As everyone knows, birdwatchers love making lists. Right here within the UK patch-listing is common. A patch is often someplace not too removed from dwelling the place you’ll be able to observe birds frequently on a weekly and even day by day foundation. Nonetheless, a robust rival to the patch listing is the backyard listing, or what may be referred to as a back-yard listing 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 vivid 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 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 number 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 bushes 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 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 big area 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 fowl 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 fowl added earlier than we moved.
This drake Shoveler was on the flooded pig area
My backyard was comparatively small, however I fed it closely, attracting number of birds thought the yr. My favourites had been the Tree Sparrows. These are uncommon birds in Suffolk, and my colony was one in every 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 bins, 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 listing, not a patch/backyard listing, and at a mere 73 species it’s moderately extra modest than my earlier one. The backyard is kind of giant, at half an acre, whereas I’ve tried exhausting to make it extra engaging to birds by including a pond, planting a hedge of native bushes and a small apple orchard, in addition to offering a number of feeding stations.
You can also make up your individual guidelines for backyard itemizing. Mine are easy, as I tick any fowl I see or hear from or within the backyard. There are a selection of fly-over birds that I see day by day, however that are by no means prone to really land within the backyard, however which do use my air house. These embrace Rooks and Jackdaws, each of that are quite a few regionally. Throughout the winter there’s an everyday 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 listing. They’re birds which might be spreading east, having been exterminated in Suffolk within the nineteenth century. They now breed a number of miles away.
Lesser Black-backed Gulls are a day by 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 day by day, however they’re one other species which is unlikely to ever land. The truth that they’re so frequent right here, almost 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 number of move over on each migrations”, however it was a uncommon fowl, 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 regularly within the spring and summer season
Raptors are mainly fly-over birds. In spring and summer season I see Marsh Harriers frequently, 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 document them yearly. I see looking Hobbies often in the summertime, however each Sparrowhawks and Kestrels are frequent, 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 may carry it away, however bigger prey (such because the juvenile Wooden Pigeon within the {photograph} beneath) they may pluck and eat on the spot.
Buzzards may 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 road. In mid July, when numbers peak, as many as 40 or 50 may be seen overhead. Swallows are common all through the summer season, whereas Home Martins may be seen day by 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 may 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 regionally, so that they fly over frequently in the summertime, attracting consideration with their distinctive piping calls, whereas Lapwings move over in winter. Nonetheless lacking from the listing 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 frequently, and Mute Swans often.
Gray Herons fly over frequently 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 frequently, the backyard is simply too enclosed for such a fowl 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 may be seen flying over from March to July
This Skylark wasn’t photographed from the backyard, however flying over the adjoining barley area
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.
