Frank van Drogen
Not so important
Same hear at our place in France. Grass in now knee high, so need to get some boots in addition to my cup of coffee.
Enjoy!!
-
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 (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter halftwo
- Start date
Same hear at our place in France. Grass in now knee high, so need to get some boots in addition to my cup of coffee.
Enjoy!!
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Grrr, still,snowing hereSame hear at our place in France. Grass in now knee high, so need to get some boots in addition to my cup of coffee.
Enjoy!!
Frank van Drogen
Not so important
Grrr, still,snowing here
Spring seems to be here Hoopoe heard this morning.....
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
One of the positives of late March/April snow here is it usually gives us the chance to see Ring Ousel away from distant mountainsides as they get blocked in the valley on the final leg of their migration. About half a dozen yesterday and the same this morning feeding behind the village about 1.5kms away. Two paused very briefly in the Elm yesterday, unfortunately partly hidden by all the branches, but you get the idea...
Attachments
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Probably my first concentrated garden watch of the year (interrupted at present by rain) has so far yielded four garden year ticks, as follows:
45. Song Thrush
46. Greenfinch
47. Peregrine
48. Stock Dove
Those were the highlights of 34 species this morning to this point though a Sparrowhawk that perched briefly in a willow across the brook was, as always, nice. The Peregrine first appeared as a rear-end razorblade I wasn't prepared to count but after vanishing below the treeline it fortunately reappeared coming towards the garden and gave me a decent view. It was an adult and I think probably a female, it looked massive alongside an irate Carrion Crow that was giving it earhole GBH but not getting too close. As soon as I grabbed the camera it sheered off (not cause and effect).
Greenfinch, twenty years ago, would have been a flock of twenty not a single flying over: The Song Thrush simply represents being outside with a good view across the brook and the Stock Dove similarly was an expected flyover.
If/when the weather picks up again I'll go back out.
John
45. Song Thrush
46. Greenfinch
47. Peregrine
48. Stock Dove
Those were the highlights of 34 species this morning to this point though a Sparrowhawk that perched briefly in a willow across the brook was, as always, nice. The Peregrine first appeared as a rear-end razorblade I wasn't prepared to count but after vanishing below the treeline it fortunately reappeared coming towards the garden and gave me a decent view. It was an adult and I think probably a female, it looked massive alongside an irate Carrion Crow that was giving it earhole GBH but not getting too close. As soon as I grabbed the camera it sheered off (not cause and effect).
Greenfinch, twenty years ago, would have been a flock of twenty not a single flying over: The Song Thrush simply represents being outside with a good view across the brook and the Stock Dove similarly was an expected flyover.
If/when the weather picks up again I'll go back out.
John
KenM
Well-known member
Tinkling Goldfinches outside was the request to vacate the quilt and top up the Niger, which I duly did.
Soon followed by some grateful customers to include a new addition…male Siskin always a delight!
Grey Heron over then a Buzby(Buteo), plus a double take on this “state of moult” Red Kite…😮
Also to include a couple from yesterday (just in case the jpeg/DSC police are out) featuring my returning turquoise parakeet!
Aaah…the rains stopped!….time to risk it.
Soon followed by some grateful customers to include a new addition…male Siskin always a delight!
Grey Heron over then a Buzby(Buteo), plus a double take on this “state of moult” Red Kite…😮
Also to include a couple from yesterday (just in case the jpeg/DSC police are out) featuring my returning turquoise parakeet!
Aaah…the rains stopped!….time to risk it.
Attachments
Cracking day - mass arrival of White Storks - none yesterday, five pairs already atop nests today, with several extras wandering around. Also, coinciding with heavy Chaffinch migration, one Brambling joining a bunch of Greenfinches at my feeders. And if they weren't enough, one male Garganey with seven Teal on a pool by my house late afternoon (my earliest ever, previous record 8 April) and a new species for my land at the same place - a Grey Wagtail quite briefly before migrating strongly to the north (quite a rare bird in Lithuania, I have only ever seen a handful anywhere in the country before). Species number 196 for my land
Plenty of Cranes all sides of me, White-tailed Eagles active in display today. All in all, a good spring day.
75. White Stork
76. Garganey
77. Grey Wagtail
78. Brambling
Plenty of Cranes all sides of me, White-tailed Eagles active in display today. All in all, a good spring day.
75. White Stork
76. Garganey
77. Grey Wagtail
78. Brambling
birdmeister
Well-known member
Good migration last night meant that I just had to be out in the yard this morning. It paid off, even though there weren't huge numbers of new migrants. Today's three additions were all clearly arriving species that have been absent since last September.
46. Ash-throated Flycatcher
47. Hooded Oriole
48. Lucy's Warbler
I was happy to snap a couple photos of the oriole, plus the hide-and-seek Lucy's Warbler that barely stuck around for 30 seconds in the flowering cassia (?). I also captured a young Sharp-shinned Hawk that made a low pass.
46. Ash-throated Flycatcher
47. Hooded Oriole
48. Lucy's Warbler
I was happy to snap a couple photos of the oriole, plus the hide-and-seek Lucy's Warbler that barely stuck around for 30 seconds in the flowering cassia (?). I also captured a young Sharp-shinned Hawk that made a low pass.
Attachments
Frank van Drogen
Not so important
We got most of our spring birds around. On Thursday I heard the first Hoopoe. Yesterday, at least two cuckoos were calling. This morning, there were some Willow Warblers.
Only bird missing is the Nightingale. Last year, first one I heard was March 29th.
Only bird missing is the Nightingale. Last year, first one I heard was March 29th.
