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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Garden / Yard List 2017 (3 Viewers)

Ah, I dream of seeing a Sand Martin up here one day, failed during ten years at the last place, surely the odd one migrates through mountain passes??
As for 'Mayo Corncrakes' mouth-watering local birds :eek!:

23 Griffon Vultures dobbing about this morning, I keep grilling them for that enormous, dark 'barn door' shape among them but no luck so far.

Maybe you're using the wrong kind of grill?


Sand Martins are a bit like Rooks - you almost never/never see them randomly flying over it seems.

Don't think I've ever had Sand Martin on any garden list.
 
Maybe you're using the wrong kind of grill?

Just needs a grill large enough to put a dead cow on, that'll bring some in :t:

Sand Martins are a bit like Rooks - you almost never/never see them randomly flying over it seems.

Don't think I've ever had Sand Martin on any garden list.

I've had both over my garden, but only rarely (just less than annual for Rook, twice ever for Sand Martin). In both cases, i don't have to go very far to see them regularly.
 
I've had both over my garden, but only rarely (just less than annual for Rook, twice ever for Sand Martin). In both cases, i don't have to go very far to see them regularly.

Exactly. Wonder how many times you see Carrion Crow?

(Will have to check if I've had Sand Martin in France)
 
I've had Sand Martin "most" years, invariably (Aug/Sep) as a single amongst other hirundines, particularly when they are feeding high, however one needs good light, morning is normally best for me. Yesterday I was half convinced that I had one amongst the Swallows and House Martins...but alas the light was not good enough, must do better! :(
 
It's that time of year when the House Martins that are regularly visiting nests start to look quite brown across the chest from all that rubbing against the mud, that doesn't help!
 
Exactly. Wonder how many times you see Carrion Crow?

Yep, you guessed - multiple times per day, one of the few reliably common birds in/over the garden

I've had Sand Martin "most" years, invariably (Aug/Sep) as a single amongst other hirundines, particularly when they are feeding high, however one needs good light, morning is normally best for me.

Similar here on timing - sunny late August / early September mornings or evenings
 
Darn it, I spent weeks of the spring digging out nettles from the long disused family veg garden, now I've got courgettes and beans coming out of my ears(note to self:must shower more often) but have ruined my Corncrake chances, You live and learn etc etc
 
Autumn migration certainly started now, exit of Swifts and White Storks in last days, movements of passerines, etc.

Rain grounded a nice flock of 59 White Storks adjacent to my land this morning, gone by afternoon. Black Woodpecker back in my flood forest, sure sign of the end of summer. Nutcracker still scoffing nuts, a few Red-backed Shrikes in hedgeline.
 
Autumn migration certainly started now, exit of Swifts

Local breeding common Swifts disappeared here too - more to come through down here though.

Yesterday; 70. Melodious Warbler in the Fig trees - adult I think.
Today; 71. Common Redstart 1stW/ad. female in my vegetables, interested in the sprinklers - seen well without bins :eek!:
 
number 24 Swallow .
Last friday and saturday lots of swallows afternoon and early evening flying around
like mad!

Same here Brenda, although it's mostly House Martins coming up from the village where they nest-a few Swallows too and a single Swift yesterday, loads of Nutcrackers raiding the hazelnut bushes, 5 visible at he same time this morning.
A couple more Pied Flycatchers through too.
 
Back in France for a few weeks. Bit of garden birding included a Hoopoe flushed out of the garden in the morning. The evening meal outside and hanging around outside provided a rufous-morph Booted Eagle circling over the woods (2nd this year, usually annual), with a surprise Red-rumped Swallow (3rd garden record) and a female/imm Golden Oriole over almost simultaneously. Hobby around a few times, and a Black Woodpecker over a bit later - nice!
 
69 Chestnut sided warbler
One of my favourites, particularly in juvenile plumage, that green back is so pretty.

Fall-warbler migration is kicking in here, hoping to pick up some of those that I missed in spring - assuming my shabby-fall-plumage id skills have improved!
 
Back in France for a few weeks. Bit of garden birding included a Hoopoe flushed out of the garden in the morning. The evening meal outside and hanging around outside provided a rufous-morph Booted Eagle circling over the woods (2nd this year, usually annual), with a surprise Red-rumped Swallow (3rd garden record) and a female/imm Golden Oriole over almost simultaneously. Hobby around a few times, and a Black Woodpecker over a bit later - nice!

Red-rumped Swallow, very nice, they only seem to get up to our region on rainy days in April(and never at our altitude of course:-C). How far south in France are you Dan?
Double Hobby action overhead here yesterday, two together catching insects (sorry H2!).
 
Red-rumped Swallow, very nice, they only seem to get up to our region on rainy days in April(and never at our altitude of course:-C). How far south in France are you Dan?
Double Hobby action overhead here yesterday, two together catching insects (sorry H2!).

Very frustrating as, again this morning, I saw my very local Hobby - which would have been just visible from my window - and I suspect nests there - yet it hasn't over flown the house yet.

My less local pair have got their three young fledged now and were showing extremely well last night.
 
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