Garden/Yard List 2020 (1 Viewer)

Richard Prior · Apr 2, 2020

Farnboro John said:
FWIW my garden list stands at a total of 102 spp.

John

Ooh, three ahead of me John, after the first two years at any location I always find it gets harder and harder to add new species, I presume everyone has the same experience?

Steve Lister · Apr 2, 2020

Richard Prior said:
Ooh, three ahead of me John, after the first two years at any location I always find it gets harder and harder to add new species, I presume everyone has the same experience?

Yes, my Curlew today was the first addition since Common Tern last June. I have lived here three years and three months.

Steve

Carol Rushton · Apr 2, 2020

ClarkWGriswold said:
41. Goldcrest

A pair flitting around the front garden this morning.

Rich

(Total Garden List: 61)

Well done, Rich .

Nice to see your Great Spotted Woodpecker shot too :t:

What is your aspect and garden habitats ?

Best regards, Carol

KenM · Apr 2, 2020

halftwo said:
Take no notice of Ken, Carol, he has a fantastic garden & flight path. Us mortals can't compete.

Agree with the former H, but not the latter.

To try and put any perceived success into perspective, I’m long retired and probably average between 4-6 hours a day.

Like everybody else I can go days and days with “not a lot” to show for the effort employed, this year has been exceptional for “newbies” as it has been for the almost total absence of regular “oldbies”.

Most of my return comes from skywatching, which I’ve often recommended, I’d be surprised if during this quarantine period more “new” garden birds aren’t found by the readership, particularly those of us that live a long way from the coast.

PS....It helps to be a touch obsessive.

Carol Rushton · Apr 2, 2020

As I said yesterday, I will be happy to reach 20. I have joined the thread more to read about what others see, which really interests me . Personally it delights me to read of others doing well, so in that respect I do very much note of what Ken is able to see. Do you have some photographs of your aspect Ken and habitats that you can see ?

Back to my own slow marathon:

14 ) Common Buzzard, circling high

Best regards, Carol

Farnboro John · Apr 2, 2020

KenM said:
Agree with the former H, but not the latter.

To try and put any perceived success into perspective, I’m long retired and probably average between 4-6 hours a day.

Like everybody else I can go days and days with “not a lot” to show for the effort employed, this year has been exceptional for “newbies” as it has been for the almost total absence of regular “oldbies”.

Most of my return comes from skywatching, which I’ve often recommended, I’d be surprised if during this quarantine period more “new” garden birds aren’t found by the readership, particularly those of us that live a long way from the coast.

PS....It helps to be a touch obsessive.

Yep, skywatching is the thing - along with learning all your bird calls so you don't miss that small passerine calling on the way across at altitude...

In addition to the three new lockdown birds this morning, I was watching one of the many local Red Kites high above just before midday, when a Peregrine came out of nowhere, terrorised it briefly and made off West. Had I not been watching the common local bird I would definitely have missed the uncommon (probably local) bird.

John

ClarkWGriswold · Apr 2, 2020

Carol Rushton said:
Well done, Rich .

Nice to see your Great Spotted Woodpecker shot too :t:

What is your aspect and garden habitats ?

Best regards, Carol

Cheers Carol. About 15 houses around us I suppose. Have one adjoined neighbour. Fields to the side, back and front. Drummau mountain is immediately behind us. No real water unfortunately which hurts our total species.

Alongside the house is a row of connifers with loads of brambles and nettles as well, which is a plus - apart from the brambles in the garden!!

Rich

KenM · Apr 2, 2020

Farnboro John said:
Yep, skywatching is the thing - along with .learning all your bird calls so you don't miss that small passerine calling on the way across at altitude...

In addition to the three new lockdown birds this morning, I was watching one of the many local Red Kites high above just before midday, when a Peregrine came out of nowhere, terrorised it briefly and made off West. Had I not been watching the common local bird I would definitely have missed the uncommon (probably local) bird.

John

Just to add....persistent “yelp” calls by Herring Gulls, and Corvid “caws” can often mean they’re “tailing” a raptor, also raptors can attract other raptors prompting a degree of interaction. Many years ago in early June, I watched a Sprawk interacting with a Hobby over the garden....Hobby broke off the engagement drifted away only to be replaced by a female Montagu’s Harrier!!...not just a rare, but unequivocally totally out of habitat occurrence!

