Garden Lists

[Colin Key]

I hate the term "Backyard Birding" (rather too "transatlantic" for my taste!!), but maybe a thread on "Garden Lists" might be of interest?

Anyone care to go public with what their little "home patch" has produced. I am probably much more privileged than most by virtue of my location and having a large area of land. My "rules" are that I include any species seen within my land boundary plus any species flying low enough to be certain that they are "within my air space" - I do not include species seen "from my garden" (which would increase my list quite a lot).

Being basically a "patch birder" I am always interested in what people can "squeeze" out of a defined area.

Come on, go for it :beer:

Colin

[Joe stockwell]

back garden, 22 including sedge warbler

if i include flyovers 53

[Colin Key]

Have just abstracted this from my "blog" - needs updating, which I will do in the next few days:


My own "garden list" includes all species observed either perched within my land (an area of 4,000 square metres) or species of which I can be confidently certain have flown over my "air space" since March 1997; it does not include species just seen from my garden:


Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Black Stork (Ciconia nigra)
White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)
Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus)
Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus)
Eurasian Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus)
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa)
Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix)
Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
Stone-curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus)
European Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria)
Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
Common Redshank (Tringa totanus)
Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
Dunlin (Calidris alpina)
Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus graellsi)
Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)
Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)
Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Red-necked Nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis)
Alpine Swift (Tachymarptis melba)
Common Swift (Apus apus)
Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus)
Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
European Bee-eater (Merops apiasterUpupa epops)
Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)
Thekla Lark (Galerida theklae)
Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)
Eurasian Crag-martin (Hirundo rupestris)
Eurasian Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica rufula)
House Martin (Delichon urbica)
White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
Spanish Yellow-wagtail (Motacilla flava iberiae)
Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)
Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)
Common Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)
Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)
Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)
Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)
Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis)
Western Olivaceous Warbler (Hippolais opaca)
Melodious Warbler (Hippolais polyglotta)
Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin)
Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)
Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)
Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
Iberian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus ibericus)
Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)
Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca)
Great Tit (Parus major)
Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)
Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)
Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus)
Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis)
Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)
Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanopica cyana)
Eurasian Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis)
Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild)
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
European Serin (Serinus serinus)
European Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)
European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
Eurasian Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)
Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus)
Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)

Total Species on list 114 :smile::laugh::beer:

[MichaelF]

Total for my small garden (~14 × 10 m), including birds on immediately adjacent rooftops and seen from house (including on school footy field in front of house, marked *) and high fly-overs (marked ^), 87:

^ Mute Swan
^ Whooper Swan
^ Greylag Goose
^ Canada Goose
* Mallard
^ Cormorant
^ Grey Heron
Sparrowhawk
^ Buzzard
Kestrel
^ Merlin
^ Peregrine Falcon
^ Oystercatcher
^ Golden Plover
^ Lapwing
^ Woodcock
^ Whimbrel
^ Curlew
Laughing Gull (2nd best rarity - visit from a long-staying bird, snatched food off neighbours birdtable)
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Lesser Black-back Gull
* Yellow-legged Gull
Herring Gull
^ Iceland Gull
* Great Black-back Gull
Rock Dove
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Tawny Owl
Common Swift
Alpine Swift (best rarity! BB 88: 526)
Kingfisher
Great Spot Woodp
^ Sky Lark
^ Sand Martin
Barn Swallow
House Martin
^ Meadow Pipit
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Waxwing
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Redstart
Ring Ouzel
Blackbird
Fieldfare
Song Thrush
Redwing
Mistle Thrush
Lesser Whitethroat
Whitethroat
Garden Warbler
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Goldcrest
Spotted Flycatcher
Long-tailed Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Nuthatch
Treecreeper
Jay
Magpie
Jackdaw
^ Rook
Carrion Crow
^ Hooded Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Chaffinch
Brambling
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Siskin
^ Linnet
Lesser Redpoll
^ Crossbill
Bullfinch
Hawfinch
^ Yellowhammer

[AndyB]

Terrific lists. Michael, was the Laughing Gull, the long-stayer from the '80s or the more recent influx?

[Steve Keen]

My garden is tiny (ca 6m x 12m for front and back combined), so I've always counted "in or from", and we're 5 miles inland in Hampshire, but the list stands at 72, including such goodies (locally at least) as Ring-necked Parakeet, Red Kite, L R Plover, Mediterranean Gull, Willow Tit, Bewick's Swan and Hawfinch. If I was counting only those in the garden it would be 10!!

