KenM
Well-known member
Be careful H!…communicating with the enemy might lead to a thread closure.😮
-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Garden / Yard List 2024 (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter halftwo
- Start date
Be careful H!…communicating with the enemy might lead to a thread closure.😮
KenM
Well-known member
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Yes, Birdforum members are like siblings in one big happy, no, make that dysfunctionalYes, there’s a few on here
, family! Isn't there a saying, you can choose your friends but not your family?Anyway, you know we all love you really Ken
Anyway, back to business, it was as if a switch had been thrown to tell the birds Spring started today, first Chiffchaff, first Black Redstart that wasn't a distant 'scope job and just before 5pm the first
54 Black Kite
appeared, second earliest date in our 8 years here. A migrating Red Kite flew high over it, I suppose it's too much to hope for a Black-winged this year....
All in all, a brilliant day after some hard vegetation clearance round the field yesterday, 42 species, starting with a Black Grouse on the Sulens mountain, thrushes singing their hearts out at dawn and featuring a brute of a female Goshawk having a brief play stoop at displaying Buzzards, finishing with an adult Golden Eagle apparently coming to roost on Sulens. The Black Grouse had better be careful tomorrow morning..................
Attachments
birdmeister
Well-known member
Yesterday I cleaned up a few more species, including nailing down some more swallows as they zipped overhead. A finely sculpted Raven perched closer than most towards the end of the day.
33. Anna's Hummingbird (seen this year, but not recorded in eBird)
34. Phainopepla
35. Lincoln's Sparrow (new arrivals)
36. Violet-green Swallow (new arrival)
37. Cliff Swallow (new arrival)
38. Yellow-rumped Warbler
This afternoon I sat down for a hawkwatch under mostly cloudy skies, with some blue peeking through. Finally, the Common Black Hawks appeared! Five of these beasts showed before the clouds thickened ahead of tonight's showers. A last-minute kettle of Turkey Vultures was neat to see as they swirled against the evening sky. A flyover White-winged Dove was new for the year, although a few do stay for the winter.
39. Common Black Hawk (new arrival)
40. White-winged Dove
Digiscoped Turkey Vulture video and raven photo are below. I'm still getting acclimated to the camera (a well-used but still good Canon EOS 7D), but Harris's Hawk and Say's Phoebe certainly helped me out in bright light.
33. Anna's Hummingbird (seen this year, but not recorded in eBird)
34. Phainopepla
35. Lincoln's Sparrow (new arrivals)
36. Violet-green Swallow (new arrival)
37. Cliff Swallow (new arrival)
38. Yellow-rumped Warbler
This afternoon I sat down for a hawkwatch under mostly cloudy skies, with some blue peeking through. Finally, the Common Black Hawks appeared! Five of these beasts showed before the clouds thickened ahead of tonight's showers. A last-minute kettle of Turkey Vultures was neat to see as they swirled against the evening sky. A flyover White-winged Dove was new for the year, although a few do stay for the winter.
39. Common Black Hawk (new arrival)
40. White-winged Dove
Digiscoped Turkey Vulture video and raven photo are below. I'm still getting acclimated to the camera (a well-used but still good Canon EOS 7D), but Harris's Hawk and Say's Phoebe certainly helped me out in bright light.
Attachments
Last edited:
birdmeister
Well-known member
KenM
Well-known member
No arguments with them being black BM 😉
I have trouble with my sensor on high in the sky bops, dark and or grey bops against grey/white cloud often and blue sky sometimes.
It’s generally perhaps a c50% success rate, however the Say’s Phoebe and Harris Hawk a bit special.
FWIW I had the latter as a grdn.tick a few years back, only saw it cos the local Corvids kicked up such a fuss!👍
I have trouble with my sensor on high in the sky bops, dark and or grey bops against grey/white cloud often and blue sky sometimes.
It’s generally perhaps a c50% success rate, however the Say’s Phoebe and Harris Hawk a bit special.
FWIW I had the latter as a grdn.tick a few years back, only saw it cos the local Corvids kicked up such a fuss!👍
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Yes, a Batelur - like profile ( not that I’ve ever seen one of those either
).
