Garden / Yard List 2023 (1 Viewer)

[birdmeister]

Today was just one of those great days. A night of migration gave way to a pleasant mix of sun and clouds, plus a faint ESE breeze. Conditions were good for a morning flight.

I ended up with 332 migrants, and it's clear that the balance of migrants has shifted! Far fewer orioles, doves, and kingbirds, while sparrows are way up and Cliff Swallows have been replaced by Violet-Greens. Blackbirds are just hitting the "go" button, too, and you never know what will show up. By far, the star of the show were the Vaux's Swifts. Today's tally of 81 was outstanding (previous known county high was 12!), and I was kept entertained by their low flyovers all morning. Raptors even put in a dash of spice to the flight, including my favorite raptor to see in the desert. I'll include the full totals today, to show how it's all changing.

White-winged Dove - 1
Vaux's Swift - 81
hummingbird sp - 4
Killdeer - 2
Osprey - 1
Swainson's Hawk - 1
raptor sp - 1
Say's Phoebe - 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 1
Violet-green Swallow - 50
Barn Swallow - 2 (first ones since March)
swallow sp - 44
Phainopepla - 1
Chipping Sparrow - 1
Brewer's Sparrow - 3
Spizella sp. - 13
Lark Sparrow - 2
Lark Bunting - 3
Vesper Sparrow - 1 (first of fall)
sparrow sp - 12
Yellow-breasted Chat - 1 (2nd yard record, previously heard only!)
Yellow-headed Blackbird - 4

114. Brewer's Blackbird - 1

blackbird sp - 3
MacGillivray's Warbler - 1
Common Yellowthroat - 1 (2nd yard record)
Yellow Warbler - 1
warbler sp - 16
Western Tanager - 5
Black-headed Grosbeak - 1
Lazuli Bunting - 1
bunting sp - 2
passerine sp - 68
bird sp - 1 (swift?)


Photos on such a busy day were challenging, but here are a few. I really loved the chat, which flashed its bright yellow right past my face on the way to the mesquite tree. Other photos include Lark Bunting and a gorgeous adult dark morph Swainson's Hawk.

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

Today was just one of those great days. A night of migration gave way to a pleasant mix of sun and clouds, plus a faint ESE breeze. Conditions were good for a morning flight.

I ended up with 332 migrants, and it's clear that the balance of migrants has shifted! Far fewer orioles, doves, and kingbirds, while sparrows are way up and Cliff Swallows have been replaced by Violet-Greens. Blackbirds are just hitting the "go" button, too, and you never know what will show up. By far, the star of the show were the Vaux's Swifts. Today's tally of 81 was outstanding (previous known county high was 12!), and I was kept entertained by their low flyovers all morning. Raptors even put in a dash of spice to the flight, including my favorite raptor to see in the desert. I'll include the full totals today, to show how it's all changing.

White-winged Dove - 1
Vaux's Swift - 81
hummingbird sp - 4
Killdeer - 2
Osprey - 1
Swainson's Hawk - 1
raptor sp - 1
Say's Phoebe - 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 1
Violet-green Swallow - 50
Barn Swallow - 2 (first ones since March)
swallow sp - 44
Phainopepla - 1
Chipping Sparrow - 1
Brewer's Sparrow - 3
Spizella sp. - 13
Lark Sparrow - 2
Lark Bunting - 3
Vesper Sparrow - 1 (first of fall)
sparrow sp - 12
Yellow-breasted Chat - 1 (2nd yard record, previously heard only!)
Yellow-headed Blackbird - 4

114. Brewer's Blackbird - 1

blackbird sp - 3
MacGillivray's Warbler - 1
Common Yellowthroat - 1 (2nd yard record)
Yellow Warbler - 1
warbler sp - 16
Western Tanager - 5
Black-headed Grosbeak - 1
Lazuli Bunting - 1
bunting sp - 2
passerine sp - 68
bird sp - 1 (swift?)


Photos on such a busy day were challenging, but here are a few. I really loved the chat, which flashed its bright yellow right past my face on the way to the mesquite tree. Other photos include Lark Bunting and a gorgeous adult dark morph Swainson's Hawk.

We need to swap gardens. 😉

 

[Richard Prior]

Or, it could be time to move

No chance, even though the chance of seeing skuas down by Lac Léman is tempting, I think I’ll stay up here in ‘dem hills’ Frank.
The Garden List Police are slacking, I can’t have Merlin as No.86 because eBird reminds me it was already No 53 back in March, oops.
A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker today was only the second for the year, another Pied Flycatcher and a male Merlin puts Autumn ahead of Spring now! It was another ten raptor species day with good visibility, I even managed to see 2 Roe Deer and 2 Wild Boar despite the hunting having started now - time to start wearing ‘me tin hat’.

 

[Richard Prior]

And with one bound he was free!!!

86 Marsh Harrier

Two migrating south this morning.

 

[Steve Lister]

Going through yet another very quiet period despite lots of trying.
My first Skylarks of the autumn this morning, two heading SW.
A flock of 40 Blue Tits yesterday.

