Garden / Yard List 2024 (8 Viewers)

[Jos Stratford]

135 - Black-winged Pratincole, it spent most of afternoon intermittently on Kilnsea Wetlands and feeding over adjacent fields, at one point flying directly over my garden.
garden tick #220
garden wader #33
and a British tick
and a first for Spurn

Not a bad haul of achievements 👍

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

Can’t compete with Black-winged Pratincole - unfortunately, but an alarm calling House Martin made me look up and see my first July Cuckoo flying over the garden this afternoon.

Yesterday saw the FOY Southern Hawker, and today a camera shy Musk Beetle was very impressive.

 

[Richard Prior]

Not a bad haul of achievements 👍

With 33 wader species on the Garden List Pete is only, err, let me calculate......
33 ahead of me
Still, here in the landlocked N Alps I had a great day's Garden birding yesterday. After a tiring garden maintenance session at Mum in Law's the previous day I was advised by SWMBO to do no physical work at all and with a dawn to dusk blue sky forecast this suited me just fine! Early on in the recently mown field there was a Roe Deer and a Fox keeping a respectable distance from each other, the latter catching a vole/mouse for its breakfast. A group of Mistle Thrush had a juvenile Fieldfare tagging along and the first post breeding flock of Chaffinch were feeding on the grass seeds. Other recently fledged birds seen during the day were the first local Buzzard, Black and Red Kite being shown the ropes by the adults and passerine-wise I saw my first juv Chiffchaff and Spotted Flycatcher. as it got hotter the first Griffon Vultures appeared and an adult Lammergeier was following them around, at least 50 Common Swift were feeding over the forest with three of their Alpine cousins most of the morning and a few juvenile Barn Swallow and House Martin were out and about. Still no Hobby though.... By 17h I'd got up to 39 species for the day, then number 40 hove into view, circling with the Griffons before landing next to one on the Aiguille (the Needle). A Garden Year tick to boot!

85 Cinerous (Black) Vulture

I feel quite an affinity for the species as I share it's mostly bald head with a whiteish 'crown'! At c5kms distance the camera doesn't do it justice but I attach the 'record shot'.
Plus a Honey Buzzard from the other day

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

With 33 wader species on the Garden List Pete is only, err, let me calculate......
33 ahead of me
Still, here in the landlocked N Alps I had a great day's Garden birding yesterday. After a tiring garden maintenance session at Mum in Law's the previous day I was advised by SWMBO to do no physical work at all and with a dawn to dusk blue sky forecast this suited me just fine! Early on in the recently mown field there was a Roe Deer and a Fox keeping a respectable distance from each other, the latter catching a vole/mouse for its breakfast. A group of Mistle Thrush had a juvenile Fieldfare tagging along and the first post breeding flock of Chaffinch were feeding on the grass seeds. Other recently fledged birds seen during the day were the first local Buzzard, Black and Red Kite being shown the ropes by the adults and passerine-wise I saw my first juv Chiffchaff and Spotted Flycatcher. as it got hotter the first Griffon Vultures appeared and an adult Lammergeier was following them around, at least 50 Common Swift were feeding over the forest with three of their Alpine cousins most of the morning and a few juvenile Barn Swallow and House Martin were out and about. Still no Hobby though.... By 17h I'd got up to 39 species for the day, then number 40 hove into view, circling with the Griffons before landing next to one on the Aiguille (the Needle). A Garden Year tick to boot!

85 Cinerous (Black) Vulture

I feel quite an affinity for the species as I share it's mostly bald head with a whiteish 'crown'! At c5kms distance the camera doesn't do it justice but I attach the 'record shot'.
Plus a Honey Buzzard from the other day

Nice record. It’s amazing what can be identified and even photographed at 5kms!

 

[Richard Prior]

Nice record. It’s amazing what can be identified and even photographed at 5kms!

Hahaha, it’s the telescope that is my help for identifying at that distance BH, but the zoom is powerful on the Coolpix which is handy for supporting submitted records!

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

Finally, after a lean month, #81 Garden Warbler. Possibly two birds in with a few Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff. Occasionally fly-catching flying Ants, as were a horde of high Gulls, but nothing special among them.

July is a good month for Garden Warbler, now equalling August.



A Silver-Y was new for the year, but still no Hummingbird Hawk Moth.

 

[Jos Stratford]

With 33 wader species on the Garden List Pete is only, err, let me calculate......
33 ahead of me
Still, here in the landlocked N Alps ...

300 km from the coast here, 17 wader species recorded so far ...which I am pretty impressed with. Needless to say, no pratincoles of any sort

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

300 km from the coast here, 17 wader species recorded so far ...which I am pretty impressed with. Needless to say, no pratincoles of any sort

About 50km for me, but just 13 species. I’m certain I could record double that if I used noc-mig.

 

[dantheman]

About 5km from the coast here in Cornwall. 0 waders this year.

 

[halftwo]

9 waders for me, being less than 2 miles from the nearest wetlands.

In the garden today, and a second year tick in two days, when a

84: Willow Warbler

finally made an appearance.

 

[birdmeister]

Just four wader/shorebird species for me here. "Only" 250km from the Gulf of California, but my position far out in the desert makes them hard to come by. Last week I was so close, hearing a Greater Yellowlegs call. The starlings are such good mimics, though, I would have had to see the bird or hear multiple call series overhead to confirm it.

