Garden Bird Race this weekend 20th/21st Feb (1 Viewer)

[Richard Prior]

Count me in Dan, having had my best day this year so far today with 32 species I’ll set 33 as my target!

Re: spreadsheet, I don't know whether it's worth your while Dan if there are only a few of us participating.
So in true Eurovision tradition: "Here are the votes from the French jury"
Tawny Owl
Lammergeier - 2 adults together, a first for me from home!
Golden Eagle -adult keeping an eye on the Lammies.
Sparrowhawk - a male then a pair display flying and dive bombing a Carrion Crow which kept coming back for more!
Common Buzzard -loads thermalling around.
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Jay
Magpie
Alpine Chough
Carrion Crow
Raven
Coal Tit
Marsh Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Nuthatch
Starling
Mistle Thrush
Fieldfare
Blackbird - first song today
Robin
House Sparrow - a pair, a rare event!
Chaffinch
Brambling
Hawfinch
Greenfinch
Golfinch
Siskin
Yellowhammer - first song today
31 species, so two short of my target but still it's my second-best day total so far this year, Woodpigeon a glaring omission but as they say, tomorrow's another day.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Lammergeier, Golden Eagle, Alpine Chough & Hawfinch.....

Wow.

22 species for me. 2 Raven probably the only noteworthy species but regular at the moment. Rain and wind all day.

All the best

Paul

 

[Farnboro John]

Failing a Tawny Owl calling after dark I'm done for today, 42 in the end. In chronological order:

Blackbird
Ring-necked Parakeet
Woodpigeon
Magpie
Carrion Crow
House Sparrow (at this point I got up)
Robin
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Redwing
Starling
Goldfinch
Dunnock
Fieldfare
Chaffinch
Nuthatch
Jackdaw
Pied Wagtail
Black-headed Gull
Mistle Thrush
Feral Pigeon
Little Egret
Moorhen
Wren
Collared Dove
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Siskin
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Stock Dove
Grey Wagtail
Red Kite
Lesser Redpoll
Grey Heron
Herring Gull
Brambling
Song Thrush
Kingfisher
Long-tailed Tit
Mallard
Sparrowhawk
Jay
Coal Tit 1700

42 spp

Also a Grey Squirrel, and I expect my usual 5 foxes later. (1845 fed Scally, Smudge, Patch and Rip. No doubt Hoppity will turn up later.)

Quite fun! Not sure I'll go again tomorrow though there were some species I thought were bankers that didn't turn up.

John

 

[dantheman]

42 spp

Also a Grey Squirrel, and I expect my usual 5 foxes later. (1845 fed Scally, Smudge, Patch and Rip. No doubt Hoppity will turn up later.)

Quite fun! Not sure I'll go again tomorrow though there were some species I thought were bankers that didn't turn up.

John

Good stuff! Fair few that would be garden lifers for here. Especially impressed with your 1700 Coal Tits ... ;-)

I only added a flyby Magpie ... putting me on 8 for the day! Would hope to double or treble that tomorrow ....

 

[Farnboro John]

Good stuff! Fair few that would be garden lifers for here. Especially impressed with your 1700 Coal Tits ... ;-)

I only added a flyby Magpie ... putting me on 8 for the day! Would hope to double or treble that tomorrow ....

It was an interesting day. Brambling was probably best bird, they seem to be very thin on the ground generally this winter from what I can gather. Twenty years ago when we moved in my mind would have boggled at the idea of Little Egret and Red Kite being routine birds. The Coal Tit (just the one! ) was a bit of a surprise: they bred in the leylandii hedge at the end of the terrace last summer but I hadn't seen one for months till today. Probably through not looking thoroughly.

Anyway, this was a great idea and gave me a good day's birding.

John

 

[pete wragg]

Just seen this thread. Will give it a go tomorrow.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Yesterday's 22 beaten on the stroke of 8.00am with a garden tick (Cetti's Warbler) and garden year tick (Song Thrush) within that number. Dry(ISH) and still is a huge difference!

All the best

Paul

 

[Richard Prior]

Yesterday's 22 beaten on the stroke of 8.00am with a garden tick (Cetti's Warbler) and garden year tick (Song Thrush) within that number. Dry(ISH) and still is a huge difference!

