Garden / Yard List 2024 (3 Viewers)

[halftwo]

I've got one, Richard. It's not the magnification but the visibility that's the issue. Not very often that the murk & light are good enough.
The estuary is c.2 miles away. So differentiating Golden & Grey Plovers is very difficult. I should be able to get a few waders & Brent Goose, Shelduck, etc if they give good enough views.

 

[KenM]

Waxwing withstanding, have been desperately short of “webbed footers” commuting betwixt lakes…and I’m still awaiting Stah-lin!….it can only get better?
x60…you need specsavers H!
I’ve only got 8x20’s and with the reservoirs c2 miles away, holding a whole range of species that I’ll never get.
Although I did get a “once only” 30 odd years ago, when I used my scope…Goldeneye! guaranteed not to repeat.😩

 

[Farnboro John]

Waxwing withstanding, have been desperately short of “webbed footers” commuting betwixt lakes…and I’m still awaiting Stah-lin!….it can only get better?
x60…you need specsavers H!
I’ve only got 8x20’s and with the reservoirs c2 miles away, holding a whole range of species that I’ll never get.
Although I did get a “once only” 30 odd years ago, when I used my scope…Goldeneye! guaranteed not to repeat.😩

Died 5 March 1953. Good luck.

John

 

[KenM]

Died 5 March 1953. Good luck.

John

I was espousing the local parlance. 🤣

 

[Andy Lakin]

Had a Short Eared Owl mobbing a Kite today. The interesting thing was watching how far the owl went bothering the kite. I lost it to view even with the scope and didn't manage to see if the owl returned to its usual roosting spot.

 

[pete wragg]

75 : Woodcock,1 flew over garden first light
76 : Skylark, 1 on long Bank Marsh
77 : Waxwing, 1 flew south

 

[KenM]

Now being at month end, it was good to get another tick after a tick less week, no.52 Goshawk.
Rising laboriously from the stream outback before threading through the trees and vanishing without trace.
Have only managed to image this species once in now ten years, such is it’s brevity of appearance….praps one day.😩

It’s been mostly “the usual suspects” RNP’s, Redwing, Goldfinch and Sprawk, punctuated by my second brief appearance of Siskin, 3rd appearance of Egyptian Geese and Collared Dove respectively.
Amazing that I’ve got through a whole month without Stah-lin and Wren😮 however, can just glimpse H ahead, although I can’t see Richard, must be hiding behind a boulder someway back.🤣

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Update from Aberdeen's Glittering West End...

26 - Starling - an ommission from the other day
27 - Stock dove - two over the city centre this morning. One I thought might be hard, but actually these are the second I've had (after one went over with woodpigeons when I was 10 yards down the road...)

Further update from AGWE. Slow going here! I've put feeders up but they have spent more time on the ground than anywhere else due to the recent storms. Everything additional has been flyby...

28 - Greenfinch
29 - Pied wagtail
30 - Oystercatcher

 

[dantheman]

36. Grey Heron

After a number of possibly less common passerines in or from the garden, Blackcap, Firecrest, Chiffchaff, Bullfinch, Fieldfare and Linnet, finally managed to add -

30th Jan

37. House Sparrow

whilst sorting out the washing mid afternoon, a flock chirping away in the back hedge behind the neighbours. Firecrest again. Had a flock of what were possibly/probably Meadow Pipit out the window the other day but views too brief.

 

[Richard Prior]

Far from Aberdeen's bright lights and its West End fleshpots, here it's been a quiet past week or so with a persistent Anticyclone keeping temperatures above normal and birds dispersed away from the garden (mind you I stopped all feeding a week ago due to seeing a sickly Siskin). It's been a record January for the Garden List with 43 species recorded, four more were tantalisingly close during the month too (Alpine Accentor, W-w Snowfinch, Nutcracker and Goldcrest). I might catch Ken but Pete is already approaching my annual expectations, I'm not even going to think about Jos' 'Spring Offensive' A few snaps from this morning attached.

 

[Andy Lakin]

Fascinating reading about people's lack of Starlings and House Sparrows. The House Sparrows near me are bucking the trend with my best total.c70 but Starlings are declining steadily.

 

[KC Foggin]

I have no starliings of House Sparrows around since the Blue Jays have been hasseling them.

 

[Warixenjalka]

January total was 19, which is 3 more than last Jan. Start of the month was very cold, end warmer than average. Species that I didn't saw last Jan were Redpoll, Waxwing, Tawny Owl and Treecreeper. Species I didn't saw this Jan and saw last is Herring Gull.

 

[Jos Stratford]

I'm not even going to think about Jos' 'Spring Offensive'

No need to worry about that for at least a month 🙂

Mild at present, but still snow on the deck ... after a short trip away, heading back to my plot later today

 

[Richard Prior]

One to add from this morning:

44 Peregrine Falcon

A male (of course).
Plus an even better one late afternoon:

45 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

A ‘semi-rare’ for here with an average of only two sightings per year (none in 2022) the species is a bit of a mid-winter specialist with only two of the sixteen recorded in 8 years falling outside the November - February period.

 

[KenM]

I think? just the 3 sightings last year, however “snap” on the Westbound tiercel Peregrine this am, over the roof to the Lee Valley. No.53.😊

 

[halftwo]

57: Linnets

over this morning

 

[Jos Stratford]

Hints of the spring offensive perhaps somewhere on the horizon, all the Great and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers started drumming in pleasant sunshine yesterday, plus a previously strangely absent Grey headed Woodpecker decided to return to my feeders by the house (three or four regular before Christmas, first one this year). And in further hint of spring, my Whooper Swan pair also appeared, a fly round over the still snowy meadows, a stately inspection of the nesting area still encrusted in thick ice, then off to pastures more appropriate.

Some snow melt today and forecast to continue to do so all week. Not next week though.


22. Whooper Swan
23. Grey-headed Woodpecker
24. Siskin

 

[KenM]

Stepping out into the grdn. to top up the niger, heard first, then caught bounding over the trees…no.54 Redpoll! 👍

 

[Steve Lister]

February 4th
51. Song Thrush - one singing quite a way off before light - heard from the bathroom.

Otherwise a very quiet start to the month.