Garden / Yard List 2023 (4 Viewers)

[Andy Lakin]

Year list still dire (numbers wise) but some decent sightings recently. Saw the long staying Hen Harrier again last week (2 sightings in 34 days). Today was a bit special Tawny calling from nearby this morning and a quick look before dark produced 2+ Short Eared Owls and a Barn Owl.

 

[Warixenjalka]

After my long-awaited Raven, I didn't expect to see any more new species this year. And I really didn't expect to see this in the middle of the city:

#55.

 

[KenM]

After my long-awaited Raven, I didn't expect to see any more new species this year. And I really didn't expect to see this in the middle of the city:

#55.View attachment 1547432

A great find Wari, as far as Cities are concerned…leave nothing out.👍

 

[Richard Prior]

A great find Wari,

Indeed, what a nice surprise W, especially in such an urban setting!
Only surprise here was a vaguely familiar call in the sky yesterday, looking up I was confronted with sight of THREE Golden Eagle circling around together, I'm not sure whether it's the local pair and this year's offspring, one definite adult and the youngster, but the third bird perhaps a sub-adult? They are a bit tricky as some adults seem to retain white in the wings... Tried out my new toy with mixed results as you can see!
The Rock Bunting seems to have moved on without gracing the garden, grrr.

 

[01101001]

After my long-awaited Raven, I didn't expect to see any more new species this year. And I really didn't expect to see this in the middle of the city:

#55.View attachment 1547432

What species do you think it is? Honest question. Or, what hybrid?

EDIT: Kotka - Wikipedia

EDIT 2: Someone is not familiar with White-backed Woodpecker, sorry. It looked like a GSW x Syrian Woodpecker hybrid + the flank streaking of a MSW.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Female White-backed Woodpecker, male below

Put feeders Wari, they are fond of them

 

[Warixenjalka]

What species do you think it is? Honest question. Or, what hybrid?

EDIT: Kotka - Wikipedia

EDIT 2: Someone is not familiar with White-backed Woodpecker, sorry. It looked like a GSW x Syrian Woodpecker hybrid + the flank streaking of a MSW.

Yes, WbW. Female like Jos all ready write.

Surprisingly lot information about Kotka, in English Wiki. There was even information that was new to me...

 

[Warixenjalka]

Female White-backed Woodpecker, male below

Put feeders Wari, they are fond of them
View attachment 1547481

I don't think it will work in this block, the housing company's rules prohibit feeding the birds. There is some feeders in the yard of the opposite, but the daily flock of 100 Jackdaws and 50 Crows are bosses there... and the Squirrels. OK, at times GSW visit there.

 

[KenM]

Out of a wall to wall blue this am a much hoped for no.90…unfortunately with left hand holding mob. an attempt to fumble my “bridge” with right hand failed miserably, as they disappeared behind the canopy…3 Southbound Egyptian Geese! 😊

 

[KenM]

Out of a leaden grey precipitating morning, award winning images at last! of Redpoll.🤣

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

Out of a leaden grey precipitating morning, award winning images at last! of Redpoll.🤣

RH bird looks like a Brambling, at least from the BOC image.

 

[dantheman]

RH bird looks like a Brambling, at least from the BOC image.

It was probably an image of a Brambling on his sd card from last year.

 

[KenM]

You two’ll never be considered for a rarities committee….It’s a bloody Goldfinch.🤣

At last a marginally better image…

It seems that precipitation brings out the birds.

 

[Richard Prior]

Another gloomy day here in the rain and cloud, some of the mid-altitude ski resorts will be starting to worry that all that snow last week will be washed away in the next few milder days.... A good day to finish off the blackberry jam making, 29 jars in the end! A male Crossbill brightened my day, singing in the highest branches of the elm tree for 10 minutes. Siskin numbers increasing every day, 17 around the feeders today but just two Brambling present.

 

[Frank van Drogen]

It took me a bit, but as of this morning I can add #27 (and presumably the last for the year) for my Zurich garden to the list, a Goldcrest.

