Garden / Yard List 2023 (1 Viewer)

[Jos Stratford]

Continuing real winter, not set to rise anywhere near zero in the next week or so.

But superb for the Yellowhammer flock at the grain feeder - climbed to a mindboggling 160 this afternoon, 14 Tree Sparrows with them, also dragging in two Greenfinch (a scarce bird here in winter) and a couple of Common Redpolls.

View from house this morning:

 

[Richard Prior]

Beautiful view Jos. Pretty wintry here too though with the cloud we can’t see very far. Can’t match your Yellowhammer totals but at least 40 coming to feed today with assorted finches. Had my breakfast by candlelight as the power cut off ( luckily I’d just brewed my coffee before it went off ).

 

[Jos Stratford]

Beautiful view Jos. Pretty wintry here too though with the cloud we can’t see very far. Can’t match your Yellowhammer totals but at least 40 coming to feed today with assorted finches. Had my breakfast by candlelight as the power cut off ( luckily I’d just brewed my coffee before it went off ).

Also impressive view ...and your finch collection will certainly beat mine 👍

 

[birdmeister]

Was out on the porch around midday and heard a most delightful sound somewhere above... migrating cranes! It took a while to find them, but eventually I got scope views of a flock of 28 sailing south. I've been hoping to get them for a while, despite their primary migration path being just a bit east of here.

134. Sandhill Crane - 28 (new yard species #145)

 

[Warixenjalka]

This morning I started Christmas cleaning all ready and took the carpets out into the snow. Then I heard a familiar voice (which I had expected the whole year):

#54. Raven - sometimes cleaning pays off

November statistics show that I got 21 species. I didn't expect that much. But nothing new last month. On the other hand, even the familiar species can be delight and occasionally organize a little drama in the backyard...

 

[Jos Stratford]

.... with assorted finches.

Joining the 150 Yellowhammers and 15 Tree Sparrows, a little treat that is more Mr Prior's fare ...one male Brambling. Very chuffed with this, my first ever record at my winter feeders 👍 (more usual as passage migrants).

Also a six year old Middle Spotted Woodpecker today, need to double check, but I think this is a new longevity record for the species in Lithuania

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

Very remiss, not to have posted for 6 weeks, though the reality is I don’t have too much to post about. :-(

Between lack of enthusiasm, wet weather and my first paid work in 6 years (a few days of farmland surveying) I’ve spent precious little time in the garden.

Mid-November and I finally got a flyover #101 Peregrine. (Last year I had well in excess of 100 Peregrine days, quite a come down)

Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs have departed, not seen for about a month or more, but hopefully some birds will wander onto the garden as the winter progresses.

A few other bits and bobs flying over in recent weeks including Yellowhammer, Lesser Redpoll and more regular Siskins and Meadow Pipits.

Tawny Owl heard a couple of times very late at night.

Little Grebe appearing in November was a first, on one occasion two birds. A lot (20+) of Teal across the road, which are occasionally seen now the leaves are dropping.

Apparently we are due a visit from the local Tree surgeon, it might open up a bit more of a vista, though every time a tree goes I feel a bit sad. Unless they take out the tree which is growing in the middle of our mill stream, then I will rejoice, as it will make access for Swans and Ducks (and Otters?) a bit easier.

I’m hoping life settles down a bit towards the end of the year and I can squeeze a couple more birds out of the garden before it all starts again in 2024.

 

[Steve Lister]

Overnight snow had settled so I was out early hoping for some cold weather movement. Unfortunately it was just a bit too murky to see anything that was going over and after fifty minutes I gave up and went in for breakfast. Never ventured out again as it started drizzling - a thoroughly miserable day until Kulusevski brightened things up slightly.

 

[Richard Prior]

Overnight snow had settled so I was out early hoping for some cold weather movement. Unfortunately it was just a bit too murky to see anything that was going over and after fifty minutes I gave up and went in for breakfast. Never ventured out again as it started drizzling - a thoroughly miserable day until Kulusevski brightened things up slightly.

Hopefully that’ll ‘Spur you on‘ to try again tomorrow Steve

 

[Euan Buchan]

Just saw a Redwing in my garden it flew off when I was about to take a picture, it would have been a good shot too .

 

[Richard Prior]

Potential number 90 frustratingly close today, having found 4 Alpine Accentor pottering about on the lane about 1km from home yesterday, I went out in the heavy falling snow this afternoon to see if they were still there. Before I’d even reached the farm 150m from our garden I spotted something creeping about underneath a cattle transporter/trailer where no snow could lay. After a bit of creeping myself I managed to see it was a female Rock Bunting . I resisted the temptation to break the Birdwatchers’ Code of Conduct and try and swoosh it towards our place, maybe it’ll join up with the Yellowhammer flock tomorrow🤞
Otherwise, no big changes around the feeders, the ground feeding birds like Chaffinch, Brambling and Buntings are finding it hard to find food as the snow covers any cleared ground quickly, I will have to see if I can budge together some wood to make a mini-roof to keep an area snow free for them to feed on.

