CPP Gardener
Well-known member
Finally a Mourning Dove! When we were feeding birds in the backyard, they were one of the most numerous species.
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Garden / Yard List 2025 (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter halftwo
- Start date
Saw a Stock Dove in the garden short while ago.
Migration push today, lot of skeins of Bean Geese flying over, strangely no White-fronts among the ones close enough to check, plus influx of summer thrushes - several hundred Fieldfares, all then promptly in mass song, along with 30-40 Blackbirds and a couple of Mistle Thrushes.
Only new birds for the year however we're two Reed Buntings and a trio of Herring Gulls.
52. Herring Gull
53. Reed Bunting
Five species of butterflies now on the wing, incl this Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell
Only new birds for the year however we're two Reed Buntings and a trio of Herring Gulls.
52. Herring Gull
53. Reed Bunting
Five species of butterflies now on the wing, incl this Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell
Bismarck Honeyeater
Barely known member
Some Finches on the move this morning, East mostly. A few parties of around 5-10 individuals, those close enough to ID were Chaffinches.
A single distant bird coming in low from the South enabled me to ID it before it got overhead and called - a Skylark. It is a mystery why I’ve had them in every winter and spring month, but never in February.
The stand out highlight, though, this morning were a pair of mating Otters seen in the river across the road, so viewed from on patch.
I could see a lot of kerfuffle, but wasn’t sure how many animals there were making it. At first I thought one, having a vigorous wash, but then it became apparent it was two, involved in a lot of ‘play fighting.’
View attachment IMG_5492.mov
Apparently Otter sex is a rough affair. They ended up quite peacefully swimming off together in synch.
View attachment IMG_5493.mov
It’s a first for me, and hopefully means some pups to be seen in the late-summer/autumn, given around 3-4 months gestation and a bit of time in the holt before they enter the big wide world.
A single distant bird coming in low from the South enabled me to ID it before it got overhead and called - a Skylark. It is a mystery why I’ve had them in every winter and spring month, but never in February.
The stand out highlight, though, this morning were a pair of mating Otters seen in the river across the road, so viewed from on patch.
I could see a lot of kerfuffle, but wasn’t sure how many animals there were making it. At first I thought one, having a vigorous wash, but then it became apparent it was two, involved in a lot of ‘play fighting.’
View attachment IMG_5492.mov
Apparently Otter sex is a rough affair. They ended up quite peacefully swimming off together in synch.
View attachment IMG_5493.mov
It’s a first for me, and hopefully means some pups to be seen in the late-summer/autumn, given around 3-4 months gestation and a bit of time in the holt before they enter the big wide world.
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Finally added 36. buzzard. Given that we usually have 2 pairs in the immediate vicinity I've no idea why it has taken so long.
With future potential, yesterday evening I saw a collared dove about 300m down the road. In the past they have bred in the garden but numbers in the village have crashed - as I thought to zero this year. One to keep an eye out for...
Rob
With future potential, yesterday evening I saw a collared dove about 300m down the road. In the past they have bred in the garden but numbers in the village have crashed - as I thought to zero this year. One to keep an eye out for...
Rob
Warixenjalka
Birdwitcher
Just saw a Sparrowhawk in the garden a Magpie chased it off.
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
The anticyclone has finally been pushed aside by some colder, humid weather, snow showers overnight and this morning. As often happens when the weather turns in this mid March to end April period, things get a bit more interesting, at least 8 White Wagtail, 2 more Redwing and c12 Fieldfare giving some variety. The 'Pine Bunting seed' has kept the Yellowhammers and Chaffinches well fed all winter , hardly any Brambling or Siskin throughout though.
Although typically it didn't come down to feed by the house, the presence of its yellow cousins in the vicinity may be why a fine male
54 Rock Bunting
decided to drop by, it flew up from the edge of the field into the trees with a Yellowhammer and typically refused to reappear (so far at least). A welcome return to form you might say after two blank years in 2023/4. Four of the seven spring records have been in March, I wish they weren't so shy!
