Garden Patch, Caergwrle. (1 Viewer)

JWN Andrewes · May 29, 2009

JWN Andrewes said:
I've started setting the scope up at my bedroom window to scrutinise an open scrubby patch in amongst the birches up on Hope Mountain in the hope of an identifiable Stonechat or Wheatear or something. Nothing much yet, but a warbler singing from the top of one of the birches that could be narrowed down to Willowchaff encouraged me that some small birds could be clinched at that range.

James

I've since been up on a couple of recces to see what good stuff might be up there that I could nail from the house. Linnet was about the best, with a damper area further along that could provide Reed Bunting or Lapwing as a long shot. Also a Mistle Thrush flying about that would be a June tick if I can pick it up after Monday! Best birds though would be well obscured under the canopy. Treecreeper and a singing Wood Warbler, which was tricky enough to see from within the wood, let alone fro the bottom of the hill!

Two more new birds for this May yesterday (now on 53); a couple of Black-headed Gulls over and a quietly foraging Nuthatch moving through the canopy of a Sycamore, which is also an overall May tick, the 38th species to be recorded in every month of the year, and takes my Garden May List to 65.

James

JWN Andrewes · Jun 19, 2009

May finished on 54, with a fly-by from a trio of Canada Geese.
June has been typically quiet, and although I’ve now improved on my previous best June total of 45 by one (so far), I’m far from guaranteed to make the half century.
Two redhead Goosanders heading downstream at 10 in the morning on 7th has been the highlight of the month so far. Other than that it has been a case of checking off the various fledglings as they begin to emerge. As well as the garden staples of Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock etc, the pair of Ravens that have been seen flying overhead with food for the past few weeks were up with three youngsters over towards Caer Estyn on 14th, and after keeping a very low profile since the end of May, on 15th there were suddenly Long-tailed its everywhere, including many juveniles. Off for the next fortnight now, so hopefully I’ll be able to pull a bit of garden time and report back early next month.

James

JWN Andrewes · Jul 7, 2009

JWN Andrewes said:
June has been typically quiet, and although I’ve now improved on my previous best June total of 45 by one (so far), I’m far from guaranteed to make the half century.

46 June finished on, so bang goes my run of fifties. July isn’t likely to fare much better, judging by past performances, but I’ve had one good bird this month already; a Lapwing coming up to mob a Buzzard in the distance beyond Hope on 2nd (a day which also saw the beginning of Black-headed Gull records increasing again, with two small groups, of 7 and then 15, over in the morning).
The big news, though, is that Archie has become a big brother. That’s right, we’ve re-entered the world of baby formula, interrupted sleep and sicky burps with the precipitous (though obviously not unexpected) arrival of Samuel Robert (Sambob for short) at 01:18 on the morning of Sunday 21st June. Oh boy, here we go again!

James

PhilW · Jul 8, 2009

Congratulations James & Mrs A. My two well past the precipitous stage thankfully! unless you count the self inflicted............................................

JWN Andrewes · Jul 14, 2009

PhilW said:
Congratulations James & Mrs A. My two well past the precipitous stage thankfully! unless you count the self inflicted............................................

Cheers Phil

If anything it's even more fun second time round, what with Archie "helping" and all, although between increased parenting detail and The Ashes birding time has plumeted somewhat; good job it's a quiet time of year. (Saying that, I had a trio of Oystercatchers over Broughton the other day, not three far from home and heading in the right direction too, so perhaps I shouldn't be so complacent.)

James

JWN Andrewes · Jul 29, 2009

Brief update:

Unseen Curlew calling, evening 20th.

Hobby low over 21st & 27th.

Siskin calling 23rd (first indication of post breeding dispersal).

Green Woodpecker low over this morning! Year tick, third record, first seen! Hurrah!

