Garden / Yard List 2024 (5 Viewers)

[Andy Adcock]

Well if you ever fancy swapping Cyprus for sunny Worthing....

Crap in winter, a day list would be Jackdaw, Magpie, Hooded Crow, Black Redstart, Sardinian Warbler and Stonechat

 

[Oregonian]

78. Cedar Waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum
Attached is an out-the-bedroom-window photo from this morning, here in Western Oregon, USA

 

[Jos Stratford]

Continuing arrival of breeding migrants, day started and ended with a Hobby hunting and catching dragonflies around the house, but also my first Common Rosefinches of the season, two males in song, and my first Red-backed Shrike of the season, a nice male. Corncrakes calling in the meadow, but most noteworthy bird of the day was a Quail calling in the evening - very irregular bird in my land: last record was 2020 when a couple held territories, but prior to that it was 2012.

Wader pool has almost dried up sadly, will only hold birds for another day or two, but a nice mix today - three Ruff, four Wood Sandpiper, two Green Sandpiper, two Snipe, two Common Redshank, a dozen or so Lapwing .

124. Hobby
125. Common Rosefinch
126. Red-backed Shrike
127. Quail

 

[KenM]

None last year!….no.70 Sand Martin…low and East over house…just!

 

[Jos Stratford]

Top news on my plot ... successful hatching of Whooper Swan cygnets, at least two fluffy bundles on the water yesterday (second adult still sitting on the nest, maybe more cygnets). Second breeding ever - this pair bred three years ago and summered both years since, but didn't seem to breed or failed. I am chuffed with this.

Also singing Red-breasted Flycatcher in its usual territory behind my cabin and a very singy Icterine Warbler aside my house, chortling along all day.

128. Red-breasted Flycatcher
129. Icterine Warbler

 

[Richard Prior]

Despite this very wet and cool May, there's evidence of successful breeding here too, best was seeing FOUR Black Woodpecker flying past the house the other evening, making a lot of noise, so surely a family. Other juvs/families seen in the past two weeks are Long-tailed Tit, Greenfinch, Crossbill, Starling. It's also a bit dangerous standing outside the house as there are four active nests with parent birds to-ing and fro-ing, three boxes attached to the house are occupied, 2 x Blue Tit and one Great Tit pair, in the rock wall right by the garage door a pair of Coal Tit have young and Great Tit have chosen a similar site in the veg garden wall. I've seen Marsh Tit carrying food passing the house too, perhaps they're in a hole in one of the neighbours' fruit trees. As usual there are pairs of Black Redstart and White Wagtail nesting but I haven't worked out where exactly their respective nests are. Opportunities for vis-migging have been few and far between, principally due to cloud and rain but it's my busy time for garden and field work plus visitors took up our time for a few days. Nevertheless, a couple of goodies, the second Hoopoe of the Spring at the bottom of our track on 18th and a second Spotted Flycatcher yesterday. Around midday the first

79 Honey Buzzard

tracked North. Right on schedule, in 8 years recording here the average date for the first Bunny Hazard is 22nd!

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

Just got back from a West Country jaunt with Mrs. BH, hardly any birding, though my first Cirl Buntings for 10 years, were very welcome.

Late news from just before we went away was #76 Corn Bunting. A bird flew overhead at one of the corners of the garden, and appeared to land in a tall tree. Sort of unexpected, but there are 3 singing males just a few hundred metres away - behind some trees and the local council hub - so no chance of hearing or seeing them from the garden.

I’ve recently discovered another small population about 1km in the opposite direction, so perhaps there is a bit of commuting going on.

My only other record came one winter a few years ago, when there was a flock of about 65 just a bit down the river.

A brief look around yesterday resulted in Kingfisher and the Great Spotted Woodpecker chicks getting noisier, and one assumes bigger. House Martin and Coal Tit were new for the month, which is lagging behind the average so far.

A couple of nice Dragonfly sightings also yesterday, ‘rufescens’ Blue-tailed Damselfly and Hairy Hawker the best, also a new Fish - Minnow.

 

[Richard Prior]

A sad sight greeted us this morning, the rocks behind which the Coal Tit were nesting had been dislodged/ scrabbled out and fallen down to the ground and the nest destroyed, just a couple of juv. feathers left. I’m assuming a Pine Marten is the culprit though next door’s cat might have done it. A shame after all the weeks of work the adults had put in, the Great and Blue Tit families are getting noisier so will fledge in the next few days I think. Hopefully not today or tomorrow with this continuing rainy and cool weather but at the weekend when it looks better.

 

[Jos Stratford]

A sad sight greeted us this morning ...

Rather happier here - my pair of Cranes brought their newly hatched chicks into the meadow, two nice orangy headed things strutting through the long grass.

Also my first Marsh Warbler of the season singing by the house.

130. Marsh Warbler

 

[Richard Prior]

Rather happier here - my pair of Cranes brought their newly hatched chicks into the meadow, two nice orangy headed things strutting through the long grass.

Also my first Marsh Warbler of the season singing by the house.

