Benji's 2024 list (1 Viewer)

[BenjiS]

So now its time to start of the 2024 list with a few sightings - this time I will try to actually keep my garden. mammals and butterflies list up to date!
(I am only doing butterflies as I am useless at moths - will maybe learn a bit more about them later in the year but will just stick too butterflies for the time being.

So far today

1. Woodpigeon
2. Magpie
3. House Sparrows
4. Coal Tit

Year List - 4, Garden List - 4, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 0, Lifers - 0

 

[BenjiS]

Just had a flock of tit's on the birdfeeders.

5. Blue Tit
6. Great Tit

and first mammal

1. Grey Squirrel

Year List - 6, Garden List - 6, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 1, Lifers - 0

 

[BenjiS]

A few more to add
From the garden
7. Crow
8. Feral Pigeon
And one I was kind of hoping for, but not on the first day of the year!
9. Peregrine Falcon
And then non garden
10. Black-Headed Gull
11. Red Kite

Year List - 11, Garden list - 9, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 1, Lifers - 0

 

[BenjiS]

Last few from today.
Not much, but will be birding a bit harder the rest of the week.
12. Canada Goose
13. Greylag Goose
14. Buzzard
15. Jackdaw

And another mammal
2. Muntjac
Year List - 15, Garden List - 9, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 2

 

[BenjiS]

Forgot this one yesterday
16. Robin
And then some more this morning from the garden
10. Robin - Heard Only
17/11. Blackbird
18/12. Sparrowhawk - very happy as got a good look at one (sat in a tree opposite the house) and makes it the second BoP for the garden in 2024 - the other two being red kite and buzzard, which are both much more common than Peregrine and Sparrowhawk!

Year List - 18, Garden List - 12, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 2

 

[BenjiS]

A few more after a quick walk round the block today

19. Collared Dove
20. Goldfinch
21. Mallard
22. Moorhen
23. Little Egret
24. Mute Swan
25. Great Cormorant
26. Goldcrest
27. Redwing

Year List - 27, Garden List - 12, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 2, Lifers - 0

 

[BenjiS]

After a hour long bike ride in the rain, I managed to get to a small reserve (Cassiobury Park) and added a few to the year list from the feeders there

On the journey:
28. Grey Wagtail
29. Kingfisher
30. Grey Heron
31. Herring Gull
32. Little Grebe
33. Gadwall
34. Shoveler
35. Ring-Necked Pheasant
36. Eurasian Coot
37. Eurasian Wren

At the park:
38. Ring-Necked Parakeet
39. Nuthatch
40. Great Spotted Woodpecker
41. Siskin (a massive flock of about 100+)
42. Jay
43. Mandarin
44. Starling
45. Song Thrush
46. Chaffinch

And on the journey back also one more mammal species
3. Roe Deer

Year List - 46, Garden List - 12, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 3, Lifers - 0

 

[BenjiS]

Forgot this one yesterday
47. Long-Tailed Tit
Had a really nice day today, not loads seen but a few quality species!
Went to Lee Valley discovery centre in the hopes of seeing the bittern there
Got there about 12 and went straight to the centre, one year bird on the way
48. Egyptian Goose
Then year bird 49 was Great Crested Grebe
Followed by 50. Lesser Black Backed Gull
Then someone pointed, and there was my lifer 51. Great Bittern in the reeds! Well hidden but I still saw it!
I then heard some people saying that there was a Smew further up, I quickly popped up there and sure enough sitting relatively close was a stunning male (52.) Smew! Not a lifer, but only the second time I've seen one - and wasn't expecting it at all!
On the way I also saw 53. Pochard
I then went back to the main hide/discovery centre and after about 15/20 minutes had it come right out into the open!

Year List - 53, Garden List - 12, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 3, Lifers - 1

 

[BenjiS]

I just realised that I missed out that I also saw 54. Water Rail, missed this last year, so very happy to get, especially so early on!

Year List - 54, Garden List - 12, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 3, Lifers - 1

 

[BenjiS]

A few more from today
55. Great Egret
56. Goldeneye
57. Dunnock - took a while to get this one!
58. Fieldfare

At the moment I'm 30% of the way to my year target of 200 species, so good progress for the first 5 days of the year, although I expect the progress will quickly slow as the more common species have been seen!

Year List - 58, Garden List - 12, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 3, Lifers - 1

 

[BenjiS]

On looking at this again, I realised I've already made a mistake, I put wren twice! So I'm actually only on 59!

Year List - 59, Garden List - 12, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 3, Lifers - 1

 

[BenjiS]

A few more for the garden

13. Collared Dove
59/14. Tawny Owl - heard only (also a year bird!)

Year List - 59, Garden List - 14, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 3, Lifers 1

 

[BenjiS]

Another garden tick this morning

Year List - 60, Garden List - 15, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 3, Lifers - 1

 

[BenjiS]

Just realised I didn't actually say what Garden number 15 was!

15. Redwing

Also a massive flock (100+) Jackdaws over the house this evening got me another 2024 garden tick!

Year List - 60, Garden List 16, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 3, Lifers - 1

 

[BenjiS]

On the way home on the motorway saw 60. Lapwing in a field

Year List - 60, Garden List 16, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 3, Lifers - 1

 

[BenjiS]

I managed to get my lifer 61. Black Redstart today at St Albans Cathedral - it has been there for quite a while now (over a month) and I went last year (December) and dipped it, so happy to get it, although even after chasing it round for 45mins or so I didn't manage to get a decent photo of it!

Year List - 61, Garden List - 16, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 3, Lifers - 2

 

[BenjiS]

Finally got 62. Common Kestrel yesterday - had a nice good look at it (one of the best I've had), but of course I didn't have a camera 🙄

Also some more for the garden
17. Red Kite
18. Black-Headed Gull (I also just realised that I've added this twice for my year list - oops!
And a heard only 19. Greenfinch

Year List - 62, Garden List - 19, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 3, Lifers - 2

 

[BenjiS]

After a bike ride yesterday, got some glimpses of a big flock of 63. Linnet yesterday.

Year List - 63, Garden List - 19, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 3, Lifers - 2

 

[BenjiS]

Some from a walk yesterday -
64. Rook
65. Skylark
66. Common Snipe

And a quick bike ride got me
67. Green Woodpecker
And finally caught up with 68. Waxwing for 2024, after many failed attempts!

Year List - 68, Garden List - 19, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 3, Lifers - 2

 

[BenjiS]

Forgot that I also saw
4. Brown Hare
On Saturday aswell!
Year List - 68, Garden List - 19, Butterflies - 0, Mammals - 4, Lifers - 2