I had actually seen it very briefly a couple of times during the last weekends, but never more than a fraction of a second, and not enough to see if it was a Firecrest or a Goldcrest, both not uncommon the forest nearby. I was actually trying to count how many birds there were in the resident flock of Magpies (18 this morning), when I saw something fluttering in a bush in the neighbors garden. The tiny bird disappeared briefly, and then sat down for a bit on a concrete wall. It was short, but enough to get my bins on it.

The coming week, I'll be leaving for work when its dark, and coming back when the sun has set, I'd be highly surprised if any other birds will be added to the list. Of to our place in France on Friday, might see some winter birds there!

 

[Jos Stratford]

Final update from me for the year - turned mild, snow melted, damp murk instead... perfect time to flee to sunnier lands

Great Grey Shrike was highlight of the last days, repeatedly hunting Great Tits at the feeders around the house, even sitting on top of the peanut feeder one morning. Aerial pursuit by the shrike is like a WW2 dogfight, the birds looping round, arcing onto the sky, then diving downwards. Great Tits often fled under the house, so the shrike flew circuits round the house trying to flush them, but at least once went underneath too to chase them out.

Great Tit numbers very good this year though, currently just over 300 visiting across the feeders.


Species total for the year, 144.

 

[Richard Prior]

Final update from me for the year - turned mild, snow melted, damp murk instead... perfect time to flee to sunnier lands

Great Grey Shrike was highlight of the last days, repeatedly hunting Great Tits at the feeders around the house, even sitting on top of the peanut feeder one morning. Aerial pursuit by the shrike is like a WW2 dogfight, the birds looping round, arcing onto the sky, then diving downwards. Great Tits often fled under the house, so the shrike flew circuits round the house trying to flush them, but at least once went underneath too to chase them out.

Great Tit numbers very good this year though, currently just over 300 visiting across the feeders.


Species total for the year, 144.

Another good year for you Jos, is 144 your best ever total?

 

[Jos Stratford]

A good year, not best total (think that was 2000). There were a 'moderately poor' couple of weeks in mid-spring that resulted in missing a few relatively regular additions (eg Black Tern) and also a couple of residents that I usually add (Crested Tit, Hazel Grouse). Against that, plenty of highlights, so very good overall.

 

[Frank van Drogen]

Probably missed out on a Garden/Property tick yesterday. I was at one of our ponds, checking out a dead willow* that had fallen over, and is blocking a path. We'll need to clear that path, and we were figuring out how to do it. I saw a rather large white bird flying over in the distance and asked my 15 year old, who was holding the bins, to have a quick look at it. He confirmed my suspicion by telling me 'it's a large white bird'

Since we're of to the family house in town in a couple of hours (back here on Tuesday though), not sure if I manage to ad the Great Egret to the 2023 garden list. We'll try 2024 for sure !

* Only willow on the property, as far as I am aware ... there goes my change at some Willow Tits breeding on our place. Never seen them anywhere around here unfortunately.

 

[Richard Prior]

Probably missed out on a Garden/Property tick yesterday. I was at one of our ponds, checking out a dead willow* that had fallen over, and is blocking a path. We'll need to clear that path, and we were figuring out how to do it. I saw a rather large white bird flying over in the distance and asked my 15 year old, who was holding the bins, to have a quick look at it. He confirmed my suspicion by telling me 'it's a large white bird'

Since we're of to the family house in town in a couple of hours (back here on Tuesday though), not sure if I manage to ad the Great Egret to the 2023 garden list. We'll try 2024 for sure !

* Only willow on the property, as far as I am aware ... there goes my change at some Willow Tits breeding on our place. Never seen them anywhere around here unfortunately.

I was going to say that in the Spirit of Christmas I‘ll give you Great Egret Frank, as at this time of year it’s unlikely to be anything else in central Switzerland. BUT, I see a Little Egret is also in the neighbourhood, seen at Bottingen ZH, so you need to get your son to be more thorough in his brief observations
Don’t worry about the Willow Tit no longer being possible now your Willow has fallen, around here they don’t seem fussy in their arboreal choices!
Joyeux Noël in your French demeure