Backyard Birding – I – 10,000 Birds


As everyone knows, birdwatchers love making lists. Right here within the UK patch-listing is common. A patch is normally someplace not too removed from house the place you may observe birds repeatedly on a weekly and even each day foundation. Nonetheless, a robust rival to the patch checklist is the backyard checklist, or what may be known as a back-yard checklist on the opposite aspect of the Atlantic. 

Looking Barn Owls have been a daily sight at my final home. This one was photographed within the paddock on a shiny April morning

At my final home I mixed the 2, as my backyard was surrounded by what appeared like unpromising farmland however which, over the course of 15 years, produced a formidable 137 species. My guidelines have been easy: birds may very well be counted in the event that they have been seen inside a half-mile radius of my home. In entrance of the home I had a three-acre paddock that I managed for wildlife, and through the years this produced loads of good birds, plus a couple of surprises. Looking Barn Owls have been common, however I additionally recorded Tawny and Little Owls (each of which bred efficiently within the adjoining lime timber alongside my drive). Barn Owls tried to breed as soon as, however have been ousted by Jackdaws. On a few memorable events I noticed a Lengthy-eared Owl looking the realm. 

Two good birds in a single shot: a Little Owl and a Snipe, digiscoped from my front room window on a late December morning

A Little Owl perched on a fence alongside the drive of my final home

One yr the native property determined to farm outside pigs on the massive subject adjoining my paddock. The bottom proved to be unsuitable for the pigs, because it flooded readily. The pigs liked the mud, however the farmer’s tractors didn’t. Nonetheless, the muddy situations attracted birds, as did a seasonal pond that drew in a wide range of waders and wildfowl. The latter included Mallard, Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall and on one event a passing flock of White-fronted Geese. The waders ranged from a Wooden Sandpiper (a scarce chook inland in Suffolk) to a Black-tailed Godwit, whereas Snipe have been common within the winter, joined on one event by a Jack Snipe. The latter was my 137th species, and the final new chook added earlier than we moved. 

This drake Shoveler was on the flooded pig subject

My backyard was comparatively small, however I fed it closely, attracting an excellent number of birds thought the yr. My favourites have been the Tree Sparrows. These are uncommon birds in Suffolk, and my colony was one among solely two or three in the entire of the county. It built-up regularly over a number of years, and was as much as a dozen pairs by the point we moved in 2019.

The colony of Tree Sparrows at my final home constructed as much as a dozen pairs. All have been in Schwegler nest packing containers, as present right here

Sadly, although we solely moved a mere 5 miles east because the crow flies, I’ve but to see even a single Tree Sparrow in my new backyard within the 5 years since we moved right here. In contrast to the earlier property, which was very rural, my present home is in a village, although the west aspect of my backyard backs on to arable fields. I now have a backyard checklist, not a patch/backyard checklist, and at a mere 73 species it’s moderately extra modest than my earlier one. The backyard is kind of massive, at half an acre, whereas I’ve tried exhausting to make it extra enticing to birds by including a pond, planting a hedge of native timber and a small apple orchard, in addition to offering a number of feeding stations. 

You may make up your personal guidelines for backyard itemizing. Mine are easy, as I tick any chook I see or hear from or within the backyard. There are a variety of fly-over birds that I see each day, however that are by no means more likely to really land within the backyard, however which do use my air area. These embrace Rooks and Jackdaws, each of that are quite a few regionally. Throughout the winter there’s a daily late-afternoon flight of lots of of those crows heading to their roost half a mile away. Ravens are a brand new flyover addition to the backyard checklist. They’re birds which might be spreading east, having been exterminated in Suffolk within the nineteenth century. They now breed a couple of miles away.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls are a each day fly-over species all yr, however they by no means land within the backyard

Widespread Gulls are the scarcest of the 4 species of gulls that fly over the backyard. Most of my sightings are in late winter

Lesser Black-backed Gulls I see flying over each day, however they’re one other species which is unlikely to ever land. The truth that they’re so widespread right here, practically 50 miles from the coast, would shock ornithologists from the previous. Claud Ticehurst famous in his Historical past of the Birds of Suffolk (1932) that “inland a couple of cross over on each migrations”, but it surely was a uncommon chook, and one which was seldom seen within the winter, even on the coast. Black-headed Gulls are additionally seen all year long, however are at their commonest in winter and early spring. The scarcest of the gulls right here is the Widespread (Mew) Gull, which is most quite a few in late winter.

Marsh Harriers nest regionally, so fly over continuously within the spring and summer time

Raptors are mainly fly-over birds. In spring and summer time I see Marsh Harriers repeatedly, as they now nest on my native fen simply half a mile away. Buzzards are all the time round, Peregrines much less so, although I file them yearly. I see looking Hobbies sometimes in the summertime, however each Sparrowhawks and Kestrels are widespread, and they’ll hunt within the backyard. On one event my neighbour photographed a Kestrel that had killed a Wooden Pigeon on my drive. Kestrels are mainly killers of small mammals, so a woodie is uncommon prey. The Sparrowhawks take something they will seize. If it’s sufficiently small they’ll carry it away, however bigger prey (such because the juvenile Wooden Pigeon within the {photograph} under) they’ll pluck and eat on the spot. 

Buzzards could be seen on most days of the yr

This Sparrowhawk was photographed from my examine window. It had killed a Wooden Pigeon

Swifts are one other species that can by no means land in my backyard, thought the closest nesting pair is a brief distance away on the excessive avenue. In mid July, when numbers peak, as many as 40 or 50 could be seen overhead. Swallows are common all through the summer time, whereas Home Martins could be seen each day from late July by means of to September, however are scarce within the spring.

Swift numbers peak in mid July, when as many as 50 could be seen collectively. This {photograph} was taken from my backyard in July

Home Martins are a daily fly-over species in the summertime

My home isn’t effectively positioned for waders, however on one January day a Woodcock flew over at nightfall – I’m wondering how typically they arrive over unseen? Oystercatchers breed regionally, so that they fly over repeatedly in the summertime, attracting consideration with their distinctive piping calls, whereas Lapwings cross over in winter. Nonetheless lacking from the checklist however a possible addition is Golden Plover, flocks of which do winter within the space. Wildfowl are disappointingly few, with simply Mallard and Canada and Greylag Geese seen repeatedly, and Mute Swans sometimes. 

Gray Herons fly over repeatedly however by no means land – my pond doesn’t have fish!

A passing Greylag Goose. A standard fly-over species

In late winter and proper by means of the spring it’s uncommon to step within the backyard and never hear a singing Skylark, however although they fly over repeatedly, the backyard is simply too enclosed for such a chook to even think about touchdown. Cormorants, Gray Herons and Little Egrets additionally fly over, however my pond isn’t sufficiently big to curiosity them.

Oystercatchers nest regionally, so could be seen flying over from March to July

This Skylark wasn’t photographed from the backyard, however flying over the adjoining barley subject

It’s the birds that use the backyard for feeding which might be, I suppose, my actual backyard birds, and these I’ll think about subsequent week.



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