-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Garden/Yard List 2020 (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter halftwo
- Start date
KenM
Well-known member
Praps.....sooner than you think H! Probably same bird as yesterday, too fast for me and the camera....must do better.:-C
Attachments
birdmeister
Well-known member
This morning was quieter than Wednesday, but I still got two new species to pass my old record of 88 set from the yard last year!
88. Gray Catbird
89. Orchard Oriole (3rd individual from the yard, first time in spring)
88. Gray Catbird
89. Orchard Oriole (3rd individual from the yard, first time in spring)
halftwo
Wird Batcher
Too fast for its prey!
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Lovely weather for ducks
Having long been resigned to the unlikelihood of any web-footed species ever being seen here (Goosander an outside chance I optimistically thought) I got a shock earlier when a flock of eleven
67 Cormorant
were circling around in the low cloud further up the valley in a somewhat confused state:eek!:! Clearly regretting their evident navigational error and faced with an unbroken mass of mountains of up to 2500m in height they did a clumsy u-turn, formed a smart 'V' and powered off down the valley back towards Annecy. That's 101 for the Garden life list then and a most welcome addition to brighten up the soggy gloom (we currently have Amber flood warnings in place after going nearly three weeks without any rain!).
Having long been resigned to the unlikelihood of any web-footed species ever being seen here (Goosander an outside chance I optimistically thought) I got a shock earlier when a flock of eleven
67 Cormorant
were circling around in the low cloud further up the valley in a somewhat confused state:eek!:! Clearly regretting their evident navigational error and faced with an unbroken mass of mountains of up to 2500m in height they did a clumsy u-turn, formed a smart 'V' and powered off down the valley back towards Annecy. That's 101 for the Garden life list then and a most welcome addition to brighten up the soggy gloom (we currently have Amber flood warnings in place after going nearly three weeks without any rain!).
Attachments
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Unexpected visitor - well, passer-by - we normally see Kestrels from the house only during juvenile dispersal around Septemberish:
61. Kestrel One East, not sexed, too far.
A pleasant surprise!
John
61. Kestrel One East, not sexed, too far.
A pleasant surprise!
John
KenM
Well-known member
Exceptional! Well done H.:t:
Martin Gregory
Member
One more for the garden list, Swift.
A pair just flew over, reasonably low heading SW.
Still very few Martins or Swallows and those seem to be very high up.
A pair just flew over, reasonably low heading SW.
Still very few Martins or Swallows and those seem to be very high up.
dantheman
Bah humbug
Excellent. They obviously have to move, but usually at night I thought (people get them nocmigging), which throws people a bit apparently when they come to analyse the nights 'catch'!
dantheman
Bah humbug
Garden Mega!
Been mosty quiet on the additions of late, apart from hearing 49) Barn Owl at dusk while listening to the local Tawny Owls.
Taking part in the #BigGardenSit bird watching hour on Saturday and turning it into a bird count day added a few more on - some a touch unexpected.
First up at 08:50 and a typically quiet morning apart from the usual Herring Gulls and Rooks moving around to add a 50) Black-throated Diver flying purposefull NW inland about quarter mile or less away at treetop height! We're about 5 miles from the coast, but even so this was a tad surprising. Made it all worthwhile (ended up on 20 for the hour, near the bottom of the table!).
Later in the afternoon spotted a high up distant 51) Common Swift, and in another direction 52) 2 House Martin. It started to drizzle late evening, but popping out again (unsuccesffully) for Tawny Owls for the day list instead was able to add a flock of 53) Whimbrel heading north somewhere nearby (hard to tell where from or how many as coincided precisely with a noisy helicopter passing over at the same time! (32 species for the entire day).
Been mosty quiet on the additions of late, apart from hearing 49) Barn Owl at dusk while listening to the local Tawny Owls.
Taking part in the #BigGardenSit bird watching hour on Saturday and turning it into a bird count day added a few more on - some a touch unexpected.
First up at 08:50 and a typically quiet morning apart from the usual Herring Gulls and Rooks moving around to add a 50) Black-throated Diver flying purposefull NW inland about quarter mile or less away at treetop height! We're about 5 miles from the coast, but even so this was a tad surprising. Made it all worthwhile (ended up on 20 for the hour, near the bottom of the table!).
Later in the afternoon spotted a high up distant 51) Common Swift, and in another direction 52) 2 House Martin. It started to drizzle late evening, but popping out again (unsuccesffully) for Tawny Owls for the day list instead was able to add a flock of 53) Whimbrel heading north somewhere nearby (hard to tell where from or how many as coincided precisely with a noisy helicopter passing over at the same time! (32 species for the entire day).
Last edited:
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Dung heap doldrums
A couple of belters there Dan, a nice reward.
