Garden / Yard List 2024 (1 Viewer)

[angusmcoatup]

A good day for the garden today , a pair of Long tailed Tits - Turkish version. I rarely see them here. Also Masked Shrike and Bee-eaters using the power line in front of my desk window. Long legged Buzzard passed through attended by Hooded Crows.
A couple of days ago both Cetti’s Warbler and Nightingale within metres of each other in the orange grove next door. Both unexpected as they prefer the scrubby areas a couple of roads away and this is the first time I’ve seen them from the flat.

After a few days of silence I heard Golden Orioles singing today, Garden Warbler has been regular and Scops Owl has adopted the Mulberry by the house. Another or same Montagu’s Harrier (3 sightings this spring) patrolled the island of fields opposite us last week.

A big male boar is enjoying the Mulberry fest nightly, and I’m fairly sure of a Beech Martin glimpse in the pre-dawn gloom.

 

[Warixenjalka]

Where are you? I'd bet some place exciting....

Far-East Russia is no-no for now. So I think Jos might be in China, Thailand, Botswana, Brasil, Cuba, Ohio or Canada (I use good old fashioned paper map and ruler). But I mostly think he's in Miami Beach in Florida sunbathing because all those birds in his yard have worn him out

 

[Jos Stratford]

Far-East Russia is no-no for now. So I think Jos might be in China, Thailand, Botswana, Brasil, Cuba, Ohio or Canada (I use good old fashioned paper map and ruler). But I mostly think he's in Miami Beach in Florida sunbathing because all those birds in his yard have worn him out

Far-East Russia wouldn't be a no no for me, but there would definitely be some questions when I returned to Lithuania But I was in Taiwan 👍 Have now flown down to Singapore.

Should be a nice jump in the garden tally when I return

 

[Richard Prior]

For the third time this year, another nearly mega, ie. just the second of the species for the Garden List:

77 Red-footed Falcon

a male heading determinedly North just before 6pm. The only previous one (in 2021) was an early May bird too. This year is seeing good numbers through Corsica and south of us (though not as many as Pallid Harrier, hopefully Birdforum's Val35 will give us some totals at the end of the Spring migration...).

 

[KenM]

For the third time this year, another nearly mega, ie. just the second of the species for the Garden List:

77 Red-footed Falcon

a male heading determinedly North just before 6pm. The only previous one (in 2021) was an early May bird too. This year is seeing good numbers through Corsica and south of us (though not as many as Pallid Harrier, hopefully Birdforum's Val35 will give us some totals at the end of the Spring migration...).

For some, this would be a description species Richard!, but as I’m laid back about these things I’ll let you have it.🤣

 

[pete wragg]

121 - Swift, 2 flew south

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

The garden has jumped from Winter a week ago to Summer this week. Hard to imagine I will be adding many new additions over the next couple of months, though there are a few possibilities. Probably not worth making any great efforts at getting up early for the forseeable future.

However, tonight I did stay up later than usual and boy, was it worth it!



Not too shabby for West Suffolk. I’ve seen a teeny tiny glimmer of green between clouds on Shetland years ago, but this is bucket list quality Borealis. I was shaking, crying and laughing all at the same time - a most bizarre feeling. I’m not sure I really expected such an emotional experience.

(Will resume with dull bird news as and when)

 

[Richard Prior]

For some, this would be a description species Richard!, but as I’m laid back about these things I’ll let you have it.🤣

Well, I suppose there’s a very remote possibility that it was a Sooty Falcon
Being in the far east of France we’re lucky to get RfF regularly in late Spring, if the weather worsens there can be several stuck for days in the Arve valley down from Chamonix.
Poor old Tetley the Black Grouse was displaying away to himself again around 06h00, hopefully a female or two is nearby, he puts a lot of effort in that’s for sure. The early morning soundtrack today is the clanging of cowbells as the first herds head up to their summer pastures, I can only just here the Fieldfare down the road above all the din!

 

[KenM]

Might be of interest?

Just over a week ago, I used the Merlin app.for the first time (am aware that it’s had mixed reviews).
Anyway, the first time I used it was after an early am visit to the bathroom, leaving it on the open window sill.
Ten minutes later I had a quick check, yes all the usual subjects had “”been recorded, thus I continued with “recording” and promptly went back under the covers to the land of nod.

When I awoke (1.5 hours later), a quick check on the app.revealed a few jaw droppers!
All have been recorded within 3 miles of my abode historically- Barn Owl, Raven, Rook, Black Redstart, Iberian Chiffchaff, Garden Warbler.

Later, I went out on patch to field test a small area, that has a “choir of conflicting warblers”
Willow, Garden, Common Whitethroat, Lesser, Chiffchaff, Blckp and Cuckoo.
All were banged to rights! + a presumed (didn’t see) flyover Skylark.

Not suggesting that this can be used for grdn.listing purposes, but..it does make you wonder.😮

 

[dantheman]

The garden has jumped from Winter a week ago to Summer this week. Hard to imagine I will be adding many new additions over the next couple of months, though there are a few possibilities. Probably not worth making any great efforts at getting up early for the forseeable future.

However, tonight I did stay up later than usual and boy, was it worth it!


Not too shabby for West Suffolk. I’ve seen a teeny tiny glimmer of green between clouds on Shetland years ago, but this is bucket list quality Borealis. I was shaking, crying and laughing all at the same time - a most bizarre feeling. I’m not sure I really expected such an emotional experience.

