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Garden/Yard List 2018. (1 Viewer)

Yesterday evening I noticed unusually high number of movements of birds in my garden. I'm so glad that I stopped to watch them (most of them was regular visitors: Sparrows, tits, fieldfares and GS Woodies).
Here's couple videos of them. Guess who's the boss in this Starling & Fieldfare -video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBtlLFfNFKw
Waxwings are South(-Finland) know, yippee!!! ´Cos bad Rowanberry year, they seem to eat even apples. I don't think I have seen this before... (but my memory is what it is). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CuQVaNEAaQ&feature=youtu.be

Also, I got a new garden-lifer!

#69. *Look at the picture*
 

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Excellent stuff Wari! Still having a very quiet autumn here, first snow on the mountains yesterday and frost here, so the first Brambling of the autumn was no surprise, one day earlier than last year. Doing some leisurely vis- migging in the sunshine today but only movements are local birds, Jays and Nutcrackers to-ing and fro-ing and still at least 6 Griffon Vultures patrolling the mountain pastures, they will probably stay until the sheep are brought down in a couple of weeks.
 
Apart from a trickle of Siskins and a couple of half-decent Mipit days autumn migration has hardly got started over here yet but today produced a few odds and ends including

77 Reed Bunting - actually a garden lifer

78 Snipe


Tomorrow morning looks quite promising.


Steve
 
A couple more to report here too.
78. Nashville Warbler
79. American Redstart
80. Canada Warbler

Takes me to 16 warblers this year, which is very nice. I saw a Wilson's nearby this week, so I guess there is still a chance for a couple more, though they are definitely thinning out now as migration moves through.
 
Almost two months without a tick was finally put to rest at 11.52am, having earlier in the morning had numerous groups of Redwings on a SE-NW trajectory (the first big push of the Autumn), took a teatime break, then returning to an Osprey...first soaring, distant and high, before drifting South (my 3rd) for the garden. All within the last 3 years Oct '16 and May'17.....no.78.
 
Constructed a series of shrike piles that should pay dividend in the spring this weekend, but also time for quite a lot of visible migration.

One of my top birds of the year however was a cracking YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER, not a bird I expected to ever see on my land! Picked up initially calling, it was feeding actively for ages in marshside bushes/trees ...a great bird and 178th species for my land.

Also a Willow Tit new for the year (usually have a couple on the feeders each winter, but not last year) as well as Crested Tit, plus a single Hazel Grouse.

110. Yellow-browed Warbler
111. Crested Tit
112. Willow Tit
 
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Nice one Jos, congratulations.
A bit miffed here as our next door neighbour almost certainly saw some Goosander flying down the valley this morning, her description was annoyingly accurate!
I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll get another garden year tick this year, though 3 Chiffchaff yesterday hopefully herald some more ‘interesting’ phyllosc action.
 
One of my top birds of the year however was a cracking YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER, not a bird I expected to ever see on my land! Picked up initially calling, it was feeding actively for ages in marshside bushes/trees ...a great bird and 178th species for my land.

At last! you've become a respectable garden lister Jos, I've been looking diligently for one of those to complete my hat trick...but as of yet to no avail. ;)
 
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Nowt new here - just back from Brazil - though 2 Redpolls flew over yesterday.
The Redwings are much in evidence now.
 
Up to 54 with Red Kite heading north this morning.

The adjacent rhine is now invisible behind vegetation which is a shame as both Mandarin & Little Grebe present - the first taking my Clevedon yearlist to 103 for the year.

All the best

Paul
 

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Not sure what my tally is for this year, but just over a year since I bought my first house with a real yard, I surpassed 100 for my yard list yesterday. Long-awaited first cold front brought in lots of migrants yesterday, with 11 warbler species right in my yard plus 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches. Other new yard birds were Chestnut-sided Warbler and Black-throated Green Warbler, bringing me to 102.
 
Not sure what my tally is for this year, but just over a year since I bought my first house with a real yard, I surpassed 100 for my yard list yesterday. Long-awaited first cold front brought in lots of migrants yesterday, with 11 warbler species right in my yard plus 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches. Other new yard birds were Chestnut-sided Warbler and Black-throated Green Warbler, bringing me to 102.

Sounds like you made a good move there!
 
Well the weather system has raised the water level in the adjoining rhine and started to remove the leaves from the trees so maybe a garden tick will become visible in a week or so if the Little Grebe or Mandarin return. Today a Common Tern paraded up and down next to the house but I didn't dash back to see it from the garden so another that got away.

All the best

Paul
 

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Keep your 'pecker up!

After a September with not a single addition to the Garden Year List it's been hard to keep my spirits up, especially reading of all the goodies being seen this autumn by some of you. So perhaps today's big surprise Garden tick carried a message (see post title!).

81 Middle Spotted Woodpecker

Very rare at our altitude in Haute-Savoie it certainly wasn't on my radar as a potential next new species for here, it takes us to 94 since we arrived two years ago.
 

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Garden Mega today!

Flushed a strange rusty coloured bird up from beside the veg patch at midday today from some clumps of long grass - it flew about 15 yards with dangling feet and rusty wing patches, before dropping behind some brambles and nettle patch. Pale underside and a beady black eye looking back at me - a Corncrake!!!!

Now that was totally unexpected - puts the wintering Water Rail the other winter into the shade and not much more than an annual visitor to the whole of Cornwall.

Followed up by heading out to Lands End for the Grey Catbird this afternoon - 2 UK Lifers in a day!
 
You needed Corncrake and got it in your garden!!?

Wow, Dan!

Two garden year ticks for me today - when was the last one? - first 4 Whooper Swans over, then a Red Kite - had to dash back home for the kite - but made it in time!

= 66
 
Haven't updated for a while. Missed most of the summer, had to stay with my parents. Additions since my last update in May:

50. Common Whitethroat
51. Common Swift
52. Garden Warbler
53. Tree Pipit
54. Barnacle Goose
55. Dunnock
56. Common Buzzard
 
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