Garden / Yard List 2024 (5 Viewers)

[Farnboro John]

54. Blackcap.

A male singing on the far side of the brook, invisible in newly greened-up trees and bushes. Chiffchaff in there somewhere as well, and the usual Sparrowhawk and Red Kites joining a pair of Buzzards overhead. In contrast to recent months, just one Herring Gull out of the larger gulls though still a few Black-headed Gulls transiting between local gravel pit complexes.

Also Holly Blue in the garden.

Cheers

John

 

[KenM]

After 3 weeks of nowt!…a BOP fest today of Buzzard, Sprawk, Red Kite, Peregrine (only my 2nd foy)….drum roll!!…No.62 male Marsh Harrier over West and still no Hirundines!

+ a DC9 in war paint going North at c16.00.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Marsh Sandpipers were still present till early afternoon and the full suite of ducks - Wigeon, Teal, Shoveller, Mallard, Goldeneye and Goosander, but perhaps the most impressive birds today were a flyover flock of migrating Cormorants Initially thought they were incoming geese, but instead it was my largest ever number of Cormorants - 185 birds. Usually I get singletons or occasional pairs, only ever had double digit counts on five occasions before, the bests being migrating flocks of 43 birds in August 2014, 95 in December 2021, 45 in December 2022 and 29 in November 2023.

 

[pete wragg]

103 - Spoonbill, 1 on KW

 

[Paul Chapman]

As part of the dawn chorus just now...

39. Chiffchaff

All the best

Paul

Earlier today:-

40. Willow Warbler

All the best

Paul

 

[birdmeister]

Apparently all it took was for me to hit 50 with Tuesday's Zone-tailed Hawk, and the floodgates opened. With 42 species yesterday, I picked up 9 year additions and one new all-time tick!

Yesterday was not outstanding for numbers (maybe 30 migrants), but the variety was so good. New year birds included

51. Black-chinned Hummingbird
52. Western Kingbird
53. Cassin's Vireo (new yard species #147!)
54. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
55. Vesper Sparrow
56. Savannah Sparrow (2nd yard record)
57. Abert's Towhee
58. Bronzed Cowbird
59. Cassin's Kingbird (3rd yard record)

Several species showed well for the camera, too, including the Cassin's Vireo, Gilded Flicker, Lesser Goldfinch, Savannah Sparrow, and Cassin's Kingbird.

 

[birdmeister]

It was hard to top yesterday's new yard bird, but today was excellent. After heavy overnight migration, 48 species showed up. A further 8 year additions have brought the list up in a hurry. The day's total of 402 migrants included the following:

White-winged Dove - 22
hummingbird sp. - 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1
American Kestrel - 1
Western Kingbird - 1
kingbird sp. - 4
Violet-green Swallow - 3
swallow sp. - 6
Northern Mockingbird - 1
Brewer's Sparrow - 1
Lincoln's Sparrow - 1
Western Meadowlark - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler ("Audubon's") - 2
passerine sp. - 6

The remaining cast of new arrivals, except for a singing

60. Greater Roadrunner

included the following:

61. Swainson's Hawk - 1
62. Chipping Sparrow - 1
63. Lark Sparrow - 10
64. Lark Bunting - ~340 in one flock!
65. Yellow Warbler - 1
66. Black-throated Gray Warbler - 1
67. Lazuli Bunting - 1


The flock of Lark Buntings passed in a breathtaking few seconds, with many males entering their striking black-and-white breeding plumage.


Photo of those below, plus House Finch and White-winged Dove. I got a short video clip of the delightful Black-throated Gray Warbler bouncing around the newly emerging mesquite leaves.

 

[Jos Stratford]

It was hard to top yesterday's new yard bird, but today was excellent. After heavy overnight migration, 48 species showed up.

