Garden/Yard List 2020 (2 Viewers)

[Paul Chapman]

You were right, I needn’t have worried John, this morning while we were cutting back some hawthorn and wild rose branches around the field ready for the impending arrival of the sheep and their lambs - the lovely sweet song of

65 Willow Warbler

ringing out around the valley, two different males at least.

Excellent news.

About time too for this one:

58. Cormorant Three over very high North.

John

Still a lockdown omission. I must try harder!

All the best

 

[Paul Chapman]

Having been tormented a couple of times by the local first-summer male Peregrine (pic 1), this evening:-

61 Hobby 23 April 2020

Recently another Red Kite (pic 2) & various repeats - Grey Heron (pic 3) & Raven (pic 4) but most days I wonder whether today is the day I lie face down on the grass to get a better pic of the local Blackbirds.......

Lockdown garden list is now 58 of which 38 photographed & 2 heard only.

All the best

Paul

 

[timsg80]

Just remembered your earlier Red-breasted Flycatcher Tim!....that's got to be a seriously good Spring record....wonder where that overwintered? :t:

That would be extremely interesting to know... I suspect it wasn’t in Asia!

A few more additions in the last few days:

62. Tree Pipit
63. MONTAGU’S HARRIER
64. European Nightjar

46 species in the garden today! I can’t wait to see what the next addition is...

 

[Farnboro John]

You were right, I needn’t have worried John, this morning while we were cutting back some hawthorn and wild rose branches around the field ready for the impending arrival of the sheep and their lambs - the lovely sweet song of

65 Willow Warbler

ringing out around the valley, two different males at least.

Glad to hear it! :t:

John

 

[Paul Chapman]

An unexpected twist this afternoon with a flyby addition:-

62 Mistle Thrush 24 April 2020

Lockdown garden list is now 59 of which 38 photographed & 2 heard only.

A nice performance by the local Buzzard pair today low over the garden. Individually identifiable by feather wear.

All the best

Paul

 

[Richard Prior]

Another one bites the dust this morning, quite appropriate as an expression as it’s very dry hereabouts, three weeks at least since any real rain and day after day sun and temperatures around 20C which is unusual at this time of year and at our elevation. So a bit of dawn digging and planting before it got too hot meant I was outside when a passing


66 Western Bonelli’s Warbler

trilled a couple of times before presumably moving on to the nearest breeding site about 5kms away. We seem to get one or two max each spring about this date that sing early morning on one day, luckily I’d ‘got my ear in’ having located one over a week ago in Thones when doing the supermarket trip otherwise I might have assumed a scolding Blue Tit (a mistake I made last year I recall).

 

[KenM]

You were right, I needn’t have worried John, this morning while we were cutting back some hawthorn and wild rose branches around the field ready for the impending arrival of the sheep and their lambs - the lovely sweet song of

65 Willow Warbler

ringing out around the valley, two different males at least.

Have yet to hear it's liquid cadence...a sure sign of Summer.

However rarer than hen's teeth yesterday...two flyover Rooks!! my second sighting this year of a species that is scarce in ''these there parts'' and my first ever shot to boot!
Certainly got my adrenalin going however activity soon petered out with that wall to wall blue and breeze from the East.

I find a cloudless sky generally seems to decrease activity rather than promote it, thus went for my exercise ''stroll'' taking in the local plain where I picked up Wheatear and 2 Common Terns.

Back at the ranch having been ''stared out'' by the big blue for the past hour and beginning to yawn profusely I suddenly espied a distant West bound BOP in the haze!

Assuming Buzzard I raised the bins, unfortunately it was at an oblique angle before attempting a banking turn, showing the top wing briefly...with the fore-wing being sandy contrasting against a darker hind wing before resuming the oblique position going away.

Unfortunately by this time, it was too far away for the camera sensor to register...the mind boggles. :eek!:

 

[Papa 10]

Have yet to hear it's liquid cadence...a sure sign of Summer.

However rarer than hen's teeth yesterday...two flyover Rooks!! my second sighting this year of a species that is scarce in ''these there parts'' and my first ever shot to boot!

Here you go Ken, my Rook fest taken from the kitchen window earlier this year

 

[KenM]

Have yet to hear it's liquid cadence...a sure sign of Summer.

However rarer than hen's teeth yesterday...two flyover Rooks!! my second sighting this year of a species that is scarce in ''these there parts'' and my first ever shot to boot!

Here you go Ken, my Rook fest taken from the kitchen window earlier this year

View attachment 725161

No wonder they’re scarce here....you’ve cornered the bloody market.

 

[Papa 10]

No wonder they’re scarce here....you’ve cornered the bloody market.

Like you have with Goldcrest, which I 'need' for the garden and Firecrest is a fantasy for me here

 

[KenM]

Like you have with Goldcrest, which I 'need' for the garden and Firecrest is a fantasy for me here

No two years are the same Papa 10. From circa ‘09-‘18...Firecrest and Goldcrest overwintered, no Firecrest for the last two years and last Winter’s Goldcrest numbers down by 60%, with Red Kite numbers this year doubling over ‘19 and Redwing/Fieldfare numbers down by 70%+...and for the first year ever, no Redpolls and just the single Siskin!....you just never can tell. :eek!:

 

[Paul Chapman]

Finally, an overflying wader when checking my moth trap:-

63 Grey Plover 25 April 2020

Lockdown garden list is now 60 of which 39 photographed & 3 heard only.

