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Garden / Yard List 2025 (4 Viewers)

The last week has been a bit samey, the Water Rail has put in a few appearances, including today, under the decking by the front door. A Grey Wagtail in our guttering by the bedroom window and, unusually a Rook on the roof - considering they breed in the garden, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one on the building.

Water Rail was under the building, where the river outflow is.

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A Chiffchaff still kicking around, though I’ve not seen the Blackcap for a week, despite putting Apples out for it.

Today my first foray out wasn’t until 13:30, a not terribly auspicious time, you might think, but within minutes a female #56 Marsh Harrier flew over, high West. I fumbled with my camera phone and only managed a couple of pixels.

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My 1st January Marsh Harrier was only last year, and I only managed 1 or 2 sightings a year, so a good one to get this early. All my records are in the first 8 months of the year.

A few minutes later an incoming small Finch proved to be a calling #57 Linnet, which carried straight on WNW. Linnet records are heavily skewed to the last 6 months of the year, and I’ve never had a January record before, so it was nice to close that gap.

A pretty good start to the year, which I’ve only once ever exceeded - 61 by months end in 2022.
 
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My average total for January is around 38 species so I imagine that I’ll achieve that by the month end (on 36 currently), unusually no sightings of Bullfinch and Sparrowhawk yet, and Siskin also absent (as it has been virtually all winter). The almost two weeks of anticyclonic conditions finally broke this morning, so I stayed inside while it rained, when it dried up later on two Golden Eagles were flying around over the distant forest, the male doing some spectacular moves.

I set myself a challenge for the day – to try and photograph as many as possible of the species I saw. The day’s total was 25 species (two heard only), I managed to image 20 of the 23 seen (Buzzard and Raven too distant and view obscured and Wren just whizzed through without stopping). First batch: seed eaters, Robin, Blackbird and far off Goldie.
 

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Another lunchtime check of the garden, as getting up early in the morning in grey gloom does not hold much appeal.

I could hear an out of place call - ‘Tsiip’ a few times but couldn’t see the culprit. Soon afterwards a few Finches sat up in a low tree, the first I looked at was a Chaffinch, but just to the left of it was a bigger bird.

I wondered if it was a #58 Hawfinch, it soon turned around revealing a chunky bill and a black chin. It was the first record IN the garden and the first January record.

It was only then that I remembered I had Merlin™️running in my pocket, surprisingly it had picked up, and correctly identified the Hawfinch - 18 calls in fact. The whole thing was over in 4 minutes, as I left it perched to fetch my digi-scoping kit, when I got back there was no sign. So all I have is a pixelated phone video.

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It was feeding on buds, as are the slightly above average number of Finches in the garden this winter, so it’s possible it may reappear.
 
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January 23rd
42. Raven
- two over

Lagging seven behind this time last year with Buzzard and Mute Swan the main culprits yet to put in an appearance.
 
This morning was a bust, but the afternoon foray paid off (that’s 3 afternoons on the trot).

Two #59 Skylark low over North-west. Good job I was stood where I was and looked in the right direction at the right time, as they were, unusual for the species, silent.

My first January record was only last year. Considering that, last week, I had a flock of 60 in a stubble field behind a building that I can partially see from the garden, it’s a surprise that I don’t get them more often.

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Very reliable in Oct-Nov and Mar. Patchy the rest of the year. The mid-summer records were when I had access to the roof of our building, and could scope fields over the treetops. I might have to see if I can arrange that again.
 
The heavy rain didn't bring anything new up here but a Common Treecreeper was only the second of the year, a male Brambling which has been seen on and off all month paid a visit with the c40 Chaffinch. In previous years we've had either 'Siskin winters' or 'Brambling winters', this time it's neither :mad:
 

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Last week the Great Horned Owls were hooting at each other in the pine tree up on the hill down the street. The neighborhood Ravens came by a couple of days ago, chasing each other and the crows. Yesterday 6 Canada Geese flew over so low I could hear their primaries rustling. Today a flock of Bushtits gave the Tecomas and Bougainvillea a good going over while the Kingbirds I heard earlier watched from the utility wires above.
That makes 18, about halfway through the common species.
 
Desperate times call for desperate measures, in the absence of any spuggies in the vicinity I’ve been ‘scoping farms, barns and dung heaps (also hoping a Grey Wagtail might visit the latter..). Finally scored just now with half a dozen outside a cow barn about 1.5kms away:

37 House Sparrow

Various species starting up their Spring calls already, the Blue, Coal and Marsh Tits all getting feisty with each other.
 
I lie almost equidistant (c 500m) between House Sparrow/Starling colonies, with both being out of sight!
Will get the “latter”flyovers eventually…but the former is never guaranteed.
As for Siskin, Brambling, Redpoll and now unbelievably (first time ever!)…just 3 flyover Redwings on the 5th being the only record.
I should have had legions through by now, over and in the garden, it might also be worth mentioning that also for the first time during this cold spell…no NE-SW tracking Wood Pigeon movements either!
Throw in the absence of Hawfinch, Bullfinch and Greenfinch and you have an extremely worrying trend for these ‘dem parts!😮
 
Well, 4 afternoons on the trot and something new for the year. Not for want of trying late morning either.

I did a couple local sites this afternoon, and really wasted my time. Nothing. I did better at Tesco in Newmarket this morning, with a Red Kite scavenging with some Gulls. Not a site I’ve seen them at very often, maybe once before.

I digress. Getting home late this afternoon, and the evening was bright and mild, I thought I’d better just take a few minutes to have a look around.

Around 16:20 and I spotted a small raptor coming towards me, a small Falcon! Not one of the pair of Kestrels that seem to have taken up residence in the scrubby area at the back of the garden, I saw the male just before this, and just after.

No. This was a proper small Falcon, way too small for Peregrine, it was a #60 Merlin. It really whipped through just below tree height, carrying prey too. I got the impression of it being a grey bird, that and its diminutive size leads me to think a male. It was all over in about 5 seconds. Thank goodness I picked it up coming in, flying past and away, as I might not have believed myself if I saw it more briefly.

This is the first for 4 years. I had a previous bird in January and probably the same in March of 2021. They winter around here, but I very rarely bump into them on my travels, they really are a right place right time bird.
 
not wanting to create a new thread, we have a resident fieldfare in our garden, or at least transient! It appeared just before Xmas, alone, as if it was separated from its flock during one of the many storms we had at the time (I'm in South Wales near the coast). Over the past few weeks it is socialising with 3 or 4 blackbirds, or rather competing with them for fallen fruit which I leave through the winter. I guess at some stage it will leave and return to whence it came? It looks so out of place; sadly my camera skills haven't managed to get it yet!
 

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