Garden / Yard List 2023 (1 Viewer)

[Warixenjalka]

From Pori garden:

XXXI Mallard - drake flew over

Also some Geese so far that couldn't ID them, so I leave them out for now.

 

[VonMaunder]

Current situation report: Common Yellowthroat, Hermit Thrush foraging, assume for its clan, Northern Parula, Black Capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, Pine Warbler, Ovenbird, Robin, Tufted Timouse, mourning dove, Eastern Phoebe, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Black and White Warbler...

 

[Warixenjalka]

From Pori, Despite the rainy and cold day:

XXXII Swift

 

[KenM]

I normally don’t count Sprawk/Buzzard on a daily basis as they’re so regular, however I’ve counted over 40 Kestrel appearances since Jan.1st…it might now be as common or even more so now than the previous two.😮
Clearly breeding close by as I’ve observed both together on several occasions.
The new camera is still giving me problems “locking on” being very erratic when being pointed at the sky, either brilliant or not so!
From the sublime to the ridiculous with the latter being no.72.😮

 

[Jos Stratford]

Final batch of summer birds all arrived - as well as the singing Corncrakes in the meadow and suite of Red-backed Shrikes (three pairs now), the latest additions are a cracking male Red-breasted Flycatcher holding territory and a singing Marsh Warbler.

129. Red-breasted Flycatcher
130. Marsh Warbler

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

I normally don’t count Sprawk/Buzzard on a daily basis as they’re so regular, however I’ve counted over 40 Kestrel appearances since Jan.1st…it might now be as common or even more so now than the previous two.😮
Clearly breeding close by as I’ve observed both together on several occasions.
The new camera is still giving me problems “locking on” being very erratic when being pointed at the sky, either brilliant or not so!
From the sublime to the ridiculous with the latter being no.72.😮

Questions.
Are both pictures the same bird?
What the heck is bird no. 1?
If different, what is bird no. 2?
Can you post uncropped and not back of camera shots?
Why don’t you just tell us what you think your 72nd species is?

 

[KenM]

Questions.
Are both pictures the same bird?
What the heck is bird no. 1?
If different, what is bird no. 2?
Can you post uncropped and not back of camera shots?
Why don’t you just tell us what you think your 72nd species is?

If you need me to answer your first question…then perhaps you should take up stamp collecting.😂

A “Dodgey” Pernis apivorus 😮

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

If you need me to answer your first question…then perhaps you should take up stamp collecting.😂

A “Dodgey” Pernis apivorus 😮

I gave up stamp collecting when I took up birding. 😁
I’m still none the wiser! Are they the same bird? If not which one is the dodgy Honey Buzzard?
Also, could I see the actual photo/s please?
as we can’t really tell what the 2nd picture depicts? And there is clearly another bird and much more detail in the BOC thumbnail of the 1st picture that will give us more idea of scale etc.

 

[Farnboro John]

If you need me to answer your first question…then perhaps you should take up stamp collecting.😂

A “Dodgey” Pernis apivorus 😮

Its not a dodgy Honey, its a normal Buzzard massively out of focus.

John

 

[KenM]

Its not a dodgy Honey, its a normal Buzzard massively out of focus.

John

A “paddle tail” same length as body, having a smaller head (in our out of focus) played around with the lighting on over exposure revealing “solid” isolated carpal and contrasty white windows at base of primaries…didn’t look like a typical Buzby.
The only feature that I was unsure of was….the darker band to the chest which I know is normally a pro CB marker.
However, I couldn’t find anything in lit that said it was exclusive only to CB, that said, the other features for me were highly suggestive of HB.
Here are a few other HB’s shot outback over the years (at this time) unfortunately, apart from the last image (shot in Geneva) the quality is pretty bad, but structurally all alluding to HB over CB imo.

 

[halftwo]

Hi, Ken.

From what I can make out of 'shot 2' I can't see anything to suggest anything other than CB.
Do you have any other photos?

 

[KenM]

Hi, Ken.

From what I can make out of 'shot 2' I can't see anything to suggest anything other than CB.
Do you have any other photos?

H, I have nothing better (if only I had) and have explained my reasons for flagging it.
CB’s as you can imagine are very numerous hereabouts, I did consider the flak on such an image, but decided against “not” showing it for transparency reasons.
For starters how do you explain the tail length and shape…cos it doesn’t compare to any of my almost daily locals?

