In the last few days of the year 4 Little Grebes turned up (3 together) and a Chiffchaff heard.
2023 ended with a total of 102 species for the garden. 4 species were new; Shoveler seen as flyovers in three months of the year, Mediterranean Gull - a vocal summer-plumaged bird which I had seen further down the river did the decent thing and appeared over the garden in two different months, Pied Flycatcher which spent the whole afternoon in the scrub at the back and finally 4 Waxwings which spent a day in early December scoffing Sorbus berries - 2 put in a 10 second appearance early the next day. Garden list now on 135 after 5 1/2 years.
Winners this year:
Red Kite seen in double the amount of months compared to 2022, just Jan & Dec lacking records now, no doubt will continue its march across West Suffolk and turn up more frequently. Still yet to see one perched from the garden.
Cetti's Warbler also continuing to occur more frequently, this year saw the first autumn records and multiple individuals, having bred very nearby.
Cuckoo stayed for 3 months, so I am counting that as a local breeder, of course it is impossible to know how many individuals I heard/saw, but both male and female seen. Obtained my earliest and latest garden dates in 2023.
Marsh Harrier, previously just annual but seen twice this year (and Jan 1st 2024) definitely on the up.
Green Sandpiper was new in 2022 but seen in two months in 2023, just need one on the deck now.
Losers this year:
Shelduck - disappointingly no sightings. Possibly the location of local Pig fields affecting these, though a close breeder.
Lesser Whitethroat, also no sightings of what was a just about annual bird.
Great Black-backed Gull, just seen in 1 month as opposed to 4 the previous year. Pig Field re-location affecting these too?
Lapwing - just 12 individuals on one day, the lack of hard weather presumably accounting for this.
Peregrine, no very local wintering birds and unlike the last 2 summers no post-fledging youngster turned up on the local church, just 1 sighting compared to 100+ bird/days last year.
Nuthatch just scraped in 1 sighting, just a few years ago they prospected a nest whole near the front door and were seen/heard in 10 months of the year. There are still local birds just along the river, so hopefully the will spread back down our way again in time.
Green Woodpecker is a strange one, seen/heard all year except the summer when they clear off to breed, this year they didn't return in the autumn, so just seen in 4 months. I wonder if the same issue that is affecting the Nuthatches is affecting GW, if so what?
Mistle Thrush is similar to Green Woodpecker, though it has bred within sight of the garden. This year they didn't and also didn't return in the autumn.
Pheasant continues its slow decline. It is possible that the Muntjac are destroying the undergrowth, there was less activity thankfully from local Cats this year, but another reason may be the slowing down of releases for local shoots. Seen in just 5 months and only 1 of those actually in the garden.
Hobby is somehow getting scarcer and I am not sure why. Previously seen in up to 5 months of the year and sometimes up to 3 individuals together, this year it just appeared in 2 months.
A bit of a dull winter so far means there is little activity in, or over, the garden at present. Too mild for hard weather movement, also wintering Thrushes, Buntings and Finches not needing to leave the fields and forest for townie warmth and succour.
Ah well, there is always 2024.
