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What's the rarest bird you've had in your garden? (1 Viewer)

When I was in Northern Ireland for 14 months I had Waxwing for 2 days, and a flyover of Peregrine.
In Glasgow's west end over the 2010-11 winter we managed Brambling, Reed Bunting and Bullfinch.

Must also relate my ringing trainer's sighting in Northumberland: thought he had a buzzard being mobbed by crows coming over, when he got a better look (possibly binoculars) he found the crows were in fact buzzards, and the big thing in the middle was White Stork! Belters sighting that.
 
I don't have a garden, but put up a feeder outside my window every winter. Last year I had a Long-tailed Tit come visiting the feeder! Not really a rare bird in Sweden, but usually only seen in the forests, so it was very unexpected. Made even better by the fact that it's my favourite bird... :)
 
I don't have a garden, but there is a Car Park out the front and a communal garden of sorts out the back.

The rarest bird I had during the build up to Cyclone Ita a few weeks back was Dusky Woodswallow. I don't know if that species has even been recorded in Cairns before.
 
Again, not in the garden, but I arrived at my apartment one afternoon to find a Mississippi Kite soaring overhead. Other than that, probably a tree full of white-winged crossbills a few years back during the last big irruption year.
 
Not my garden but where I sit at work, in the City of London, I overlook an enclosed courtyard about 10m by 20m surrounded by buildings to a height of six storeys. In the 5 years I have worked here I have seen a total of 3 birds in the courtyard. A grey wagtail twice and a black redstart once.

A case of quality over quantity!
 
Hmm... Pallas's Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Wryneck, and Hoopoe. Fluffed a US Warbler and Dartford/Marmora's warbler. From the garden I can do better (204 species)
 
Not actually in garden, but flying over Osprey and Peregrine. In garden probably Waxwing and a trio of Peacocks that were in the area a few months before disappearing.
 
I've got a bunch of singles. In the UK Eur. Honey-Buzzard, W. Cattle Egret, Comm. Grasshopper Warbler, Firecrest ( 2 ), etc. In Japan it has to be Greater Painted-snipe.
 
Actually in the garden, Waxwing, Woodcock, both Flycatchers, Black Redstart and Med Gull, all of which I consider to be fairly rare, although the later are 10 a penny down here during the winter. But the rarest, which I initially thought was a Goldcrest, was a Hume's/YB Warbler, I couldn't be sure which one it was as it only showed for a few seconds :king:

We also usually get a Honey Buzzard or two low over the house most years during May/June on their way westwards. The gulls go barmy which gives enough early warning to rush out and see them :t:
 
I've seen Osprey from my garden, Black Kite from my sisters, Honey buzzard from my dad's, also a probable spoonbill from a friends. All within a mile of each other in Newport Gwent. they would be good birds to get out birding never mind over houses.

Never had a particularly good bird in a garden, but I've seen Pallas's warbler and Hoopoe in the grounds of South Wales Psychiatric hospitals
 
In the UK, Bullfinch, Snipe, Hobby and Nightjar.

I used to have a house in the Pyrenees - Lammergeier, Golden, Short-Toed & Bonelli's eagles; Black woodpecker, Rock bunting......

Peter
 
Actually in my garden as in attached to a part of it probably Firecrest and Brambling. In terms of overflying or seen on adjacent land then the rarest is House Sparrow (in fact so rare my personal records committee might remove it) and a flyover male Goosander, Whimbrel too - Peregrine and Red Kite are rare but annual-ish.

My garden list is 63 (including the House Sparrow and Feral Pigeon) although I missed a potential Lapland Bunting that someone down the road reported once
 
I've had good ones seen in/from my Sussex garden......Hen Harrier, Honey Buzzard, Red Kite, Brambling all seen from the garden and Black Redstart in it. Being on a migration route helps. Osprey over too.
 
At a previous address I had Red Kite over and a male Redstart briefly on my garden gate. At my current address I've had Brambling on the feeders and Peregrine a couple of times. I also had a Rock or Water Pipit go over a couple of Autumns ago. I only heard it once and couldn't quite nail it.
 
Male Hen Harrier,Merlin,Yellowhammer,Hawfinch.
The Hen Harrier circled every property up the valley on it's way to the nest sight where i had already seen the female......was a great sight to see.
We get the usual Buzzard,Kites,Sprawks most days along with siskins etc.
 
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