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

H, I have nothing better (if only I had) and have explained my reasons for flagging it.
CB’s as you can imagine are very numerous hereabouts, I did consider the flak on such an image, but decided against “not” showing it for transparency reasons.
For starters how do you explain the tail length and shape…cos it doesn’t compare to any of my almost daily locals?

Twice this month, I have initially been fooled, on distant silhouetted BOP’s over the house.
On both occasions I thought I was watching Marsh Harriers approaching. Dark, long-tailed, slimish-winged. Fortunately they approached close enough and got into a better light, enabling me to see they were CB’s. Common Buzzard is a common enough breeder locally, even briefly nest-building this year in the garden, until evicted by Crows.
I really thought the build and tail-length ruled out CB, but every days a school day.

Would still like to see the uncropped actual photo of no.1, because I have no real idea what it is. Merlin is giving me Crested Serpent Eagle as the most likely hit. I guess it will be a CB, but maybe a hybrid, I dunno.

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

By the way, Merlin App also says photo No. 2 is Common Buzzard. But it is obviously not perfect.

 

[halftwo]

Well, from what I can see of the blurred tail, it is difficult enough to tell where the edges are. However, there's nothing to make me think of any other species. The rest of the bird just screams CB.

 

[KenM]

Twice this month, I have initially been fooled, on distant silhouetted BOP’s over the house.
On both occasions I thought I was watching Marsh Harriers approaching. Dark, long-tailed, slimish-winged. Fortunately they approached close enough and got into a better light, enabling me to see they were CB’s. Common Buzzard is a common enough breeder locally, even briefly nest-building this year in the garden, until evicted by Crows.
I really thought the build and tail-length ruled out CB, but every days a school day.

Would still like to see the uncropped actual photo of no.1, because I have no real idea what it is. Merlin is giving me Crested Serpent Eagle as the most likely hit. I guess it will be a CB, but maybe a hybrid, I dunno.

Very interesting BH, I too mistook an all dark CB as a MH earlier this year, not just on general appearance but also with it’s very “casual flight mode”…..yes, one most definitely needs to take care, particularly on distant BOPs.
Here’s pic.1 my apologies for cropping I forgot your request, hoping it will suffice, if not let me know.👍

 

[KenM]

Well, from what I can see of the blurred tail, it is difficult enough to tell where the edges are. However, there's nothing to make me think of any other species. The rest of the bird just screams CB.

It’s funny how people’s initial perceptions can be.
My Geneva (birds c20 odd years ago on passage South) were the first time I’d laid eyes on a non distant HB, perfectly lit by the sun out of a wall to wall blue one above and ahead of tother.
Looking like large grey, slim Cuckoo/Accipiters bearing no real resemblance to Buzzards….it took a number of wingbeats later for me to realise that I was actually looking at HB’s!

Subsequent HB’s (just a few) that I’ve encountered since, have not given me that first impression..looking more Buteo like, particularly when in silhouette….lighting is all.

Knowing how competitive you are H, why not delete it from your competition list and get some sleep tonight….and I’ll sleep on it!👍

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

Very interesting BH, I too mistook an all dark CB as a MH earlier this year, not just on general appearance but also with it’s very “casual flight mode”…..yes, one most definitely needs to take care, particularly on distant BOPs.
Here’s pic.1 my apologies for cropping I forgot your request, hoping it will suffice, if not let me know.👍

Thanks. At least I can see it’s a Common Buzzard now. It’s a very rufous bird, which may be real or photo effect. Good shot though.

 

[KenM]

Before I recogitate on the current impasse H,
I found this image on the web, how do you think this compares?

 

[Warixenjalka]

I normally don’t count Sprawk/Buzzard on a daily basis as they’re so regular, however I’ve counted over 40 Kestrel appearances since Jan.1st…it might now be as common or even more so now than the previous two.😮
Clearly breeding close by as I’ve observed both together on several occasions.
The new camera is still giving me problems “locking on” being very erratic when being pointed at the sky, either brilliant or not so!
From the sublime to the ridiculous with the latter being no.72.😮

You received a lot of questions about this post, but I ask one more: What camera you have?