As everyone knows, birdwatchers love making lists. Right here within the UK patch-listing is well-liked. A patch is often someplace not too removed from house the place you may observe birds often on a weekly and even each day foundation. Nonetheless, a powerful rival to the patch record is the backyard record, or what is likely to be known as a back-yard record on the opposite facet of the Atlantic.
Searching Barn Owls had been an everyday 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 powerful 137 species. My guidelines had been easy: birds may very well be counted in the event that they had 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. Searching Barn Owls had 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 had been ousted by Jackdaws. On a few memorable events I noticed a Lengthy-eared Owl searching the world.
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 12 months the native property determined to farm out of doors pigs on the massive subject adjoining my paddock. The bottom proved to be unsuitable for the pigs, because it flooded readily. The pigs cherished the mud, however the farmer’s tractors didn’t. Nonetheless, the muddy circumstances attracted birds, as did a seasonal pond that drew in quite a lot 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 had 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 a great number of birds thought the 12 months. My favourites had been the Tree Sparrows. These are uncommon birds in Suffolk, and my colony was certainly one of solely two or three in the entire of the county. It built-up steadily 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 had been in Schwegler nest 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. Not like the earlier property, which was very rural, my present home is in a village, although the west facet of my backyard backs on to arable fields. I now have a backyard record, not a patch/backyard record, and at a mere 73 species it’s reasonably extra modest than my earlier one. The backyard is kind of giant, at half an acre, whereas I’ve tried onerous to make it extra engaging 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 can also 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 selection of fly-over birds that I see each day, however that are by no means more likely to truly land within the backyard, however which do use my air area. These embody Rooks and Jackdaws, each of that are quite a few domestically. In the course of the winter there’s an everyday late-afternoon flight of tons of of those crows heading to their roost half a mile away. Ravens are a brand new flyover addition to the backyard record. They’re birds which can 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 12 months, however they by no means land within the backyard
Frequent 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 frequent 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 most typical in winter and early spring. The scarcest of the gulls right here is the Frequent (Mew) Gull, which is most quite a few in late winter.
Marsh Harriers nest domestically, so fly over often within the spring and summer season
Raptors are mainly fly-over birds. In spring and summer season I see Marsh Harriers often, 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 report them yearly. I see searching Hobbies often in the summertime, however each Sparrowhawks and Kestrels are frequent, and they’re going to 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 are going to carry it away, however bigger prey (such because the juvenile Wooden Pigeon within the {photograph} under) they are going to pluck and eat on the spot.
Buzzards will be seen on most days of the 12 months
This Sparrowhawk was photographed from my research window. It had killed a Wooden Pigeon
Swifts are one other species that may 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 will be seen overhead. Swallows are common all through the summer season, whereas Home Martins will be seen each day from late July via to September, however are scarce within the spring.
Swift numbers peak in mid July, when as many as 50 will be seen collectively. This {photograph} was taken from my backyard in July
Home Martins are an everyday fly-over species in the summertime
My home isn’t properly positioned for waders, however on one January day a Woodcock flew over at nightfall – I ponder how typically they arrive over unseen? Oystercatchers breed domestically, so that they fly over often in the summertime, attracting consideration with their distinctive piping calls, whereas Lapwings cross over in winter. Nonetheless lacking from the record 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 often, and Mute Swans often.
Gray Herons fly over often 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 via the spring it’s uncommon to step within the backyard and never hear a singing Skylark, however although they fly over often, the backyard is simply too enclosed for such a chook to even contemplate touchdown. Cormorants, Gray Herons and Little Egrets additionally fly over, however my pond isn’t large enough to curiosity them.
Oystercatchers nest domestically, so will 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 can be, I suppose, my actual backyard birds, and these I’ll contemplate subsequent week.
