Garden / Yard List 2024 (5 Viewers)

[Frank van Drogen]

While staring at the cold grey weather from our bedroom window this morning just after changing into my running clothes -- possibly trying to come up with an excuse not to go for some exercise after all, I heard a familiar call and saw a bird flying into the neighbors tree. One which I didn't quite expect, although it shoulnd't come as a big surprize, and a first here, XXXII Green Woodpecker. There are many more in the forest compared to a couple of weeks ago, probably they came down from some of the higher areas.

 

[birdmeister]

9 October

An average flight of 138 migrants, with variety sort of low (39 species). The highlight of the day came when I heard a cardinal call that was just a bit odd. Could it be?...

134. Pyrrhuloxia (2nd yard record)

My photos were panicked as it flew right through, but maybe you can tell it's a gray cardinal with red highlights in wings, face, and tail.

Last year by this date I had 122 species, finishing with 134 at the end of the year. A two-week absence following today meant there was time for things to average out, save for a big November.

 

[birdmeister]

26 October

Missing the middle of the month meant that I missed a big flight of Violet-green Swallows and probably a chunk of Red-winged and other blackbirds. It was worth it for a bit of travel. Firing up the watch today, overall the flight wasn't bad (161 migrants). A pulse of 45 Horned Larks seemed like a good day, and I saw my first three

135. Western Bluebirds

for the yard this year. This officially set a new record for species here in a year! WEBLs were present in the fall/winter of 2022-23, but went completely missing last winter.

The strangest bird, by far, was a distant

loon/diver sp. that headed south far in the distance! Any loon out here is a big deal. I was miffed that it was too far to ID between Common and Pacific, but the sighting itself was really fun.

 

[halftwo]

Not new, but a Woodcock, nearly 10 months since the last.

 

[Steve Lister]

Nothing new apart from some blue sky and the sun after what seems weeks of grey anticyclonic gloom.

But 26 Pink-feet NE ( and two other skeins heard only) were nice.

 

[Frank van Drogen]

Nothing new apart from some blue sky and the sun after what seems weeks of grey anticyclonic gloom.

Now, that's something I'd love to see as well

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

A week since I’ve updated, which mostly reflects the static weather system we’ve been stuck under.

Yesterday I had another Hawfinch over the garden, after the one last month, also a Brambling & Meadow Pipit.

A few local birds, (Knot, Spoonbill, White-fronted Goose, Pink-footed Goose, most of which I found 😇) along the river either side of me, could well have entered my airspace on their arrival or departure, but not whilst I was out and about.

Somewhat embarrassingly I was reviewing some Merlin™️ recordings, as I remembered I had a mystery caller last week. I further remembered that I had sorted it out last week too (a Siskin, as it happens) but not before I had listened to the recording - what should I find on there? Another Yellow-browed Warbler!

I don’t know how I didn’t hear it at the time, as it is clear on the recording, and a decent sonogram too.



The only other news is of a friend texting me this afternoon, to say he was watching an Otter that just went up my garden Millstream.

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

Egg on face time.

If anyone had been paying attention they would have noticed that the above sonogram (see my last post) actually fits Coal Tit better than it does Yellow-browed Warbler. And by anyone, of course, I mean me. 😬

Fortunately a friend helpfully pointed out my mistake. Presumably that’s why I didn’t think it was a Yellow-browed at the time. Lesson learned. Don’t review old recordings, and don’t try to hammer round pegs into square holes.

Tawny Owl calling last night. No garden news today, as I spent it in a cup-de-sac in Yorkshire staring at someone’s else’s garden, and not seeing a Scarlet Tanager. 😩

 

[Farnboro John]

Egg on face time.

If anyone had been paying attention they would have noticed that the above sonogram (see my last post) actually fits Coal Tit better than it does Yellow-browed Warbler. And by anyone, of course, I mean me. 😬

Fortunately a friend helpfully pointed out my mistake. Presumably that’s why I didn’t think it was a Yellow-browed at the time. Lesson learned. Don’t review old recordings, and don’t try to hammer round pegs into square holes.