[MichaelF]

was the Laughing Gull, the long-stayer
Yep ..........

[Colin Key]

Great list Michael - I could add both Laughing Gull and Franklin's Gull if I included "seen from" my garden.

Bet no-one else was woken up at about 2.00 am this morning to the sound (very noisy) of a flock of Stone Curlew feeding on leather-jackets on the lawn!!!

Colin :biggrin:

[MichaelF]

Bet no-one else was woken up at about 2.00 am this morning to the sound (very noisy) of a flock of Stone Curlew feeding on leather-jackets on the lawn!!!
Not even your neighbour??

;-)

[Colin Key]

Not even your neighbour??

;-)

Don't have any!!!

Colin :laugh:

[Colin Key]

Come on you lazy lot, I don't care if your garden is 50 or 5,000 square metres (square yards for you Imperialists!!), it is just interesting to see what you have managed to find.

Colin :twitcy::wideeyed:

[Colin Key]

This is my 2005 list of garden breeders:

Common Quail
Little Owl
Eurasian Collared Dove
Crested Lark
Red-rumped Swallow
Eurasian Blackbird
Blackcap
Garden Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Great Tit
Woodchat Shrike
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
European Serin
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch

I can now add Common Waxbill (breeding all year round and nesting in the Honeysuckle).

Total: 17

Colin

[Colin Key]

Just added Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) today, bringing my garden list total to 115.

Colin

[andy22]

My garden list stands at 72 (a large percentage are fly overs). The last species i added was brambling.. not exactly a "Mega" but i still think its a pretty good bird, for my garden anyway! My garden is relativly small but backs on to a railway track which is full with mixed types of trees and bushes, birds often visit my garden.. soo i have all the usual warblers, including lesser whitethroat, little and tawny owls, all 3 woodpeckers etc.. I also have a large pond but the only think which that has attracted is the usual.. heron and grey wagtail. Best bird to me seem to always be the flyovers but they include Honey buzzard, a female montagu's, a flock of whooper swans and ring necked parakeet

Andy

[Colin Key]

Brilliant Andy,

Any chance of posting the full list? I find it very interesting what people can manage to find in even the smallest plot. I cannot remember the number of species in my garden in London (Blackheath) but it must be quite a few and includes my first ever sighting of Woodcock (14 years or so ago now).

Regards,

Colin

[AndyB]

Birds seen in and from my parents' tiny garden in Cornwall (St Just at top end of Kenidjack Valley) include:

1 Grey Heron - flybys
2 Little Egret - 2 flyovers not directly over garden
3 Canada Goose - single flyover not directly over garden
4 Kestrel
5 Peregrine
6 Merlin
7 Common Buzzard
8 Honey Buzzard - single autumn migrant not directly over garden
9 Sparrowhawk
10 Golden Plover - not directly over garden
11 Lapwing
12 Curlew
13 Whimbrel - not directly over garden
14 Greenshank
15 Snipe
16 Black-headed Gull
17 Common gull
18 Herring Gull
19 Great Black-backed Gull
20 Woodpigeon
21 Stock Dove
22 Rock Dove
23 Turtle Dove
24 Collared Dove
25 Cuckoo
26 Tawny Owl - heard from garden
27 Common Swift
28 Green Woodpecker
29 Skylark
30 Sand Martin
31 House Martin
32 Swallow
33 Red-rumped Swallow - spent an October afternoon hawking insects over garden (other birds in following years have also been visible from garden but I didn't see them)
34 Rock Pipit
35 Meadow Pipit
36 Tree Pipit
37 Yellow Wagtail
38 Pied Wagtail
39 Wren
40 Dunnock
41 Robin
42 Black Redstart
43 Stonechat
44 Northern Wheatear
45 Ring Ouzel - not directly over garden
46 Blackbird
47 Fieldfare
48 Redwing
49 Song Thrush
50 Mistle Thrush
51 Grasshopper Warbler - singing spring males heard from garden in nearby hedgerows
52 Sedge Warbler - visible from garden in neighbours' garden
53 Garden Warbler
54 Lesser Whitethroat
55 Whitethroat
56 Blackcap
57 Wood Warbler
58 Willow Warbler
59 Chiffchaff
60 Yellow-browed Warbler - 3 in garden over several years
61 Firecrest - 1 bird seen from garden in neighbours' garden
62 Goldcrest
63 Pied Flycatcher
64 Spotted Flycatcher
65 Blue Tit
66 Great Tit
67 Coal Tit
68 Long-tailed Tit
69 Treecreeper
70 Starling
71 Golden Oriole - spring male seen from garden but not directly over garden
72 Jay
73 Magpie
74 Jackdaw
75 Raven
76 Carrion Crow
77 Rook
78 House Sparrow
79 Chaffinch
80 Brambling
81 Hawfinch
82 Siskin
83 Greenfinch
84 Bullfinch
85 Goldfinch
86 Linnet
87 Yellowhammer
88 Snow Bunting - single calling flyover