130. Marsh Warbler

Marsh Warbler was easy for me at our previous place, a boggy area with sedges and reeds less than 100m away held up to four pairs most years. I've found them about 3kms away from here so it's one that's a likely addition one day (I hope).
Some welcome sun and blue sky this morning, thrushes and Blackcap still singing sweetly, their chorus somewhat ruined by a very loud

80 Spotted Nutcracker

screeching away in the Elm.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Marsh Warbler was easy for me at our previous place, a boggy area with sedges and reeds less than 100m away held up to four pairs most years.

Varies year to year for me, sometimes only one or can even be none, occasionally three to four singing birds, generally in willow scrub in damper areas. This year's bird, still singing this morning, is right by my house - a clump of willows and shrubs in a damp area surrounded otherwise by open meadow.

 

[Richard Prior]

Varies year to year for me, sometimes only one or can even be none, occasionally three to four singing birds, generally in willow scrub in damper areas. This year's bird, still singing this morning, is right by my house - a clump of willows and shrubs in a damp area surrounded otherwise by open meadow.

Let's hope it finds a mate!
Mission accomplished (I said to my wife this morning that today's goal was to find the first vultures of the year!) , well timed too - just before the rugby final starts, the first

81 Griffon Vulture

passed overhead, a nice group of seven very high (flying hidden through the clouds half the time). A possible Hobby flashed through my vision as I was tracking them, but too fleeting a glimpse to be sure...

 

[KenM]

After a not inconsiderable time skywatching today I eventually secured no.71.
One of those irregular/regulars (if you know what I mean), which have been conspicuous by their absence this year…a Rook heading East!
After which, a male Sprawk broke cover from the distant canopy and with wings spread it went into soar display, promptly followed by the female above into the blue.

With ever diminishing circles, it looked as though a collision might ensue, this was abruptly curtailed when a hurtling Southbound Hobby split the pedestrians, before an abrupt Westward ninety degree turn, pushed it further into the blue, the speed of which was absolutely jaw dropping!
This represented the 11th sighting of Hobby “so far” this year, compared to 8 sightings last year (same time frame).
Earlier in the day I notched my 48th Red Kite sighting for the year, believe there to be now 2 pairs locally, as compared to one pair last year and just 20 sightings (same time frame).

If Red Kites are soaring, hirundines are in free fall (excepting Swift) last year (same time frame) 12 HM’s and 27 Swallows Northbound, this year a single House Martin and 11 Swallows!…time will tell.
Short of any surprises I’ll await the fall for a bit of redemption…if the gods allow?😄

 

[Steve Lister]

Moved house recently so starting from scratch. Not tallied up as yet but added Golden Oriole, Spotted Flycatcher and Common Redstart a couple of days ago.

Are you still around Pissouri?

 

[Andy Adcock]

Are you still around Pissouri?

Yes but I'm in the UK at the moment, why?

Migration was over, pretty much a week ago on my patch.

If you're over with the Missus, an evening in Pissouri village would be nice, tiny, typical village with a few restaurants and bars. Pissouri bay is 3km downhill from the village and also worth a visit the 'Captains Bay' is a lovely setting but the food is average. The 'Bay tree pub is my local, most people will know me in there.

 

[KenM]

The Gods are smiling!
Last night I went out at 12.35 to inspect my halogen lit wall, as I’d seen a few moths flutter past the window earlier.
As they’ve been in short supply of late I was keen to see what might be around on this almost muggy cloudy evening.
Whilst outside I heard this almost mechanical “whoosh” sound! then followed by a “thin goo-eek” twice!
I had a hunch, even though the calls were alien to my ears, a quick look on Xeno Canto for nocturnal flight call of NIGHTJAR….it was spot on!
Coincidentally, there was a single noctuid on my parasol also a lifer…aptly named “Dark Spectacle”….No. 72 for the former.😊

 

[Jos Stratford]

Spring essentially over, migration basically over, summer temperatures too, topping near 30 C today and forecast to stay near this for the foreseeable future.

The full suite of likely migrants has now arrived, one River Warbler trilling off yonder (could still get Spotted Flycatcher, but unfortunately these have become near extinct on my land over the years - from several breeding pairs to occasional individuals in each of the last few years ...but I fear maybe my first blank year ever for this bird).

Also one Water Rail calling early morning, but top bird of the day was a humble House Sparrow at my feeder today ...a major rarity on my land (second record ever). It joined Tree Sparrows at my feeders, these also formerly rare visitors, but nesting this year in a box I provided (first breeding record).

131. Water Rail
132. River Warbler
133. House Sparrow

 

[pete wragg]

126 - Sandwich Tern, 2 over Kilnsea Wetlands

 

[pete wragg]

127 - Osprey, flew north

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

Nothing new, sadly, but a pair of Swifts investigating a roof of one of the buildings on our estate was new. Never seen one land in the garden before (once just across the river in a neighbouring estate)

View attachment IMG_2020.mov

I got nest boxes put up in the big old church tower in the centre of town, but I’ve no idea where the Swifts that hang out over town actually breed!