Farnboro John
Well-known member
49. Kingfisher on the brook an overdue addition to the garden list this year.
John
John
Frank van Drogen
Not so important
Heard, but didn't see the Kingfisher at our ponds this morning (I did see one in town later while packing groceries into the car).
Paul Chapman
Well-known member
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
I had convinced myself that this year's end of March YTD total of 60 was my best ever but in fact last year I was at 61 and in 2021 a stonking 65 by the month's end so maybe my memory's beginning to go to pot (even though I never inhaled as Bill Clinton once said, I believe ). What is striking though is that I saw 57 species in March, only Lesser Redpoll, Common Treecreeper and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker of the 60 were not seen! A typically topsy turvy month weather wise, ranging from -6C at midday early in the month to 16C on 29th, just two days after the snowfall that had the Yellowhammers looking miserable and the last lingering Brambling debating whether to stay on a bit longer. The next day the local Black Kite pair were looking good against the mountainside background before unusually landing on the road in front of next door's house (see pics). A bit of a damp squib end to the month (no additions since 22nd despite some encouraging weather for summer arrivals) but it's the unpredictability of birding that keeps us on our toes n'est-ce pas?
). What is striking though is that I saw 57 species in March, only Lesser Redpoll, Common Treecreeper and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker of the 60 were not seen! A typically topsy turvy month weather wise, ranging from -6C at midday early in the month to 16C on 29th, just two days after the snowfall that had the Yellowhammers looking miserable and the last lingering Brambling debating whether to stay on a bit longer. The next day the local Black Kite pair were looking good against the mountainside background before unusually landing on the road in front of next door's house (see pics). A bit of a damp squib end to the month (no additions since 22nd despite some encouraging weather for summer arrivals) but it's the unpredictability of birding that keeps us on our toes n'est-ce pas?Attachments
Not in Lithuania at the moment, but they had 25.5 C yesterday! Hottest ever March day by a very big margin (previous hottest was more than a decade ago and only 18 or 19 C)
Farnboro John
Well-known member
The big 50 up this afternoon with the first Swallow of the year North over the back garden.
John
John
Warixenjalka
Birdwitcher
Easter was good...
#25. Goldfinch
#26. Great Cormorant
#27. Black-headed Gull
#28. Chaffinch
#29. Redwing - First in this yard
#30. Oystercatcher
...but this day seems to come even better (more of that later)
March gardenticks rose to 25 species, which was a little bit disappointment. I expected more, about 30.
#25. Goldfinch
#26. Great Cormorant
#27. Black-headed Gull
#28. Chaffinch
#29. Redwing - First in this yard
#30. Oystercatcher
...but this day seems to come even better (more of that later)
March gardenticks rose to 25 species, which was a little bit disappointment. I expected more, about 30.
Attachments
Last edited:
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Low cloud and sleety rain meant that I didn’t see but only heard a a garden mega this morning, just the 2nd ever
61 Red-billed Chough
‘achaaaing’ past. Other oddities were a Grey Heron directly over the house and the first visit of a Great Spotted Woodpecker since winter 22/23 to the suet balls feeder.
61 Red-billed Chough
‘achaaaing’ past. Other oddities were a Grey Heron directly over the house and the first visit of a Great Spotted Woodpecker since winter 22/23 to the suet balls feeder.
Last edited:
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Between one thing and another I didn't get out into the garden till about 1100 this morning but mixed blue sky and cloud with a South-West wind yielded 10 Buzzards moving East: two groups of three and some singles. No less than five Ravens wandering about (1 + 3 + 1) were also nice but eventually though I was concentrating on visuals overhead the song of a Willow Warbler wormed its way into my consciousness. I listened to it for about five minutes then it disappeared, so the bird probably went straight through along the brook.
51. Willow Warbler
This was followed by an overdue flyover:
52. Rook
At about 1250 rain stopped play.
John
51. Willow Warbler
This was followed by an overdue flyover:
52. Rook
At about 1250 rain stopped play.
John
Warixenjalka
Birdwitcher
As I promised, I'll tell you what a great day I had today.
I saw (or heard) 24 species today! Only one short of last months total.
At the first thing in a morning when I step outside, I heard
#31. Robin singing. I also heard some geese, probably Greylags, but wasn't absolutely sure.
I made a walk, and when coming back
#32. Whooper Swans shouted out their souls somewhere quite far. I also manage to see Robin.
From "office" window I noticed thrush size bird landed on Birch. It was a
#33. Fieldfare - just after that two
#34. Siskins landed on Oak. And right after that an other thrush sized bird
#35. Starling landed almost on that same branch where the Fieldfare was few minutes before. After that I had to wait an hour or something like that before two
#36. Greylags flew over. One of them had a ring around its neck, but they were too fast to find out the numbers.
Whoopers and Greylags were new for this garden.
Next great day have to wait, cos I'm away next 1½ weeks.
I saw (or heard) 24 species today! Only one short of last months total.
At the first thing in a morning when I step outside, I heard
#31. Robin singing. I also heard some geese, probably Greylags, but wasn't absolutely sure.
I made a walk, and when coming back
#32. Whooper Swans shouted out their souls somewhere quite far. I also manage to see Robin.
From "office" window I noticed thrush size bird landed on Birch. It was a
#33. Fieldfare - just after that two
#34. Siskins landed on Oak. And right after that an other thrush sized bird
#35. Starling landed almost on that same branch where the Fieldfare was few minutes before. After that I had to wait an hour or something like that before two
#36. Greylags flew over. One of them had a ring around its neck, but they were too fast to find out the numbers.
Whoopers and Greylags were new for this garden.
Next great day have to wait, cos I'm away next 1½ weeks.