Megas that I haven't seen but would have had I been in the garden at the time include:

Alpine Swift - 2 spring birds
Gyr Falcon - long-staying white phase spring bird that often was seen over St Just terrorizing the local gulls.

[andy22]

Hello,
colin here's my list i relooked and it stands at 77 not 72 like i originally said!, a large percentage are fly overs (your know the obvious ones), many are just visitors from the railway line behind and many have just been recorded the once.

1 Cormorant
2 Grey heron
3 Whooper swan
4 Mute swan
5 Canada goose
6 Mallard
7 Honey buzzard
8 Montagu's harrier (female)
9 Sparrowhawk
10 Red kite
11 Buzzard
12 kestrel
13 Perigrine
14 Hobby
15 Red legged partridge
16 Pheasant
17 Coot
18 Moorhen
19 Lapwing
20 Golden plover
21 Black headed gull
22 Common gull
23 Herring gull
24 lesser black back
25 greater black back
26 Rock dove
27 Wood pigeon
28 Stock dove
29 Collard dove
30 Ring necked parakeet x2
31 Cuckoo
32 Little Owl
33 Tawny owl
34 Swift
35 Green woodpecker
36 Great spotted woodpecker
37 Lesser spotted woodpecker
38 Skylark
39 Swallow
40 House martin
41 Sand martin (just the 1)!
42 Meadow pipit
43 Grey wagtail
44 Pied wagtail
45 Wren
46 Robin
47 Dunnock
48 Blackbird
49 Fieldfare
50 Redwing
51 Song thrush
52 Mistle Thrush
53 Lesser whitethroat (A breeding pair)!
54 Whitethroat
55 Blackcap
56 Garden warbler (spring migrant 3times)
57 Chiffchaff
58 Willow Warbler
59 Goldcrest
60 Long tailed tit
61 Coal tit
62 Blue tit
63 Great tit
64 Treecreeper
65 Jay
66 Magpie
67 Rook
68 Jackdaw
69 Crow
70 Starling
71 House sparrow
72 Chaffinch
73 Brambling (pair)
74 Greenfinch
75 Goldfinch
76 Linnit
77 Bullfinch (up to 5 at one time)!


Andy

[Colin Key]

Very nice lists from Andy and Andy - some of us a very fortunate to be able to indulge ourselves in some great birdwatching without leaving home.

Colin :smile:

[Paul Bourdin]

I live in a fenced compound. We have tiny individual gardens, but access to a communal recreation area. This is my list of birds seen in the communal area.

Intermediate Egret
Oriental Honey Buzzard
Grey-faced Buzzard
Philippine Falconet
Spotted Buttonquail
Pompadour Green Pigeon
Guaiabero
Red-crested Malkoha
Philippine Coucal
Philippine Scops Owl
Island Swiftlet
Glossy Swiftlet
Pacific Swift
Asian Palm Swift
White-throated Kingfisher
Coppersmith
Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker
Barn Swallow
Pacific Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Ashy Minivet
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Yellow-wattled Bulbul
Philippine Bulbul
Bolicassiao
Black-naped Oriole
Large-billed Crow
Elegant Tit
Stripe-headed Rhabdornis
Arctic Warbler
Grey-streaked Flycatcher
Black-naped Monarch
Grey Wagtail
Brown Shrike
Olive-backed Sunbird
Purple-throated Sunbird
Striped Flowerpecker
Red-keeled Flowerpecker
Lowland White-eye
Tree Sparrow
Scaly-breasted Munia