Garden/Yard List 2020 (3 Viewers)

[KenM]

Can finally contribute to the list again.

55. Redwing

In the trees to the front of the house. Must work from the dining room table more often.

Switching to the front of house on one occasion, got me my only Sedge Warbler Rich...to be recommended.👍

 

[KC Foggin]

Good for you

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Switching to the front of house on one occasion, got me my only Sedge Warbler Rich...to be recommended.👍

Going to keep an eye out for a Fieldfare mixed in amongst them Ken. Surprisingly not on my garden list.

Cheers KC

Rich

 

[Gleb Berloff]

The only thing I have seen in my garden which intrigued me are frogs (probably not relevant) and a red-legged partridge which visited. In the immediate vicinity we have breeding great spotted woodpeckers and there is a green woodpecker doing the rounds around the city- it for some reason always exists in our region in the summer and then I find it somewhere else. A sparrowhawk displayed above my house as well.

 

[KenM]

The only thing I have seen in my garden which intrigued me are frogs (probably not relevant) and a red-legged partridge which visited. In the immediate vicinity we have breeding great spotted woodpeckers and there is a green woodpecker doing the rounds around the city- it for some reason always exists in our region in the summer and then I find it somewhere else. A sparrowhawk displayed above my house as well.

I would certainly welcome RLPartridge into my grdn. with open arms Gleb! Interesting you had Sprawk displaying this am they often do in good weather as indeed a calling (with partial display) Common Buzzard did for me earlier on.
Cheers

 

[Gleb Berloff]

I would certainly welcome RLPartridge into my grdn. with open arms Gleb! Interesting you had Sprawk displaying this am they often do in good weather as indeed a calling (with partial display) Common Buzzard did for me earlier on.
Cheers

This year I like to joke has been giving me a lot of things. I was stuck at home- and this partridge came over to remind me. I was upset I couldn't visit my relatives- and a comet brighter than Hale-Bopp appeared as well as impressive storms. I desired a storm in Spain in august and got way more than I bargained for. Finally, when I came over to Spain recently something extremely rare happened and thunderstorms swept the region and generously power-washed me when I was caught outside.
The sprawk lives nearby- I heard the chicks a lot during the summer. But the display happened in September.

 

[KenM]

With three weeks to go before year end, I can say that this year on the back of last year's 87 provided me with the impetus to give 2020 the ''Dawn to Dusk'' treatment! It's been a veritable marathon of time and effort, in no small part due to the Covid lockdown, which in itself has propelled me to new heights that I didn't think would be possible!
Originally aiming to hit the 90 target for the year, I found that I'd reached it on Aug.29th thus giving me the notion to go for the ton (which I think is now highly unlikely....unless there's a deep freeze in the interim), that said nos. apart, it's been the incidence of irregular scarce migrants that's concentrated the mind, no doubt the absence of vacation and the almost doubling of the hours in the ''crows nest'' has produced the difference between the two years.
The other oddity (albeit no two years being the same) has been the returning dates of Brambling (perhaps every other year and rarely in the garden) normally Dec/Jan., as is the case for Redpoll/Siskin, with this year arriving then disappearing.....8th October, 25th October and the 3rd of September respectively.
Still find the daily sightings of Legret (first one seen on a Corfu delta 40 yrs. ago) flying out of my neighbour's oak tree...just too incongruous for words) and perhaps the ''every other four day Firecrest'' in and out of the evergreens after an absence of several years, a real tonic and never taken for granted.

Looking forward to January 1st....a long lie in!....''err-err'' I mean Jan. 2nd. and lest I forget...a Merry Xmas to All.

 

[birdmeister]

I'm not ready to give a year-end report yet (very nice, Ken!), but do have some updates.

First, I really think I heard a redpoll overhead several days ago. That would be a yard first and a county lifer, quite a rare bird in these parts and a huge opportunity in a large irruption year. The good news is that there's still some time, and early next winter/spring there may be stragglers or northbound migrants for a "second wave" of sorts.

