Bird species seen just the once in your yard/garden. (1 Viewer)

[kb57]

In 42 years I've had Redstart, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethoroat, Ring Ouzel, Green Sandpiper flushed from the ditch at the end of the garden when all the still water was frozen, and Black Kite. The latter almost certainly an escaped bird.

Redstart from 2006, the rest all since my retirement in March 2014.
I think I enjoyed the Ring Ouzel most of all, it was feeding on Whitebeam berries from a tree I planted 25 years before.

Lewis

Impressive list...why did you think the black kite was an escaped bird?

 

[wolfbirder]

List is pretty unimpressive Ken.

House Sparrow, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Goldcrest, Reed Bunting, Goldfinch, Redwing, Fieldfare, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie, House Martin, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Black-headed Gull, Collared Dove, Wood Pigeon, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Sparrowhawk (on window cill).

Lots overhead including Peregrine, Hobby,Kestrel, Red Kite, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Swallow, Swift, gulls etc but never touched the house or garden.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Impressive list...why did you think the black kite was an escaped bird?

It perched on a dead branch at the top of our large Horse Chestnut Tree. It had coloured rings on one leg and I couldn't find any recording schemes for colour ringed Black kites at the time, May 2016. There had also been several reports not too far away in the Breckland area of Nofrolk of an escaped bird so I assumed it was the same one. When I first saw it over the garden it didn't seem bothered by my presence at all, coming to within a few feet of me on a couple of occasions.

 

[kb57]

It perched on a dead branch at the top of our large Horse Chestnut Tree. It had coloured rings on one leg and I couldn't find any recording schemes for colour ringed Black kites at the time, May 2016. There had also been several reports not too far away in the Breckland area of Nofrolk of an escaped bird so I assumed it was the same one. When I first saw it over the garden it didn't seem bothered by my presence at all, coming to within a few feet of me on a couple of occasions.

Ah...I think that's fairly conclusive then! Black kites aren't the most wary of raptors, given they occur low over rooftops of cities like Geneva, and I've had them perching very close near a feeding station in Japan, but combined with the other evidence its pretty damning...shame, as they do wander over to S. Britain occasionally and would be a great garden tick!

 

[KenM]

List is pretty unimpressive Ken.

House Sparrow, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Goldcrest, Reed Bunting, Goldfinch, Redwing, Fieldfare, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie, House Martin, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Black-headed Gull, Collared Dove, Wood Pigeon, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Sparrowhawk (on window cill).

Lots overhead including Peregrine, Hobby,Kestrel, Red Kite, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Swallow, Swift, gulls etc but never touched the house or garden.

C’mon Nick, I’m sure you’ve had those birds quoted....more than once only.👍

 

[ovenbird43]

To the best of my memory and excluding flyovers:

White-winged Dove
Hermit Thrush
Cerulean Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Worm-eating Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Ovenbird
Scarlet Tanager

White-winged Dove is common in my area and in spring I hear them all the time from my yard, but I only recall ever seeing one in my backyard once. House Sparrow almost makes the list too, but I've seen one twice in separate years. There are houses just down the street that have them every day but they rarely venture far.

 

[KenM]

To the best of my memory and excluding flyovers:

Cerulean Warbler

My target for the next “pond cross” ovenbird43.

House Sparrow almost makes the list too, but I've seen one twice in separate years. There are houses just down the street that have them every day but they rarely venture far.

Same for me “this side” too!

 

[Britseye]

My target for the next “pond cross” ovenbird43. 👍

Same for me “this side” too! 👍

Hi Ken.
As a wandering gypsy kind of birder I've tended to change gardens and addresses almost as often as I change my underpants. But since you asked... and I love a good left- field mental challenge, here's a couple that spring to mind from longer term abodes on Scilly and USA. On St Agnes: Red-flanked Bluetail, White-throated Sparrow, Cedar Waxwing, Arctic Warbler, Hoopoe, Red-rumped Swallow, Blackpoll Warbler (before I lived there Whites Thrush and Yellow-browed Bunting, and since I moved out this year's Indigo Bunting was just round the back of the house). One- offs at a six-month residence at Cape May Point, USA, would include Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Cave Swallow, Western Kingbird, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Philadelphia Vireo, and possibly others? A ten second walk out to the Point would add Bridled and Sooty Terns flying by, Audubons, Manx and Great Shearwater seen once only.

