard) (1 Viewer)

Larry Lade

Larry Lade

Moderator
We have had some nice bird species observed in our yard from time to time over the years we have lived at our present location (Saint Joseph, Missouri). Some of them, which include "one time" visits, are: American Woodcock, Northern Bobwhite, White-winged Dove, Red-headed Woodpecker, several of the wood warblers, Common Redpoll, etc.

But I think the best bird for me was RED CROSSBILL. Three birds, two males and one female, came regularly to our bird feeders from January 20, 2009 until March 14, 2009 (54 days)! On our Missouri Bird Checklist this species is noted as being a winter resident (rare) and (sporadic). [This was the only time that they had been seen in our yard.]

(* I had only seen this species one other time here in Missouri!)

Brenda and I had 50 people visit our home over the period of time the birds were here. Some of them coming from as far away as 300 miles. I believe all but three of these people were able to view the birds at close range as the birds fed on the black oil sunflower seed we put out for them (and the other feeder birds).

I will long remember these special birds visiting Missouri and being here for so many days in our yard!
 
For me the best bird to come into my garden is the Blackbird. It is just such a hilarious bird to watch, the way it forages, the way it defends territory and the way it moves make it for me a very quirky bird. It is hard to explain but it looks like to be in a stroppy mood whatever it is doing especially when foraging I just find it an amazing bird.

Forget rarities or birds of prey the Blackbird is one of my favourites
 
Had a Peregrine Falcon kill and eat a Pigeon in my garden once, we did live close to their nesting cliff at the time and saw them daily but not usually quite so close
 
apbarr said:
Had a Peregrine Falcon kill and eat a Pigeon in my garden once, we did live close to their nesting cliff at the time and saw them daily but not usually quite so close
Click to expand...

Did you remove the pigeon from your list that day ;)

I've only just started, so when I first saw a blackcap I was impressed, nice looking bird, but now he's just a bully, I wish he'd leave!

Saw a linnet yesterday, newest bird, so I'll go with that(for now!)
 
Probably the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker for me (when I am staying at my parent's in Southern Pines). Especially during the colder months, small family groups will stray from a nearby colony and forage in the mature Longleaf Pines in the yard. Have never seen one at the feeder, although they are known to occasionally eat suet. Red-headed Woodpeckers are always a treat to see as well, they will gobble up the suet like nothing. On two different occasions, once in spring and once in fall, a Rose-breated Grosbeak took up temporary residence at a sunflower feeder in the backyard. There is not much of a "yard" for me while I'm staying on campus at school, but I have had several flyover American Pipits, Pine Siskins, and a Common Raven, which is unusual for the lower elevation my university is situated in. Come spring, I should have quite a few neotropical migrants to add to this list
 
I suppose the best birds for my garden are those that are very scarce in Cheshire, and inland.

Most unexpected of these are Tree pipit and Marsh tit (neither of which I've seen in Cheshire - excepting the Marsh tits I used to see when I lived in Stockport back in the '60s & '70s); possibly followed by Kittiwake: but my favourites are Short-eared owl and Goshawk, despite a handful of scarcer birds.
 
We have had Goldcrests twice in the garden, so tiny you hardly knew it was there...thankfully its peeping noise helped us find it.
 
I've had several very good birds over the years in my suburban Reno backyard:

Mountain Quail (almost unheard in town and possibly just an escape)
Northern Goshawk (very seldom seen in town)
Flammulated Owl (possibly fairly regular but seldom seen)
Saw-whet Owl (dto)
Brown Thrasher (very rare; on the Nevada review list)
Indigo Bunting (very uncommon in town)
Bohemian Waxwing (absent altogether in Reno most years)
Yellow-breasted Chat (quite uncommon locally)
White-throated Sparrow (dto)
Harris's Sparrow (dto)
 
I'm with halftwo - if it's seen in / over/ from it goes on the list. Mine are either Eur. Honey-buzzard or Cattle Egret over / from and Common Grasshopper Warbler in.

Chris
 
Al time best birds around my yard:
- Pileated woodpeckers, which nested in an old tree one year
- Ovenbird
- Louisiana waterthrush
- Pair of barred owls in the day, got a good digiscoped pic of one
- Cooper's hawk, which seems to be a regular - spotted him catching a squirrel, and occasionally see him bathing in the birdbath
- Black and white warbler
- Hermit thrush that is heard in the summer and more frequently seen in the winter - frequently seen at the bird bath late in the afternoon and on suet and buddy butter when snow is on the ground
- bald eagles circling overhead
- flock of waxwings eating berries on the holly tree
 
chris butterworth said:
I'm with halftwo - if it's seen in / over/ from it goes on the list. Mine are either Eur. Honey-buzzard or Cattle Egret over / from and Common Grasshopper Warbler in.
Chris
Click to expand...

Honey buzzard is a hoped-for here, and I'm yet to get Little egret for the garden - no hope of Cattle! Gropper's always a possible passage bird...
 
I don't have a yard, but I like to watch the bird in the trees outside my balcony. Best so far is probably the male Great Spotted Woodpecker who turns up now and then. He likes to hang upside down on branches, lots of fun to watch.
 
A long tome ago we lived in Holland and I saw a Black Woodpecker in the garden once or twice...

A few years before that though we lived in Nairobi, but I was only 9 so hadn't appreciated I would one day become bird-obsessed. Superb Starling I remember on the lawn.

Current garden: Water Rail in, Osprey over...
 
Larry Lade said:
No one have what they feel was the best bird to come to their garden (yard)!
Click to expand...

IN - well Yellow-browed, & Pallas' Warbler, Hoopoe, Wryneck would be the best so far

Over, Leach's Petrel, Pomarine Skua, Red-rumped Swallow....

From, White-rumped and Pectoral Sandpipers, Sooty and Balearic Shearwaters

On the lawn... Snipe, Grey Plover, Dunlin and Peregrine

Messed up, King Eider, Feas Petrel, Dartford/Marmora's Warbler and a Dendroica Warbler
 
I’m doing all right for birds of prey.

In (over) my garden in Newport, Gwent the best are Osprey, Hobby, and regular peregrine, over my dad’s garden (Newport) Honey buzzard my sisters garden (still in Newport) Black kite. From my garden in Turkey I’ve seen from the terraces Black kite and Hen and Marsh Harrier.

In the gardens; in Newport I added reed bunting during the recent snow and I had a nightjar flying overhead in Turkey last summer and a fly by Stone Curlew.
 
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