Although typically it didn't come down to feed by the house, the presence of its yellow cousins in the vicinity may be why a fine male
54 Rock Bunting
decided to drop by, it flew up from the edge of the field into the trees with a Yellowhammer and typically refused to reappear (so far at least). A welcome return to form you might say after two blank years in 2023/4. Four of the seven spring records have been in March, I wish they weren't so shy!
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Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Maybe it can't fly if it's pregnant Ken.............
I decided to put down second helpings of the seed this afternoon and it did the trick, not one, but two male Rock Bunting came to feed just outside the back door
. Around lunchtime I had to eat my words re. the dearth of Brambling this winter when a winter's best 6 turned up, three was the most I'd seen here since last March! A 'runt' Yellowhammer (must get into the habit of always wearing my specs!) pottering outside the kitchen window turned out to be the first
55 Serin
of the year. Average first date is 20 March so fairly expected. A good day overall in pretty grotty weather!
I decided to put down second helpings of the seed this afternoon and it did the trick, not one, but two male Rock Bunting came to feed just outside the back door
. Around lunchtime I had to eat my words re. the dearth of Brambling this winter when a winter's best 6 turned up, three was the most I'd seen here since last March! A 'runt' Yellowhammer (must get into the habit of always wearing my specs!) pottering outside the kitchen window turned out to be the first55 Serin
of the year. Average first date is 20 March so fairly expected. A good day overall in pretty grotty weather!
Attachments
KenM
Well-known member
Envy you your seedeaters Richard so does most of London, if London Wiki Bird News is anything to go by.
Just a single female Brambling reported in the whole of London on Tuesday only!😮
A single female Chaffinch “in the grdn”. am was a notable record today considering their reduced nos. this Winter.
That apart, a few images from the grdn.and one from “on patch” outside, albeit earlier grdn.flyovers.
Just a single female Brambling reported in the whole of London on Tuesday only!😮
A single female Chaffinch “in the grdn”. am was a notable record today considering their reduced nos. this Winter.
That apart, a few images from the grdn.and one from “on patch” outside, albeit earlier grdn.flyovers.
Attachments
Oregonian
Well-known member
#58: Hutton's Vireo, heard "singing" as we finished a gardening project this morning. They're usually here all winter.
Earlier this week, Mallard, Cackling Goose and Ring-necked Pheasant were heard. There's a question whether the pheasants are countable. If they only persist because of reintroductions, and the population isn't really self sustaining, they may not be. For now, I'm listing them.
Earlier this week, Mallard, Cackling Goose and Ring-necked Pheasant were heard. There's a question whether the pheasants are countable. If they only persist because of reintroductions, and the population isn't really self sustaining, they may not be. For now, I'm listing them.
hookem2010
Well-known member
#41 Black-chinned hummingbird coming to my backyard feeder
Richard Prior
Halfway up an Alp
Talk about London buses, you wait three years to see Rock Bunting on the premises and then get them on consecutive days! Not the two males from yesterday but a female this morning which walked in front of a female Green Woodpecker that was doing some serious digging. The first perched Woodpigeon of the year takes my 2025 Garden List photo challenge total to 47 out of 55. I can't compete with Jos' seedeater numbers but at least 80 Chaffinch on the deck yesterday was not bad for here (makes up for the lack of Hummingbird sp )
)Attachments
Farnboro John
Well-known member
No 37 after a long gap in new sightings: Stock Dove transiting overhead.
Late morning no. 38 whipped across removing themselves from the vicinity of a Sparrowhawk: 6 Greenfinches, once common but now occasional.
John
Late morning no. 38 whipped across removing themselves from the vicinity of a Sparrowhawk: 6 Greenfinches, once common but now occasional.
John
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angusmcoatup
Paul
A bit of a catch up but as the spring heats up there’s lots appearing locally.
71. I’ve kept an eye out for Hoopoe on my garden walk this week but eventually saw the first from my bed. A tired looking bird sat in a bare tree. Later feeding on the ground where the ants nests are getting lively in the sun.
72. Red Rumped Swallows- everywhere. The pair (I’m presuming it’s them) that have been here for the last two years returned this morning. And then I realised there are birds all across Köyceğiz. That’s the kitchen balcony out of bounds again.
