[JWN Andrewes]

Nice to have a bit more daylight before my morning departure time now. A Peregrine did a low, close fly-by, heading uppstream, at 7 o'clock this morning, and four Redwings went over a few minutes later (low flying, looked more like commuters than migrants).

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Had two huge rarities on Saturday morning. The first was a lie in! Like bloody hen’s teeth these days, but by a little after half eight I was at the back door with a cuppa listening to a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker drumming away. Had trouble believing what I was hearing at first, but the more I listened the less doubt there was. The trick was getting into a position where I could see the damn thing, but no luck, and after ten minutes or so it went quiet, only to resume half an hour later. More moving about scanning, same result, nada. When it started up for a third time I bit the bullet and headed "off-garden", round to the bridge to try and get a better view of the trees it sounded like it was in, but it had stopped again by the time I got there, and never resumed. Too bad, but while I was down at the bridge it was nice to see a few things that I mostly just hear (or see briefly and/or poorly) from the garden, particularly a foraging Goldcrest and a nice male Grey Wagtail bobbing along by the river. And stone me, that’s a Blackcap singing! Devil a sign of the wretched things up at the house all winter, but five minutes and a few score yards away and here he is, crooning away to his heart’s content! Probably just a bit too far from the garden to hear it, being a good bit upstream of the bridge (and what’s more quite low down, in relation to the house), but still quite a surprise. As for the rest of the day, a dozen Redwing over with a bunch of Siskin, a single Stock Dove and (not for the first time here) a day hooting Tawny Owl, at twenty past three in the afternoon!

So, here goes with some stats for February. The best (in terms of number of species) of the three Febs we’ve so far been in Caergwrle, with 54 species (43 last year, 48 in ’07), of which 6 were Garden February ticks (Cormorant, Little Egret, Canada & Greylag Geese, Pheasant and Lesser Spot), and the equal second best scoring month ever (along with Oct ’07). I think that part of the reason this year has been so good thus far has been that as well as year listing I’m trying to see as many species per month as possible. I know that shouldn’t make a difference, but being constantly aware that I’ve yet to see, say, a Kestrel and it’s getting near the end of the month just seems to make keeping focus easier. (Never did get a Feb Kestrel this year; better luck in March?) And while we’re playing with numbers, that’s a whopping five garden ticks in the first two months of the year; the last time I got five garden ticks in two months was May/June 2007, the first spring we were here in Caergwrle, which just goes to show what a blinding start to the year it has been, and if I can keep the pace up, who knows…?

So Sunday morning dawns, first day of a new month, which means everything’s up for grabs again. No lie in this morning (Anna’s turn), so by half eight the day (and indeed month) list is already pushing thirty when a Curlew calls in the distance, and a quick scan reveals two birds heading south over towards Caer Estyn. (A third headed south around an hour later, directly overhead, but silent.) 63 for the year, and if I wasn’t keenly pursuing a policy of maximum month lists I’m not convinced I would been spending quite so much time at the back door, so those Curlew could easily have snuck past undetected. What a dreadful thought!

At close of play on Sunday the March 2009 list weighed in at 38, moving on to 42 the following morning, what with the very welcome increase in day length, combined with a beautifully clear, cloudless sky, allowing a brief spell of watching before heading off to work.

[JWN Andrewes]

Blackcap finally made it onto the year list on Saturday morning, courtesy of two males feeding in the willows at the back of the Derby Arms. Odd to see them tolerating each other’s presence rather than loudly claiming dominion over all within earshot. I wonder if they have perhaps been relatively local for the past few months and are now wandering a bit prior to heading north but are still of a wintering mindset. I would have expected new arrivals from all points south to be staking claims and taking on all comers as soon they arrive, but perhaps they’re just knackered after a long flight, I dunno. What I do know is that judging by our first winter here, when Blackcaps were an almost permanent fixture throughout, often multiples, the lack of records this winter has been a huge contrast!

On Sunday it was a male and a female in the same willows, but still no singing, unlike the newly arrived Chiffchaff, which was giving voice in fine style and lending the day a truly spring like flavour. Sunday was, in fact, a beautifully springy day, with plenty of bees drifting by, my first butterfly of the year, a Brimstone, and buckets of birdsong. Undoubted highlight of the weekend was a Stock Dove which ended its display flight by dropping into one of the riverside willows where it began coo-ing, a sound I’ve not heard for so many years, almost since I was a kid it feels like although surely it can’t be that long, can it?! I stood in the sunshine watching it through the scope feeling thoroughly content. Others in display-flight were a gorgeous Grey Wagtail and the more usual Greenfinches (and of course all weekend the Mallards were playing f***-chase up and down the valley). The fine weather also brought out the raptors (got me a March ’09 Kestrel!), with at one point an almost record-matching 10 Buzzards up at once and Sparrowhawk and Peregrine both putting in appearances too.