Second, there has been a peculiar and delightful junco in the yard, which I hope to attach pictures of below. It's a strikingly tan bird overall, with salmon flanks and a silvery-gray hood. One expert has commented that he think's it's an "Oregon" x "Pink-sided" intergrade! I, for one, don't think it's a pure Pink-sided but it certainly shows features of that subspecies.

 

[Richard Prior]

Good stuff folks, I didn't know about these Junco subspecies BM. You've done very well Ken, I would send you a Yellowhammer but they seem reluctant to leave us! I agree with BM, the curtain's not come down just yet but I was also thinking it would be great if contributors to the thread (if they had time) could to do a resumé of their garden listing highlights for this year, I suspect that due to various lockdowns, most will have had better than usual totals, as it stands I've beaten the best year in our four full years here by just one species, on 88 so far. What is odd though is that I'm missing 7 species that I saw here last year and four of those I've seen seen each year since our arrival - Alpine Accentor, Citril Finch, Redwing and Common Cuckoo, the others 'missing' are Cirl Bunting ( seen in 2 of the 4 years), Northern Wheatear and Pine Bunting (equally rare here( ) with one record each). December has seen three of the missing seven in previous years so I'm still hoping to reach the magic 90, especially with more snow forecast for the weekend.
The six new species for the Garden Life List in 2020 (so far, there's still time.........) were Short-toed Treecreeper, Great Cormorant, Bee Eater (heard only), Black Stork, Common Pheasant and Montagu's Harrier, so some quality birds especially for our altitude.
A few photos attached from the month so far, the Robin trying to keep warm in this morning's minus 6°C!

 

[KenM]

Good stuff folks, I didn't know about these Junco subspecies BM. You've done very well Ken, I would send you a Yellowhammer but they seem reluctant to leave us! I agree with BM, the curtain's not come down just yet but I was also thinking it would be great if contributors to the thread (if they had time) could to do a resumé of their garden listing highlights for this year, I suspect that due to various lockdowns, most will have had better than usual totals, as it stands I've beaten the best year in our four full years here by just one species, on 88 so far. What is odd though is that I'm missing 7 species that I saw here last year and four of those I've seen seen each year since our arrival - Alpine Accentor, Citril Finch, Redwing and Common Cuckoo, the others 'missing' are Cirl Bunting ( seen in 2 of the 4 years), Northern Wheatear and Pine Bunting (equally rare here( ) with one record each). December has seen three of the missing seven in previous years so I'm still hoping to reach the magic 90, especially with more snow forecast for the weekend.
The six new species for the Garden Life List in 2020 (so far, there's still time.........) were Short-toed Treecreeper, Great Cormorant, Bee Eater (heard only), Black Stork, Common Pheasant and Montagu's Harrier, so some quality birds especially for our altitude.
A few photos attached from the month so far, the Robin trying to keep warm in this morning's minus 6°C!

I'm not ready to give a year-end report yet (very nice, Ken!), but do have some updates.

First, I really think I heard a redpoll overhead several days ago. That would be a yard first and a county lifer, quite a rare bird in these parts and a huge opportunity in a large irruption year. The good news is that there's still some time, and early next winter/spring there may be stragglers or northbound migrants for a "second wave" of sorts.

Second, there has been a peculiar and delightful junco in the yard, which I hope to attach pictures of below. It's a strikingly tan bird overall, with salmon flanks and a silvery-gray hood. One expert has commented that he think's it's an "Oregon" x "Pink-sided" intergrade! I, for one, don't think it's a pure Pink-sided but it certainly shows features of that subspecies.

