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Post by ianr on Apr 6, 2020 7:06:59 GMT
I'm not a real big list writer but it looks as if my plans for one at Besthorpe are on hold for now so I thought I'd take to sitting in the garden and start a lockdown list. Out came my old nice and comfy fishing chair and I'll be applying 'viz-miggin' rules, that's a new word for me  apparently anything you can see or hear? from your garden. Which is good as my garden is small and I've always wondered if counting birds nearby or over head counted. Some of my best birds have been over the road or in another garden  So far the list is 1-starling 2-house sparrow 3-black bird 4-blue tit 5-wood pigeon 6-goldfinch 7-greenfinch 8-black back gull 9-black headed gull 10-sparrow hawk 11-crow 12-great tit 13-grey heron 14-buzzard 15-feral pigeon 16-chaffinch 17-collard dove 18-robin 19-magpie I'll expect around 30 before it starts to get difficult ian |
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Post by aeshna5 on Apr 6, 2020 17:57:18 GMT
Most birders do count flyover- in fact anything that can be seen from the garden. Bird Forum is doing a similar list & some people overlooking the sea, marshes, etc get very impressive lists which I could never compete with.
Notice you put Black-backed Gull- Lesser or Great?
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Post by ianr on Apr 7, 2020 9:58:41 GMT
I'm sure we get both here just majestically gliding around I'll try harder to see the leg colour. After I read your post I was outside having my 9-ish coffee and two drifted over one slightly behind the other both dark backed but one noticeably although not hugely smaller, one of each perhaps ian |
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Post by ianr on Apr 11, 2020 7:37:48 GMT
Well reached 30 this morning including 2 special birds. Yesterday evening a peregrine circled over as it flew in I just got a quick glimpse of it's mask and as it circled overhead the wings looked narrower and more pointed wing tips than the local sparrow hawks, I see them most days at the moment, must be nesting in the woods this year. Within an hour of the peregrine both sparrow hawks flew by one high and the other just over rooftop height. All 3 birds seen through bins the peregrine had a damaged primary feather hanging down making it easy to distinguish from the others. The other special for me was a willow warbler in one of the oaks out front as I put last nights empty's out there my bench mark for summer and seldom heard or seen here nowadays. I can see and hear them nearby they just don't stay and breed in the woods anymore. ian list 20-wren 21-rook 22-jackdaw 23-greater spotted woodpecker 24-chiff chaff 25-song thrush 26-dunnock 27-cormorant 28-tawny owl 29-peregrine 30-willow warbler |
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Post by aeshna5 on Apr 11, 2020 15:52:13 GMT
Willow Warbler has declined so much down here in recent years. Often I don't see a bird until the first returning juveniles in August. A few have been reported by London birders walking to their local sites. No joy for me with one yet.
30 is a pretty good tally!
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Post by Tringa on Apr 12, 2020 9:49:22 GMT
My garden and fly over list
Blackbird
Blue Tit
Canada goose
Carrion crow
Chaffinch
Collard dove
Common gull
Cormorant
Feral pigeon
Goldfinch
Great Tit
Greenfinch
House sparrow
Jay
Magpie
Robin
Rose-ringed parakeet
Starling
Wood pigeon
Dave
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Post by ianr on Apr 22, 2020 10:09:03 GMT
I've never spent so much time sat in the garden I'm not the sit in the sun sort of chap, but the list is coming on latest count is 38 I'll update it if and when I hit 40 I've had a few swallows directly over now and another peregrine yesterday also as sods law dictates just as I was moving a few pots around I caught a quick glimpse of what I thought were swifts only half as high again as the roof tops and almost directly overhead but by the time I got my bins I missed getting focus as they went behind the large oak. I did see enough to know they were not swifts to large we do get the odd kestrel usually high up harrying the buzzards, these two were quite low flying side by side and in no great hurry. Hobbys crossed my mind, they were most certainly falcon-ee I guess it just means more sitting in the sun and never moving another pot  ian |
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Post by ianr on Apr 29, 2020 8:02:47 GMT
At last reached 40 on my list I've been waiting for one of these little fellas to turn up and there's still a few regulars I'm waiting for but things have slowed down ian 31-skylark 32-pied wagtail 33-greylag goose 34-mallard 35-blackcap 36-canada goose 37-swallow 38-mistle thrush 39-swift 40-goldcrest |
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apparently anything you can see or hear? from your garden. Which is good as my garden is small and I've always wondered if counting birds nearby or over head counted. Some of my best birds have been over the road or in another garden 
