Garden target lists

Lothian

After a year at the new house in Lothian the garden list reached 61 species (6/8/05); a neighbour has reached 83 so there are still some to get, including one or two easy ones; the following is a list of 25 possible species which would be needed to catch up, let's see if any are accurate predictions:

1. (Mallard - Should be easy!) - a pair NE over east of village on 25 February 2007
2. (Canada Goose - Another likely suspect - small flock of moult migrants N over on 5 June 2010
3. (Barnacle Goose - Moves around with local Pinkfeet) - 4 over on 29 October 2005
4. (Common Crossbill - Got this in Herts in the 2002 breakout - surely a likely candidate here near the coast) - 5 over on 9 October 2005
5. (Common Chiffchaff - Likely in spring/autumn) - first to fall, calling bird on 3 September 2005
6. (Sand Martin - A probable over spring 2005) - 4 over W on 15 April 2006
7. (Stock Dove - Regular nearby) - 1 over on 12 August 2006
8. (Jay - Possible in autumn) - 1 over on 2 October 2010
9. (Mute Swan - Must fly over from time to time) - 5 over on 22 October 2005
10. (Teal - fairly common in the area) - 3 over on 2 December 2010
11. Reed Bunting - Possible in winter or on passage
12. (Brambling - Perhaps in winter or on passage) - 1 over calling on vismig 30 October 2010
13. (Lesser Redpoll - Possible over) - single in song over on 15 April 2006
14. (Common Tern - Regular at coast nearby) - several over after dark on 24 August 2006, and other dates thereafter
15. (Dunlin - Must fly over from time to time) - one over in rain just after midnight on 21 October 2006
16. Common Snipe - Must pass over now and again
17. (Common Sandpiper - Possible over) - heard over in rain at 23:44hrs 14 August 2007
18. (Whimbrel - Possible over) - heard over in rain at 23:32hrs 14 August 2007
19. (Common Whitethroat - Common in surrounding countryside - female in garden on 8 May 2010
20. (Treecreeper - May pass through with tit flocks) - single alighted in tiny front garden on 11 September 2006
21. Spotted Flycatcher - Seen nearby outside the village
22. Garden Warbler - Seen in another garden in the village
23. (Wigeon - Moves along coast) - 1+ over on 2 December 2010
24. Gannet - Ought to be visible occasionally throo telescope high over sea 1km N
25. Tree Pipit - Several heard over on migration on nearby coast

Species added to the list which were not envisaged are:

1. Grey Plover - single over at night on 5 September 2005
2. Grasshopper Warbler - reeling bird audible in May-June 2006
3. Sanderling - single over at 00:39hrs on 21 August 2006 (10 minutes before high tide); surprising to get this one before Dunlin!
4. Common Redpoll - a small flock present over New Year 2007
5. Ringed Plover - heard over to north at 23:55hrs on 14 May 2007; plenty on the coast at this time of year so should have been no surprise
6. Quail - nocturnal migrant on 1 June 2007
7. Bar-tailed Godwit - heard over in rain at 00:20hrs 15 August 2007
8. Barn Owl - screech heard 02:08hrs 27 July 2008, quite a surprise within the village but also heard summer 2008
9. Black-tailed Godwit - heard over in rain at 00:18hrs 2 August 2010
10. Hobby - SW past on 4 August 2010, submitted to LBRC
11. Coot - heard over in mist at 01:13hrs 7 August 2010
12. Tree Sparrow - a couple on 30 October 2010 and several dates into winter
13. Woodcock - 2 over in roding flight excursion on 8 May 2011; had thought more likely to get this species in autumn/winter as nearest regular breeding/roding area is a couple of miles NE

Hertfordshire

This is a list I made of the 40 target birds spcies to reach total of 100 for our Hertfordshire garden list, drawn up in June 2003. It's in what I estimated to be the approximate order of likelihood of occurence, based on local knowledge. Having said that, the last "probable" near our garden, Purple Heron (see log), would never have featured on any such hit list - neither the Serin which did occur here!

1. (Common Buzzard - Reported recently from over Woodside and North Watford nearby) - seen over Leavesden Airfield, 13 September 2003
2. (Red Kite - Reported over Woodside nearby & common from five or so miles west) - seen over Leavesden Airfield, 12 August 2003
3. Yellow-legged Gull - Regular in Hilfield roost so must occur - a probable seen over 2003
4. Mediterranean Gull - Regular in Hilfield roost so must occur
5. Golden Plover - Must visit disused airfield with Lapwings - but none with flocks I've checked
6. (Stock Dove - Common one mile west at Grove Mill) - single over W, 10 January 2004
7. Common Whitethroat - Common in surrounding countryside
8. Tawny Owl - Reported from Harebreaks 500m south - none found in a recce though
9. Bullfinch - Present at Grove Mill one mile west
10. Ring-necked Parakeet - Reported from Garston in 2002
11. Waxwing - Reported from Garston in 2002
12. Redpoll - Surely possible, perhaps with Siskins in autumn/winter
13. Turtle Dove - Surely passes over
14. Treecreeper - May pass through with tit flocks
15. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - Mapped for our tetrad in London Atlas - presumably from Harebreaks*
16. Spotted Flycatcher - Mapped for our tetrad in London Atlas - presumably from Harebreaks*
17. Garden Warbler - Mapped for our tetrad in London Atlas - presumably from Harebreaks*
18. Lesser Whitethroat - Mapped for our tetrad in London Atlas - possibly from Harebreaks*
19. Reed Bunting - Possible in winter - occasional in gardens near canal to west
20. Yellowhammer - Perhaps in winter
21. Little Egret - Has been seen over a Garston garden near the River Colne
22. Mute Swan - Must fly over from time to time (Near miss 10 February 2004 with a single SW over nearby A405 when I was not home - should have been visible from garden)
23. Dunlin - Must fly over from time to time
24. Common Snipe - Must pass over now and again
25. Common Tern - Regular at Grove Mill one mile west
26. Cuckoo - Possible over
27. (Sand Martin - Must pass overhead) - single S directly over, 13 September 2003
28. Wheatear - Perhaps on passage on playing fields
29. Firecrest - Not impossible with crests or tit flocks
30. Peregrine - Must pass overhead occasionally
31. Monk Parakeet - Resident in Borehamwood five miles east
32. Marsh Tit - Not impossible with passing tit flocks
33. Raven - Has been seen over St Albans
34. Knot - Seen over Watford
35. Common Sandpiper - Possible over
36. Whimbrel - Possible over
37. Curlew - Possible over (Near miss 25 October 2003 with a single SW over nearby Leavesden Green when I was not home - should have been visible from garden)
38. (Redshank - Possible over) - heard overhead at 2am on 10 July 2003
39. Ringed Plover - Possible over
40. Alpine Swift - Why not?!

* - Harebreaks is a small patch of mainly oak woodland 500m south of our house; London Atlas contains tetrad maps from 1988-1994 fieldwork

Kincards

Visits home now very infrequent, but most obvious omissions are:

1. Linnet - overhead
2. Teal - most fly over occasionally
3. Common Snipe - must fly over occasionally
4. Chiffchaff - not common in the area though
5. Hen Harrier - a probable once eluded me, seen nearby