Garden / Yard List 2021 (1 Viewer)

[KenM]

Rule One of photography: never, ever, ever let your camera out of arm's length......

John

It replaces my St.Christopher..😮

 

[KenM]

Never expected!...but always well received. no.62.🙂

 

[halftwo]

55 : Grey Wagtail

One past.

 

[Richard Prior]

55 : Grey Wagtail

One past.

Grrrrr, I mean, jolly well done H😬 Along with Dipper, Grey Wag is a resident species breeding less than 1km away but I’m lucky if I get one or two sightings in a year ( and Dipper not at all yet). With a change to snow/sleet conditions the Hawfinches reappeared yesterday, around now is when I have my best (but slim) chances of Citril Finch or Rock Bunting passing through. Here’s hoping...

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

11 Grey Herons in the trees behind the house is very unusual for my location.

 

[Richard Prior]

11 Grey Herons in the trees behind the house is very unusual for my location.

Very odd Rich, are you anywhere near a heronry? In our region we get migratory flocks but I assume in UK they are resident or go more coastal in winter?

Just been trying to count the flock of Chaffinch that has appeared in the field between us and Uncle Henri’s Christmas tree plantation and jammed onto a

48 Goldcrest

in one of his trees. I thought I might struggle with this one this year and in the future as the three conifers near the house were chopped down last year by our neighbour, but thanks to Tonton Henri I’ve managed Crested Tit and Goldcrest after all!

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

There’s a Heronry about 15 miles away Rich. We fairly regularly get a couple flying over but never in double figures. That side of the mountain catches the early morning sun (when we get it in Wales ) so maybe that’s why they were there??

Rich

 

[Richard Prior]

The sun? In Wales? Surely shome misshtake! Swirling low cloud here most of the morning so the photo of our (well the lower part of it is ours) field looking up to Uncle's plantation is a bit dull but you get the idea of the distance involved, so no nice close ups of Goldcrest likely through the kitchen window anymore.
Sadly we discovered on Saturday that the little copse of hawthorn etc (the closest Red-backed Shrike nest site, from the house I can hear the male calling each May/June) was grubbed out by the farmer last week, still, plenty of choice habitat remains and the goats need the grazing which eventually leads to the superb cheese we can buy later
A very dull Yellowhammer yesterday with c30 others got me all of a flutter briefly (see photo) but it's a Yellowhammer all the same. The Welsh sun has just arrived (ta) so I snapped a group of 'Yellow Bunting' just for Ken

 

[KenM]

The sun? In Wales? Surely shome misshtake! Swirling low cloud here most of the morning so the photo of our (well the lower part of it is ours) field looking up to Uncle's plantation is a bit dull but you get the idea of the distance involved, so no nice close ups of Goldcrest likely through the kitchen window anymore.
Sadly we discovered on Saturday that the little copse of hawthorn etc (the closest Red-backed Shrike nest site, from the house I can hear the male calling each May/June) was grubbed out by the farmer last week, still, plenty of choice habitat remains and the goats need the grazing which eventually leads to the superb cheese we can buy later
A very dull Yellowhammer yesterday with c30 others got me all of a flutter briefly (see photo) but it's a Yellowhammer all the same. The Welsh sun has just arrived (ta) so I snapped a group of 'Yellow Bunting' just for Ken

G-r-r-r.....I’ll take that in the spirit of “ Little-bit-of-bread-and-no-tease” Richard 😄
Had (believe my 3rd this year flyover yesterday), the only difference was..I managed a shot in “the gloom” and this am, wing-flicking in the sun no.63, my earliest by 5 days Chiff Chaff. 🙂

 

[birdmeister]

A fantastic morning was had in the yard today. It was goose Moving Day! Estimates of migrants included 2,600 Snow (plus a couple thousand locals) and a staggering 30,000 Canada, possibly a new county record! Among them were at least 1-2

44. Cackling Goose

I'm plenty relieved to have them out of the way for the year. Towards the end of the fun, I may have seen a flock of Tundra Swans (would be 2nd yard record), but they descended out of sight. Darn! All of that was wiped away, though, when a flock of 14

45. Northern Pintail (new yard bird!!!)

flew over! The final addition of the morning was a very anticlimactic

46. Rock Pigeon

The "damage" was done, though. Other highlights included migrant Killdeer (1), crow sp. (22), American Robin (60ish), and a new flyover high count of 7 Horned Larks. Blackbird numbers broke yard record numbers again, with totals of:

Red-winged Blackbird - 5900
Common Grackle - 3700
blackbird sp. - 4100


All while SW winds are pumping in a warm breeze. I'll attach some photos which could go right up there with Ken's "masterpieces" , but are good enough for ID. Cackling Goose (x2), skeins of Canadas, the pintail flock, and an immature Red-shouldered Hawk showing those "crescents" to perfection.

 

[KenM]

You can’t beat challenging shots Birdmeister! you’ve got to stretch the buggers!

 

[Richard Prior]

Some fantastic migration for you in the USA Birdmeister, top stuff!
As it was still before 9am and minus 2C I’m not sure whether my latest addition this morning was migrating or a newly arrived potential breeder, anyway nice to see a

49 Red Kite

Declining in most of its breeding range in France but on the increase here thanks to the growing Swiss population, hopefully they’ll nest in our valley this year.
Other exciting news is a pair of Siskin are still here, the male doing regular song display flights, despite being the most forested département they are rare proved to breed in Haute Savoie.

 

[Euan Buchan]

Just seen a Male Siskin & Female Siskin on the feeder.

 

[birdmeister]

Two local

47. Mallards

were new on another nice morning.

 

[halftwo]

TREE SPARROW

A garden tick!! No.56

 

[Richard Prior]

TREE SPARROW

A garden tick!! No.56

Wow, well done H, I imagine they’re not too common around Barnsley!

 

[Farnboro John]

A bit of sun after the wind and rain of the last couple of days and the first Goldcrest of the year in the Buddleia.

43. Goldcrest

Very nice to see but too quick for the camera in the twiggage.

John

 

[birdmeister]

Nice Tree Sparrow record H!

I had my own shocking yard addition when at 9:20 PM last night, a

48. Sandhill Crane (new yard bird!)

let out a bugle as heard from my bedroom window! I was at the other end of the room and rushed over to the window, just in time to hear one more quiet call. Sandhill Cranes are quite rare here (usually ~1-2 county records per year), and there has already been one photographed over the local reservoir this year.

 

[Richard Prior]

Nice Tree Sparrow record H!

I had my own shocking yard addition when at 9:20 PM last night, a

48. Sandhill Crane (new yard bird!)

let out a bugle as heard from my bedroom window! I was at the other end of the room and rushed over to the window, just in time to hear one more quiet call. Sandhill Cranes are quite rare here (usually ~1-2 county records per year), and there has already been one photographed over the local reservoir this year.

Ah, Benny Goodman’s Bugle Call Rag, that would be nice to hear through the bedroom window. I heard a singing Fieldfare myself at dawn this morning, though calling it a song is stretching it a bit, hard to believe it’s related to Song Thrush when you compare their efforts! The second migrating Red Kite of the week heading north at midday and displaying Sparrowhawk the other highlights here, 31 species for the garden day list.
Late winter snow forecast here for the next few days so the feeders replenished!

 

[halftwo]

Wow, well done H, I imagine they’re not too common around Barnsley!

They're not rare just a mile or two away, just never seen one in the village