James

JWN Andrewes · Aug 7, 2009

Three Cormorants south in the distance at 05:20 yesterday morning; the first since 20th April. Then a record count of 21 Greylag Geese in a low skein right above the house heading south at 06:40, with a further 8 following them a few minutes later.
Also the Green Woodpecker is still about, calling occasionally, and yesterday afternoon I finally got good views of it on the deck. There are numerous ants' nests under the paved parking spaces, and the Woodpecker, an immature bird, was feeding off them as they came up from the cracks between the stones, its magnificent tongue flicking away at them; superb!

James

JWN Andrewes · Aug 22, 2009

Nice male Peregrine drifting by low on the evening of 10th. First singing Chiffchaff since early summer, and first Common Gull over since spring, both on 11th. Record count of six Grey Wagtails heading downstream on 17th, as well as a single Swift (last of the year?) with the Hirundine flock on 17th. The Hirundine flock consists mostly of House martins, with a fair few swallows too, and builds up just north of the house along the Alun in August each year, and as well as that Swift it attracted the attention of an immature Hobby late morning of the 20th, and contained at least one Sand Martin early yesterday evening. Tawny Owls have been very vocal right behind the house recently; I suspect it may be the local breeding pair trying to encourage this year's young to bugger off and find their own territory.

James

JWN Andrewes · Aug 27, 2009

As I was making my sandwiches this morning with the back door open I heard a Dipper calling as it headed down the river; my first since one singing back in early February. The Green Woodpecker was calling again a few days ago, after a gap of about a fortnight, and a Goldcrest calling on 24th was a new August bird for the garden.

James

JWN Andrewes · Sep 22, 2009

Gosh, nearly a month since I've updated, largely because it has been very quiet. Manged 50 species in August, and as well as the Goldcrest mentioned in previous post Blackcap & Siskin were both new August birds, bringing the cumulative total to 59.

So far in September I've reached the 50 mark, with Hobby & Siskin both new for September. The Hobby (an adult, once on 10th, then again on 15th) is now my latest record for this species. The Siskin was an unseen calling bird over (as was the August record).

Other recent highlights have been a Meadow Pipit high over west on 13th September, with a further 7 north on 18th and, errr, that's it really. Like I said, it has been very quiet.

James

PhilW · Sep 22, 2009

James
You had Crossbill yet? Got to be a good bet for a flyover given the numbers being reported from Clocaenog.

JWN Andrewes · Sep 22, 2009

Not yet Phil, and that's in spite of being out in the garden a lot recently (putting some decking down over the precipitous plunge at the bottom of the garden to stop us losing sprogs down there) and keenly listening out for them ever since people started talking about big numbers hitting the northern isles some while back and speculating on its being a good Crossbill year this year. Time yet!

Cheers for the heads up.

James

JWN Andrewes · Nov 9, 2009

Boy has it ever been poor recently! Didn't even manage 50 for October, it's been that bad. Just scraped together 49, and then a week into November and I get three that were missing the previous month! (Cormorant, Goosander & Blackcap for what it's worth.) Highlights (such as they are) have been a silhouetted Tawny Owl perched up on the top most point of a nearby Ash Tree, the winter's first Fieldfares (23 on 28th) & Goosander (2 on 2nd November) and finally, something a bit less run of the mill; two Whooper Swans heading north yesterday morning! Not a year tick, perhaps, but a real pulse quickener when seen from the back door! Could things be looking up? Oh, I do hope so!

James

JWN Andrewes · Apr 27, 2010

Boy, been a while since I've posted! 2009 petered out after a blinding start, and the thoroughly enjoyable distractions of parenthood have kind of pushed obsessive garden watching to one side for a while, but now the weather is improving and the boys enjoy playing outside I'm picking things up a bit more. 2010's year list currently stands at 61, which aint too bad really. Highlights have included Little Egret (second record, and like the first during snow - remember that?), Pink-footed Geese (thirty or so over the garden in January), cracking views of around half a dozen Sand Martins low overhead in amongst a feeding fenzy of Swallows a few days ago, and a calling Green Woodpecker. Also earliest records of Swallow (1st April), and Willow Warbler (5th April). Still lack Goosander though.