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Anyway, back to reality - ridiculously mild today, Tetley the Tetras lyre (Black Grouse in French) was so excited he was displaying out on the snow this morning (not that there were any other BG visible, he's just a show off I suppose!).
With around a dozen pairs already prospecting the buildings and cliff in nearby Thônes it was not entirely a surprise to see two
55 Crag Martin
here this afternoon. On checking arrival dates since 2017 I find that this is the 3rd time that the first Craggies have appeared on 15 March, it remains the earliest date still!
I may have missed another addition, Kestrel, as something rufous shot through my field of vision as I was following a Red Kite through the 'scope, but I couldn't find it again, Icouldn't discount Cream - coloured Courser of course so it will have to wait. It's very unusual not to have seen one yet though they can be absent most winters. Also a plumage tick, a male Grey Wagtail in breeding plumage on the famous dung heap this morning, usually a mid winter bird for me here.
With around a dozen pairs already prospecting the buildings and cliff in nearby Thônes it was not entirely a surprise to see two
55 Crag Martin
here this afternoon. On checking arrival dates since 2017 I find that this is the 3rd time that the first Craggies have appeared on 15 March, it remains the earliest date still!
I may have missed another addition, Kestrel, as something rufous shot through my field of vision as I was following a Red Kite through the 'scope, but I couldn't find it again, Icouldn't discount Cream - coloured Courser of course
so it will have to wait. It's very unusual not to have seen one yet though they can be absent most winters. Also a plumage tick, a male Grey Wagtail in breeding plumage on the famous dung heap this morning, usually a mid winter bird for me here.
Last edited:
Turned mild here too, and increasing numbers of migrants with it, particularly a jump in Starling numbers this day, pairs around all the nextboxes and small flocks tootling around.
First Snipe and Song Thrush too, plus a mini influx of arriving Great White Egrets, one in the morning, four hanging out in the tafternoon.
58. Great White Egret
59. Common Snipe
60. Song Thrush
Bismarck Honeyeater
Barely known member
A whole week tied up during daylight hours was unusual, to say the least for me.
As I left the house early morning I saw, or should I say heard, the first singing Chiffchaff of the year. I’ve had a couple of sightings in the last couple of months, but this is around the time I get my first singers, assumed to be migrants. One day later than my earliest, but three days earlier than average.
This afternoon I was keen to have a stroll around the garden and wasn’t disappointed. #62 Yellow-legged Gull a 2CY mobbing a Buzzard was a very welcome, and overdue FOY. Probably my lack of attention that it’s taken so long as they’re around the area. In fact I had an adult on some flooded playing field just 600m away later this afternoon.
My reason for checking the field was that a drake Pintail was seen there on Monday, I wondered if it would stick for 5 days - it did. Very annoying as I could watch it whilst watching my house, but not see it for the sake of trees in the way. Hey ho…maybe it will have a fly around with the local Mallards, that would be nice.
I also heard a Redshank over the same field and wondered if that’s where last weeks bird came from.
The most shocking thing though this afternoon, was a big yellow digger clearing the scrubby bit behind the garden. Basically one of the best bits of habitat I’ve got on my patch!! I was disturbed.
Walking all around it seemed like quite an area had been cleared, naturally I was concerned that it might all disappear (there have been attempts to build houses on it over the last 14 years, but fortunately for me and the wildlife the ground is too soft.
Eventually I found a sign that told me what was being done and also a phone number to call. Long story short, it has been cleared to enable access to a dilapidated lock on the river (a precious Chalk Stream, one of only 263 in the world apparently) in order to make a Trout ladder over a couple of weirs.
That calmed me down a bit, in fact it might just make the habitat a little better in time.
The work has been completed now, so that it didn’t interfere with the nesting season, though I suspect a few things might have already been nesting. The main work won’t start till June and will last 3 months. I have asked the Environment Agency to let me know what they propose in the way of restorative work, and it’s possible I might be able to influence them to extend the very small grassland bit, especially as I have recorded 26 species of Butterfly. Watch this space.
