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Garden (Yard) List 2014 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter halftwo
- Start date
Similar stuff going through here too, Whinchats, Wheatears, Tree Pipits again ...
But on a real roll at the moment, good passage all day today - another White-tailed Eagle and another Lesser Spotted Eagle over, along with a steady drift of Common Buzzards, a Hobby and a flight of 45 Cranes.
White-backed Woodpecker and two Grey-headed Woodpeckers back at the feeders and, the first surprise of the day, a Hazel Grouse flushing just adjacent (possibly bred nearby, as a male lingered for a month back in March, but otherwise only the fourth record for my land).
Later, 12 very late Common Swifts appeared, then a pair of Great White Egrets (third ever record) flew over, heading south. And to round the day off, one Common Redstart (surprisingly rare on my land, this was also only my third record ever).
131. Great White Egret
132. Common Redstart
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Some good raptor passage (well, good for here anyway!) this pm, 4 Marsh Harriers, a Sparrowhawk, a Black Kite and a Honey Buzzard (the last two migrating together).
I read in a Swiss birding journal that Hazel Grouse are incredibly sedentary, spending all their life within the same few square kilometres, so no doubt they've bred near your place.:t:
I read in a Swiss birding journal that Hazel Grouse are incredibly sedentary, spending all their life within the same few square kilometres, so no doubt they've bred near your place.:t:
KenM
Well-known member
Had an amazing day today, all together 15 Com.Buzzards in the air at once, then thereafter, male and female Common Redstart (separates), two Spot Flys. together, a Whinchat and to round it off...a flyover Lesser-spotted Woodpecker ! The downside to this fantastic hour and a half was....It all took place outside my garden about ''half a bloody mile away'' :-C
:t:
Broad front migration, Lithuania, France and Dorset contributors all recorded this species in the last week...
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
You have all our sympathies Ken I'm sure (I've also seen several species (10 in fact!)within a mile of the garden but not in/from it so far this year, grrr).
Still a near-mega this afternoon on another lovely afternoon for sky watching, only my second ever Osprey here, migrating very high south west.
(To show how we're just off the main migration highway here, 30 miles away by the Rhone west of Geneva they've already clocked up 62 Ospreys migrating in the past 18 days!)
82 Osprey
KenM
Well-known member
Osprey is a much hoped for acquisition to my garden list, as I have already added it to my (again), half mile away, Epping Forest list!
Interesting that they should move through a relatively ''narrow'' corridor?
Last week I was in (your neck of the woods?) at Lac Leman, South end (Villeneuve), and found Immature and adult male RBShrike, also Wryneck, I presume these species would be ''common fare'' at the location of Les Grangettes, Nature reserve ?
Cheers
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
It seems that the Ospreys take the route over the lakes Neuchâtel and Leman, some following the Jura, others the Alps side - so over a broad front as it were - then they get a bit 'funnelled' by the western end of the Jura,Lac Leman and the start of the Rhone valley after Geneva, so the migration watchpoint is at a place where the river squeezes through a gorge. To see their statistics go to http://haute-savoie.lpo.fr and click on Defilé de l'Ecluse on the left hand of the screen, some impressive numbers! R BShrike and Wryneck are both common breeders around the lake, the shrikes nest quite high, whereas the Wryneck stays lower down (only ever seen one up here where we live).
Still, encouraged by my Osprey I was out in the garden before sunrise this am, hoping for I don't know what, got my reward with only my third ever garden sighting of :
83 Great Cormorant, a flock of 13 heading s.west. 2 Marsh Harriers before 8am too, so I'll have to do some, ahem, chores outside today
Still, encouraged by my Osprey I was out in the garden before sunrise this am, hoping for I don't know what, got my reward with only my third ever garden sighting of :
83 Great Cormorant, a flock of 13 heading s.west. 2 Marsh Harriers before 8am too, so I'll have to do some, ahem, chores outside today
KenM
Well-known member
Just seen this, sheer gluttony!...you should be ''slowly'' drum-rolled out of the garden bird forum timsg80.
Splendid :t:
Haven't had any additions over the last week or so, but an excellent raptor passage in recent days - best autumn on my land so far for White-tailed Eagles, with seven over in the last week, plus an Osprey, several Lesser Spotted Eagles, an enormous female Goshawk, one Kestrel, a couple of Hobbies and a steady trickle of Common Buzzards and Sparrowhawks.
Top of the lot, however, Red-footed Falcons! After one a couple of weeks ago, had another last week, then a totally unexpected four together on Saturday! On my plot. I have never seen more than one in any year before (and most years, it is zero), so right chuffed with this lot!
Chris-Leeds
Well-known member
Haven't been updating so not sure what number I'd be at off hand but had a nice willow warbler in the garden on Sunday 14th Sept. A garden first for me.
joannec
Well-known member
halftwo
Wird Batcher
Some great garden sightings on the thread of late, most out of my league, but a fantastic addition to my garden today:
fortunately some hirundines still remain and their alarms had me frantically scanning the sunny skies for an age until a distant
MERLIN !!!
was hurtling at an incredible rate up the valley opposite!
Meadow pipits were going beserk and every small bird seemed to be in the air.
Two Buzzards immediately after.
fortunately some hirundines still remain and their alarms had me frantically scanning the sunny skies for an age until a distant
MERLIN !!!
was hurtling at an incredible rate up the valley opposite!
Meadow pipits were going beserk and every small bird seemed to be in the air.
Two Buzzards immediately after.
oh yo yo, a little more fan-fair does no.74 deserve ...I mean, a Honey Buzzard from a UK garden and no jumping up and down, just a mere listing alongside '74'
Like this for example
joannec
Well-known member
oh yo yo, a little more fan-fair does no.74 deserve ...I mean, a Honey Buzzard from a UK garden and no jumping up and down, just a mere listing alongside '74'
Yes, a megao
:t:-OB :king:B It's the second time so not a garden first. I watched it for 5-10 minutes and I was almost jumping up and down. It was a male. I've submitted a description. As you know I am on a migration route. It was actually two weeks ago and I thought, should I say because some may know where I live? But then I thought..............it's not breeding here and it's long gone now so I might as well list it on here.
joannec
Well-known member
Merlin is definitely a mega garden bird too. Your new garden must be in a prime location H!
