Garden/Yard List 2022 (1 Viewer)

[Richard Prior]

If only I could actually see the streams and the river that are within hearing distance of the house like you can BH, Grey Wagtail is a tricky one for me here, just about annual despite it being a nearby resident. Still, I did just clock our only guaranteed ‘water’ bird lumbering up the valley:

40 Grey Heron

this means I’ve equalled my best ever January score with still four days to go, I know there are Goshawk around as the crows frequently get in a panic but seeing one is another matter…….

 

[KenM]

If only I could actually see the streams and the river that are within hearing distance of the house like you can BH, Grey Wagtail is a tricky one for me here, just about annual despite it being a nearby resident. Still, I did just clock our only guaranteed ‘water’ bird lumbering up the valley:

40 Grey Heron

this means I’ve equalled my best ever January score with still four days to go, I know there are Goshawk around as the crows frequently get in a panic but seeing one is another matter…….

Still 4 behind same time last year and not unlike you with Grey Wagtail Richard, I get Kingfisher in the stream just behind my abode that I rarely see, cos the buggers rarely fly at tree top, which I’d need in order to see…praps. one day my sapphire jewel will come…..

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

A slowish day, with little time spent in the garden. The pair of Bullfinches seem to be a regular feature now, but are often silent, to the point that the first I see of them is flying off from inside a bush as I approach. I wish I could just get a decent close up view of them.

One of the Little Grebes put in an appearance after not seeing any of them for some little while. The river at the back of the house is way to low at the moment to attract them, on the other hand there is plenty of exposed mud, perhaps it will attract a Wader (wishful thinking).

Working on the computer much of the day but did notice slightly more Gulls, and big Gulls, than usual. Could be to do with the nearby Pig-fields, the Westerly winds today means we could detect them by nose. Mid-afternoon delivered a flyby 2CY Caspian Gull for #61 almost the rarest Gull here, after Great Black-backed, surprisingly.

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

The Bullfinches seem to be a daily occurrence at the moment, but still struggling to get a decent shot of them, they’re either invisible in a bush or silhouetted at the top of a tree or flying off.

Blackcap heard early this morning, then a Male seen later in the day. There is a female about too though I’ve not seen her for a little while.

Got a fleeting glimpse of the back end of two Ducks flying over this morning, didn’t look like Mallard, most likely Goosander, but have to let them be the ones that got away. 2 Little Egrets about and the Kingfisher doing his thing.

Most exciting, and overdue, moment was seeing a Common Gull land on the Church tower briefly. It can now go on the ‘on the deck’ sub-list. Now 70% of the Garden list is non-flyover.


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[KenM]

Better late than never no.45…flyover Mallard.

Cheers

 

[dantheman]

Still 4 behind same time last year and not unlike you with Grey Wagtail Richard, I get Kingfisher in the stream just behind my abode that I rarely see, cos the buggers rarely fly at tree top, which I’d need in order to see…praps. one day my sapphire jewel will come…..

You need to put a garden pond in ...

 

[KenM]

You need to put a garden pond in ...

I did that nearly 40 years ago Dan!…and with low to no maintenance…it’s now an Iris bed with a leak in the liner!
The upside now is, that once it drains to a low level the poeciles and others, take great delight in bathing the shallows.👍

 

[aeshna5]

I did that nearly 40 years ago Dan!…and with low to no maintenance…it’s now an Iris bed with a leak in the liner!
The upside now is, that once it drains to a low level the poeciles and others, take great delight in bathing the shallows.👍

Surely you don't get Marsh or Willow Tit these days?

 

[KenM]

Surely you don't get Marsh or Willow Tit these days?

My last Marsh Tit pair were circa ‘85 on the peanut feeder, Willow Tits were gone (unfortunately didn’t chart their going exactly) mid to late ‘60’s when I was living with my parents c400m away. 😮

 

[halftwo]

MERLIN ..

just passed low !!

 

[KenM]

MERLIN ..

just passed low !!

Jammy Bugger!…..not envious at all. 😩👍

 

[aeshna5]

My last Marsh Tit pair were circa ‘85 on the peanut feeder, Willow Tits were gone (unfortunately didn’t chart their going exactly) mid to late ‘60’s when I was living with my parents c400m away. 😮

Thought it unlikely now though there are still a handful of Marsh Tits in the London recording area though outside the metropolitan area such as Bookham Common & possibly Amwell still.

 

[KenM]

Thought it unlikely now though there are still a handful of Marsh Tits in the London recording area though outside the metropolitan area such as Bookham Common & possibly Amwell still.

It’s fair to say A, that if I saw another Marsh Tit locally I would be somewhat ecstatic!
The last bird I saw locally was in 1990 on Chingford Plain.

 

[dantheman]

Presume you meant Parus Ken? Or is that taxonomy correct? Anyway, moving away from that confusion, presume you're checking it regularly for rare crakes and rails and the like ...

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

5 Siskin flitting around this morning, to add to the few Chaffinches, Greenfinches and more Goldfinches. It’s obviously good feeding for them at the moment, it might be why the pair of Bullfinches have continued to visit. I so nearly got a half decent photo today...getting closer.

Missed a flyover Sparrowhawk, but just about captured a passing Cormorant with my phone.



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[KenM]

Presume you meant Parus Ken? Or is that taxonomy correct? Anyway, moving away from that confusion, presume you're checking it regularly for rare crakes and rails and the like ...

“Tits” are probably better understood Dan…no ambiguity there😊.
Strangely there is a “bird bath” approximately 2m from the pond which attracted amongst others a Reed Warbler August ‘20…but never seen in the iris fringed pond!
And once again a Moorhen (single brief and only visit in ‘21) showed no interest in the pond, was preoccupied with sifting out critters from the grass lawn beneath the patio…..you just never can tell.😮

 

[halftwo]

Cormorant

this am. One of two most likely still missing (Mallard being the other.)

 

[Richard Prior]

Cormorant

this am. One of two most likely still missing (Mallard being the other.)

You’re finishing the month off with a flourish H!
Well, so am I, champagne tomorrow to celebrate a couple of things, not least the breaking of my January record here just now. With all the cows in their barns since November there are a few, er, ‘active’ dung heaps, the infamous Stonechat hosting one is still hidden by a large tree (Jos suggested I should have cut it down to add the chat to my Garden List😲). But the heap I can see just came up trumps with a jaunty


41 Grey Wagtail

feeding on it with Chaffinch!

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

Just looking out of my window at the right moment to see a Little Egret fly past! Other good January sightings in the front garden, 4x4 m, female Blackcap and 4 Long-tailed Tits.

 

[Steve Lister]

January 30th
42. Skylark - two separate birds heard high over, one singing
That was the highlight of my hour doing the RSPB garden birdwatch.
43. Mallard - wind in the right direction to hear them on the pond 0.8km away