Garden (Yard) List 2012 (1 Viewer)

[Jos Stratford]

A month AWOL and now it's back to see what's happening on my land.

The hazel groves are choc'a'bloc with Nutcrackers, all tapping away on hazels to crack them open, a few youngsters noisily begging from adults. Though a traditional late August/September bird on my land, this mini-influx is pretty pleasing, the tap tap tap echoing from all quarters muffling even the woodpeckers!

Though straggler Golden Orioles, Red-backed Shrike and a few White Storks still linger, the overwhelming feeling is of an autumn in the making - most Whinchats gone, no flycatchers seen, a general exodus seeming to have already occurred.

Good raptor watching - a male Goshawk over twice, my second Honey Buzzard of the season and better still, my first Montagu's Harrier, a female quartering. Better still however, only the second ever on my land and an uncommon migrant in the country, one superb Red-footed Falcon, a juvenile looking most dapper.

116. Montagu's Harrier
117. Red-footed Falcon
118. Nutcracker

 

[chowchilla]

Had both Leaden Flycatcher and Sacred Kingfisher in the tree outside my study window this morning; took me ages to see both this year from the study and now they are regular visitors. To boost the year tally however was a 'flying boat' in the form of a single Australian White Pelican low over the trees and heading towards the Lakes from the south. Distant but utterly unmistakable.

98) Australian White Pelican.

So close to the hundred...

 

[chowchilla]

Brilliant! Olive-backed Oriole calling over in the trees across from my neighbour's garden. Try as I might though, I couldn't see it.

I knew there was one about. I've been straining my ears to hear it for two days now. These are uncommon but regular winter visitors to Cairns.

99) Olive-backed Oriole.

 

[chowchilla]

There's a very noisy Koel calling outside my study window this morning; only my second of the year. It's managing to outcompete the usually noisy Helmeted Friarbirds and a Black Butcherbird out the back.

 

[Jane Turner]

I've added three since I last reported -Little Tern, Arctic SKua and today, this

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=2512054&postcount=1471


119/77/44

 

[edenwatcher]

105. common sandpiper
106. kittiwake
107. Arctic skua

Movement at last.

Rob

 

[Jos Stratford]

A week after adding Red-footed Falcon, the very wire it perched upon was taken over by a Kestrel, another rare falcon on my land (Red-footed Falcon was second ever, this Kestrel the 6th ever - all of both have been in August/September).

119. Common Kestrel.

Will seriously struggle to get many more this year - Lesser Whitethroat and Common Tern the best possibilities (usually see both in spring), anything else has to be something unexpected.

 

[Larry Lade]

...
Will seriously struggle to get many more this year - Lesser Whitethroat and Common Tern the best possibilities (usually see both in spring), anything else has to be something unexpected.

Guess you will just have to "expect the unexpected", Jos!

 

[halftwo]

A week after adding Red-faooted Falcon, the very wire it perched upon was taken over by a Kestrel, another rare falcon on my land (Red-footed Falcon was second ever, this Kestrel the 6th ever - all of both have been in August/September).

119. Common Kestrel.

Will seriously struggle to get many more this year - Lesser Whitethroat and Common Tern the best possibilities (usually see both in spring), anything else has to be something unexpected.

Well I've spent much time in my garden over the last week, including 14 hours yesterday, and continue to draw a blank!

 

[Jos Stratford]

Guess you will just have to "expect the unexpected", Jos!

To quote a guy from your side of the pond...

There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know (to expect perhaps a Lesser Whitethroat or Common Tern). There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know (that an unexpected species will turn up, but which one unknown). But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know (the bits I have no idea about, potentially the megas to come).

 

[Jane Turner]

120. Black Tern - 7 this morning.... and a big fall of Willow Warblers

 

[edenwatcher]

108. ringed plover
109. turnstone

Movement at last!

Rob

 

[halftwo]

Yesterday, at last!

78: Willow warbler.

 

[Jane Turner]

Ruff this evening, plus Curlew Sandpiper Little Stint and Great Skua. I'd missed Arctic Skua and Little Tern off, so 126 now

 

[Jos Stratford]

Ruff this evening, plus Curlew Sandpiper Little Stint and Great Skua. I'd missed Arctic Skua and Little Tern off, so 126 now

Passage of White Storks today, plus a southerly drift of raptors - Lesser Spotted Eagle, Osprey, several Common Buzzards, one Montagu's Harrier, one Hobby ...but none new for the year, so a static 119 for me.

 

[joannec]

Two for me recently:

70)Goshawk
71) Red-legged Partridge

Loads of migrants passing through but so far nothing that I didn't see on spring passage. A Wheatear stayed for a couple of days this week, which was nice. Otherwise it's just been Chiffys, Willow Warblers and Whitethroats.

 

[Kentbloke]

The garden has been pretty birdless for quite a while till thisarvo, when a female Pied Flycatcher spent several hours (till it was just a silhouette against the gloaming) catching flies! Dunno what number she was though...

 

[chowchilla]

Finally the 100 is up! A rather vocal Noisy Pitta in the forest beyond my neighbours' garden early this AM (they've been around, so I knew it was only a matter of time), but that's not all: activity in the top of the Big Fig which turned out to be Metallic Starlings drew my attention to a heavily concealed but unmistakable male Superb Fruit Dove just below them. Finally the Big Fig is in fruit! Er no... so I do wonder why they are there.

100) Noisy Pitta.
101) Superb Fruit Dove.

 

[joannec]

The garden has been pretty birdless for quite a while till thisarvo, when a female Pied Flycatcher spent several hours (till it was just a silhouette against the gloaming) catching flies!

:t: Lucky you!

 

[chowchilla]

Ridiculous, I've just added another! As I popped out to the shops this evening a flock of about a dozen Eastern Cattle Egret flew South East directly over my head. These birds are everywhere outside the city, but relatively scarce in it, but it stands to reason that they must fly over it from time to time.

102) Eastern Cattle Egret.