Superb couple of days 👍

 

[KenM]

It was hard to top yesterday's new yard bird, but today was excellent. After heavy overnight migration, 48 species showed up. A further 8 year additions have brought the list up in a hurry. The day's total of 402 migrants included the following:

White-winged Dove - 22
hummingbird sp. - 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1
American Kestrel - 1
Western Kingbird - 1
kingbird sp. - 4
Violet-green Swallow - 3
swallow sp. - 6
Northern Mockingbird - 1
Brewer's Sparrow - 1
Lincoln's Sparrow - 1
Western Meadowlark - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler ("Audubon's") - 2
passerine sp. - 6

The remaining cast of new arrivals, except for a singing

60. Greater Roadrunner

included the following:

61. Swainson's Hawk - 1
62. Chipping Sparrow - 1
63. Lark Sparrow - 10
64. Lark Bunting - ~340 in one flock!
65. Yellow Warbler - 1
66. Black-throated Gray Warbler - 1
67. Lazuli Bunting - 1


The flock of Lark Buntings passed in a breathtaking few seconds, with many males entering their striking black-and-white breeding plumage.


Photo of those below, plus House Finch and White-winged Dove. I got a short video clip of the delightful Black-throated Gray Warbler bouncing around the newly emerging mesquite leaves.

You’ve lost your “old lag” badge now BM!
Black-throated Gray!…my favourite Western Warbler.👍

 

[pete wragg]

104 - Brambling, 1 on feeders
also in garden 7 Chaffinch, 8 Goldfinch, 2 Blackcap,1 Chiff, 1 Willow Warbler

 

[Farnboro John]

In between chopping up the remains of the fence panels destroyed by various storms over the winter, I spent a fair amount of today watching the sky and trees around my back garden. I got a house tick out of it as well as seeing yesterday's singing Blackcap for the first time and three House Martin lingering - hopefully the local birds settling in for another summer.

55. Goshawk (also 105 garden all-time list).

It was some way off, hassling a Red Kite: I hoped it would come closer but never work with children or animals. Decent enough view though. Goshawks are cool.

John

 

[Jos Stratford]

Marsh Sandpipers continuing into their third day, the bevy of ducks too, but little migration today - one new migrant arriving, the first Whinchat.

96. Whinchat

 

[birdmeister]

After two amazing days, today cooled off in terms of year additions. As I stepped out this morning, I hoped for at least 2 new species. Sure enough, by the end of the morning 2 new species had appeared!

68. Wilson's Warbler
69. Osprey

A couple of migrating White-winged Dove photos below, plus the Osprey. I just love seeing them passing through the desert on migration.

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

A hoped for #69 Willow Warbler singing this morning. In the same tree as my first April record last year - but two days later. Given the scarcity in Spring, I’m tempted to think it’s the same bird.


View attachment IMG_1441.mov

 

[Jos Stratford]

Nice action at my bird table - a growing fkock of Greenfinches now in excess of 30, also bringing in a beefy Hawfinch to dominate the table this morning

Rain setting in, but just before one signing Blackcap newly arrived ...

97. Blackcap

 

[Farnboro John]

Nice action at my bird table - a growing fkock of Greenfinches now in excess of 30, also bringing in a beefy Hawfinch to dominate the table this morning

Rain setting in, but just before one signing Blackcap newly arrived ...

97. Blackcap

Birdsong for the hard of hearing?

John

 

[Steve Lister]

April 14th
60. Sand Martin - a total of 8 flew NW, clearly on passage

Oddly, Sand Martin was #60 last year as well but not until May 10th.

 

[pete wragg]

105 - Hen Harrier, ringtail around Easington Straight.

 

[Jos Stratford]

By day's end, Greenfinches at the bird table were numbering over 40, a right squabbling racket of birds. Two very nice Hawfinches with them

First Lesser Spotted Eagle of the spring late afternoon.

98. Lesser Spotted Eagle

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

#70 Swallow this morning. Three came whizzing past despite the cold and breeze. I’ve been seeing them locally for a little while, so no great surprise, and I shall see them daily till the end of September at least.