A Garden List (1 Viewer)

foxwood said:

Hi Anna

Take a look at the very first message in this thread where you'll see a complete list of all the species I've seen up to now. Actually I could add waxwing to that list as I did catch a fleeting glimpse of one the winter before last. That was when there were a lot of them in the UK and one just took a few minutes rest in a tree in my front garden!

I think I probably had a sparrowhawk in the garden although I didn't actually see it. I returned home from work one day and found a pile of feathers on the back lawn. It looked like the work of a sparrowhawk unless it was next door's cat!

I keep hoping to attract a woodpecker to the garden but so far no luck although they have been seen in neighbouring gardens. I have had a coal tit and a nuthatch but no kestrel as yet.

Happy birding

Mike

P.S. I saw in one of your other posts that you visit Carsington reservoir. That's one of my favourite places too. It's about an hour's journey from where I live. I wish I could get there more often! Saw my first tree sparrow there!

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mooskibaby said:

I'm glad you saw the waxwing, well done. I have never seen one before, i would love to see one. Do you know of any good places to go and see them in Derbyshire?

Sorry to hear about the dead bird, cats can be a nusance, can't they. :cat: I've got 2 cats and they can be really annoying, yet one is old and one is really stupid. So they don't catch them very often. Yet the other day i was greated with the head of what looked like a blue tit, which was very annoying, i do hope it was not one of the juvenielles that had nested in my garden this year.:-C

The woodpecker that came to my garden went on the peanut feeder. Have you got them based in your garden. If not put them by dense shrubbery. They seem to like it there. What does the woodpecker eat at your neighbours house?

The coal tit, in my garden came a month back for a week or so. It was a regular visitor, then it suddenly never came back. I though i bet it's the sparrowhawk or kestrel thats had it, i was not happy because i knew they are not common birds. Yet it is nature so you've got to let it take its own course. Then last week it came back very frequently i think it must of had a nest near by. My mum then put out some meal worm mix, which helped them out. :t: I now haven't seen it again since.

I've also had a garden warbler in my garden before. Well last year. :-O

Feel free to post on the Derbyshire Country Birding bit of local area. It would be good to see new visitors. Hope to speak to you there.o

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mfelton said:

Hi Mike,we also sat down the other week to jot down what we have seen in the garden, to date our list has reached 40 that have actually landed,5 that have flown over and do so regularly,16 that we see in the estuary at the bottom of our garden and 1 we hear in the woods.We feel really priviledged to have so many birds visiting us we have only been here for 11 months but are incredibly lucky to back onto a tidal estuary with woods beyond. Our garden is approx 1/3 acre wich was an over grown field when we moved in.We are gradually clearing but also keeping areas to encourage wildlife.
Our list is
1 robin
2 sparrow
3 starling
4 blackbird
5 thrush
6 mistle thrush
7 blue tit
8 redwing
9 great tit
10 long tailed tit
11 dunnock
12 wren
13 rook
14 crow
15 jackdaw
16 grey wagtail
17 pied wagtail
18 chaffinch
19 greenfinch
20 goldfinch
21 wood pigeon
22 collared dove
23 greater spotted woodpecker
24 bullfinch
25 blackcap
26 meadow pipit
27 magpie
28 coal tit
29 mallard
30 sedge warbler
31 linnet
32 chiffchaff
33 goldcrest
34 jay
35 lesser black backed gull
36 herring gull
37 sparrowhawk
38 mallard
39 whitethroat
40 stonechat
flying over
buzzard
swift
swallow
house martin
raven

in the estuary from our garden
curlew
little egret
shelduck
kingfisher
snipe
redshank
greenshank
ringed plover
heron
common sandpiper
whimbrel
teal
wigeon
mute swan
black headed gull
great crested grebe

heard

tawny owl

We also wonder how many have been in unseen the goldcrest was spotted when pulling back curtains and I saw a small movement in the bramble patch or I would have missed him we also hope some of the estuary birds will visit the pond at the bottom of the garden once it has been rescued from the weeds that choke it ,regards Mike and Mel and many happy hours birding !!

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rootsman said:

things on my list to see

kestrel
marsh harrier
bullfinch
greenwoodpecker
great spotted woodpecker
long tailed tit
robin
heron grey

anyone any ideas on how to get these ill be happy to know

i know a pond would help for heron which is something im looking to put it soon

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James M said:

Here's my list:

House Sparrow
Starling
Waxwing
Collared Dove
Wood Pigeon
Feral Pigeon
Dunnock
Garden Warbler
Magpie
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Rook
Black-headed Gull
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Robin
Nuthatch
Goldcrest
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Siskin
Chaffinch
Bullfinch
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Coal Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Sparrowhawk
Mallard
Great Spotted Woodpecker
House Martin
Wren

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Mabel said:

Here's my all-time garden list (in no order at all)

Blackbird
House Sparrow
Herring Gull
Jackdaw
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Sparrowhawk
Short-eared Owl
Goldcrest
Curlew (dunno what happened here, but there were three of them)
Coal Tit
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush
Magpie
Redwing
Chaffinch
Starling
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Stock Dove
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Dunnock
Feral Pigeon
Bullfinch
Swallow
Swift
House Martin
Wren
Robin

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foxwood said:

Hi Anna

I think if waxwings visit the UK it is usually in the early months of the year, January to March say. As to where you could see them I think the answer would be virtually anywhere even in the middle of towns. In fact, anywhere where there is a tree or bush bearing berries which they can feast on!