Certainly an intergrade Birdmeister wouldn’t like to venture which one though, albeit a great bird for the garden. Like you I’m not giving up yet, although I’m kinda resigned to a sub ton end result...but hey! there’s another 21 tomorrows.👍

 

[KenM]

Good stuff folks, I didn't know about these Junco subspecies BM. You've done very well Ken, I would send you a Yellowhammer but they seem reluctant to leave us! I agree with BM, the curtain's not come down just yet but I was also thinking it would be great if contributors to the thread (if they had time) could to do a resumé of their garden listing highlights for this year, I suspect that due to various lockdowns, most will have had better than usual totals, as it stands I've beaten the best year in our four full years here by just one species, on 88 so far. What is odd though is that I'm missing 7 species that I saw here last year and four of those I've seen seen each year since our arrival - Alpine Accentor, Citril Finch, Redwing and Common Cuckoo, the others 'missing' are Cirl Bunting ( seen in 2 of the 4 years), Northern Wheatear and Pine Bunting (equally rare here( ) with one record each). December has seen three of the missing seven in previous years so I'm still hoping to reach the magic 90, especially with more snow forecast for the weekend.
The six new species for the Garden Life List in 2020 (so far, there's still time.........) were Short-toed Treecreeper, Great Cormorant, Bee Eater (heard only), Black Stork, Common Pheasant and Montagu's Harrier, so some quality birds especially for our altitude.
A few photos attached from the month so far, the Robin trying to keep warm in this morning's minus 6°C!

Must say Richard, this month so far has been a “grind” with mostly damp grey skies to contend with and just the (almost) same cast of players each day.
Interestingly like you, I’ve also had 6 garden lifers this year- Brent Geese x33, a “sky dancing” Male Marsh Harrier (over the most unlikely habitat!), Wheatear, Raven, Melodious Warbler and Moorhen and all supported by an amazing incidence of irregular scarce migrants, couldn’t say whether the former six outshone the latter...one to ponder? As the old saying goes..”It ain’t over till the xxx lady sings“, hopefully it’s just the one! 😂

 

[Euan Buchan]

Well this is very exciting just had my second ever Blackcap visit the feeders. Been a few years since I last saw one in the garden.

 

[Richard Prior]

Nice on Euan! Do they winter further north in Scotland do you know?

 

[Euan Buchan]

Nice on Euan! Do they winter further north in Scotland do you know?

Not sure I haven't really seen them in winter before. Saw them a lot on my local patch in Spring.

 

[Jeff Woad]

Must say Richard, this month so far has been a “grind” with mostly damp grey skies to contend with and just the (almost) same cast of players each day.
Interestingly like you, I’ve also had 6 garden lifers this year- Brent Geese x33, a “sky dancing” Male Marsh Harrier (over the most unlikely habitat!), Wheatear, Raven, Melodious Warbler and Moorhen and all supported by an amazing incidence of irregular scarce migrants, couldn’t say whether the former six outshone the latter...one to ponder? As the old saying goes..”It ain’t over till the xxx lady sings“, hopefully it’s just the one! 😂

Wow, an inland Melodious is an incredible record and would outshine pretty much anything- I'm guessing rarer than the likes of Dusky Warbler, Black-t Thrush, and maybe even Bluetail after this year!?

 

[KenM]

Wow, an inland Melodious is an incredible record and would outshine pretty much anything- I'm guessing rarer than the likes of Dusky Warbler, Black-t Thrush, and maybe even Bluetail after this year!?

Well Jeff, I’ve had a Naumann’s Thrush, a Desert Lesser Whitethroat and Three Yellow-browed Warblers since 1990 to name but a few...was able to image all except this year’s Melodious and YBW, keep the faith.👍

 

[Euan Buchan]

Wow yesterday it was a Blackcap and now just seen a Bullfinch at the feeder...that’s a first time ever I’ve seen one on the feeders.

 

[Euan Buchan]

Wow yesterday it was a Blackcap and now just seen a Bullfinch at the feeder...that’s a first time ever I’ve seen one on the feeders.

Also a Redwing just flew in.

 

[Jeff Woad]

Well Jeff, I’ve had a Naumann’s Thrush, a Desert Lesser Whitethroat and Three Yellow-browed Warblers since 1990 to name but a few...was able to image all except this year’s Melodious and YBW, keep the faith.👍

The Thrush was an awesome record, and still a major blocker- did it visit your garden?

 

[Richard Prior]

Never had a Bullfinch on the feeders but had a visit from this bully today!