So, what else of note? Well, a quartet of Canada Geese over a few times over the past few days (most recently as I put the rubbish out at half six this morning), Ravens over, Nuthatch calling and occasionally showing (still no Treecreeper though), a female Goosander past in the distance and still the odd Siskin about. Last Redwing was one over on the 8th, still had them up to the 19th last year, coming into roost across the river, something they’ve not done at all this winter.

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Has it really been that long since I’ve updated? Well, here’s a quick run down of the rest of March, and the beginning of April.

A March tick on 19th in the shape of a distant Greylag heading north at half eight in the morning; the last Common Gull of spring on 23rd; Peregrines on 25th & 29th; a Chiffchaff sporting a shiny ring on 28th; a singing Siskin on 29th; the last Redwing of the winter(and the first since 8th March), a single, over on the evening of 30th. That’s 53 species for March 2009.

New for April have been Siskin (a male over on 2nd) and Nuthatch (one briefly perched up calling from the top of a bush in a neighbour’s garden on 8th), both my latest spring records for these species. First Blackcap in song was 6th, and the first House Martins of the year (two feeding high in the evening) were on the 8th. Tawny Owl calling in the small hours of 11th was an April tick, as were Raven (one over) and Greylag Goose (two distant heading south) later in the day, when the first Sand Martin of the year also put in an appearance. Two more Sand Martins, as well as a handful of House Martins, the following day, along with another April tick; a Pheasant calling in the distance (probably somewhere down Sarn Lane). Come on Swallows, where the hell are you!

And one other thing of note; this year’s Song Thrush is really p1551ng me off! He is a much more enthusiastic mimic than the one we’ve had the last couple of years (who used to sit up near the top of an Alder almost directly behind the garden; this one sits half way up an Ash off to the left). In his repertoire (amongst such innocuous stuff as Great & Blue Tit and Pied Wagtail) are Curlew (mildly annoying) and Green Woodpecker (bloody annoying). The first couple of times I heard him yaffling it quite got me going (if only briefly). Now, of course, should a real Green Woodpecker call I run the risk of filtering it out because I keep hearing this wretched Thrush belting out his own version all hours of the sodding day.

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Originally Posted by JWN Andrewes

Come on Swallows, where the hell are you!

One in the distance over Caer Estyn yesterday afternoon.

Come on Willow Warblers, where the hell are you!

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Originally Posted by JWN Andrewes

Come on Willow Warblers, where the hell are you!

James

One singing over by the Castle on 15th.

Come on Swifts, where the hell are you!

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Originally Posted by JWN Andrewes

Come on Swifts, where the hell are you!

James

One on 26th, same date as last year. Hobby next please!

April 2009 notched up 52 species, and took April's overall tally to 56. This is the first time I've done 50+ spp a month for four consecutive months (previous best run was March, April, May 2008). Siskin has pushed its latest spring date yet further to April 25th (fingers crossed for May). Other highlights for the second half of April have been a handful of Sand Martins, Ravens over the house carrying food off towards Hope Mountain, a couple of unseasonal Black-headed Gulls, very good views of Goldcest and Blackcap feeding in the Ivy opposite the front door and a very smart breeding plumage Cormorant over.

I've started setting the scope up at my bedroom window to scrutinise an open scrubby patch in amongst the birches up on Hope Mountain in the hope of an identifiable Stonechat or Wheatear or something. Nothing much yet, but a warbler singing from the top of one of the birches that could be narrowed down to Willowchaff encouraged me that some small birds could be clinched at that range.

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Originally Posted by JWN Andrewes

One on 26th, same date as last year. Hobby next please!

One over high on the 10th, equaling (with last year) my earliest date for this species.

That brings 71 up, which was the grand final total for 2008. Three more would draw my level with 2007, but there's nothing guaranteed left to get; I guess Red Kite and Treecreeper are the most likely (both of which have made May appearances before).

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Originally Posted by JWN Andrewes

This is the first time I've done 50+ spp a month for four consecutive months (previous best run was March, April, May 2008).