Entertainment from the sparrows today.

All the best

Paul

 

[KenM]

Always on the cards...and about on time (thought the heat and cloudscape looked good) no.74. Swift, very high in the haze c6 heading NEast. However a real RARE last night joining us for dinner (well almost), the last ''Live'' one was seen in the self same garden c30 years ago!

Suspect the reduction of rubber on tarmac during the pandemic may have just...contributed to it's longevity at this time? B

 

[Farnboro John]

Migrants about again today:

59. Swift Three over North this afternoon.

Very much appreciated!

John

 

[halftwo]

Everyone's seeing Swifts except me!
Grey Plover is excellent , Paul !
Nice Hedgey , Ken!

 

[Farnboro John]

Everyone's seeing Swifts except me!

Mate, that was me yesterday! Your turn will come :t:

John

 

[Papa 10]

No two years are the same Papa 10. From circa ‘09-‘18...Firecrest and Goldcrest overwintered, no Firecrest for the last two years and last Winter’s Goldcrest numbers down by 60%, with Red Kite numbers this year doubling over ‘19 and Redwing/Fieldfare numbers down by 70%+...and for the first year ever, no Redpolls and just the single Siskin!....you just never can tell. :eek!:

Just over 12 months ago I had daily decent numbers of Redpoll and Siskin along with 40+ Brambling but this winter not a one of any of these. No shortage of winter thrushes (over 100 in garden trees not uncommon), Red Kites are scarce hereabouts but plenty of Common Buzzard

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[KenM]

Everyone's seeing Swifts except me!
Grey Plover is excellent , Paul !
Nice Hedgey , Ken!

Cheers H!...moving Swiftly on, they’ll be with you very soon. :t:

Just over 12 months ago I had daily decent numbers of Redpoll and Siskin along with 40+ Brambling but this winter not a one of any of these. No shortage of winter thrushes (over 100 in garden trees not uncommon), Red Kites are scarce hereabouts but plenty of Common Buzzard View attachment 725343

View attachment 725344[/ATTACH]

I can only hope for the Brambling and Redpolls before year end...some great shots Papa! :t:

 

[birdmeister]

Well, it's been a looong time since I've been in the Birdforum realms, but I've made it back!

Delighted to read so many garden updates, especially lots of firsts!

It should come as no surprise that I've been birding the yard intensely. In fact, it's been over a month since I've been anywhere else for birding.

However, lots of great birds have graced the yard this year. I'll try to update in several installments so as not to overwhelm with one huge post.

I'm mainly going back to my eBird account and sifting through the early records to parse these first couple updates. As such, the first several species may not all may be in completely chronological order.

February

21. Red-bellied Woodpecker
22. Fish Crow
23. Carolina Wren
24. European Starling
25. American Robin
26. House Sparrow
27. House Finch
28. American Goldfinch
29. House Sparrow
30. Brown-headed Cowbird
31. Yellow-rumped Warbler


March

32. Red-tailed Hawk
33. Herring Gull
34. Bald Eagle
35. Red-shouldered Hawk
36. Horned Lark (3rd yard record)
37. Tree Swallow
38. White-throated Sparrow
39. Common Merganser
40. Rock Pigeon (Feral)
41. Killdeer
42. Wilson's Snipe (new yard bird and a Pennsylvania lifer for me!)
43. Carolina Chickadee (missed last year)
44. Cedar Waxwing
45. Rusty Blackbird (new yard bird)
46. Sharp-shinned Hawk
47. Wood Duck (2nd yard record)
48. Mallard
49. Great Blue Heron
50. American Kestrel


The snipe and Rusty Blackbirds were both seen on 9 March. I was so shocked to see the pair of snipe shoot over quite low! It turned out that they spent some time that morning in the neighborhood. The blackbirds were much more expected, but still nice. This spring I've now seen 16 Rusties over seven different days.

 

[birdmeister]

OK, more March birds to continue from last post.


March

51. Peregrine Falcon
52. Chipping Sparrow
53. Eastern Phoebe
54. Double-crested Cormorant
55. Osprey
56. Hairy Woodpecker
57. Northern Rough-winged Swallow


April

58. Barn Swallow
59. Common Loon
60. Tufted Titmouse (first yard record since August 2018! Normally a common resident)
61. Golden-crowned Kinglet (2nd yard record)
62. Merlin
63. Field Sparrow
64. Purple Martin
65. Northern Harrier
66. Broad-winged Hawk
67. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
68. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
69. Palm Warbler
70. Chimney Swift
71. Great Egret (fewer than 5 yard records, none in spring)
72. House Wren
73. Savannah Sparrow (3rd yard record, likely two birds)
74. Brown Thrasher
75. Pileated Woodpecker (usually one or two per year)
76. Pine Warbler (new yard bird)
77. Bank Swallow (new yard bird)
78. Prairie Warbler (former breeder; first in several years, heard only but still great!)


I've accrued quite a large raptor count this spring after multiple long watches. Total numbers will be up at the end of May or so.

The first round of pictures features perched visitors, some resident and some migrant. They are Pine Warbler, Song Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, Savannah Sparrow, and Northern Mockingbird.


Looks like I'm quite a bit ahead of the game. Last year I had 64 species by the end of April, and didn't reach 78 until late August!