Cheers

Farnboro John · Apr 2, 2020

KenM said:
Just to add....persistent “yelp” calls by Herring Gulls, and Corvid “caws” can often mean they’re “tailing” a raptor, also raptors can attract other raptors prompting a degree of interaction. Many years ago in early June, I watched a Sprawk interacting with a Hobby over the garden....Hobby broke off the engagement drifted away only to be replaced by a female Montagu’s Harrier!!...not just a rare, but unequivocally totally out of habitat occurrence!

Cheers

Alarm calls in general (and behaviour...I can now tell a passing Sparrowhawk from an off-the-lead dog by the alacrity or otherwise with which the local Woodpigeons come off the ground and make for the cover of the trees). Many of the raptors I've seen in the last two weeks I was clued in by suddenly yammering tits etc.

John

Bismarck Honeyeater · Apr 2, 2020

Farnboro John said:
Alarm calls in general (and behaviour...I can now tell a passing Sparrowhawk from an off-the-lead dog by the alacrity or otherwise with which the local Woodpigeons come off the ground and make for the cover of the trees). Many of the raptors I've seen in the last two weeks I was clued in by suddenly yammering tits etc.

John

I can pretty much tell the difference between an approaching Buzzard, generally mild attention, Kestrel, sometimes a bit more agitation, Sparrowhahawk, they really don’t like them (although sometimes they go through fast and low and amazingly are not spotted!)

Had a panicked load of birds the other day that I’ve seen nothing like before, they were really scared...unfortunately I didn’t see the culprit, I suspect Peregrine or more likely Goshawk.

halftwo · Apr 2, 2020

Views front & back from my house.

Richard Prior · Apr 2, 2020

Lots of lovely Yorkshire countryside - and all that sky, takes me back 50 odd years:t:

ClarkWGriswold · Apr 2, 2020

Good idea HT.

On the back garden you can just about make out the hill behind. That’s our regular walk with the hound.

Rich

halftwo · Apr 2, 2020

Been a lot of Common Scoters heard inland overhead over much of the country - counts of thousands. People are hearing them between 9 & midnight mainly - but then I suppose most go to bed after that.

Heads up for those who might wish to listen tonight.
Check xenocanto for what to listen out for.

halftwo · Apr 2, 2020

Richard Prior said:
Lots of lovely Yorkshire countryside - and all that sky, takes me back 50 odd years:t:

Thanks Richard. It's not the Alps though, is it?!

Farnboro John · Apr 2, 2020

Afternoon update:

47. Meadow Pipit one North

Quite unexpected, usually the action is over by lunchtime.

John

Richard Prior · Apr 2, 2020

True, I was getting all nostalgic there (must be the antibiotics:-C ), I couldn’t live without the local bread even though I ‘ve zero chance of an overflying Scoter in our valley!
Nothing new here today, more and more of the Brambling males are ‘singing’, they sound as though they’ve caught a nasty bug:eek!:

KenM · Apr 2, 2020

Richard Prior said:
True, I was getting all nostalgic there (must be the antibiotics:-C ), I couldn’t live without the local bread even though I ‘ve zero chance of an overflying Scoter in our valley!
Nothing new here today, more and more of the Brambling males are ‘singing’, they sound as though they’ve caught a nasty bug:eek!:

......Richard a quick glance in my 2009 diary revealed a 2nd-4th September trip to Lake Geneva and an entry for the 4th (last day during strong winds), I had an imm.Sabines Gull at c12am heading North plus 4 Arctic Skuas between 3.45 and 4.45pm (taking no prisoners) heading South. Don't know how scarce they might be in your Locale? :t:

halftwo · Apr 2, 2020

Wow it worked!!!!

Immediately after going out to listen a

LITTLE OWL called, then came the distinct calls of

COMMON SCOTER!!!

Farnboro John · Apr 2, 2020

I'll be damned: it does work! I checked xeno-canto and sat out in the back garden drinking a bottle of Brew Dog Pale Ale, and before I reached the bottom:

48. Common Scoter 2+ East (also 103 for the garden list!)

Happy Thursday everyone!

John

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