Garden (Yard) List 2014 (1 Viewer)

[Richard Prior]

Hope this smart bird is added to your total ...fully countable :t:

Oh yes, I think he's achieved full species status during his stay here so he's 'on the list' as it were. I don't suppose I can count all his hybrid offspring.......? No, I thought not :C

 

[KenM]

Had Chiff Chaff, Blackcap and Goldcrest yesterday am in the garden during an hour+ watch, I was quite pleased with that (first time I've had all three during a ''window stint''.

Today no sign, however, looking down on a small dark ''barrel roll'' in the Ivy hedge, showing a milli-second snapshot of almost white UTC's...concentrated the mind!

It then zapped beneath me into the lower branches of a cherry tree..out of view, slowly shifting my hips from one leg to another morphed it into view. Orange crown, white super and black eye-stripe with a glinting eye, before a gust of wind scattered leaves and birds in all directions. Even with camera around said neck there was nowt I could image, better luck next time (my 2nd this year).

 

[timsg80]

Nice stuff Ken. I'm hoping for one of those one day! Had my two latest ever swallows this morning- it's almost 7 months since I saw my first here this year!

 

[KenM]

Nice stuff Ken. I'm hoping for one of those one day! Had my two latest ever swallows this morning- it's almost 7 months since I saw my first here this year!

That will certainly shorten the Winter Tim, haven't seen Swallow now for at least 10 days.

My latest of the above was 6 going South on Oct.26th, that was a few years back now, and quite exceptional.

Cheers

 

[timsg80]

72. Black-headed Gull
About as dull a year tick as I could have had this morning! Three flew over in what has been a good morning so far for vis mig- loads of Mipits, Skylarks, Linnets, Goldfinches, Starlings etc. Loads of Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests in the garden as well- but sadly no Firecrests or Yelllow-browed Warblers. I did see my second Marsh Tit of the year though, it used to be common here, but sadly no more.

 

[Richard Prior]

That will certainly shorten the Winter Tim, haven't seen Swallow now for at least 10 days.

My latest of the above was 6 going South on Oct.26th, that was a few years back now, and quite exceptional.

Cheers

Must be a good weekend for Swallows, I've just had my latest ever here (by one day), a group of 21 twittering away as they headed South-west in the sunny autumn sky.......... followed 5 minutes later by a Sparrowhawk also migrating.

 

[Jos Stratford]

New Species!

Minus seven on the forecast for the week's end! Only minus 3 this weekend, with rain set for the next day or two, but truly feeling like winter setting in now, overhead passage has basically tried up and the meadows are totally silent, nothing at all fluttering about! Fortunately the feeding station is now beginning to pick up nicely, two Grey-headed Woodpeckers today, etc.

Into that however, I added the first additions to my year list since 6 September ...the first being three Bewick's Swans flying over calling (second record for my land) and the second being yet another new species for my land, truly been a good autumn in this respect!

Any guesses to the species? It is fairly common in surrounding forests, regular at my Vilnius garden feeders, but never recorded on my Labanoras plot till this day.


133. Bewick's Swan
134. ....

 

[Richard Prior]

Coal Tit??

 

[Jos Stratford]

Coal Tit??

Nope, but good guess ... I was actually looking for Coal Tits when I found it though - get one or two of these most winters, though still lacking it on this year's list.

 

[Richard Prior]

OK then, Crested Tit?

Oh, and Happy Birthday :t:

 

[Jos Stratford]

OK then, Crested Tit?

Indeed it was ...

In a tongue of conifers, abutting more extensive pines extending beyond my land, I have often thought Crested Tit is a realistic species, and is an area Coal Tits sometimes lurk.

T'was a sunny afternoon, so a stroll I took, meandering along, not a lot seen. But then, a small mixed flock of birds - Goldcrests most, but hopping about on the ground, two neat little Crested Tits, flitting up and down from low pine branches. Species number 167 for the land, and 134 for the year.

And for good measure, third time this year, I flushed the Hazel Grouse about five minutes later!

Still need Coal Tit for the year though, still one of two that are reasonably likely.


134. Crested Tit.
.


PS thanks for birthday greetings :t:

 

[timsg80]

Nice one Jos. I'm feeling slightly jealous as I watch a couple of Blue Tits that are the only birds that have been coming to my feeders!

 

[halftwo]

Happy birthday, Jos.

Had what were probably 70 White-fronted geese yesterday, but not close enough to call.

 

[Jos Stratford]

It was minus 5 last night and forecast is minus 9 tonight just north of my land ... and it is only October!!!

But I'm on a good roll - had my seventh White-tailed Eagle of the autumn cruise over today, a splendid adult with very pale head, and then flushed a female Black Grouse a little later (only my second ever on my land, but exactly the same spot as the first, a male in early spring this year).

 

[timsg80]

Sadly not in the garden, but it was fantastic to have a Merlin less than a mile from my home this afternoon, along with a Peregrine. My first here in about three years!

 

[Richard Prior]

Sadly not in the garden, but it was fantastic to have a Merlin less than a mile from my home this afternoon, along with a Peregrine. My first here in about three years!

Well done (grrr), I'm still looking out for Merlin,so far this month they've had 41 go past the watchpoint just outside Geneva! The Goshawk put in another appearance (once again I'd have missed it were it not for the crows suddenly going bonkers outside), photo of a cute visitor to our apple tree last week, hmmm, possible Merlin food

 

[KenM]

Well done (grrr), I'm still looking out for Merlin,so far this month they've had 41 go past the watchpoint just outside Geneva! The Goshawk put in another appearance (once again I'd have missed it were it not for the crows suddenly going bonkers outside), photo of a cute visitor to our apple tree last week, hmmm, possible Merlin food

Yes!...we're it not for the soft "crick" of Carrion Crow, my Goshawk and other BOP encounters, would be somewhat reduced.

 

[Richard Prior]

Yes!...we're it not for the soft "crick" of Carrion Crow, my Goshawk and other BOP encounters, would be somewhat reduced.

You're spot on there Ken, using our ears is nearly as important as using our eyes when birding, IMHO!:t:

 

[Jos Stratford]

Started my winter ringing season these last days - pretty quiet at the feeders overall, but caught the first Great and Middle Spots, plus two Grey-headed and one White-backed visiting. Best visitor though was a Brambling, not very common at my feeders (they do not stay here for winter).

 

[Richard Prior]

I had quite a few Brambling over early this morning, but none stopping in the garden yet.
But, as a good example of our ears being useful, as I opened the shutters at 06h45 I was chuffed to hear the familiar contact calls of a group of Redwing flying over - too dark to see how many, but a Garden Year tick(after one tantalisingly close by in March I was thinking that was my only chance gone for 2014, they're pretty uncommon here). An hour and a half later a female Merlin cruised S.west, thanks Gregor:t:

86 Redwing
87 Merlin
(I'm on 96 for my 'Within a mile of the house on foot' 2014 list, will I make it to 100 I wonder?)