Make that five months; 51 so far this May, with Sand Martin and Pied Wagtail both being brand new May birds. By and large though it has been pretty quiet. It's not that there aren't occasional good birds at this time of year (eg see below), it's just that they occur against a backdrop of not very much going on. Once the handfull of summer visitors has arrived, and the winter stuff departed there just doesn't seem to be the variety or activity that we get in the colder half of the year. That said, when I went down to the car this morning to chuck mine and Archie's bags in the car (I drop him off at nursery on my way into work) I looked up to see a "funny duck" over towards the castle. Bins up, and it's my second Shelduck record for the garden! I watched as it banked round and disappeared behind the castle... followed by a second! A species I wasn't expecting t repeat so soon, if at all, but now there's a late spring precedent set (and funnily enough I had a fly by spring Shelduck from my previous house in Chester a few years ago). I'll try and get a bit more garden watching done over the weekend but of course by and large it has been pretty quiet, so I won't be expecting much; just hoping!

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Originally Posted by JWN Andrewes

I'll try and get a bit more garden watching done over the weekend but of course by and large it has been pretty quiet, so I won't be expecting much; just hoping!

James

Predictably quiet, but not bad for raptors on Sunday; 6 Buzzards, 2 Peregrine, distant Kestrel, Sparrowhawk carrying some hapless fledgling (ssshhh! Don't tell SOS!) and Hobby twice, once over high and once shooting past low.

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Originally Posted by JWN Andrewes

I've started setting the scope up at my bedroom window to scrutinise an open scrubby patch in amongst the birches up on Hope Mountain in the hope of an identifiable Stonechat or Wheatear or something. Nothing much yet, but a warbler singing from the top of one of the birches that could be narrowed down to Willowchaff encouraged me that some small birds could be clinched at that range.

James

I've since been up on a couple of recces to see what good stuff might be up there that I could nail from the house. Linnet was about the best, with a damper area further along that could provide Reed Bunting or Lapwing as a long shot. Also a Mistle Thrush flying about that would be a June tick if I can pick it up after Monday! Best birds though would be well obscured under the canopy. Treecreeper and a singing Wood Warbler, which was tricky enough to see from within the wood, let alone fro the bottom of the hill!

Two more new birds for this May yesterday (now on 53); a couple of Black-headed Gulls over and a quietly foraging Nuthatch moving through the canopy of a Sycamore, which is also an overall May tick, the 38th species to be recorded in every month of the year, and takes my Garden May List to 65.

James

[JWN Andrewes]

May finished on 54, with a fly-by from a trio of Canada Geese.
June has been typically quiet, and although I’ve now improved on my previous best June total of 45 by one (so far), I’m far from guaranteed to make the half century.
Two redhead Goosanders heading downstream at 10 in the morning on 7th has been the highlight of the month so far. Other than that it has been a case of checking off the various fledglings as they begin to emerge. As well as the garden staples of Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock etc, the pair of Ravens that have been seen flying overhead with food for the past few weeks were up with three youngsters over towards Caer Estyn on 14th, and after keeping a very low profile since the end of May, on 15th there were suddenly Long-tailed its everywhere, including many juveniles. Off for the next fortnight now, so hopefully I’ll be able to pull a bit of garden time and report back early next month.

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Originally Posted by JWN Andrewes

June has been typically quiet, and although I’ve now improved on my previous best June total of 45 by one (so far), I’m far from guaranteed to make the half century.

46 June finished on, so bang goes my run of fifties. July isn’t likely to fare much better, judging by past performances, but I’ve had one good bird this month already; a Lapwing coming up to mob a Buzzard in the distance beyond Hope on 2nd (a day which also saw the beginning of Black-headed Gull records increasing again, with two small groups, of 7 and then 15, over in the morning).
The big news, though, is that Archie has become a big brother. That’s right, we’ve re-entered the world of baby formula, interrupted sleep and sicky burps with the precipitous (though obviously not unexpected) arrival of Samuel Robert (Sambob for short) at 01:18 on the morning of Sunday 21st June. Oh boy, here we go again!

James

[PhilW]

Congratulations James & Mrs A. My two well past the precipitous stage thankfully! unless you count the self inflicted......................................... ...

[JWN Andrewes]

Originally Posted by PhilW

Congratulations James & Mrs A. My two well past the precipitous stage thankfully! unless you count the self inflicted......................................... ...

Cheers Phil

If anything it's even more fun second time round, what with Archie "helping" and all, although between increased parenting detail and The Ashes birding time has plumeted somewhat; good job it's a quiet time of year. (Saying that, I had a trio of Oystercatchers over Broughton the other day, not three far from home and heading in the right direction too, so perhaps I shouldn't be so complacent.)

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Brief update:

Unseen Curlew calling, evening 20th.

Hobby low over 21st & 27th.

Siskin calling 23rd (first indication of post breeding dispersal).

Green Woodpecker low over this morning! Year tick, third record, first seen! Hurrah!

