[joannec]

Originally Posted by halftwo

April 3rd is the most common 'first' date for Swallows here, so I'm surprised yours isn't a few days earlier, Ken. As Joanne: none here yet, despite a few hours in the garden.

There have been a few Swallows reported in Sussex but the big push is still to happen. On Monday I was in the Cuckmere Valley which channels them inland but not one to be seen. And everyone is saying Sand Martins are late.

[Larry Lade]

I was out and about this morning on my local patch around the oxbow lakes south of Saint Joseph and the swallows really are beginning to pour in! Unfortunately I have not seen any around our yard yet!

[dantheman]

Topical or what?

55) Swallow!!!

One distantly in flight briefly just after we got in this evening.

First addition for 2 weeks, despite a fair amount of scanning. Near misses with Grey Heron and bizarrely a Hobby yesterday which flew north over the housing estate as we were just leaving - I really should've driven back and leapt the garden gate to get it on the list, but had a carload at the time. Had another Sandwich Tern the other day (proper spring migrant this one), and, for the purists, Chiffchaff has now been seen from the garden. The last two days has seen a Magpie IN the garden, Roe Deer and Bunnies have also been added to the garden mammal list recently ( ), and up to 10 Pheasants distantly (including 2 black/glossy dark green birds).

[KenM]

Originally Posted by halftwo

April 3rd is the most common 'first' date for Swallows here, so I'm surprised yours isn't a few days earlier, Ken. As Joanne: none here yet, despite a few hours in the garden.

Single digit April Swallow dates from the house...are decidedly scarce hereabouts, third week in April would be nearer the mark. It's sobering to think that here we are..only 25% of the way through the year and I've probably already reached c83% of my prospective annual grdn.ticks! (using 2011 as a ''yardstick'')...Unless their is divine intervention from the great bird gods in the sky..I could well struggle to reach last years figure.

[halftwo]

I'll definitely struggle to get near last year's total. Still no hirunds with House martin now within date!

[halftwo]

Just when I thought it was a tad late...

66 : OSPREY !!!

flew within 100mts c.100 feet up. I had views from more than half a mile away. Brilliant.
This is becoming an annual occurance here, last year March 18th, in 2010 April 4th.

[chowchilla]

I had reasonable expectations of a Darter at some point this year, probably seen flying over the trees near the Lakes. What I didn't expect was one flying right over my head as I put the rubbish out this morning.

79) Australian Darter.

[Cheshire Birder]

Originally Posted by halftwo

Just when I thought it was a tad late...

66 : OSPREY !!!

flew within 100mts c.100 feet up. I had views from more than half a mile away. Brilliant.
This is becoming an annual occurance here, last year March 18th, in 2010 April 4th.

CB

[KenM]

Originally Posted by halftwo

Just when I thought it was a tad late...

66 : OSPREY !!!

flew within 100mts c.100 feet up. I had views from more than half a mile away. Brilliant.
This is becoming an annual occurance here, last year March 18th, in 2010 April 4th.

Had one many years ago..c1mile from home!....hope springs eternal..for the yarden list.....

Ps came with a ''surge'' today!..c14 reported throughout the UK Cornwall/Kent/Hereford/Yorks etc...

[joannec]

Originally Posted by halftwo

Just when I thought it was a tad late...

66 : OSPREY !!!

flew within 100mts c.100 feet up. I had views from more than half a mile away. Brilliant.
This is becoming an annual occurance here, last year March 18th, in 2010 April 4th.

Originally Posted by KenM

Had one many years ago..c1mile from home!....hope springs eternal..for the yarden list.....

..

Nice one H! Only seen one once from my garden; it was 3 or 4 years ago and late summer migration. It flew straight over, high up but one of the big highlights of my garden birding.

[John o'Sullivan]

New for house list in St Dogmaels a Shag fishing just off the Ferry Inn. Up to 59 for this year. 57 Chiff/ 58 Swallow.

[Jane Turner]

That is 272 species and 896+ bird/gardens. The plus because I don't have full lists for a few people.

[halftwo]

Two days, two excellent birds:

67 : Green woodpecker...

Another one not even annual here, but this a real performer, singing for minutes and finishing right by my window giving great views.

[Jane Turner]

Nice one.... pretty sure I just missed an Osprey (or a Great Skua). Pandemonium in the gull and Cormorant roost

[joannec]

Originally Posted by halftwo

67 : Green woodpecker...

Another one not even annual here, but this a real performer, singing for minutes and finishing right by my window giving great views.

Easy peasy for me, hear them every day and see one most days.

[John o'Sullivan]

The Cardigan Ring Billed Gull was seen lower down the estuary today so it must have flown past the house. The distance from its usual site and where it was seen today is about a mile. I've just spent three quarters of an hour sat upstairs, drinking red wine, eating crisps, listening to Leinster thrash the blues the only downside no R-B-Gull.

[John o'Sullivan]

Added house martin and great spot (61). The Shag has been seen fishing each of the last three high tides across the road.

Whilst eating lunch yesterday I spotted a hawk displaying and jumped to the conclusion it was a male gos.Once I got outside it seemed more likely to be a female sprawk however although it would have been easy to string it as a Gos. Never seen a female sprawk flap about and semi-rollercoaster like this one.

[KenM]

Still..3 Redpolls on the feeders (a late date/grdn. record)..plus my 2nd Swallow of the year going NWW over the house. 18 species in the grdn.this am (needless to say no Passer domesticus!..if only to hear their chirps!). Interestingly have had my 10th CBuzzard of the year so far (ystrdy). Quite impressive when I only had 5 in 2011, and none in 2010! with Kestrel which is the rarest of the regular BOP's by far..ie lucky to get any (historically) per annum...showing 15 times!! already this year. If only ''the lost'' passerines would return as quickly.

[BillN]

I'll start today as I'm a newbie

seen this morning in back "garden"

Great Tit - Nuthatch - Crow - (Common) Buzzard - Redstart - Cirl Bunting - Blue Tit - Blackbird - Black Redstart

[Jane Turner]

Redstart is new for the total list too!

[BillN]

Here's an image - been around for a couple of weeks - the Black Redstart came a week or so earlier to that

SW France - (not UK)

[KenM]

Originally Posted by BillN

Here's an image - been around for a couple of weeks - the Black Redstart came a week or so earlier to that

SW France - (not UK)

Nice uninterrupted shots of a superb male!

cheers

[BillN]

Thanks Ken

[Larry Lade]

Bill, we have contributors to this this thread who hail from various locations around the globe. It is great to have you adding the birds you are getting in your garden/yard!

Larry Lade
Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA

[Jos Stratford]

Bit out of date, a sudden arrival of warm sun ...16 C today, snow almost totally gone now, butterflies and frogs active.

Significant arrivals - White Stork on nest in garden, and neighbours. Dunnocks back at both feeding stations, a good one to get as potential exists to miss this bird. Also Black Stork over at Labanoras (virtually guaranteed on an annual basis), and contender for bird of the week, a male Reed Bunting at Labanoras - only my fifth record at this site, all but one in April (but I expect colonisation in near future as the beavers ever open the forest into near open lake)


Labanoras.

56. Teal
57. Black Stork
58. Green Sandpiper
59. Tawny Owl
60. Dunnock
61. Reed Bunting


Vilnius.

32. Wood Pigeon
33. Dunnock
34. White Wagtail