(Will resume with dull bird news as and when)

I had a John Wyndham moment about half an hour in while looking out of the velux window ...

The sky started off as a luminous green to the north when I went out about 11, I was wondering if I was imagining it and there was major works on the A30 10 miles to the north. Later on deep magenta above us too and those streaks etc. Wasn't able to work out night mode on photographic devices, so no pics, but the experience was there. One interesting thing was old airplane contrails in the sky showing up as dark lines in the sky - can't say I've experienced that before.


Garden lifer and whole earth lifer for me ... not really expecting it or especially the degree of vividness in south west Cornwall tbh!

 

[Richard Prior]

I had a John Wyndham moment about half an hour in while looking out of the velux window ...

The sky started off as a luminous green to the north when I went out about 11, I was wondering if I was imagining it and there was major works on the A30 10 miles to the north. Later on deep magenta above us too and those streaks etc. Wasn't able to work out night mode on photographic devices, so no pics, but the experience was there. One interesting thing was old airplane contrails in the sky showing up as dark lines in the sky - can't say I've experienced that before.


Garden lifer and whole earth lifer for me ... not really expecting it or especially the degree of vividness in south west Cornwall tbh!

I wonder whether I’ll see it tonight even this far south, well, not tonight but rather early tomorrow as I’ll be up at 03h45 to go and help with the annual Black Grouse census ( I’ll probably be too bleary eyed to notice). What a thrill for those that witnessed it for the first time!
Another herd of cows just set off, my ancient iPad didn’t record as I wanted but the brief noise gives you an idea of the volume of the bells, Merlin would struggle to pick up any discreet warblers with such competition !
View attachment IMG_0841.mov

 

[angusmcoatup]

P

Might be of interest?

Just over a week ago, I used the Merlin app.for the first time (am aware that it’s had mixed reviews).
Anyway, the first time I used it was after an early am visit to the bathroom, leaving it on the open window sill.
Ten minutes later I had a quick check, yes all the usual subjects had “”been recorded, thus I continued with “recording” and promptly went back under the covers to the land of nod.

When I awoke (1.5 hours later), a quick check on the app.revealed a few jaw droppers!
All have been recorded within 3 miles of my abode historically- Barn Owl, Raven, Rook, Black Redstart, Iberian Chiffchaff, Garden Warbler.

Later, I went out on patch to field test a small area, that has a “choir of conflicting warblers”
Willow, Garden, Common Whitethroat, Lesser, Chiffchaff, Blckp and Cuckoo.
All were banged to rights! + a presumed (didn’t see) flyover Skylark.

Not suggesting that this can be used for grdn.listing purposes, but..it does make you wonder.😮

Merlin regularly picks out birds I’ve overlooked in a loud chorus of singers, which I confirm by sight . I seem to overlook reasonably distant calling Hoopoe quite often but Merlin records it correctly.
At the same time it (or my phone’s manky dust-laden microphone?) doesn’t pick up obvious birds. On 2 occasions it hasn’t noted point blank singing Ruppells Warbler for example.

I wonder whether I’ll see it tonight even this far south, well, not tonight but rather early tomorrow as I’ll be up at 03h45 to go and help with the annual Black Grouse census ( I’ll probably be too bleary eyed to notice). What a thrill for those that witnessed it for the first time!
Another herd of cows just set off, my ancient iPad didn’t record as I wanted but the brief noise gives you an idea of the volume of the bells, Merlin would struggle to pick up any discreet warblers with such competition !
View attachment 1579075

I’ve just read Northern Turkey and Bulgaria should be able to see it tonight. So maybe.

 

[Frank van Drogen]

I wonder whether I’ll see it tonight even this far south, well, not tonight but rather early tomorrow as I’ll be up at 03h45

It was visible here in the Allier a bit after midnight. Nothing as spectaculair as what was seen further north, but regardless much to the delight of my French in-laws.

 

[Richard Prior]

It was visible here in the Allier a bit after midnight. Nothing as spectaculair as what was seen further north, but regardless much to the delight of my French in-laws.

Haha, as I quickly learned, it’s always good to delight the French side of the family

Just been doing a bit of garden tidying ( I love the French name for a strimmer,
une débroussailleuse!), the moment I stopped there was a male

78 Common Redstart

singing in next door’s cherry tree. For all I know it had been competing with me for the previous 20 minutes (the time it takes before a battery recharge is necessary)!
When we first moved here the species bred in two places nearby but for the past five years it’s become a brief passage visitor only….

 

[Frank van Drogen]

I'll prepare a proper report soon, but there's a lot of Golden Orioles around, and this morning the first Turtle Dove of the year seen.

 

[Steve Lister]

May 11th
66. Hobby - one over

The single highlight of over six hours skywatching from the garden as my contribution to the Global Big Day.

 

[KenM]

May 11th
66. Hobby - one over

The single highlight of over six hours skywatching from the garden as my contribution to the Global Big Day.

Only six hours?….try twelve.

 

[halftwo]

81: Swift

At last!

 

[KenM]

Suspect the longest I’ve had to wait for one of these?…no.68 North…House Martin just!

 

[pete wragg]

122 - Pectoral Sandpiper, 1 on Long Bank Marsh, couldn't see it from roof when it was on deck.was on nearest pool,but obscured by banking. Saw it as it flew back towards Beacon Ponds. second garden record.