Regulars may recall how I couldn't see a near 'ish' Stonechat once because a tree was blocking the view to the dung heap it frequented for just one afternoon, it would have been a Garden Lifer. A touch of déjà vu early this morning then when on my walk back from the bakers I found a Whinchat (another species yet to grace the list), this was near another dung heap which is clearly visible from the house. It was chased off by a Black Redstart but I was sure that it wouldn't have gone far and that I'd be able to see it from home using the 'scope. No such luck though, despite a few hours' watching.
Still, all was not in vain as while watching a group of house Martins in the distance this afternoon I jammed onto my first
68 Common Swift
of the year, two in fact. In four years here the earliest previous ones were 23 May so real early birds!
A couple of belters there Dan, a nice reward.
Regulars may recall how I couldn't see a near 'ish' Stonechat once because a tree was blocking the view to the dung heap it frequented for just one afternoon, it would have been a Garden Lifer. A touch of déjà vu early this morning then when on my walk back from the bakers I found a Whinchat (another species yet to grace the list), this was near another dung heap which is clearly visible from the house. It was chased off by a Black Redstart but I was sure that it wouldn't have gone far and that I'd be able to see it from home using the 'scope. No such luck though, despite a few hours' watching.
Still, all was not in vain as while watching a group of house Martins in the distance this afternoon I jammed onto my first
68 Common Swift
of the year, two in fact. In four years here the earliest previous ones were 23 May so real early birds!
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Yes, what a disgrace! At least I had the excuse of getting my wife’s packed lunch ready for her departure for work before I got outside this morning, after an hour’s backbreaking and knee-knackering weeding I got my third Garden Life Tick of the year when I heard Bee Eater (s) high overheard heading East at 9.30, a heard only addition to the list but a lovely sound to hear up here nonetheless :t:
69 Bee Eater
50. Cuckoo.
Heard calling at lunchtime today.
Heard calling at lunchtime today.
KenM
Well-known member
.....A-h-h-h to hear one of those!....
......or one of these.:-C
birdmeister
Well-known member
"Thick and fast" were the words for yesterday! Very good overnight migration brought a memorable morning flight, producing
90. Wild Turkey (2nd yard record, heard distant)
91. Eastern Towhee
92. Greater Yellowlegs (new yard bird!)
93. Solitary Sandpiper (new yard bird, flock of four then one!)
94. Cliff Swallow (2nd yard occurrence)
Other good flyover numbers included Eastern Kingbird (6), Blue Jay (39), Bobolink (6), Orchard Oriole (4!), Baltimore Oriole (10!), Yellow-rumped Warbler (20), warbler sp. (49), and several odd-looking passerine migrants.
Later in the afternoon, FOUR ravens flew over, a new yard high count.
This morning might have been nice, too, but I was quite busy unfortunately. Looks like the forecast calls for lighter migration these next several days, so probably fewer additions.
Photos from yesterday include Blue Jay, Common Raven, and Eastern Kingbird. I also included a photo of the backyard, at least most of it. Lots of sky, but not many tall trees! There are two tall ones just out of frame, but that's it.
90. Wild Turkey (2nd yard record, heard distant)
91. Eastern Towhee
92. Greater Yellowlegs (new yard bird!)
93. Solitary Sandpiper (new yard bird, flock of four then one!)
94. Cliff Swallow (2nd yard occurrence)
Other good flyover numbers included Eastern Kingbird (6), Blue Jay (39), Bobolink (6), Orchard Oriole (4!), Baltimore Oriole (10!), Yellow-rumped Warbler (20), warbler sp. (49), and several odd-looking passerine migrants.
Later in the afternoon, FOUR ravens flew over, a new yard high count.
This morning might have been nice, too, but I was quite busy unfortunately. Looks like the forecast calls for lighter migration these next several days, so probably fewer additions.
Photos from yesterday include Blue Jay, Common Raven, and Eastern Kingbird. I also included a photo of the backyard, at least most of it. Lots of sky, but not many tall trees! There are two tall ones just out of frame, but that's it.
Attachments
Last edited:
Steve Lister
Senior Birder, ex County Recorder, Garden Moths.
May 5th.
69. Jay - one flew over nice and low. Only my 3rd in three years and four months here.
I saw my first Swift a couple of weeks ago but it is only today that the 'locals' are back, just three so far but occasionally screaming. A late Siskin over yesterday, and the second Hobby of the year the day before that, but otherwise rather quiet of late.
Steve
69. Jay - one flew over nice and low. Only my 3rd in three years and four months here.
I saw my first Swift a couple of weeks ago but it is only today that the 'locals' are back, just three so far but occasionally screaming. A late Siskin over yesterday, and the second Hobby of the year the day before that, but otherwise rather quiet of late.
Steve