 

[birdmeister]

This morning's desert flight was good, with some color and variety. Highlights included a good flight of kingbirds (4 Western, 6 probably Western), Ash-throated Flycatchers (4), Tree Swallows (11), Bullock's Orioles (6), and Brown-headed Cowbirds (23). I heard my first Yellow Warbler of the summer, too.

I was very happy to have a chance to improve my Bullock's Oriole photo. Each adult male is spectacular and special. They are some of the first to pass through in July on their way to molt in Mexico and southern AZ. Last year's season finished with 75 Bullock's, but none of them were adult males.

Photos include Tree Swallow, distant Western Kingbird, Phainopepla, and the aforementioned oriole.

 

[KenM]

Wader less here so far, unlike 30 yrs ago I’d have had at least Curlew or Whimbrel flying over by now, such is their decline for me.
However on the plus side, last night my wife said “can you hear that…Owl?”
To which I replied, “not with my hearing aids recharging”, she said “it’s quite clear” “that’s as maybe” I said…but nowt for me!
To which she suggested I play XC (my wife would be more familiar with Tawny Owl “variables” than most, having lived (until last year) with Tawnies roosting in the grdn. for the past 30 years at least.
She was quite adamant that it had an “owl ring” to it, I played LEO, to which she said “it was more even paced than that, albeit in a not dissimilar vein”.
Next stop was LO, to which she said that’s “more like it”
I then played two more different recordings from different countries, to which she said…that’s it!
Thus I’ve now put it back on my all time grdn..list, albeit not for this year.😩

 

[pete wragg]

136 - Great-crested Grebe, flew down Humber, 2nd record

 

[birdmeister]

Last night finally featured a quick rainstorm! Although it wasn't enough to gather in the rain gauge, this morning's migration flight seemed to clearly be up a notch. I finished with 195 migrants and a total of 45 species, a very good day. Highlights of migrant numbers included:

White-winged Dove - 64
Ash-throated Flycatcher - 2
Western Kingbird - 8
Tree Swallow - 19
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 5
Cliff Swallow - 10
Bullock's Oriole - 14
Brown-headed Cowbird - 19
Lucy's Warbler - 2
Western Tanager - 1

Now for the three (!) year additions. Two were returning migrants, and one is an annual summer visitor and local breeder that I just don't see often.

92. Common Ground Dove
93. Yellow-headed Blackbird - 3
94. Warbling Vireo (early!)

I struggled for photos today, getting on many birds late. It was good to photograph a Yellow-headed Blackbird, which I haven't done here before. Western Tanager leaves significant room for improvement...

I'm also attaching Western Kingbird and Bullock's Oriole photos from Saturday, another decent flight day.

 

[Jos Stratford]

... five Whimbrel passing over, heading directly southbound. Only my second ever record for my land.

My waders action is continuing - a rare treat in autumn as usually my meadow flood pools have long dried up by now.

One small pool remains this year however and yesterday, six Wood Sandpipers, 30 or so Lapwings, a dozen Snipe and my third ever Little Ringed Plover (following two last year).

Also later in the day a flyover Curlew, moderately regular in spring, but only my third in autumn.

141. Little Ringed Plover

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

Finally have been able to sleep with the windows open, normally would be the case from May, anyhoo…02:00 this morning and I could hear at least 2 male and a female Tawny Owl just along the river. I was too lazy to get up and have a proper listen, but I have heard up to 5 calling before, it may be a family or two calling from their territories, or wandering youngsters looking for a territory.

 

[birdmeister]

Today's flight was mostly a "rinse and repeat" from yesterday. Even more Western Kingbirds (17) came through, the stars of the show. Close behind were Bullock's Orioles (13) with another good day. Single goodies included another early Warbling Vireo and at least one Bank Swallow. Slowly rising numbers of Lark Sparrow (6) and Western Tanager (3) are hopefully signs of things to come.

Photos include Western Kingbirds, Tree and Northern Rough-winged Swallow in one frame, and Brown-headed Cowbird. The kingbirds' colors appear very different depending on age and lighting, with juveniles appearing washed out and some adults very bright.

 

[KenM]

Suspected on Monday and confirmed this am, no.73. Willow Warbler in my back hedge.
Hopefully this represents the first of the returning few/many….a day earlier than last year.😮

Hobby appearances having finally caught up with RKite now both at 66 apiece!
However, eclipsing these have been the unprecedented occurrences of “the bigger” butterfly species since Thursday last, with four new for garden species!

Marbled White and Painted Lady, White Admiral and Silver Washed Fritillary also Purple Emperor (the last 3 within a 3hour+ period on Sunday!)
Was only able to image the SWF and Painted Lady unfortunately.😩

Will be Dawn to Dusking from hereon in, for more of those “flying thingies”🤞😉

 

[Richard Prior]

Lovely stuff Ken, seems to be a good year for Marbled White here too. A treat this morning as a family of Red-backed Shrike paid me a visit, I'm lucky to get the species within 100m as a rule so to be able to witness close up all the action, with the juveniles harassing their parents (when they look perfectly capable of catching their own food to me ) was brilliant.
I think Hobby has gone extinct in this area, though I suppose I should be patient, one year it was 1 August before one turned up!