Garden / Yard List 2015 (1 Viewer)

[Jos Stratford]

How about legs to raise it out of reach?

Sacks of grain are very heavy ...want to pop over to help lift them to the new elevated position? :-O


PS. I don't actually wish to prevent access by the boars ...just need to do some tweaks to prevent total emptying and knocking off the roof, etc.

Roe Deer also use it with regularity - most welcome.

 

[joannec]

This was a long time coming.....no 72) Long-tailed Tit.

 

[KenM]

This was a long time coming.....no 72) Long-tailed Tit.

Now that we're all close to the "bottom of the barrel" for the year so to speak....what species might still be in the "offing?".

For me, I'm wondering perhaps Bullfinch, Woodcock, Snipe.....or if I let my imagination run "amok" Waxwing?

Am currently 4 short of my best year score of 79, a total that I'm most unlikely to eclipse.

As an aside piece of nonsense, I added up all the species that have only occurred with a "once" only visit "perching on the furniture".

Seven species in all...LSWoodpecker, Tree Creeper, Grey Heron, Mallard, Nightingale, Stock Dove and Waxwing, representing an approximate 11 per cent of "in-garden" species occurence.

What might be left in your "hoped for barrel" before year end?

 

[Warixenjalka]

I started yesterday birds winter feeding by hanging one feeding machine, witch I fill peanuts.

By yeasterday evening there was several Great and Blue Tits, Tree Sparrows and 2 Hooded Crows.

 

[lazza]

Now that we're all close to the "bottom of the barrel" for the year so to speak....what species might still be in the "offing?".

For me, I'm wondering perhaps Bullfinch, Woodcock, Snipe.....or if I let my imagination run "amok" Waxwing?

Am currently 4 short of my best year score of 79, a total that I'm most unlikely to eclipse.

As an aside piece of nonsense, I added up all the species that have only occurred with a "once" only visit "perching on the furniture".

Seven species in all...LSWoodpecker, Tree Creeper, Grey Heron, Mallard, Nightingale, Stock Dove and Waxwing, representing an approximate 11 per cent of "in-garden" species occurence.

What might be left in your "hoped for barrel" before year end?

Well, with my first fly-over Pink-footed Geese of the autumn earlier this week, my garden list (which includes birds seen from the garden as well as those that actually decide to call in) to 45... a new year record for me

But I still think there is some mileage to raise the bar higher still, as so far I have had no visits (that I have witnessed) from the local Great-spotted Woodpecker, and no sightings of any Jays since last December. So two of the "less-frequent-but-common" species have still to make an appearance.

The addition of three new species to the garden list this year have certainly helped, with fly-over sightings of Little Egret and Red Kite, and the appearance of a few Redwing on our rowan trees in the Spring being nice to see. If only I'd been at home when two mute swan flew over the estate a couple of days ago, this might have taken the garden list higher still!

 

[KenM]

Spotted a "small" with a Great tit in neighbours hedge this am...thus leapt out of bed!....looked like a Phylosc.(but without any super/eyestripe)...as I was pondering still can't compute, the unmistakeable bolt of sapphire blue zapped down over the eaves, then "missiled" through the trees towards stream outback. Only the second time I've had this visitation from the gods in 34 years, a very Halcyon no 76.

 

[BrendaA]

42 Yellow wagtail , seen yesterday and this morning a surprise as first one
in garden .

 

[KenM]

42 Yellow wagtail , seen yesterday and this morning a surprise as first one
in garden .

Have only ever had one of those flying over and calling in 34 years!....not seen one this year in the UK. :-C

 

[KenM]

Well, with my first fly-over Pink-footed Geese of the autumn earlier this week, my garden list (which includes birds seen from the garden as well as those that actually decide to call in) to 45... a new year record for me

But I still think there is some mileage to raise the bar higher still, as so far I have had no visits (that I have witnessed) from the local Great-spotted Woodpecker, and no sightings of any Jays since last December. So two of the "less-frequent-but-common" species have still to make an appearance.

The addition of three new species to the garden list this year have certainly helped, with fly-over sightings of Little Egret and Red Kite, and the appearance of a few Redwing on our rowan trees in the Spring being nice to see. If only I'd been at home when two mute swan flew over the estate a couple of days ago, this might have taken the garden list higher still!

