• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Garden/Yard List 2020 (1 Viewer)

This morning I completed the nuthatch double when I heard a

117. White-breasted Nuthatch

from the bedroom window. Although it's very common in surrounding woodlands, I haven't seen one from the yard since November 2018.
 
At Saturday morning I spend half an hour on garden. The constant migration of passerines in the sky, mostly Chaffinches went to West. Also at least 5 Chiffchaffs, couple of Goldcrests and

#83. Stock Dove - flock of 32 and five minutes later 1 more
 
Having already earmarked 2020 for the ''big push'' (87) last year, before the employment of Lockdown (which has certainly helped), by increasing my hours at the window (well someone's got to do it ;)) I could never have envisaged the difference that it's made albeit at a cost (chores stacking up :-C). If I just deal with Flycatchers (one of either species...perhaps one every three to four years), has today! netted me a hat-trick of both species since the 23rd of August!....am still recovering from that result.

I've always subscribed to the more you put in the more you get out, however this must be down to a good breeding season for both species, because the odds against such a result in my mind still doesn't stack up.
The other marked increases have been Reed and Garden Warblers, again averaging perhaps just a single to two occurrences annually, to circa eight and a dozen visits respectively this year! Compared against decreases for Common Whitethroat with just four visits so far against nine for last year, with no two years being the same am currently two ahead of last year's total, thus am anticipating ''I know not what?'' for a mission accomplished 90, assuming of course it doesn't all go belly-up. :eek!:
 

Attachments

  • P2290378.jpeg   RW contemplating!.jpg
    P2290378.jpeg RW contemplating!.jpg
    279 KB · Views: 18
  • P2310385.jpeg      SpotFly 001.jpeg
    P2310385.jpeg SpotFly 001.jpeg
    297.2 KB · Views: 17
  • P2300961.jpeg     Spot.3..jpeg
    P2300961.jpeg Spot.3..jpeg
    196.5 KB · Views: 18
  • P2310427.jpeg    P.Fly.2..jpeg
    P2310427.jpeg P.Fly.2..jpeg
    201.1 KB · Views: 17
  • P2290535.jpeg    Posing Grdn.Wrblr.2..jpg
    P2290535.jpeg Posing Grdn.Wrblr.2..jpg
    449.1 KB · Views: 16
Last edited:
Despite more time out in the garden than ever before I have not had a single flycatcher of either species, nor any of the warblers you mention. My only highlights have been nice views of an Osprey, the brief Redstart and even briefer fly-over Tree Pipit.

So I reckon you are having a great autumn Ken.

Steve
 
Despite more time out in the garden than ever before I have not had a single flycatcher of either species, nor any of the warblers you mention. My only highlights have been nice views of an Osprey, the brief Redstart and even briefer fly-over Tree Pipit.

So I reckon you are having a great autumn Ken.

Steve

Thanks Steve, particularly for graciously making the comparison much appreciated, the only comment I can make is the North East South West conduit/channel effect that my location enjoys certainly helps the numbers.
However your current annual tally is much envied by a couple of my colleagues, at day end I believe you are a circa dozen short of my so far total, that is no mean feat by any measure, I’m hoping there will be a few more surprises for all once October kicks in.

Cheers Ken. :t:
 
Always hoped for but never guaranteed, eighteen days earlier than last year's single occurrence....a fitting no.90!, bringing my highest ever annual total....however with another three months to go...do I go for the ton? Methinks it might be ten too far. :eek!:
 

Attachments

  • P2340321.jpeg     Firecrest no.90.jpeg
    P2340321.jpeg Firecrest no.90.jpeg
    186 KB · Views: 20
Always hoped for but never guaranteed, eighteen days earlier than last year's single occurrence....a fitting no.90!, bringing my highest ever annual total....however with another three months to go...do I go for the ton? Methinks it might be ten too far. :eek!:

Hopefully dressed
No rest
Firecrest
To hit ninety
Blithely
Will retiree
Ken
Have gotten
An additional ten
Stay awake
To make
Or Break
Hit the ton
Story told and no gun
Hopefully fun
We'll see
Presumably
On New Year's E'e
 
Last edited:
Hopefully dressed
No rest
Firecrest
To hit ninety
Blithely
Will retiree
Ken
Have gotten
An additional ten
Stay awake
To make
Or Break
Hit the ton
Story told and no gun
Hopefully fun
We'll see
Presumably
On New Year's E'e

Tale of a Wag. ;)
 
On actual birding here - 2 or 3 vocal Chiffchaff around the garden this morning, with 10 Raven over a few weeks ago.

