halftwo
Wird Batcher
119..in 27 years...with several possibles..not included![/quote]
That's amazing, Ken. In London! 12 more than mine - over eighteen years.
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Garden List 2011 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter halftwo
- Start date
119..in 27 years...with several possibles..not included![/quote]
That's amazing, Ken. In London! 12 more than mine - over eighteen years.
Jonny721
Well-known member
My 94 species has been over 5 years in Lancashire, any major highlights out of those totals?
KenM
Well-known member
Halftwo Hi, I live c10 miles as the 'crow' flies from St.Pauls, and back on to Horse ride, woodland and stream, slightly elevated and have the working from home job flexibility, that could allow me up to several hours on a good day. Needless to say my...'from the house list' takes priority over all other lists!
My current year list is somewhat low on species, (thus I haven't started to count yet), am without... House Sparrow, Starling, and Song Thrush so far!
Just think you can now postulate, as to what your next 13 species might be over the next 9 years! :t:
Larry Lade
Moderator
For 2011
16. Sharp-shinned Hawk
17. Pine Siskin
18. White-throated Sparrow
19. Tufted Titmouse
* In 40 years living at this address, I have totaled 139 species.
** This includes three species of owl: Great Horned, Barred and Eastern Screech.
16. Sharp-shinned Hawk
17. Pine Siskin
18. White-throated Sparrow
19. Tufted Titmouse
* In 40 years living at this address, I have totaled 139 species.
** This includes three species of owl: Great Horned, Barred and Eastern Screech.
halftwo
Wird Batcher
I tried a speculative "most likely" list years ago - and found that those actually turning up are far less predictable!
Eg. there are several wader & duck species that you'd think would be good candidates - but who would have thought Red-throated diver would occur?
H
joannec
Well-known member
Mine is 99 over about 5 years. There are a few more possibles but I only count them if I'm sure. My garden is rural Sussex, the garden is bordered by grass fields and a small wood. There are set aside fields and rough grassland in view and a stream about 100 metres away. Skies are pretty big and I'm 18 miles from the coast.
119 is EXCELLENT for London!
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KenM
Well-known member
As you might expect...a lot of single occurence flyovers!..Effectively I live on a 'ridge' c300' up, between the Lee/Roding Valleys approx. 2 miles from KGV/Girling reservoir complex which run for approx.3 miles SSW-NNE.
Some 'singular flyover' highlights being...Diver sp (prob RTD), 2 Arctic Skua,
Long Tailed Skua, Red Crested Pochard, Godwit sp, Black Kite, Merlin (twice),
Goosander, Golden Plover, Shoveler, Goldeneye, Montagu's Harrier,
White Fronted Goose, Crossbill, Quail (at night..calling only..heard on the same night! by another observer, further North in the Lee Valley).
In the garden/outside 'perched up' on one occasion!...Cettis,
Red-Backed Shrike and more than once!.. Firecrest, Reed Bunting, Yellow Bunting (not for 20 years now!) Lesser Spotted Wdpckr., Hawfinch, Pied Fly,
Common Redstart (only twice) and Naumann'sThrush (at least 5 visits).
cheers
halftwo
Wird Batcher
KenM
Well-known member
I'm amazed! that 2 contributors have achieved 94 and 99 respectively in only 5 years!
A number of variables would come into play with this game....location and vista, the 'obsession' and flexibility of employing more hours looking, than one might care to own up to, and a fair degree of luck, which increases with the amount of time employed.
I seem to recall a conversation with a colleague concerning someone either living in the Northern Isles/Scotland who enjoys a garden list of circa 190?
A number of variables would come into play with this game....location and vista, the 'obsession' and flexibility of employing more hours looking, than one might care to own up to, and a fair degree of luck, which increases with the amount of time employed.
I seem to recall a conversation with a colleague concerning someone either living in the Northern Isles/Scotland who enjoys a garden list of circa 190?
halftwo
Wird Batcher
This is very true, Ken. Nowadays I'm increasingly birding from my house and garden, as MrsH.'s health deteriorates.
I long ago built a "raptor watch point" at the end of the garden, which raises the viewpoint by six feet or so - and am at the bottom of a ridge, near a canal (both seem to funnel/attract passage birds) , and by a wood and fields.
Also I'm on the flightpath between Rostherne Mere and the sea - which is the reason I get waterfowl and gulls.
The rest, as you say a matter of luck and hours.
I've just been watching three Buzzards in near darkness - but the Woodcock seems not to be playing this winter - though I didn't see last year's before Feb.
