Garden/Yard List 2022 (1 Viewer)

[Richard Prior]

Incredible, what a month this is turning into!
Just had a Kingfisher flying South through the gardens.😮def. hard weather movement, as the stream behind is the only water moving at present, with both lakes and ponds solid, no.85 on your tail Richard! 😊

Yikes, if only that Lesser spot would come closer, it’s getting nail bitingly close😬

 

[KenM]

Thank ye gods for the big freeze! at 15.55pm hunting the sky for Snipe/Woodcock, knowing that now would be the time for either to show up, against the peachy hues of the sky…bereft of sun, from the only running water in the area. Snipe arose from the stream (first one for donkey’s years) creased the airspace over the garden with me punching the air!
I was hoping fervently that “minus six” would deliver…and it did just. No.86. 😮😊👍

 

[halftwo]

Well, that puts you ahead of me for my previous list!
If I were to add the extras for this one though....🙂

 

[Richard Prior]

Well, that puts you ahead of me for my previous list!
If I were to add the extras for this one though....🙂

There’s nothing like a bit of creative accounting H !

 

[KenM]

Well, that puts you ahead of me for my previous list!
If I were to add the extras for this one though....🙂

I think that’s entirely acceptable H!
Don’t believe that BFGYListing stipulates garden (singular) for the year.

Nothing in the small print exempts another garden, only that the recording falls between Jan1.-Dec 31st.
After all, you may well have recorded new species at your old abode, that you won’t be recording at your new one.

C’est la vie….as Richard might put it.👍😉

 

[Richard Prior]

C’est la vie?? Sounds more like Anarchy in the UK to me Ken, one list per garden makes more sense pour moi

 

[Steve Lister]

At last, in my 327th garden watch of the year.......

December 16th
72. Lapwing - wonderful sight of 28 heading SW in the early morning sun - obviously cold weather movement

Apart from unusual numbers of Herring Gulls and random small flocks of Fieldfares going over this is the only CWM I have noticed despite ten days when the temperatures have been down to -7 overnight and scarcely broken zero during the day. No real snow though, which makes the difference.
Two Dartford Warblers turned up about 15 miles away yesterday, in Notts unfortunately as they would be the first ever in Leics/Rutland, so the cold snap might yet produce another surprise or two before it ends on Sunday.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Barely a week or so after Lynx, big predator number two plodding through the deep snow on my land this day ...lone Wolf in across the meadow, close by the grain box, no doubt interested in the abundance of Roe Deer tracks that gravitate to the feeder, then onward into the forest and across the now frozen and snow-covered flooded zone.

Simply massive numbers of birds at the feeders these days, a conservative estimate of Great Tits alone several hundred. Each and every feeder has a dozen or so associated.

 

[Richard Prior]

At last, in my 327th garden watch of the year.......

Blimey Steve, well done (and I thought I didn’t get out and about much !). eBird tells me I’ve submitted 250 Yard/Garden lists in 2022 so I’m a real lightweight compared to you (though I seem to have done the most in France this year!)
Like Jos, we had a canine visitor (in the middle of the night, images captured by the trail camera), unfortunately it was one of the farm’s Border Collies which found the bits of fish skin I’d left out for the Wildcat…..
Birdwise we’ve had no real changes as here the weather hasn’t altered drastically as further north and west in Europe, a new group of around a dozen Hawfinch about the only development this week.

 

[halftwo]

No new ones for me, but really pleased with numbers of Golden Plover, Lapwing, Snipe, with another Peregrine & Barn Owl this morning.
My front doorstep is thick with Kestrel droppings & pellets, which, to most people would be a problem, but I'm happy that it has chosen my drainpipe to roost on.
Still waiting on a few species that should be possible, with Woodcock, Goldcrest & Red legs all seen very close by.

 

[KenM]

a new group of around a dozen Hawfinch about the only development this week.

“only”…..some people have all the luck, not to mention Yellow Bunting! 😩
A long vigil today for Woodcock etc….alas to no avail, pushed me out to my patch for another last look at the tundra wastes slowly melting away (will be gone come Monday, with temps pushing 12c 😩)
However I bumped into a “bonus”, in the shape of Accipiter nisus coming straight at me and into the sun! 🤩

 

[Steve Lister]

December 20th.
73. Goosander - two flew south
Actually also new for my 10km 'LocalBigYear' too, taking me to 125.

A few other bits and pieces moving today - a flock of 28 Fieldfares went SW, as did two small flocks of Redwings, and ten Starlings south.

 

[Richard Prior]

December 20th.
73. Goosander - two flew south
Actually also new for my 10km 'LocalBigYear' too, taking me to 125.

A few other bits and pieces moving today - a flock of 28 Fieldfares went SW, as did two small flocks of Redwings, and ten Starlings south.

Ooh, Goosander, still waiting to see one here, that’s one of the few species within 10km not on the Garden List, but a difference of 53 Steve, between Garden and 10km is huge, is Rutland Water in the 10km range?
The crows doing their ‘Gos panic calls’ earlier helped me see not one but two female Goshawk fly low out of the forest, one chasing the other, then a bit of a skirmish with calls directly overhead before they went back the way they came, the crows keeping a safe distance above them the whole time. I’m guessing it was a territorial dispute or an adult deciding it’s time for this year’s youngster to leave the neighbourhood.

 

[halftwo]

An expected addition today:

57 : Goldcrest

 

[Steve Lister]

is Rutland Water in the 10km range?

No, afraid not Richard. If it was my total would be a lot better than 125, more like 165.
But I do have Swithland Reservoir 4.1 km away - it has produced 110 species for me this year.

 

[halftwo]

Another addition this evening:

58: Little Owl

Loud & clear.
A neighbour had told me they were about, but this the 1st sign.

 

[KenM]

A somewhat odd last quarter for moi this year!
Three grdn.ticks in Oct. nowt in Nov. and seven in Dec…so far!
I have the “ten day tundra” to mostly thank for that, with an unprecedented set of separate sightings (4) for West bound Lapwings over several days plus the same no. of heard/seen for Common Snipe….more for both species than the last ten years!
I’ll be “gunning” hopefully till year end…trying to catch Richard with eyes set on organ stops for Woodcock/House Sparrow indeed anything…I’m not too fussy!😊

 

[Richard Prior]

Examples of 'location location location' playing a significant part in 4th quarter 'new' sightings for you and Steve Ken, on checking years 2018 -2022 I find garden year ticks Oct - Dec are 5,4,3,1,3 respectively!
Hard weather movements that our UK contingent have recently witnessed don't really happen in our Alpine valley, though down on the plain just 30 kms away Lapwing, Golden Plover and 'fuite hivernale' (winter escape) of Red Kite and Common Buzzard have recently occurred. Local altitudinal movements after heavy snow happen though, for example last Saturday we found two Alpine Accentor at the nearby farm and our biggest flock of Fieldfare of the year (c120) but numbers of the latter are once again in single figures now a big thaw has set in.
Last year's 90 species was the best so far, since 2018 totals for the year are 86, 85, 89, 90 and this year 87 (unless that pesky Lesserpecker moves within view/hearing🤞).

 

[halftwo]

59: Woodcock

at last gasp sunset

Also 2 duck which were probably Teal, but not good enough to see to tick.

 

[KenM]

59: Woodcock

at last gasp sunset

Also 2 duck which were probably Teal, but not good enough to see to tick.

You’re not supposed to exceed your quota H!!!
At this rate you’ll be overhauling moi…not in the script!😥