Garden / Yard List 2015 (1 Viewer)

[Larry Lade]

The only woodpecker in the yard today was the Downy (2, a male & female).
and
Fifty (50) HOUSE SPARROWS ................................................................................................................
2 Carolina Wrens
5 or 6 House Finch
2 Northern Cardinals (male and female)
1 Bluejay
1 Black-capped Chickadee

It will be interesting to see what Brenda gets in the yard on the day of the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) on Saturday, December 19th.

 

[Nutcracker]

After seeing my first Pacific Koel in Melbourne last month, I've realised that I had been hearing all the time around Queensland without knowing what it was!

Made me wonder what they sounded like, so listened to some on xeno-canto.
And discovered why they're called 'Koel' :-O

 

[Richard Prior]

Hope you've got oodles of bird seed out there, Richard. My House Sparrow numbers are increasing as the winter draws on : 25+ now. I'm hoping it might draw in the local Tree Sparrows - though I did have one or two fly over earlier inthe year.

Yup, I bought 15kilos the other day, though 5kgs are destined for our neighbour, I'm going to ask her to use it in her garden when we go away for a few days - no doubt she'll see a Tree Sparrow then.
There are Tree Sparrows just 5 miles away, but 1,100ft lower down in altitude, so they're rarely inclined to come up the, err...... incline!
On Woodpeckers, our altitude means we've just 3 species, Great-spotted, Green and Black as regulars, a juvenile Wryneck once. Lesser and Middle-spotted are about 8 miles away but would need oxygen masks to come up here I suppose; And don't get me started on Three-toed, I think they're a myth :C
So, I'm naturally jealous of Larry and Jos with their 'pecker-fests' !

 

[Nutcracker]

On Woodpeckers, our altitude means we've just 3 species, Great-spotted, Green and Black as regulars, a juvenile Wryneck once. Lesser and Middle-spotted are about 8 miles away but would need oxygen masks to come up here I suppose; And don't get me started on Three-toed, I think they're a myth :C
So, I'm naturally jealous of Larry and Jos with their 'pecker-fests' !

Well up here, latitude and island isolation make it even worse! Great Spotted is the only local woodpecker, see them close to the garden (within 100 m) reasonably regularly though hardly ever actually in the garden. Green a recent colonist about 5 km away, so maybe hope for that in the future (used to have to go 20 km for them); Wryneck a passage rarity on the coast (15 km), and the nearest Lesser Spotted maybe 80-100 km south. Next nearest means a trip to France.

 

[Richard Prior]

Well up here, latitude and island isolation make it even worse! Great Spotted is the only local woodpecker, see them close to the garden (within 100 m) reasonably regularly though hardly ever actually in the garden. Green a recent colonist about 5 km away, so maybe hope for that in the future (used to have to go 20 km for them); Wryneck a passage rarity on the coast (15 km), and the nearest Lesser Spotted maybe 80-100 km south. Next nearest means a trip to France.

Ah, that's made me feel much better

That is to say, I mean, you have all my sympathies N

 

[joannec]

Yup, I bought 15kilos the other day, though 5kgs are destined for our neighbour, I'm going to ask her to use it in her garden when we go away for a few days - no doubt she'll see a Tree Sparrow then.
!

I went a bit mad this morning....£53 on a large bag each of peanuts, sunflower seeds and mixed seed.:eat:

 

[Jos Stratford]

Jos, great going on all those woodpeckers!

That is my favorite family of birds.

Yup, I'm dead chuffed with the woodpecker haul on my plot - in addition to the six mentioned species, Wryneck is an annual breeder in my nestboxes and Three-toed Woodpecker sometimes wintering.

Potential exists for Green Woodpecker, but never seen one within 70 km, so maybe over-optimistic to get ninth species

 

[KenM]

Well up here, latitude and island isolation make it even worse! Great Spotted is the only local woodpecker, see them close to the garden (within 100 m) reasonably regularly though hardly ever actually in the garden. Green a recent colonist about 5 km away, so maybe hope for that in the future (used to have to go 20 km for them); Wryneck a passage rarity on the coast (15 km), and the nearest Lesser Spotted maybe 80-100 km south. Next nearest means a trip to France.