Tawny Owl calling last night. No garden news today, as I spent it in a cup-de-sac in Yorkshire staring at someone’s else’s garden, and not seeing a Scarlet Tanager. 😩

If it's any comfort I've gone round that route myself lately in the field. A single Coal Tit call can be Yellow-browed flavour. Of course on Shetland YbW is much more likely....

John

 

[birdmeister]

27 October

An average flight of 117 migrants told the story of late October well. Blackbirds are varied but diminishing in numbers, Phainopeplas average a decent 20 or so per day, and flocks of Horned Larks can always be hoped for.

31 October

Today featured the 2nd yard record of Crested Caracara, plus 3 Violet-green Swallows and a decent late flight of 15 Brewer's Blackbirds. The highlight of the day was finding a Great Horned Owl roosting under a bush just outside the yard. It had caught a large rabbit and was seemingly guarding it for the whole day.

Photos include Red-winged Blackbird, Horned Lark, and the Great Horned Owl.

 

[angusmcoatup]

Some good “garden” birds here in the last few weeks, a regular Stonechat across the road from my desk , Marsh Harrier male dropping in across the fields in dramatic style and a first Short Toed Treecreeper that actually was in the garden.

 

[birdmeister]

2 November

Last year on 2 November, I had a huge flight of over 500 migrants after 3 days of heavy winds. While this wasn't quite the same, the total of 46 species and 234 migrants was good. Highlights included Horned Lark (84), Phainopepla (33), Dark-eyed Junco (1), Lincoln's Sparrow (1), Red-winged Blackbird (9), and best of all, my first-of-year

136. Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
137. Song Sparrow (heard only, 2nd yard record)

Photos include a Horned Lark and a great look at the usually shy Bendire's Thrasher.

 

[Jos Stratford]

One of my two Lynx visited again yesterday evening:

New video by Lithuania And Beyond

photos.app.goo.gl

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

A slightly better viz-mig session yesterday morning. Presumably the fresher weather is moving things around a bit.

The best of the bunch was a low and calling #97 Yellowhammer. A bird that is just about annual, though never in any numbers. Mostly a late autumn passage bird. Never recorded in the garden. Also, I think all of my records have been single birds.

 

[birdmeister]

4 November

The morning dawned chilly (43F/6C) but beautiful after we finally got a decent rain shower (0.2 in/5mm). I was hoping the cold front passage would encourage some birds to move through. What I didn't expect was for the flight to last 4 hours and include 622 migrants! The total of 46 species was also very good for November. I'm including the full total below, headlined by an outstanding Horned Lark flight.

hummingbird sp. - 1
Turkey Vulture - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 4
Sharp-shinned/Cooper's Hawk - 1
Northern Harrier - 1
Swainson's Hawk - 1 (late!)
Red-tailed Hawk - 16
Horned Lark - 505
Violet-green Swallow - 4
Phainopepla - 19
Lesser Goldfinch - 4
Dark-eyed Junco ("Oregon") - 1
sparrow sp. - 1
Red-winged Blackbird - 5
Brown-headed Cowbird - 7
Brewer's Blackbird - 4
blackbird sp. - 19
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 4 (1 "Audubon's")
passerine sp. - 16

Four species were new for the year, including

138. Ring-billed Gull - 2 (new yard species #159!)
139. American Pipit - 4
140. Pine Siskin - 1

Best of all, I had scope views in flight of a

141. Common Grackle - 1 (new yard species #160!)

Common Grackle breeds one state over in New Mexico, but is quite a rarity in AZ. Apparently this is a first county record! My photos didn't turn out (this time...).

Photos include American Pipit, Brewer's Blackbird x2, Phainopepla, Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Turkey Vulture, and Common Grackle (oof).

 

[Richard Prior]

"A slightly better viz-mig session yesterday morning. Presumably the fresher weather is moving things around a bit.

The best of the bunch was a low and calling #97 Yellowhammer. A bird that is just about annual, though never in any numbers. Mostly a late autumn passage bird. Never recorded in the garden. Also, I think all of my records have been single birds."