KenM
Well-known member
Sorry to hear about Mrs H......Like you, I tend to spend more time (especially during the winter months) than I should at the window, but this is because the 'yield' relative to effort, is far higher than it would be if I was trudging through glutenous ankle deep clay! So far this year it's been quite 'slow'...No SongThrushes,House Sparrow,Starling, and only 2 Greenfinches! This morning spent an hour 'looking'..but nothing out of the ordinary, went down stairs for a brew, looked up to see a large accipter (mle.Gos.) 'enveloped' in a cloud of finches c40, (trips outback have only yielded several Chaffinch at most!). Ascended the stairs in a 'jumping Jack flash' to see the sky full of Pigeons,Corvids and Finches..similtaneously a Common Buzzard..perhaps attracted to the commotion appeared over the roof with Corvid escorts, then as it disappearead over the trees...a possible Hawfinch bounded over! From start to finish less than a minute, and then inaction for the rest of the day. A minute of 'action' out of perhaps 380!...such is 'Garden Birding'.
halftwo
Wird Batcher
Yes, that's how it goes often. So far this year I'm missing most of the farmland birds: no buntings, larks, no Golden plover yet, (no Goldcrest come to think), no Grey partridge - not even a Heron has made a fly past!
Like you, and unlike most, Greenfinches are scarce this year - with two sightings of one and four. Redpolls are commoner!
And, yes, often the garden is a hive of activity compared to my patch - I've a tiny front garden which is often crowded with stuff - today 14 Long-tailed tits amongst the rest, and a Tree sparrow on the feeder (a Siskin simultaneously on one in the back garden.)
What's the story with the Naumann's thrush? Did you get crowds?
KenM
Well-known member
In 1990 it was relatively speaking...orderly. If I remember..c10 in the house on the day!.....Next morning rolling out of bed, walking past the 'low' window and staring down the 'Gatling gun' of assembled scopes was a bit startling!...resulting in me hitting 'the floor' pronto!
I didn't have a parking problem...as the following day it was re-located
c400m away in a school field...unsure if it caused any problems.
During it's 4-5 week stay it received a steady stream of admirers..don't have a clue as to numbers?..only that some prominent politicians of the day turned up..also birders from the near continent, if my memory serves.
cheers
Jonny721
Well-known member
My 94 is quite desceptive as now it is very difficult to get new garden ticks. I only managed 4 new birds for the house last year (Short Eared Owl, Barnacle Goose, Wheatear and Shoveler) and there are very few feasable possibilities that I can add to my list now
And some low-lifes ....like me
Can I tick you too by default on the grounds you must have been lurking nearby?
joannec
Well-known member
Seeing as we can now say what our best garden tick has been (and I remember you had a Pallid Swift last year H).............well here is mine from June 2008, crap pictures I know but it was the best I could get of this ? Harrier.
Attachments
KenM
Well-known member
And some low-lifes ....like me
Can I tick you too by default on the grounds you must have been lurking nearby?
I wouldn't put a default tick of me on your list!...As this might put a ? mark over your credibility in the field with the LRC?.....I can remember you quite well!...Were you not the tall, rugged, good looking guy?....(can you lend me a 'tenner'?)
Interestingly!..Looking at the respective 94 and 99 in 5 years on the previous
posts by jonny721 and joannec respectively, I 'dug out' my garden list from
'83-'85 inclusive and found that my total was 83!...kinda following a not dissimilar increase over a relatively short period of time.
As halftwo commented!...very difficult to predict what might drop in, and or flyover?....always makes it interesting.
cheers
Were you not the tall, rugged, good looking guy?....(can you lend me a 'tenner'?)
Tall, moderately so.
Rugged, more ragged.
Good looking, that would be pushing the boundaries of definition.
A tenner, na, unless proven otherwise.
Sorry, reckon I'm not the guy of your memories :-O
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joannec
Well-known member
46) Nordic Jackdaw
47) Starling (just realised it had been omitted)
48) Linnet
49) Stock Dove
Interesting re CD. I saw some nest building last week although not on my home patch. Also saw 4 Sparrowhawks displaying this morning from the house. Kinda early, I thought but it is a gorgeous sunny day today.
47) Starling (just realised it had been omitted)
48) Linnet
49) Stock Dove
Interesting re CD. I saw some nest building last week although not on my home patch. Also saw 4 Sparrowhawks displaying this morning from the house. Kinda early, I thought but it is a gorgeous sunny day today.