There will probably be loads of posts on BF when waxwings next arrive in the UK so best keep checking if any have been seen near you. I would think Carsington would be a good place to see them. The trouble is they don't seem to come here every year. I think it's only when they are having trouble finding berries in their usual area (Scandinavian countries I think).

Cats can be a problem even old or stupid ones like yours! :cat: I have no cats of my own but have regular visits from those belonging to neighbours but in the main they seem too slow to catch any birds!

Remember me saying I thought I may have had a sparrowhawk in the garden because I'd found a pile of feathers. Well, now I know I have. Yesterday morning at about 7.30am I looked out of the window to see if by chance it may have stopped raining and there on the back lawn was a sparrowhawk eating an unfortunate starling. It stayed for about 20 mins allowing me to have a good close-up view through binoculars. A very handsome bird. Pity about the starling though but that's nature isn't it.

I think the neighbours' woodpeckers come for peanuts and fat balls both of which I provide so I remain hopeful of seeing one sometime!

Glad your coal tit reappeared. Those meal worms did the trick! Garden Warbler was a good spot. I've yet to see one of those. Well done Anna! :-O

I'm pleased your Derbyshire thread is up and running and you can be sure I'll be dropping in from time to time. I'm sure I can learn a lot about the different venues in your County and the birds to be seen there. :t:

Happy birding

Mike

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mooskibaby said:

Did you get any pictures of the sparrowhawk?
I got a picture of a perigrine the other day.

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foxwood said:

Like many other members I provide a varied selection of food for my garden birds all year round and enjoy watching them.

I am not a compulsive lister by any means but while watching the birds the other day I jotted down a list of the species I could recall seeing ( or, more accurately perhaps, identified ) in the garden up to now. In no particular order this is my list to date ...

01 blue tit
02 great tit
03 long-tailed tit
04 coal tit
05 woodpigeon
06 rook
07 carrion crow
08 jackdaw
09 magpie
10 greenfinch
11 goldfinch
12 chaffinch
13 house sparrow
14 wren
15 robin
16 blackbird
17 dunnock
18 nuthatch
19 starling
20 mallard
21 moorhen
22 collared dove
23 pied wagtail

Not that impressive is it :C and I know most members will be able to do a lot better! That said, I am always trying to attract new species by providing different foods, more feeders etc.

I should mention that I have only counted birds that have actually set foot in the garden as it were and not those seen flying over such as swifts, martins, herons, geese etc.

I live on a housing estate on the edge of a small town with farmland 5 mins walk away. I have lawns front and back with the usual flower beds, selection of shrubs and a few trees. Just over the road is a small pond ( hence the mallard and moorhen on my list! )

Other members are invited to provide their own list or total with perhaps a brief description of their garden and its location. I should be interested to know whether or not I should be including all birds seen from, or flying over, my garden rather than those landing, or is that cheating |:$|

I look foward to hearing from you all.

Mike

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johnfgriffin said:

The UK lists are all fairly impressive and because of where I am I dont see any Woodpeckers or Owls coming into my Garden. The only bird that anyone hasn't listed from the UK that I have on my list is the Waxwing which comes in small flocks during the winter months and is one of my highlights of the year

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AlanR said:

I'm a townie and have little chance of ever seeing a Rook or Jackdaw in the garden. I still haven't managed to see a Chaffinch there.Alan

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The Devil Bird said:

Heres mine ( it includes flyovers) I had ticked Mallard but can't remember it, so didn't count it. Those that have actually been in the garden have a full stop next to them.
1 Grey Heron.
2 Sparrowhawk.
3 Kestrel
4 Black-headed Gull.
5 Common Gull
6 Woodpigeon.
7 Collared Dove .
8 Feral Pigeon .
9 Green Woodpecker (fly through)
10 Great-spotted Woodpecker .
11 Swift
12 Swallow
13 House Martin
14 Pied Wagtail (once a year garden rarity, usually a juvenile).
15 Wren .
16 Dunnock .
17 Robin .
18 Fieldfare .
19 Blackbird .
20 Song Thrush .
21 Redwing .
22 Mistle Thrush .
23 Garden Warbler .
24 Goldcrest.
25 Long-tailed Tit .
26 Coal Tit.
27 Blue Tit.
28 Great Tit .
29 Treecreeper (once briefly).
30 Jay.
31 Magpie .
32 Jackdaw (distant flypast)
33 Carrion Crow .
34 Starling .
35 House Sparrow .
36 Chaffinch.
37 Bullfinch (pair once in April 05).
38 Greenfinch (occasional, when I put the right food out).
39 Goldfinch.
Oooh, just short of 40 (31 have actually been in the garden)! I am trying now to do at least one hour a day looking out, trying too get that one more bird!

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esmondb said:

Also had what I think might have been a spotted flycatcher but couldn't 100% positively ID it. I'll just call it a strange-plumaged robin:-C

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