Garden/Yard List 2019 (1 Viewer)

[halftwo]

55: Goldcrest.

Heard only.

 

[Richard Prior]

Just as Jos found, our Black Woodpeckers have also been absent this winter, despite the warmer than average temperatures there is still a lot of snow lying which may be discouraging them from returning just yet.
At least one of the male Yellowhammers has started singing now although we still have a feeding flock of around a dozen that are in winter mode you might say.

Still, we were pleased to hear the first returning

35 Song Thrush

singing on Friday, a week earlier than last year and five days later than in 2017. If Black Woodpecker isn't our next new one I'm guessing White Wagtail might be, there was one in the village just 1km away on Friday.

 

[Toby Tyke]

Only the last is realistically possible here!

That’s the beauty of overlooking the valley. Get lots of flyovers.

 

[KenM]

Always hoped for, didn’t get any last year...however this am a Brambling no.54.

 

[Richard Prior]

Four additions in a twelve hour purple patch, the first heard last night and the three others in the space of fifteen minutes this morning:

36 Tawny Owl
37 Starling
38 Willow Tit
39 Black Woodpecker

We have had no Willow Tit on the feeders all winter even though they live in the forest nearby. So a welcome sight!

 

[halftwo]

56: Whooper Swan

Heard only, thanks to open window!! Jammed in!!

 

[KenM]

So far this year I'm still waiting for that tell-tale Crow alarm call that signals a Goshawk in the vicinity, they(the Crows) are doing their croaking alarm now when Buzzards pass over, but the "Watch out there's a Gos about" call is altogether louder and more anxious (especially if it's a female:eek!:, as Wari says his bird will be a male if it was the same size as the Hoodies).

Interestingly Richard, I wholeheartedly agree with your comment regarding Corvid vocal response to raptors. For me it’s either a frantic “caw-caw” or a soft “crick” which I think is more often than not, used when Accips.are about. However on Saturday in Eastern England , I was scanning over rolling farmland adjacent to the end of a hedgerow and telegraph pole, watching several Buzzards on high, and was attracting one closer, with my (much practised) “pew” calls, when I heard just normal Corvid calls, certainly nothing exceptional with the “pitch” or frequency, I almost didn’t bother looking up. I’d have regretted it for evermore had I not!.....looking up perhaps 4m above the telegraph pole, coming towards out of a perfect blue sky, an immature Gos! framed by 4 Corvids, needless to say the resulting images were quite simply...to use an “Americanism” simply awesome, will publish later. The moral to this is “ya never can tell”. :t:

 

[Toby Tyke]

56: Whooper Swan

Heard only, thanks to open window!! Jammed in!!

Had 2 groups(c45 birds) fly over me this morning.
Unfortunately I was in Doncaster.
Always tomorrow 😢

 

[halftwo]

Amazed to see a

57: Blackcap

in the garden at 7 am !!!

There's global warming for you!

 

[Richard Prior]

Amazed to see a

57: Blackcap

in the garden at 7 am !!!

There's global warming for you!

Crumbs, you’ll be getting Dartford Warblers next!
Doing the chores here can reap rewards at times, I was just putting stuff into the compost bin and heard an unmistakeable delicate flight call, illuminated by the bright sun and under lit by the snow two very smart

40 Citril Finch

flew over, heading towards the higher slopes.
Did a little bit of sneaky 'scoping of the valley below later on and on the roof of the farm spotted

41 White Wagtail
already back on territory, our pair should be back in about 10 days, but with this warm weather who knows?

 

[KenM]

A bounding Hawfinch just!...over canopy no.55.

 

[halftwo]

A bounding Hawfinch just!...over canopy no.55.

Jammy bu.. er, well done, Ken.

 

[KenM]

Jammy bu.. er, well done, Ken.

Cheers H!...My best “jammies” this year have been Treeper, pale morph Buzzard (a 1st), Brambling, Hawfinch and the biggest bombshell RBM (also a 1st), however no House Sparrow, Greenfinch, Bullfinch or Redpoll what are you lacking so far?

 

[Steve Lister]

February 27th.

52. Yellowhammer
53. Siskin

Both unseen flyovers high in a clear blue sky.

Steve

 

[halftwo]

58: Linnet

a single one over today.

Still need one or two things, Ken: Redpoll springs to mind, Mipit, Skylark...

 

[birdmeister]

Things are very quiet here, but finally two ducks came close enough for me to confirm

40. Mallard (f)


Temperatures are lower than normal and should stay that way for a while...:-C



Last year at this time we had many, many blackbirds flying past. The waves have not arrived yet, just occasional pairs and small groups.

 

[Richard Prior]

Any sort of duck would be a mega here (though last year our neighbour described what sounded like Goosander flying down the valley so I live in hope).
So garden listers, two months gone, erratic weather conditions for a lot of us, how are your end of Feb totals comparing to 2018? On 41 species I am one ahead of last year's 40 (all of which were in January incidentally, February added nothing last year).
There are three Water Pipits in the fields betwen us and the village but sneaky scoping has not helped so far. A Black Redsart also back on territory in the village, both species earlier than usual, today's return to wintry conditions might make them retreat again though.

 

[Steve Lister]

February 28th.

54. Grey Heron

Richard - not quite as high an end of February total as last year, though I can't remember exactly what it was.

Steve

 

[Jos Stratford]

February ended on a good note - highly unusual for February in Lithuania, six Cranes already back on my land, two Whooper Swans, a flock of about 30 grey geese flying over (unfortunately saw too late to nail an id), loads of freshly back Skylarks singing and the return of Rooks, first two back for the summer.

26. Skylark
27. Rook

 

[Toby Tyke]

No 60. Shelduck.
Just had a pair fly down the valley as I was filling the feeders.
Going much better than I expected. My first attempt at a garden list since I retired so now get to spend more time at home.
Think 80-90 species is doable this year.