What I would really like, but can’t imagine them providing, is a large pond. Already I’ve had 20 Dragonfly species, and a couple more are possible…
As I left the house early morning I saw, or should I say heard, the first singing Chiffchaff of the year. I’ve had a couple of sightings in the last couple of months, but this is around the time I get my first singers, assumed to be migrants. One day later than my earliest, but three days earlier than average.
This afternoon I was keen to have a stroll around the garden and wasn’t disappointed. #62 Yellow-legged Gull a 2CY mobbing a Buzzard was a very welcome, and overdue FOY. Probably my lack of attention that it’s taken so long as they’re around the area. In fact I had an adult on some flooded playing field just 600m away later this afternoon.
My reason for checking the field was that a drake Pintail was seen there on Monday, I wondered if it would stick for 5 days - it did. Very annoying as I could watch it whilst watching my house, but not see it for the sake of trees in the way. Hey ho…maybe it will have a fly around with the local Mallards, that would be nice.
I also heard a Redshank over the same field and wondered if that’s where last weeks bird came from.
The most shocking thing though this afternoon, was a big yellow digger clearing the scrubby bit behind the garden. Basically one of the best bits of habitat I’ve got on my patch!! I was disturbed.
Walking all around it seemed like quite an area had been cleared, naturally I was concerned that it might all disappear (there have been attempts to build houses on it over the last 14 years, but fortunately for me and the wildlife the ground is too soft.
Eventually I found a sign that told me what was being done and also a phone number to call. Long story short, it has been cleared to enable access to a dilapidated lock on the river (a precious Chalk Stream, one of only 263 in the world apparently) in order to make a Trout ladder over a couple of weirs.
That calmed me down a bit, in fact it might just make the habitat a little better in time.
The work has been completed now, so that it didn’t interfere with the nesting season, though I suspect a few things might have already been nesting. The main work won’t start till June and will last 3 months. I have asked the Environment Agency to let me know what they propose in the way of restorative work, and it’s possible I might be able to influence them to extend the very small grassland bit, especially as I have recorded 26 species of Butterfly. Watch this space.
What I would really like, but can’t imagine them providing, is a large pond. Already I’ve had 20 Dragonfly species, and a couple more are possible…
Last edited:
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
À pond would be great BH, good luck with your er, lobbying!
The heavy rain overnight and up till dawn didn’t produce any Ring Ousel or other mountain returnees here as it was very mild and so no snow fell even up at 2000m. Still, just now a fine male
56 Common Kestrel
was flying high above the forest, perhaps on migration rather than a local bird.
The heavy rain overnight and up till dawn didn’t produce any Ring Ousel or other mountain returnees here as it was very mild and so no snow fell even up at 2000m. Still, just now a fine male
56 Common Kestrel
was flying high above the forest, perhaps on migration rather than a local bird.
pete wragg
Well-known member
It felt a bit more like spring this morning.
3 new for year,including a garden tick.
86 - Chiffchaff, atleast 2 in and around garden
87 - Tufted Duck, 2 Kilnsea Wetlands
88 - Bearded Tit, 2 in small phrag bed on Long Bank Marsh. garden list #216
3 new for year,including a garden tick.
86 - Chiffchaff, atleast 2 in and around garden
87 - Tufted Duck, 2 Kilnsea Wetlands
88 - Bearded Tit, 2 in small phrag bed on Long Bank Marsh. garden list #216
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Fantastic, Bearded Tit was one of my best Garden List birds when I lived at Selsey Bill (but I never reached such an astronomical total as you have Pete!).
A nice easy 'while eating my breakfast' addition this morning:
57 Blackcap
Average arrival date is 22nd and earliest ever was 16 March in 2017, so pretty much on schedule.
pete wragg
Well-known member
I'm still the "low lister" of Kilnsea Gardens.
I'm more than 40 behind the "top lister"
(16 March)
First butterfly of the year - Small Tortoiseshell braving the still fairly cool weather, albeit nice and sunny.
First Black-headed Gulls returned with six on a flood pool, also first White Wagtail (earliest ever by one day) and first Chaffinch. Next days could be good.
61. Black-headed Gull
62. White Wagtail
63. Chaffinch
First butterfly of the year - Small Tortoiseshell braving the still fairly cool weather, albeit nice and sunny.
