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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Garden/Yard List 2020 (2 Viewers)

Certainly less than annual and on a totally unprecedented date, albeit breeding might be a possibility perhaps c5 miles away in suitable habitat. Prior to this total surprise, a fairly quiet grey day ensued with heavy rain at times, being pleasantly punctuated by a fourth day appearance of a particularly sandy backed Reed Warbler early am (several images taken of the same bird over the last four days), then a single taking no prisoners South Easterly bound Swift became a fillip for the day, followed by nowt till 7.05pm when a hunting Hobby broke the skyline, perhaps twenty seconds later a....Southbound flight “jerking” Woodcock appeared no.86.
 
August 17th.

First addition for ages..............

74. Green Sandpiper - called nicely twice as it went over on a very murky morning

#97 on my garden life-list.

Steve
 
The first half of August has been pretty busy with wader passage and a few decent seawatches. Added to that one of the many Pied Flycatchers on the patch ventured into the garden briefly. Hopefully this is the sign of a good autumn...

160 Pied Flycatcher
161 Curlew Sandpiper
162 Ruff
163 Sooty Shearwater
 
Had a juvenile Goldfinch at one of my feeders yesterday. Also yesterday I had Great Spotted Woodpecker, Starling & Robin.
 
Still wishing and hoping.:-C

Had just finished some judicial trimming to the garden hedges, when my wife called me up to the crows nest for tea. Arriving at my “perch” noted yet another “Goldfinch” alighting atop the tallest Ash tree at garden end when for some inexplicable reason I raised my bins, must have been divine intervention by the great Bird Gods!, as the “Goldfinch” morphed into a superb Male Pied Flycatcher before flying off East over the house as I grabbed my camera...too late! no.87.
 
Things certainly starting to move at this end with a putative Hippo. seen at the end of neighbour’s garden last night at 7pm, (in view for perhaps a long second) tea coloured uppers and cream yellow unders, a total flesh coloured bill, bland faced with no hint of super or eye-stripe!!
This morning started with 3 Willow Warblers, a second Common Whitethroat and my second Pied Flycatcher of the Autumn! Certainly looking promising for this last August week...fingers x’d.
 
Things certainly starting to move at this end with a putative Hippo. seen at the end of neighbour’s garden last night at 7pm, (in view for perhaps a long second) tea coloured uppers and cream yellow unders, a total flesh coloured bill, bland faced with no hint of super or eye-stripe!!
This morning started with 3 Willow Warblers, a second Common Whitethroat and my second Pied Flycatcher of the Autumn! Certainly looking promising for this last August week...fingers x’d.

I’ve heard of people seeing (pink) elephants on a Saturday night Ken, but - hippos?;)
Anyway, like all of us I imagine, I also have high hopes for the next few weeks, I’ve let the raspberry patch grow for the Grasshopper Warblers and planted a couple of posts for Whinchats (well a man can dream n’est-ce pas?).
No additions again today but the sky went dark for a moment when an adult Lammergeier glided directly over the house at only about 20m up, this was a few minutes after a Honey Buzzard and then a Golden Eagle also wandered overhead so can’t complain:t:
 
You’re reaching dizzy heights with the Bops Richard! Thankfully I can claim one of those, however what miffs, is (as this early am) when a “stream” of warblers and tits all fly through the garden at a dizzying speed and you’re lucky to ID 50% of them knowing that some of the “blurred tones” looked interesting...alas ne’er to be seen again, bright lime greens and warm browns in particular! :eek!::t:
 
Anyway, like all of us I imagine, I also have high hopes for the next few weeks, I’ve let the raspberry patch grow for the Grasshopper Warblers.

You need to think higher. I've got a small cabbage patch coming along nicely for the Lanceolated Warbler that will be dropping in at some point ... (imagine it will be a county first too ;) )
 
Not new, but my second Osprey of the year was a lot closer than the first, or at least it was until it circled up and up.

Two Pied Flycatchers (inc a pristine male in August!!) and a putative Hippolais is going some for a London garden Ken - fantastic. I am still waiting for a Spotted Flycatcher or any warbler other than Willow, Chiffy and Blackcap.

'Hippo' always makes me recall one August lunchtime in the carpark at Porthgwarra when a usually dour Scotsman came running down shouting 'There's a hippo in the bushes just up there'. The many non-birders round the cars probably got the wrong idea.

Steve
 
Saw my third Pied Fly in less than a week here this morning (pristine males must indeed be very unusual by now, hope you’ve eliminated Pied Bushchat as a possibility Ken ;) ) but like Steve there’s nothing else apparently on the move yet, I hope the Tree Pipits haven’t slipped away already, it’s an embarrassing omission on the Garden Year list:C
An Osprey is as likely as a real Hippo here!
 
Not new, but my second Osprey of the year was a lot closer than the first, or at least it was until it circled up and up.

Two Pied Flycatchers (inc a pristine male in August!!) and a putative Hippolais is going some for a London garden Ken - fantastic. I am still waiting for a Spotted Flycatcher or any warbler other than Willow, Chiffy and Blackcap.

Last year Steve Aug.30th I imaged 2m away, an imm.(believed female) Common Redstart from the bedroom window, then on the 2nd of September, from the same window a Pied and Spot Fly.

Yes exceptional to get all three within a couple of days, but then Yellow-browed Warblers again imaged in consecutive October’s ‘15 and ‘16 from the same window does say something about the amount of time that’s employed and not forgetting the location!

Regarding my first “pristine” Male Pied fly of the year, the uppers looked quite cold grey hence it was referenced as a male.

Happy hunting.
 
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KenM;4050363 Happy hunting.[/QUOTE said:
Don’t mention the ‘h’ word Ken, it all gets dangerous out and about here next week, only five hunting days per week, no doubt the handsome Roe Deer stag I saw this am. is on borrowed time now :C:C
 
Don’t mention the ‘h’ word Ken, it all gets dangerous out and about here next week, only five hunting days per week, no doubt the handsome Roe Deer stag I saw this am. is on borrowed time now :C:C

He’s a cull-ectable then, as far as the hunters are concerned, all rather sad Richard. :-C
 
He’s a cull-ectable then, as far as the hunters are concerned, all rather sad Richard. :-C

Too true, sad for the Roe Deer, and dangerous for the rest of us, I wonder how many joggers, mushroom pickers and mountain bikers will be accidentally culled this year.......
 
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