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Three Cormorants south in the distance at 05:20 yesterday morning; the first since 20th April. Then a record count of 21 Greylag Geese in a low skein right above the house heading south at 06:40, with a further 8 following them a few minutes later.
Also the Green Woodpecker is still about, calling occasionally, and yesterday afternoon I finally got good views of it on the deck. There are numerous ants' nests under the paved parking spaces, and the Woodpecker, an immature bird, was feeding off them as they came up from the cracks between the stones, its magnificent tongue flicking away at them; superb!

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Nice male Peregrine drifting by low on the evening of 10th. First singing Chiffchaff since early summer, and first Common Gull over since spring, both on 11th. Record count of six Grey Wagtails heading downstream on 17th, as well as a single Swift (last of the year?) with the Hirundine flock on 17th. The Hirundine flock consists mostly of House martins, with a fair few swallows too, and builds up just north of the house along the Alun in August each year, and as well as that Swift it attracted the attention of an immature Hobby late morning of the 20th, and contained at least one Sand Martin early yesterday evening. Tawny Owls have been very vocal right behind the house recently; I suspect it may be the local breeding pair trying to encourage this year's young to bugger off and find their own territory.

James

[JWN Andrewes]

As I was making my sandwiches this morning with the back door open I heard a Dipper calling as it headed down the river; my first since one singing back in early February. The Green Woodpecker was calling again a few days ago, after a gap of about a fortnight, and a Goldcrest calling on 24th was a new August bird for the garden.

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Gosh, nearly a month since I've updated, largely because it has been very quiet. Manged 50 species in August, and as well as the Goldcrest mentioned in previous post Blackcap & Siskin were both new August birds, bringing the cumulative total to 59.

So far in September I've reached the 50 mark, with Hobby & Siskin both new for September. The Hobby (an adult, once on 10th, then again on 15th) is now my latest record for this species. The Siskin was an unseen calling bird over (as was the August record).

Other recent highlights have been a Meadow Pipit high over west on 13th September, with a further 7 north on 18th and, errr, that's it really. Like I said, it has been very quiet.

James

[PhilW]

James
You had Crossbill yet? Got to be a good bet for a flyover given the numbers being reported from Clocaenog.

[JWN Andrewes]

Not yet Phil, and that's in spite of being out in the garden a lot recently (putting some decking down over the precipitous plunge at the bottom of the garden to stop us losing sprogs down there) and keenly listening out for them ever since people started talking about big numbers hitting the northern isles some while back and speculating on its being a good Crossbill year this year. Time yet!

Cheers for the heads up.

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Boy has it ever been poor recently! Didn't even manage 50 for October, it's been that bad. Just scraped together 49, and then a week into November and I get three that were missing the previous month! (Cormorant, Goosander & Blackcap for what it's worth.) Highlights (such as they are) have been a silhouetted Tawny Owl perched up on the top most point of a nearby Ash Tree, the winter's first Fieldfares (23 on 28th) & Goosander (2 on 2nd November) and finally, something a bit less run of the mill; two Whooper Swans heading north yesterday morning! Not a year tick, perhaps, but a real pulse quickener when seen from the back door! Could things be looking up? Oh, I do hope so!

James

[JWN Andrewes]

Boy, been a while since I've posted! 2009 petered out after a blinding start, and the thoroughly enjoyable distractions of parenthood have kind of pushed obsessive garden watching to one side for a while, but now the weather is improving and the boys enjoy playing outside I'm picking things up a bit more. 2010's year list currently stands at 61, which aint too bad really. Highlights have included Little Egret (second record, and like the first during snow - remember that?), Pink-footed Geese (thirty or so over the garden in January), cracking views of around half a dozen Sand Martins low overhead in amongst a feeding fenzy of Swallows a few days ago, and a calling Green Woodpecker. Also earliest records of Swallow (1st April), and Willow Warbler (5th April). Still lack Goosander though.

Then yesterday evening, after finally getting the boys to bed, I spent a little time at the back door (now that it's light enough to be worth it) and was rewarded with a garden tick! In the distance a duck was heading south, pretty much sillhouetted against the sky, but obviously no Mallard, based on structure and posture. As luck would have it it passed in front of the low hill of Caer Estyn whereupon it was revealed to be a drake Mandarin! Tenth species of wildfowl for the garden; wonder what eleventh will be!?

I've also undertaken the walk up to a nearby gravel pit, which I'll try and do semi regularly, but I'll write that up when I have time later. Till then cheerio.

James

[edenwatcher]

I had just noticed from your signature that you'd seen mandarin, found the thread and observed you hadn't posted since November - et voila, an update!
Not expecting to get that on my garden list any time soon.

Rob