FWIW....40 years ago whilst driving through wooded rural Perthshire, a Green Woodpecker flew out in front of the car narrowly missing the bonnet!

According to literature at the time "It shouldn't have been there!" :eek!:

 

[KenM]

I went a bit mad this morning....£53 on a large bag each of peanuts, sunflower seeds and mixed seed.:eat:

I don't know...the lengths some people will go to!...just to pick up an annual grdn. bird tick or two.

 

[joannec]

I don't know...the lengths some people will go to!...just to pick up an annual grdn. bird tick or two.

333

 

[Nutcracker]

FWIW....40 years ago whilst driving through wooded rural Perthshire, a Green Woodpecker flew out in front of the car narrowly missing the bonnet!

According to literature at the time "It shouldn't have been there!" :eek!:

They got right up to Speyside at one point, but the new BTO atlas suggests they're no longer there.

 

[Richard Prior]

They got right up to Speyside at one point, but the new BTO atlas suggests they're no longer there.

Probably got scared off by speeding Sassenach motorists

 

[Nutcracker]

Probably got scared off by speeding Sassenach motorists

3

Checked the Atlas, they are still on Speyside, just not very many.

 

[halftwo]

Just two species here. Great spot and Green.
There are Lessers within two miles - in suitable habitat. No chance here.

 

[KenM]

Probably got scared off by speeding Sassenach motorists

I had a man in front of the car....waving a red flag :-O

 

[Warixenjalka]

I went a bit mad this morning....£53 on a large bag each of peanuts, sunflower seeds and mixed seed.:eat:

I bought yesterday 25 kg bag of sunflower seeds. Just a 19,90 euros. I have some peanuts left for last winter, but soon have to bought those too...

 

[Richard Prior]

I bought yesterday 25 kg bag of sunflower seeds. Just a 19,90 euros. I have some peanuts left for last winter, but soon have to bought those too...

Wow, something that's cheaper in Finland than here- sunflower seeds!!
Wari, check last year's peanuts for any signs of mould, throw them away if they look to have gone off, they can be poisonous if they're mouldy.:eek!:

 

[BrendaA]

Didnt expect to add another bird to my list this late in year . Thought I saw
one yesterday but wasnt sure , seen it five times in bush today.

10 blue tits ,2 great tits ,3 chaffinch ,2 blackbirds, 1 robin more than 25 house sparrows, 1 ring collared dove think the four feeders on a pole and my patio and small ramp by kitchen door are their meal and meeting place several hours of the day. I agree its cheaper in Finland for sunflower seeds than here in France.

47 Mistle thursh

 

[timsg80]

23. Bush Stone-Curlew
A very nice garden bird. Two birds were calling for some time before they flew low over the garden! I'll be spending some more time at home over the next few days, so hopefully I'll have a chance to add to my total!

 

[Warixenjalka]

Wow, something that's cheaper in Finland than here- sunflower seeds!!
Wari, check last year's peanuts for any signs of mould, throw them away if they look to have gone off, they can be poisonous if they're mouldy.:eek!:

I wonder why in earth sunflower seeds can be cheaper in Finland than there further south, where they are propably grown up |8.| Maybe those are from some Eastern European country? I bought the seeds from local warehouse store (Tokmanni). They had a special offer. Normally price would be 25 - 30 euros, I think. How much they cost in France? What about in UK or elsewhere? Peanuts costs here much more than sunflower seeds or oats (I don't use oats usually - But at a christmas I put oat sheaf for like a present for birds). How much you pay for peanuts per kilo?

Indeed I noticed (last week) that the peanuts in a bottom of feeder were in mould and I throw them a way. I think that it is because of the weather (warm and rainy) but it can of course also be due to their old age. I am, however, sure that they were not moldy when I put them in the feeder.