Things are a bit different here BH, Yellowhammer being a common (and sometimes numerous) winter visitor and local breeder, typically one pair breed within earshot of home but between July and end September they're virtually absent. Since I started putting down the' magic Bunting seed' a few days ago the numbers have risen rapidly to around 15 feeding today for example. I keep hoping for one of the other Bunting sp on the Garden List to appear; Rock Bunting (11 records in 8 years but all bar one were in late winter/early Spring); Cirl Bunting (3 records, all in mid-summer) and Pine Bunting (one record, November). At our old place which was also at this altitude I once had Reed Bunting on passage in March but they tend to keep to lower areas, Ortolan here would be a real surprise (perhaps a bit of noc-migging in August might turn one up!
A typically busy Lesser Spotted Woodpecker this morning was spooked by a Red Squirrel before I was able to get a decent look at it, the Squirrel sat on a fairly flimsy branch for the next 20 minutes eating breakfast, Brambling still pretty scarce, just two in the garden and none overhead today but a sign of winter's arrival was a Willow Tit in the garden, they tend to stay in the forest until temperatures drop properly. Something I noticed which was of interest (hopefully not just to me) was another apparent plumage feature to help separate Marsh and Willow, I will try and check this on other individuals (there was just the one Willow T today I think) but it seemed to me that the lower half of the pale eye ring on Marsh is more visible than on Willow, the latter's eye ring barely appears due to black feathering descending around the eye more than on Marsh. Photos of the two species in Shirihai and Svennson seem to bear this out but I attach four photos for you avid Garden Listers to study (on a rainy day of course, life's too short after all ).

 

[Jos Stratford]

Been snowing much of the day here, and immediately Yellowhammers responded at the grain feeder - C30 on this first day

 

[Richard Prior]

Been snowing much of the day here, and immediately Yellowhammers responded at the grain feeder - C30 on this first day

A species with its own grain finding radar!

 

[Frank van Drogen]

Since I started putting down the' magic Bunting seed' a few days ago the numbers have risen rapidly to around 15 feeding today for example.

Missed the secret there…. What’s this seed or mixture?

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

Things are a bit different here BH, Yellowhammer being a common (and sometimes numerous) winter visitor and local breeder, typically one pair breed within earshot of home but between July and end September they're virtually absent. Since I started putting down the' magic Bunting seed' a few days ago the numbers have risen rapidly to around 15 feeding today for example. I keep hoping for one of the other Bunting sp on the Garden List to appear; Rock Bunting (11 records in 8 years but all bar one were in late winter/early Spring); Cirl Bunting (3 records, all in mid-summer) and Pine Bunting (one record, November). At our old place which was also at this altitude I once had Reed Bunting on passage in March but they tend to keep to lower areas, Ortolan here would be a real surprise (perhaps a bit of noc-migging in August might turn one up!
A typically busy Lesser Spotted Woodpecker this morning was spooked by a Red Squirrel before I was able to get a decent look at it, the Squirrel sat on a fairly flimsy branch for the next 20 minutes eating breakfast, Brambling still pretty scarce, just two in the garden and none overhead today but a sign of winter's arrival was a Willow Tit in the garden, they tend to stay in the forest until temperatures drop properly. Something I noticed which was of interest (hopefully not just to me) was another apparent plumage feature to help separate Marsh and Willow, I will try and check this on other individuals (there was just the one Willow T today I think) but it seemed to me that the lower half of the pale eye ring on Marsh is more visible than on Willow, the latter's eye ring barely appears due to black feathering descending around the eye more than on Marsh. Photos of the two species in Shirihai and Svennson seem to bear this out but I attach four photos for you avid Garden Listers to study (on a rainy day of course, life's too short after all ).

That’s an interesting feature, I’ve not heard of it before. I wonder if it works with the British race if Willow Tit too?

The pale cutting edge to the bill of Marsh Tit seems the best way to differentiate the two. Not that we need to worry about that in most parts of the U.K. sadly.