 

[PYRTLE]

Phone call had me perched up on my small cottage bedroom window, in dressing gown and mug of hot tea. After what seemed like an eternity, two Cattle Egrets walked across an opposite neighbours paddock. Not a garden but a house tick, as they eventually flew away and not towards my gaff. First solitary Fieldfare of the winter joined the blackbirds, joisting over the apples on the ground.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Phone call had me perched up on my small cottage bedroom window, in dressing gown and mug of hot tea. After what seemed like an eternity, two Cattle Egrets walked across an opposite neighbours paddock. Not a garden but a house tick, as they eventually flew away and not towards my gaff. First solitary Fieldfare of the winter joined the blackbirds, joisting over the apples on the ground.

I can lend you some cows if it helps attract them back ('my' cows were hanging out a kilometre or so north a few days back, not very impressed by the snow)

 

[dantheman]

Phone call had me perched up on my small cottage bedroom window, in dressing gown and mug of hot tea. After what seemed like an eternity, two Cattle Egrets walked across an opposite neighbours paddock. Not a garden but a house tick, as they eventually flew away and not towards my gaff. First solitary Fieldfare of the winter joined the blackbirds, joisting over the apples on the ground.

Excellent!

Just out of interest, do you mean you keep a 'seen from house list' as opposed to a 'seen from garden list'?? Or you'd already seen from the garden?


(I include the house as it is within the garden - ie if seen from house it also counts as seen from garden. I assume most on here do likewise?)

 

[PYRTLE]

Excellent!

Just out of interest, do you mean you keep a 'seen from house list' as opposed to a 'seen from garden list'?? Or you'd already seen from the garden?


(I include the house as it is within the garden - ie if seen from house it also counts as seen from garden. I assume most on here do likewise?)

Yep, 2 lists.......1. In or directly overhead the curtilage of the boundary. 2. Seen from the house and garden, these include a few goodies such as Fulmar, L.E.Owl, Montagu's H, RL Buzzard, Honey Buzzard and Corncrake (heard only for 3 days). And they're staying on, 🙄.

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

“I’m hoping life settles down a bit towards the end of the year and I can squeeze a couple more birds out of the garden before it all starts again in 2024.”

Life settled down enough for me to have a lie in this morning as Mrs BH had gone out shopping with friends. Got dressed, made the bed (good boy), headed to the kitchen to make a coffee - a quick look out of the window, 4 birds on an aerial across the way, strange as nothing much sits on that aerial except a couple of Collared Doves, but not usually 4. They looked Collared Dove colour, but a bit smaller - mind in overdrive now, grabbing bins and…WAXWINGS!



#135 for the garden list and #102 for the year. My hands were trembling as I went for my scope and digi-scoping kit. I needn’t have worried as they were there from about 11:00 (I told you I’d had a lie in) till they flew off, presumably to roost, at 15:00.





Plenty of Berries left, so I’m hopeful they will spend a few days at least with us.

Very high on my hoped for list, especially in this irruption year. It took me 27 years to get them on my previous house’s list, so I’m well pleased with 5 1/2 here.

As I had my kit to hand I thought I’d get a shot of Marsh Tit this afternoon too.

View attachment IMG_0344.mov

 

[KenM]

Yes, suitably envious BH, on Saturday I saw a possible circa dozen heading North..but they could’ve been Starlings 😩, an hour later a colleague (a mile to the North) texted me from Chingford Plain with a “Merlin” credit to his sound only contact with Waxwing!

He sent me the sound file which to my ear sounded distinctly possible.
Sunday being a damp cold day, kept us both in, to find out too late, that 10 birds had been seen going to roost at 16.55 on Ching.Plain!
This am, I hit the trail to the plain…however a damp double circuit 3 hour session revealed Nowt!….I live in hope.😩

 

[dantheman]

Yep, 2 lists.......1. In or directly overhead the curtilage of the boundary. 2. Seen from the house and garden, these include a few goodies such as Fulmar, L.E.Owl, Montagu's H, RL Buzzard, Honey Buzzard and Corncrake (heard only for 3 days). And they're staying on, 🙄.

That's a nice batch of goodies!! This isn't still Berkshire??? Fulmar must be a good one if you aren't coastal (I know the others are probably 'better' birds though!)

 

[PYRTLE]

That's a nice batch of goodies!! This isn't still Berkshire??? Fulmar must be a good one if you aren't coastal (I know the others are probably 'better' birds though!)

Yes, all in North Norfolk since 1999.....be it 10 miles from the nearest bit of coast. And there was a very strong cold Northerly sea fret that day. Best Berkshire Garden spots were, Black Redstart and a fast moving male Pied Flycatcher.

 

[Euan Buchan]

Without fail every morning when I open the curtains The Mistle Thrush is always on my neighbours roof.