Garden/Yard List 2020 (2 Viewers)

Warixenjalka · Apr 14, 2020

Richard, I have the opposite experience with binoculars against the camera... kind of. Last Thursday 4 Swans flew over and I was watching them from my porch with binos. One of the Swans looked smaller than others. Beside of me I had also scope and camera. I choose scope, cos I wanted to see the beak of the smallest. I couldn't find the Swans on scope before the situation was over. :C If I had chosen camera, probably I would now have pictures from which I could have verified the species... So, in my case scope against camera, I choose camera at the next time. :egghead:

Ticks from that mornings 50 minutes on porch:

#50. Oystercatcher
#51. Canada Goose - Garden lifer :king:
#52. Whooper Swan
#53. Black-throated Diver - 3 fly over. At the same time this was year tick for me. B

As usual, I didn't get any picks of those, but here's some picks from garden.

Richard Prior · Apr 14, 2020

Ah yes, relocating flying birds using the ‘scope is tricky, I had a sort of rifle sight velcroed to mine to help migration observations but I’ve mislaid it somewhere. I like the Cranes pic :t: . I was pleased to see the first two returned House Martins inspecting last year’s nests in the village this morning, some years it takes several weeks before I see them up at our place so was surprised just now to have three flying overhead!

63 House Martin

timsg80 · Apr 14, 2020

Hi everyone, after a few years of moving constantly, I've finally got a garden to birdwatch, at least while we are in lockdown before I try to get back to Australia!

I'm currently staying with my family in Mallorca, Spain. We're on the edge of the mountains, surrounded by small-scale farms.

My list so far this year (I've been here since late February):

1. Red-legged Partridge
2. Yellow-legged Gull
3. Western Cattle Egret
4. Osprey
5. Griffon Vulture
6. Cinereous Vulture
7. Bonelli's Eagle
8. Booted Eagle
9. Red Kite
10. Black Kite
11. Common Kestrel
12. Peregrine Falcon
13. Eurasian Hobby
14. Common Woodpigeon
15. Eurasian Collared Dove
16. Eurasian Hoopoe
17. Alpine Swift
18. Pallid Swift
19. Common Swift
20. Eurasian Wryneck
21. Eurasian Scops Owl (heard only)
22. Eurasian Stone Curlew (heard only)
23. House Martin
24. Sand Martin
25. Eurasian Crag Martin
26. Barn Swallow
27. Woodchat Shrike
28. Common Starling
29. Common Blackbird
30. Song Thrush
31. European Robin
32. Black Redstart
33. RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER
34. European Stonechat
35. Eurasian Blackcap
36. Common Chiffchaff
37. Willow Warbler
38. Wood Warbler
39. Common Firecrest
40. Sardinian Warbler
41. Common Chaffinch
42. European Greenfinch
43. European Goldfinch
44. Common Linnet
45. European Serin
46. Cirl Bunting
47. Northern Raven
48. Great Tit
49. Blue Tit
50. Blue Rock Thrush
51. House Sparrow
52. Common Crossbill

I seem to remember that Feral Pigeon is not included on this list? If that has changed, that is my 53rd species

I saw a number of other species when I visited last summer, so the list should increase over the coming weeks, I'm excited to see what I can get to!

Richard Prior · Apr 14, 2020

Ah Meester Tims, ve haff been expecting you ( strokes overweight white cat and looks sinister).
Looking forward to your West Med observations:t:

timsg80 · Apr 14, 2020

Richard Prior said:
Ah Meester Tims, ve haff been expecting you ( strokes overweight white cat and looks sinister).
Looking forward to your West Med observations:t:

Cheers Richard!! It’ll be a good incentive (if I needed one) to spend the entirety of lockdown staring at the sky, I feel like it’s a matter of time before something really rare appears!

dantheman · Apr 14, 2020

timsg80 said:
Cheers Richard!! It’ll be a good incentive (if I needed one) to spend the entirety of lockdown staring at the sky, I feel like it’s a matter of time before something really rare appears!

Same here. But not really hoping we stay in lockdown for the next 20 years ...

Richard Prior · Apr 14, 2020

As you may have heard from your folks Dan, we’ve got another month of confinement here in France to face, I feel very lucky ( and also guilty) that we live in the sticks, town dwelling birders will be tearing their hair out especially with the ‘no more than 1km’ rule that applies.

dantheman · Apr 14, 2020

Richard Prior said:
As you may have heard from your folks Dan, we’ve got another month of confinement here in France to face, I feel very lucky ( and also guilty) that we live in the sticks, town dwelling birders will be tearing their hair out especially with the ‘no more than 1km’ rule that applies.

I hadn't, but not surprised. They are lucky too to have a large garden (and apparently it's kind of been summer temperatures back as long ago as late Feb where they are in the SW). Because they both have fairly serious underlying health issues I don't think they will be going out at all even when lockdown is officially lifted ...

I tried persuading me old man to take the garden bird listing more seriously (they always tell me when they hear the Cranes go over or see the Golden Orioles etc) but think taking on the domestic side of things is enough ...