All the best

Paul

Fast work there Paul, what a difference a day makes, 24 lil’ hours etc etc ! Cetti’s is a good one.
Hopeful of beating yesterday‘s score as I’ve already had three species not logged on Saturday - Wren, Bullfinch and like you, a garden year tick (Song Thrush).
Cheers All
Richard

 

[pete wragg]

First 2 hours sat on garage roof,42 species. Best a garden tick Merlin and the Black-necked Grebe still here.
Blackbird
Robin
Wood Pigeon
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Curlew
Teal
Wigeon
Starling
Skylark
Mallard
Redshank
Shoveller
Lapwing
Oystercatcher
Brent Goose
Pheasant
Herring Gull
Mute Swan
Great Tit
Black-headed Gull
Dunlin
Barn Owl
Feral Pigeon
Black-tailed Godwit
Shelduck
Buzzard
Greenfinch
Gadwall
Greylag Goose
Knot
Collared Dove
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Gull
Merlin
Blue Tit
Stock Dove
Black-necked Grebe
House Sparrow
Goldfinch
Marsh Harrier
Dunnock

 

[pete wragg]

50
Bar-tailed Godwit
Grey Wagtail
Goosander
Goldeneye
Little Egret
Cormorant
Ringed Plover
Reed Bunting

 

[Richard Prior]

50
Bar-tailed Godwit
Grey Wagtail
Goosander
Goldeneye
Little Egret
Cormorant
Ringed Plover
Reed Bunting

Ooh, that’s got me thinking of that Yorkshire air, can you sea the sea and the estuary from your lookout on the roof Pete?

 

[Julie50]

Morning,

Looks like it’s you and me vying for bottom spot Dan!

I‘m up to 8 now with the addition of blackbird, LBB gull and redwing yesterday afternoon!

 

[Julie50]

Well I got my 10 I think it might be because it has finally stopped raining!

Blue tit
Greater spotted woodpecker - really pleased with this one!

 

[pete wragg]

Ooh, that’s got me thinking of that Yorkshire air, can you sea the sea and the estuary from your lookout on the

Ooh, that’s got me thinking of that Yorkshire air, can you sea the sea and the estuary from your lookout on the roof Pete?

Yes decent views over Humber,if a bit distant,probably won’t be identifying any stints from here.Limited view of sea,again a bit distant but when the light is right it’s ok,a bit too misty today.

 

[KenM]

Failing a Tawny Owl calling after dark I'm done for today, 42 in the end. In chronological order:

Blackbird
Ring-necked Parakeet
Woodpigeon
Magpie
Carrion Crow
House Sparrow (at this point I got up)
Robin
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Redwing
Starling
Goldfinch
Dunnock
Fieldfare
Chaffinch
Nuthatch
Jackdaw
Pied Wagtail
Black-headed Gull
Mistle Thrush
Feral Pigeon
Little Egret
Moorhen
Wren
Collared Dove
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Siskin
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Stock Dove
Grey Wagtail
Red Kite
Lesser Redpoll
Grey Heron
Herring Gull
Brambling
Song Thrush
Kingfisher
Long-tailed Tit
Mallard
Sparrowhawk
Jay
Coal Tit 1700

42 spp

Also a Grey Squirrel, and I expect my usual 5 foxes later. (1845 fed Scally, Smudge, Patch and Rip. No doubt Hoppity will turn up later.)

Quite fun! Not sure I'll go again tomorrow though there were some species I thought were bankers that didn't turn up.

John

A good “landlubbers” day list there John! My best ever Winter’s “day list” was some 37 species circa 1985 when Hawfinch, Greenfinch, Marsh Tit, House Sparrow and Bullfinch were guaranteed...all bloody annual rares now! 😢 Yesterday, I managed 34 species, also with a few bankers awol...!

 

[pete wragg]

I ended up on 55
Pied Wagtail
Kestrel
Heron
Med Gull
Red Kite

location,location,location

 

[Richard Prior]

29 for me though I could finish on 30 if I hear Tawny Owl. The highlight was seeing 3 Golden Eagles, the local pair plus a big female immature which I suspect is one of their ‘twins’ from 2019 which the adults seem to still tolerate in their territory. Loads of Small Tortoiseshell around today and birdsong on the increase, even saw a Siskin song flight!
edit: make that 30, just heard a Tawny hooting.
Thanks Dan for the idea! Perhaps it should become a monthly fixture, though hopefully you UK dwellers can spread your wings again by March.....

 

[Steve Lister]

Having checked which day it was I did three hours this morning and an hour up to dusk. A total of 34 species, pretty good for an inland urban site, but nothing really surprising. The still conditions allowed me to hear things that I can't normally, like a distant Song Thrush singing and Greylag Geese on a pond about 600 yards away.

And it was so mild and still at dusk that I quickly set up my moth trap for the first time since November.

 

[Paul Chapman]

I finished on 31 today which was a considerable uptick on yesterday and the best day total of the year. I was pleased. A few obvious misses and the weather started well but could have been better later.

All the best

Paul

 

[dantheman]

Having checked which day it was I did three hours this morning and an hour up to dusk. A total of 34 species, pretty good for an inland urban site, but nothing really surprising. The still conditions allowed me to hear things that I can't normally, like a distant Song Thrush singing and Greylag Geese on a pond about 600 yards away.

And it was so mild and still at dusk that I quickly set up my moth trap for the first time since November.

I missed the later afternoon chance at any movement unfortunately. Just been outside for half an hour moving some wood but nothing over or heard.

Still drizzling but realised it was still and mild so moth trap went on ten minutes ago too ...