Am I cheating?

And where are the emojis on this new look birdforum? I feel lost without them :-(

 

[KC Foggin]

It was a fly over my yard: Swallow Tailed Kite

 

[gerald762]

If I can count my one hectare of land as "garden", the Eagle owl is on my list. I hear them locally and have seen one a few times locally but only once on my patch.

 

[KenM]

If I can count my one hectare of land as "garden", the Eagle owl is on my list. I hear them locally and have seen one a few times locally but only once on my patch.
If you had it on your patch “furniture” Gerald, that counts.

 

[gerald762]

It was in a tree!!

 

[KenM]

Hi Ken.
As a wandering gypsy kind of birder I've tended to change gardens and addresses almost as often as I change my underpants. But since you asked... and I love a good left- field mental challenge, here's a couple that spring to mind from longer term abodes on Scilly and USA. On St Agnes: Red-flanked Bluetail, White-throated Sparrow, Cedar Waxwing, Arctic Warbler, Hoopoe, Red-rumped Swallow, Blackpoll Warbler (before I lived there Whites Thrush and Yellow-browed Bunting, and since I moved out this year's Indigo Bunting was just round the back of the house). One- offs at a six-month residence at Cape May Point, USA, would include Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Cave Swallow, Western Kingbird, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Philadelphia Vireo, and possibly others? A ten second walk out to the Point would add Bridled and Sooty Terns flying by, Audubons, Manx and Great Shearwater seen once only.

Am I cheating?

And where are the emojis on this new look birdforum? I feel lost without them :-(

I agree with the emojis Graham...the old “action” ones were best!

If they were seen on the “furniture”.....bushes, trees, dwelling or ground within the parameters of your property, that would be fair dinkum! 👍

 

[dantheman]

furniture meaning - Google Search

For the sake of anyone who doesn't speak or write English as their first language, or indeed anyone who does, can we just be perfectly clear that the word 'furniture' in inverted commas, speech marks or other, does not, and is unlikely to ever, mean trees, bushes, shrubs or other vegetation, the ground, buildings or even rock formations.

It is of course possible that some archaic use, slang or misinterpretation of the word has occurred or may occur in some parallel universe. If anyone has a link to such please share. Thanks.


--Insert appropriate smiley--

 

[Highburymark]

This is an interesting thread for me as I’ve only been observing birds in my north London garden for a year. The highlights were (five!) redwing, lesser redpoll, and a mistle thrush, though I was just as pleased to see greater spotted woodpecker and three jays, mohicans on show as they were chased off by the local magpie mafia.

 

[Britseye]

For the sake of anyone who doesn't speak or write English as their first language, or indeed anyone who does, can we just be perfectly clear that the word 'furniture' in inverted commas, speech marks or other, does not, and is unlikely to ever, mean trees, bushes, shrubs or other vegetation, the ground, buildings or even rock formations.

Back in the days when Pine Marten was regarded as being really rare in the UK, didn't a lady in Scotland offer the opportunity for folk to see one in her wardrobe?

So there's that.

Smiley emoji back at ye.

 

[KenM]

furniture meaning - Google Search

For the sake of anyone who doesn't speak or write English as their first language, or indeed anyone who does, can we just be perfectly clear that the word 'furniture' in inverted commas, speech marks or other, does not, and is unlikely to ever, mean trees, bushes, shrubs or other vegetation, the ground, buildings or even rock formations.

It is of course possible that some archaic use, slang or misinterpretation of the word has occurred or may occur in some parallel universe. If anyone has a link to such please share. Thanks.


--Insert appropriate smiley--

In the context of one's ownership of one's property ''furnishings'' apply inside and outside, all pertaining to ownership of said....OK sunshine.

 

[Green Sandpiper]

I've only had one sparrowhawk ever in the garden. It snatched a goldfinch from a feeder in front of my neighbour's small children, which maybe wasn't ideal.

 

[Richard Prior]

Not ideal for the Goldfinch either

 

[Farnboro John]

I've only had one sparrowhawk ever in the garden. It snatched a goldfinch from a feeder in front of my neighbour's small children, which maybe wasn't ideal.

On the contrary, (a) children are far more resilient than modern snowflakery wishes to suggest and (b) they need to be shown nature as it is, not some Disney fantasy.

John