Then yesterday evening, after finally getting the boys to bed, I spent a little time at the back door (now that it's light enough to be worth it) and was rewarded with a garden tick! In the distance a duck was heading south, pretty much sillhouetted against the sky, but obviously no Mallard, based on structure and posture. As luck would have it it passed in front of the low hill of Caer Estyn whereupon it was revealed to be a drake Mandarin! Tenth species of wildfowl for the garden; wonder what eleventh will be!?

I've also undertaken the walk up to a nearby gravel pit, which I'll try and do semi regularly, but I'll write that up when I have time later. Till then cheerio.

James

edenwatcher · Apr 27, 2010

I had just noticed from your signature that you'd seen mandarin, found the thread and observed you hadn't posted since November - et voila, an update!
Not expecting to get that on my garden list any time soon.

Rob

JWN Andrewes · Apr 28, 2010

JWN Andrewes said:
I've also undertaken the walk up to a nearby gravel pit, which I'll try and do semi regularly, but I'll write that up when I have time later. Till then cheerio.

James

So, Saturday morning, about half eight, I set off along the Alun, heading upstream (aka north) to check out a nearby gravel pit. Kingfishers were very evident along the river. Standing on the old bridge at SJ 301 584 seems a pretty good place to watch for them. I took a five minute breather there , and chatted to a dog walker, and had Kingfishers whizz by several times, and even had one perched up (quite high) in a riverside tree. At the pits I found that the lack of official rights of way seemed to be largely ignored by the local dog walkers, so I followed suit and had a look around. Highlights included Great Crested Grebes, Tufted Ducks Coot and a singing Sedge Warbler. These species might perhaps not often feature as highlights, but after so long mostly birding from the back door at home it was nice to see something a bit different. Some species that have made it onto the garden list, but remain rarities, were also seen, such as Whitethroat, Linnet, Meadow Pipit and Lapwing. Also very brief views of a Dipper zooming along the river. Top bird though was seen when I was almost home; a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, feeding in the top of an Alder by the river (SJ 305 581)!

All in all it was a most enjoyable stroll, and I shall be looking to repeat it every couple of weeks or so. Watch this space!

Cheers

James

JWN Andrewes · Apr 30, 2010

Swifts were back yesterday, in some numbers too. And three Lapwing heading north late morning was a good record and a garden April tick to boot. This morning two Mute Swans over heading upstream was a year tick, and I'm pretty sure also an April tick.

James

JWN Andrewes · May 10, 2010

Year tick on Saturday, and quite a garden rarity to boot; Whitethroat! One singing from brambles & scrub on the far side of the Alun. Had one for a few days in spring 2007, and then two blank years. Be really nice to get a sight record some time, but now all the leaves are pretty much back on the willows etc that line the river bank I'll not be holding my breath. Did get a sight view of one more often heard than seen bird on Sunday morning though, when a Kingfisher shot through the garden and headed off downstream at tree top height.
Only other thing of note is that Willow Warblers seem a bit more evident this spring than in previous years. Normally they turn up and sing for a few days and then disperse up towards the Castle & Hope Mountain, but this year there seem to be at least a couple of territories in easier earshot of the garden.

James

JWN Andrewes · May 15, 2010

First Hobby of the year went over nice and low yesterday evening. Puts the garden year list on 65 and, barring Goosander (where the hell have they all gone?!), I'm pretty sure that's now all the species that I would expect to get in any given year.

James

JWN Andrewes · May 28, 2010

Had a fairly pleasant day on Tuesday, with an unseasonal fly-by Mistle Thrush, a Hobby heading low downstream and a dozen Canada geese over, with heard records of Goldcrest, Kingfisher, Blackcap etc giving a nice audio backdrop. Star bird of the day went through as I sat out for a short spell in the evening; a Cuckoo heading low west at around 20:30! Mega garden tick, more's the pity, with their current awful decline.

James

Garden Patch, Caergwrle. (1 Viewer)

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