73. Alpine Swifts - a couple over the orange grove , though there are big flocks as usual at Hamitkoy
74. Dunnock! A winter scarcity here, a bird in the garden took me by surprise
75. Barn Swallow . They arrived a couple of weeks ago.
76. Little Egret thought I already had this on the list. Occasionally passing over town.
Also a Common/Pallid Swift yesterday. Lots of Woodpecker activity, Great Spotted and Lesser Spotted often in the same tree, Syrian flying back and forth and the elusive but noisy Greens making their presence known.
Blackcaps have taken over from ChiffChaffs as Warbler of the month, with Lesser Whitethroats also regular.
71. I’ve kept an eye out for Hoopoe on my garden walk this week but eventually saw the first from my bed. A tired looking bird sat in a bare tree. Later feeding on the ground where the ants nests are getting lively in the sun.
72. Red Rumped Swallows- everywhere. The pair (I’m presuming it’s them) that have been here for the last two years returned this morning. And then I realised there are birds all across Köyceğiz. That’s the kitchen balcony out of bounds again.
73. Alpine Swifts - a couple over the orange grove , though there are big flocks as usual at Hamitkoy
74. Dunnock! A winter scarcity here, a bird in the garden took me by surprise
75. Barn Swallow . They arrived a couple of weeks ago.
76. Little Egret thought I already had this on the list. Occasionally passing over town.
Also a Common/Pallid Swift yesterday. Lots of Woodpecker activity, Great Spotted and Lesser Spotted often in the same tree, Syrian flying back and forth and the elusive but noisy Greens making their presence known.
Blackcaps have taken over from ChiffChaffs as Warbler of the month, with Lesser Whitethroats also regular.
Snow and minus for the last days, but still the spring pushes on, one Snipe flying around over frozen lands, the first Chaffinch of the year at my feeders and skeins of geese today including many Bean Geese and my first White-fronted Geese of the season
54. White-fronted Goose
55. Common Snipe
56. Chaffinch
54. White-fronted Goose
55. Common Snipe
56. Chaffinch
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Yesterday finally a Common Buzzard spiralled around over the house for no. 39 on the year's garden list. Gradually working through the usual suspects.
John
John
Bismarck Honeyeater
Barely known member
Not too much to catch up on this week. Wednesday was a cold morning, but still managed to see 1-2 displaying Red Kites early on. Watching one of them and I realised there was a Lapwing way in the distance, probably over a field where they probably breed, probably. A Treecreeper was nice too.
A pair of Teal fed in the garden in the afternoon, as opposed to just roosting overnight.
Friday was fairly quiet, apart from an interesting Egret seen very briefly, seemingly dropping in to a pool down the road. I was sufficiently intrigued to walk down there, a couple of hundred metres, to check it out. Nothing!
But, as I turned around to walk back, #77 Great White Egret lifted up out of a small patch of Reeds and disappeared off into the flooded Carr opposite.
No doubt this is the bird I had over the garden in October and have seen a couple of times nearby. It’s taken me this long to get it on the garden list for 2025. A few people have seen it close enough that I could have got it from the garden, had I been in the right place at the right time, but that’s true of almost everything.
I’ve had Chiffchaff most days this week, but am still to get a singer from the garden, I’m sure this weeks weather will set them off.
A pair of Teal fed in the garden in the afternoon, as opposed to just roosting overnight.
Friday was fairly quiet, apart from an interesting Egret seen very briefly, seemingly dropping in to a pool down the road. I was sufficiently intrigued to walk down there, a couple of hundred metres, to check it out. Nothing!
But, as I turned around to walk back, #77 Great White Egret lifted up out of a small patch of Reeds and disappeared off into the flooded Carr opposite.
No doubt this is the bird I had over the garden in October and have seen a couple of times nearby. It’s taken me this long to get it on the garden list for 2025. A few people have seen it close enough that I could have got it from the garden, had I been in the right place at the right time, but that’s true of almost everything.
I’ve had Chiffchaff most days this week, but am still to get a singer from the garden, I’m sure this weeks weather will set them off.