 

[KenM]

No chance, even though the chance of seeing skuas down by Lac Léman is tempting, I think I’ll stay up here in ‘dem hills’ Frank.

Lac Leman has been good to me over the
years Richard, 4 Skuas, Whiskered Tern,
and a Sabines.
So come on down!…dip ye’r toes and join the
“Webbers”. 😉

 

[Richard Prior]

Lac Leman has been good to me over the
years Richard, 4 Skuas, Whiskered Tern,
and a Sabines.
So come on down!…dip ye’r toes and join the
“Webbers”. 😉

If only I had the time, there’s the cattle trough to finish de-rusting and then painting for one thing, anyway if I go down to such a low altitude I might get a nose bleed
I missed a mega the other week when one of the young White-tailed Eagles from the reintroduction scheme based down by the lake must have flown over the house ( or near it) judging by the satellite tracking data I’ve been passed by Bittern. What with Bald Ibis beginning to show signs of spreading under their own steam now I could be in for an interesting next few years…..

 

[KenM]

Despite Thursday’s 4 Greenfinches, Willow Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher, also not forgetting my 2nd Lesser Whitethroat on Friday, it’s been hands clasped together with gratitude for my “still” daily Chiffies!
The North/South “corridor” is still working albeit only for the one species at present, certainly way past my peak (Aug-early Sep).
Unsure of what to expect now….if any, although October had thrown up some goodies in the past.
As it stands, my thoughts are less fanciful than they might be, am still hoping for a rogue Pied Wagtail, Egyptian Goose or House Sparrow.🙏

 

[Frank van Drogen]

I guess at the brink, and probably on its way south, a Chiffchaff visited my garden yesterday.

#23

 

[KenM]

I guess at the brink, and probably on its way south, a Chiffchaff visited my garden yesterday.

#23

Hopefully you’ll get a few more Frank before October end?

 

[Jos Stratford]

Remaining hot and sunny, a mere trickle of migrants in recent days, but did include my fourth Kestrel of the year (best ever annual total, excluding one year when a pair bred locally) and my first Hen Harrier of the season

142. Hen Harrier

 

[Frank van Drogen]

Hopefully you’ll get a few more Frank before October end?

Not so sure, since spring there were plenty of Chiffchaffs in the local forest, and Willow Warblers too. Didn't see any in the garden yet -- 700 meter distance

 

[KenM]

I generally pick up on Chiffies in the garden Frank, when they target tits on and around the
feeders.
For me, activity is generally best the first couple of hours after dawn, during which time “chase” often takes place. 👍

 

[birdmeister]

Back on the 15th, I went out again and had 200 migrants under blue skies after heavy overnight movement. By far the leaders, to my delight, were another 86 Vaux's Swifts! The other highlight was my first Western Meadowlark of the fall.

This morning was quieter, with 126 migrants and a bit less variety. Still, a female Brewer's Blackbird was nice, and 56 more Vaux's Swifts zipped past. I'm so curious what the final tally for them will be at the end of the season. I think they'll only be in significant numbers for another week or so.

 

[Warixenjalka]

I am definitely fallible, and it is very well possible that I am wrong (I checked on Faune-france, and there are some rare observations of Nutcracker in the September time frame over the years, both to the north and to the south of us.)

I also considered some other possibilities -- would a young Raven be an option? Ravens seem to be more prevalent -- but I thought they'd be bigger by now?

IMHO Jays are most often confused for Nutcrackers. But that happens mostly by flying birds.

 

[Warixenjalka]

Last weekend from Kotka garden:

#47. Goldcrest

 

[birdmeister]

This morning started with a flaming orange sunrise, followed by a blanket of clouds. Not bad for spotting birds, that's for sure. The flight ended up being lighter than I expected (89 total migrants), but the quality was excellent. Highlights are below:

Vaux's Swift - 31
falcon sp - 1 (just missed confirming yard first Merlin...)
Lark Bunting - 1
Yellow Warbler - 2
Black-throated Gray Warbler - 1
Wilson's Warbler - 1
Western Tanager - 1

And best of all, two new yard species!

115. Green-tailed Towhee (new yard species #133)

116. Hermit Warbler (new yard species #134 and a lifer!)

I expected both of these at some point. GT Towhee (my favorite towhee) comes to lower deserts for the winter. Hermit Warbler is by far more common in high-elevation pine forest, but every spring and fall a sprinkling are found in lower deserts.

 

[halftwo]

A surprisingly long time coming:

87: Redpoll

Just a flyover.

 

[Warixenjalka]

Yesterday evening from Pori's garden:

XLI Common Crane

 

[hookem2010]

I will keep my list going just so you Europeans don't think every American has the yard Birdmeister does (although I only had to travel a few miles to get my lifer hermit warbler, a Travis County first record (not found by me)).

#59 Scissor-tail flycatcher- flying over the driveway while loading the baby into the car. They're fairly common around my neighborhood so I had to double-check that I hadn't reported one from home yet.
Hopefully when the baby starts daycare in a few weeks and we get down to double-digit temperatures, I can spend more time in the yard for the rest of fall migration.