First Black-headed Gulls returned with six on a flood pool, also first White Wagtail (earliest ever by one day) and first Chaffinch. Next days could be good.
61. Black-headed Gull
62. White Wagtail
63. Chaffinch
(17 March)
Considerable migration movement early morning - flocks of northbound Cormorants, big numbers of White-fronted Geese in skeins, smaller numbers of Bean Geese with them. Goosanders, Goldeneyes and Mallards also over, plus a flock of 34 Wigeon (near annual bird on my land, but never had more than eight together before). Big increase in Black-headed Gulls dragging in my first Common Gull of the season. Influx of Wood Pigeons too, singles in the last days, a couple of dozen today, along with quite a few Stock Doves. Top bird however was a Merlin zipping through, only my sixth ever record on my land.
On the passerine front, the Tree Sparrow that had taken a fancy to a nestbox next to my house seems to have found a buddy, while off yonder Woodlarks arrived on territory, the male already in display flight.
All that lot from my verandah. Plus the resident Whooper Swans, White-tailed Eagles, vocal Black Woodpeckers and oodles of Cranes. A good day.
64. Wigeon
65. Common Gull
66. Merlin
67. Woodlark
Considerable migration movement early morning - flocks of northbound Cormorants, big numbers of White-fronted Geese in skeins, smaller numbers of Bean Geese with them. Goosanders, Goldeneyes and Mallards also over, plus a flock of 34 Wigeon (near annual bird on my land, but never had more than eight together before). Big increase in Black-headed Gulls dragging in my first Common Gull of the season. Influx of Wood Pigeons too, singles in the last days, a couple of dozen today, along with quite a few Stock Doves. Top bird however was a Merlin zipping through, only my sixth ever record on my land.
On the passerine front, the Tree Sparrow that had taken a fancy to a nestbox next to my house seems to have found a buddy, while off yonder Woodlarks arrived on territory, the male already in display flight.
All that lot from my verandah. Plus the resident Whooper Swans, White-tailed Eagles, vocal Black Woodpeckers and oodles of Cranes. A good day.
64. Wigeon
65. Common Gull
66. Merlin
67. Woodlark
pete wragg
Well-known member
89 - Little Gull, adult on LBM
Bismarck Honeyeater
Barely known member
A morning mostly of rain, but, eventually I had to take out the rubbish, so why not do the garden rounds?
Almost the first bird I saw was #63 Pheasant, a silvery grey male. The first in the garden for over a year, and the first I’ve seen for over 8 months.
It used to be quite regular, with a male displaying frequently and a few females seen too. Never did see youngsters but I would count it as a breeding record of sorts.
All that changed a year or two back when the plague of Cats arrived. Thinking about it I’ve not seen a Cat for quite a while, hopefully most of them have moved on.
10 minutes after seeing the Pheasant it was across the river and 400m away stalking across the Horse field that I check everyday, especially for Pheasant, and even Red-legged Partridge!
March is possibly the best month, so hopefully the latter will put in an appearance soon.
Shortly afterwards a posse of Kayakers appeared at the end of the garden, where our Mill Stream rejoins the grown up river.
The irony of them battling the weir under the ‘No Canoeing’ sign was not lost on me.
We did once have them actually paddle up the garden, though they had to give up eventually as it is not really navigable.
Almost the first bird I saw was #63 Pheasant, a silvery grey male. The first in the garden for over a year, and the first I’ve seen for over 8 months.
It used to be quite regular, with a male displaying frequently and a few females seen too. Never did see youngsters but I would count it as a breeding record of sorts.
All that changed a year or two back when the plague of Cats arrived. Thinking about it I’ve not seen a Cat for quite a while, hopefully most of them have moved on.
10 minutes after seeing the Pheasant it was across the river and 400m away stalking across the Horse field that I check everyday, especially for Pheasant, and even Red-legged Partridge!
March is possibly the best month, so hopefully the latter will put in an appearance soon.
Shortly afterwards a posse of Kayakers appeared at the end of the garden, where our Mill Stream rejoins the grown up river.
The irony of them battling the weir under the ‘No Canoeing’ sign was not lost on me.
We did once have them actually paddle up the garden, though they had to give up eventually as it is not really navigable.
