[chowchilla]

Gorgeous weather for two weeks meant no watching the trees from my study or standing out the front, so nothing new on the bird front (I'm probably missing stuff through sheer laziness...)

However torrential rain once more today and high onshore South-Easterlies; will have to bring my bins to work tomorrow as there will most likely be Frigatebirds, Noddies, Bridled and Sooty Terns and maybe even something really good like a Southern Giant Petrel in the bay tomorrow.

[edenwatcher]

Finally after a period of stagnation ...
88. Gadwall (a pair, most of our records come in April).

Rob

[halftwo]

67 : Canada goose

Two bugling their flypast

Still no hirunds..

[Jane Turner]

I added Swallow last night

[chowchilla]

I was out the front this morning as it was dry but heavily overcast and still a bit squally. An Eastern Great Egret flew just above the trees in a NE direction. This is long overdue, normally being the common Egret I record over my place. This year it's been relegated to third behind Little and Intermediate. Rather more interesting however was a distant Tern to the South that must've been blown inland. It was either a Sooty or a Bridled but being distant and in poor light, defied formal ID much to my chagrin. These pelagic Terns only come inshore after strong onshore winds usually and are to be expected. I was hoping for more avian titbits however but was left disappointed, and the cyclone season is over now...

Even the Nade was disappointing, though some distant Terns in the bay were either of these species joining a more identifiable Black-naped Tern closer inshore; another good record.

80) Eastern Great Egret.
80½) Sooty/Bridled Tern. Can't really count it if I can't ID it...

[Jane Turner]

Likewise...I've seen a Spoonbill, but I couldn't have ID'd it in the heat haze had Inot know it was there....would be the 200th for the house too.

[chowchilla]

Ah pity... that would've been a nice double century species too!

[Jane Turner]

89 Canada goose3 on the beach! (51/27)

[BillN]

Collared Dove - This mornings visitor to our garden - very common, but according to the "Book" - i.e. Collins - described as "a medium sized, elongated, rather elegant dove with long tail and pale plumage" - IMHO they are attractive birds

managed to get his/her red eye in the last shot - back garden this morning whilst I was having my morning cuppa and biscuits!

Shooting into the sun a little!

[Jane Turner]

90: A slightly belated Sandwich Tern

[joannec]

58)Nightingale

I am so pleased! This is my crowning glory species that I see and hear every year. It has bred within yards of my garden but in recent years I've been really concerned because of a huge build up of Fallow Deer numbers: there is a herd of 40+ that I see daily.........nice you may think........but they graze the understory of the woods mercilessly and the habitat that Nightingales like is being slowly destroyed by their browsing. In my own way I am encouraging a scrubby area of Blackthorn and brambles and nettles and this is where it's been today. I am so happy!!!!!!!! I really really hope he attracts a mate and stays!

[Jos Stratford]

Originally Posted by joannec

58)Nightingale

I am so pleased! This is my crowning glory species that I see and hear every year. It has bred within yards of my garden but in recent years I've been really concerned because of a huge build up of Fallow Deer numbers: there is a herd of 40+ that I see daily.........nice you may think........but they graze the understory of the woods mercilessly and the habitat that Nightingales like is being slowly destroyed by their browsing. In my own way I am encouraging a scrubby area of Blackthorn and brambles and nettles and this is where it's been today. I am so happy!!!!!!!! I really really hope he attracts a mate and stays!

Nice one

[Reuven_M]

Originally Posted by Reuven_M

Don't expect me to post anything more remotely interesting ... I just used up my yard list luck for several years at least!
Yesterday I had two Fish Crows fly across chasing a red-tailed hawk. Fish crows are far from a common species here: there are less than 20 records for the province, and this is the first county record!



This should have been 28, and with a few more common raptors:

29. Fish Crow
30. Turkey Vulture
31. Sharp-shinned Hawk

32. Tree Swallow
33. Chipping Sparrow

Fish crows still in the area and being seen by most local birders, have had them from the window a few more times.

[John o'Sullivan]

Love the story of the nightingale. Hope you get your wish and they breed. Fabulous birds.

[KenM]

Originally Posted by joannec

58)Nightingale

I am so pleased! This is my crowning glory species that I see and hear every year. It has bred within yards of my garden but in recent years I've been really concerned because of a huge build up of Fallow Deer numbers: there is a herd of 40+ that I see daily.........nice you may think........but they graze the understory of the woods mercilessly and the habitat that Nightingales like is being slowly destroyed by their browsing. In my own way I am encouraging a scrubby area of Blackthorn and brambles and nettles and this is where it's been today. I am so happy!!!!!!!! I really really hope he attracts a mate and stays!

[Jane Turner]

Originally Posted by joannec

58)Nightingale

I am so pleased! This is my crowning glory species that I see and hear every year. It has bred within yards of my garden but in recent years I've been really concerned because of a huge build up of Fallow Deer numbers: there is a herd of 40+ that I see daily.........nice you may think........but they graze the understory of the woods mercilessly and the habitat that Nightingales like is being slowly destroyed by their browsing. In my own way I am encouraging a scrubby area of Blackthorn and brambles and nettles and this is where it's been today. I am so happy!!!!!!!! I really really hope he attracts a mate and stays!

Wonderful....and I'm very jealous

[halftwo]

Well done on Nightingale habitat management, Joanne. Having possibly missed Crane this morning, after being away from home for the first time this year, I did see a

68 : Swallow

Before I left yesterday. This is the second latest sighting ever here.

[joannec]

Originally Posted by Jos Stratford

Nice one

Originally Posted by John o'Sullivan

Love the story of the nightingale. Hope you get your wish and they breed. Fabulous birds.

Originally Posted by Jane Turner

Wonderful....and I'm very jealous

Originally Posted by halftwo

Well done on Nightingale habitat management, Joanne..

Thanks all. It's blowing a bitter north wind today. No sign of him; hope he's just hunkered down in the blackthorn.......probably wishing he'd waited another week.

[Jane Turner]

Arctic Tern 91 (and clouds of Little Gulls)

[edenwatcher]

89. Swallow
90. Chiffchaff. Having bungled the heard individual 3 weeks ago, I didnt expect to get another chance. Only our 3rd sight record.

Rob

[Jane Turner]

Whimbrel last night, Common Tern This morning and a recount gets me to

95/52/38

[Jane Turner]

The all garden list is 279. 928 species/garden/years and Swallow is the fastest riser up the charts

[joannec]

59) Great Black-backed Gull........just realised I'd left it off the list.

Still awaiting Swallow.

[dantheman]

Originally Posted by Jane Turner

The all garden list is 279. 928 species/garden/years and Swallow is the fastest riser up the charts

By 928 do you mean that is the total tally of records ...?

ie the same as 10 gardens with c.93 species seen in each
20 gardens with c.46 each ? ... etc

What does this make the average per garden to be? (And how many do you have 'complete' lists for?)


(Everyone knows how much you love statistics ... )

[Jane Turner]

You got it. These are the most recorded species

Starling 18 gardens , House Sparrow 17 Blue Tit 16 Great Tit 16
etc

I don't have complete lists for a few of the gardens that I'm keeping updates (Ken and Rob for example) for, but my avg garden score is 40