Carol Rushton · Apr 15, 2020

KenM said:
At last! my first Swallow North...no.70.

Congratulations Ken - and SNAP !

Finally had my first swallow 41) over the house, yesterday ( Monday, too).
I felt relieved, but it seemed somewhat incongruous, as despite the late afternoon sun, it was decidedly chilly in the wind and I was sat outside in the shade in a fleece second layer , woolly hat and hands in pockets!

Great to see your update Gregor- it seems ions ago that I was reading and commenting on your blog; chatting about your sightings in Kakamega and discussing our mutual Australian sightings on BUBO. It seems a lot of changes and travel for each of us in the intervening period. Have you now finished university in Brisbane ?

Stay safe everyone.

Best regards, Carol

RyanI · Apr 15, 2020

A slower week as the cold NE winds hit, a few new migrants dropped in but in general its been hard work. Hopefully the next couple of days of warm weather will push more birds north

118 Green Sandpiper
119 Blackcap
120 Ring Ouzel
121 Whitethroat

KenM · Apr 15, 2020

Carol Rushton said:
Congratulations Ken - and SNAP !

Finally had my first swallow 41) over the house, yesterday ( Monday, too).
I felt relieved, but it seemed somewhat incongruous, as despite the late afternoon sun, it was decidedly chilly in the wind and I was sat outside in the shade in a fleece second layer , woolly hat and hands in pockets!

Thanks Carol! “Windscreen wiper” sky watching eventually paid off!...and hopefully will continue to do so, I can now ease off the Dawn to Dusking.

jasperpatch · Apr 15, 2020

Carol Rushton said:
Just reading back through January postings. Thank you, so much, Amy, for sharing your Barred Owl photograph. What a stunner and Owls are one of my favourite bird families....

This is one of the things that I love about this thread - that people can post from all around the world and you feel like you are with them sharing their experiences and seeing through their eyes and willing them on in their garden bird watching. Just fabulous. Thank you, everyone. o

Thank you Carol. You've summed up pretty much perfectly what I love about the thread too.
I've not seen the Barred in a while, but I've heard a pair duetting in the night. A local friend thinks there is a pair setting up in a tree hole near her place. I'm not quite sure how big their territory is, it may be the same pair or another.
Congratulations on 41....how long til 50?!

halftwo · Apr 15, 2020

Strange that you Southerners have only just got Swallow, about a month after Ryan's!

Missed another Osprey today & the White tailed Eagle was only ten miles from here at one point the other day - which means about 6 or 7 miles too far to see!
(If I can id a Hobby at 2 miles, then WTE must be doable at 4!)
Several times now I've thought I've heard a Skylark - but it's amazing how many electrical DIY motors are going at any one time, so not a defo yet.
Sounds like the local Rooks are feeding young in the nest now when it's quiet.
Edit: not just when it's quiet, obvs, I just can't hear them when it's not!

Farnboro John · Apr 15, 2020

halftwo said:
Several times now I've thought I've heard a Skylark - but it's amazing how many electrical DIY motors are going at any one time, so not a defo yet.

Funny you should say that because I've had the same thing going on, lots of nearly but drowned by mowers/washing machines/drills. Not only that but I rather thought most/all Skylarks must have gone through by now, but this afternoon I finally nailed one for certain, over North-east calling. :t:

54. Skylark One NE

Cheers

John

KenM · Apr 15, 2020

halftwo said:
Strange that you Southerners have only just got Swallow, about a month after Ryan's!

My earliest ever garden North bound Swallow in Spring was April 2nd (which was at least two to three weeks before mean arrival.

They're more regularly encountered on the coast as I understand it, I can remember a birding colleague going for a ''rare'' in Scotland during late March many moons ago and commenting on good numbers off the coast at that time which I found odd!

Farnboro John · Apr 16, 2020

Lockdown list up by one:

55. Great Spotted Woodpecker flypast, calling.

Normally these things are around all the time, but I haven't so much as heard one since lockdown began. I was starting to think they'd disappeared from the area without me even noticing. Glad they haven't!

John

timsg80 · Apr 16, 2020

Fantastic past few days, with some additions to the list:
53. Common Buzzard
54. Mediterranean Flycatcher
55. Eurasian Golden Oriole
56. Western Subalpine Warbler
57. European Bee-eater

halftwo · Apr 16, 2020

Farnboro John said:
Lockdown list up by one:

55. Great Spotted Woodpecker flypast, calling.

Normally these things are around all the time, but I haven't so much as heard one since lockdown began. I was starting to think they'd disappeared from the area without me even noticing. Glad they haven't!

John

Was discussing their apparent reduction in the last few years with a friend (he in Cheshire) & we are both of the opinion that there are fewer lately.

dantheman · Apr 16, 2020

halftwo said:
Was discussing their apparent reduction in the last few years with a friend (he in Cheshire) & we are both of the opinion that there are fewer lately.

Maybe needs a name change? ... oh hang on ...

KenM · Apr 16, 2020

dantheman said:
Maybe needs a name change? ... oh hang on ...

....just a minor consideration.

Garden/Yard List 2020 (2 Viewers)

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