In terms of garden additions, a flock of unseen Crossbills was good a few months back, but no idea where the garden list is at.
 
Vismig has been pretty impressive the past couple weeks here with hundreds of siskin and meadow pipits moving most days, it also provided me with a garden tick (#213 I think) in the shape of a bittern flying out to sea on the 10th. As I was setting up my audiomoth on the 12th a Barn Owl flew through the garden (#214 I think) and a redstart lurked in the garden on the 18th. My final new bird was Lapland bunting, two flying south the same day 1047 siskin and 281 meadow pipits were moving. Quality rather than quantity so far this autumn....

169 Great Bittern
170 Barn Owl
171 Common Redstart
172 Lapland Bunting
 
A bit quiet here, departing summer migants have been very thin on the ground (or in the air) this month, just a few more Chiffchaff and Tree Pipit, but with snow on the ground just up the valley (and forecast at our level tomorrow:eek!:) I doubt I'll be seeing any more warblers or chats apart from our Black Redstarts, including the male still singing away. On 86 for the year, just one short of the the best ever year record (from 2017) so like Ken I'm hoping for a few more before the curtain comes down on 2020.
A sign of approaching winter this afternoon was the first Yellowhammer in the garden since April, hopefully the magic Bunting seed will do its stuff again this next few months and bring in another first for the département like last year, a Rustic would be nice......
 
September 27th.

78. Common Snipe - two flew NW

Also my first six Redwings of the autumn, SW.

Steve

I could do with the Snipe Steve :-C, but snap on the Redwing!

My earliest ever returning Redwing on ''the furniture'' that is, very much a case of ring in the new (Redwing) and ring out the old (Common Whitethroat by courtesy of my neighbour's garden) today my latest ever garden date for S.communis, with a ''probable'' pair of Redpolls high and North this am, which I can't tick!

To finding six of the latter circa a mile from home that I can tick for the year :storm: C'est la vie.
 

Attachments

  • P2340462.jpeg   In with the new!.jpeg
    P2340462.jpeg In with the new!.jpeg
    188.1 KB · Views: 26
  • P2340532.jpeg    Out with the old!.jpeg
    P2340532.jpeg Out with the old!.jpeg
    451.6 KB · Views: 26
  • P2340609.jpeg      Carduelines CP1..jpg
    P2340609.jpeg Carduelines CP1..jpg
    32.3 KB · Views: 14
Well it seems to be the week for them:

80: SNIPE!! An absolute mega!

G-r-r-r-r! H. ;)

Always hoped for but not really expecting this morning at 9.35am. amidst the grey and drizzle which always seems to activate the Goldfinches and Poeciles. Brief, bad views initially (silhouette only) reappearing some thirty minutes later in the Sallow that was thronged with tits and finches flicking double-barred wings and briefly interacting with a Chiffy, a hat-trick for the garden 2015, 2016 and today no.91 Yellow-browed Warbler! Having imaged the other two previous, this bird did not oblige zipping up and disappearing into the throng n'er to be seen again, however I'll keep my eyes peeled! :t:
 
G-r-r-r-r! H. ;)

Always hoped for but not really expecting this morning at 9.35am. amidst the grey and drizzle which always seems to activate the Goldfinches and Poeciles. Brief, bad views initially (silhouette only) reappearing some thirty minutes later in the Sallow that was thronged with tits and finches flicking double-barred wings and briefly interacting with a Chiffy, a hat-trick for the garden 2015, 2016 and today no.91 Yellow-browed Warbler! Having imaged the other two previous, this bird did not oblige zipping up and disappearing into the throng n'er to be seen again, however I'll keep my eyes peeled! :t:
Grrr indeed! I’m tempted to do a cricket-style ‘Retired hurt’:C
With only ten records in Haute Savoie (and six of those were caught at a mountain pass ringing station:eek!:) I’ll be ‘over la lune‘ if I manage one here!
 
Warning! This thread is more than 3 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top