Keep your eyes to the skies lazza!....that's where (most) of my garden ticks come from, Pink-footed Goose unfortunately, would not be found (over) my neck of the woods.

 

[KenM]

Still on a roll....probably my latest Swallow? Hawking insects over the forest canopy this am....followed by 4 fluttering Skylarks on high heading North, no.77.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Pool was frozen over for the first time this season ...winter not far off!

No additions, but getting good at the feeders - two male Grey-headed Woodpeckers together at the feeders today, along with female White-backed Woodpecker, one Middle Spotted and a couple of Great Spotted.

With upswing at the feeders, also began my annual winter ringing season
...tally from the first few days:

• Great Tit - 47
• Blue Tit - 3
• Marsh Tit - 6
• Nuthatch - 4
• Treecreeper - 1
• Jay - 5
• Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2
• Middle Spotted Wodpecker - 1
• White-backed Woodpecker - 2
• Chiffchaff

 

[Jos Stratford]

Better news however ...House Mouse in my house - my 50th species of mammal in the Baltic States this year

 

[Richard Prior]

Better news however ...House Mouse in my house - my 50th species of mammal in the Baltic States this year

Well done Jos, I was worried you were going to remain stuck in the 'nervous forties' for the rest of the year!

 

[BrendaA]

Jos, Could send you a friend for your mouse , as I dont need the one have here in my house!

Better news however ...House Mouse in my house - my 50th species of mammal in the Baltic States this year

 

[halftwo]

Some incredible garden visitors for the posters here lately - I'm being blown out of the water!
Very quiet here and I'm far behind where I was at this time last year.

 

[BrendaA]

Cranes flew over yesterday early afternoon , I heard them clearly but couldnt see them this time !

43. Cranes heard but not seen , ok to add to list or not ?

 

[joannec]

Cranes flew over yesterday early afternoon , I heard them clearly but couldnt see them this time !

43. Cranes heard but not seen , ok to add to list or not ?

Yes, the rules are seen or heard from the garden. Good garden birds!

 

[Jos Stratford]

Jos, Could send you a friend for your mouse , as I dont need the one have here in my house!

My mouse has got buddies already

Setting up a trip camera, I have now almost 500 short video clips of my guests - in the cabin, purely Yellow-necked Mice (up to four together), in the house, maximum two House Mice together, plus one Yellow-necked Mouse.

 

[KenM]

Almost forgot...I was caught up with another issue. Big movement of mostly Redwings certainly into treble digits heading NNW early am out of a crystal blue sky, plus a late Willow Warbler (yellow legs), briefly flitting around the sunlit side of my neighbour's hedge, when I presume an unseen BOP put all the woodpigeons into the sky along with the Thrushes (bit of a maelstrom). When I picked up another ''late'' in the guise of a Yellow Wagtail heading East. no.78.

 

[Richard Prior]

Almost forgot...I was caught up with another issue. Big movement of mostly Redwings certainly into treble digits heading NNW early am out of a crystal blue sky, plus a late Willow Warbler (yellow legs), briefly flitting around the sunlit side of my neighbour's hedge, when I presume an unseen BOP put all the woodpigeons into the sky along with the Thrushes (bit of a maelstrom). When I picked up another ''late'' in the guise of a Yellow Wagtail heading East. no.78.

Only one short of equalling your best-ever year then Ken?

All quiet here, though I was away for a week, I'm at 94, so looking at possibles to make that elusive ton I'm hoping for(in order of likelihood):

Goldcrest - seen every year so very odd that it's missing still
Redwing - nearly annual, and approaching the key weeks now
Cormorant- 4 records in our 9 years here, all autumn
YL Gull - ditto, but usually earlier in the autumn
Tree Sparrow - ditto, has turned up in snowstorms in past winters
Citril Finch- 3 records, all autumn
Hen Harrier - ditto, all autumn
Merlin - 2 autumn records, passage beginning now
Woodlark - 3 records but only once in autumn, a lot moving at the moment down the Rhône.
So, I could be in the 'nervous nineties' for quite a while!