Birding / Garden list
A list of all the birds in and around my garden
Here’s an overview of birds that have been inside, or very near to my garden.
But first a little list of symbols to clarify the sightings:
- HO: Heard only (confirmed with Merlin Bird ID app, or clear vocal ID)
- FOH: Flying Overhead
- SFY: Saw From Yard (but not physically in the yard)
- SIY: Saw inside the yard
Birds
Accentors
- Dunnock / Heggenmus (SIY): Dunnocks are a regular visitor to my garden. I’m used to seeing only one, however in March 2026 I spotted two at the same time, so maybe they’re a pair and making a nest?
Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Black Redstart / Zwarte Roodstaart (SIY): Woke up one morning, opened my curtains and saw a Black Redstart. Wasn’t expecting that! In my excitement I tracked it as a Common Redstart, which were not here at the time because of migration
- Eurasian Robin / Roodborstje (SIY): A regular visitor in the winter. Love their personality. Cheeky little bastards they are
Thrushes
- Song thrush / Zanglijster (SFY): A more rare guest. In march 2026 I saw one in the top of the big birch tree a few houses down. Their singing is even more impressive that that of a Blackbird
- Common Blackbird / Merel (SIY): A regular! There’s always one or two tossing up leaves underneath the beech hedgerow. They provide me with tunes in the early hours of the day
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
- Old World Sparrow / Huismus (SIY): Thanks to our beech hedgerow there’s a load of these in my garden, especially in winter. This makes me happy, as they’re not doing great at the moment
Starlings, Rhabdornises
- Common starling / Spreeuw (SIY): I came home
Wrens
- Eurasian Wren / Winterkoning (SIY)
Woodpeckers
- Great Spotted Woodpecker / Grote Bonte Specht (SIY): Saw one sitting on the roof of the garden shed. It was just passing by. Maybe when the trees I’ve planted grow a bit bigger it might stay around a bit longer
Owls
- Western Barn Owl / Kerkuil (FOH): In a winter, a few years back, I heard a noise I didn’t recognize, looked through the window and saw a Western Barn Owl being chased by two Carrion Crows. So I ran outside in my underwear to watch in true birder fashion
Tits, Chickadees
- Eurasian Blue Tit / Pimpelmees (SIY)
- Great Tit / Koolmees (SIY)
Crows, Jays
- Eurasian Jay / Gaai (SIY)
- Eurasian Jackdaw / Kauw (SIY):
- Carrion crow / Zwarte Kraai (SIY): Usually these are flying over, but they occasionally hop around the garden in winter looking for scraps
- Eurasian Magpie / Ekster (SIY): They’re always around somewhere. In spring they build a big nest in the birch tree a few gardens down. Usually they’re picking fights with the Jays from around here, which are a bit more rare
Pigeons, Doves
- Wood Pidgeon / Houtduif (SIY): Regular visitor. There’s one sitting on the wooden fence outside by kitchen window as I type this. He (or she) is part of a part of a pair which usually nests in the birch tree a few houses down
- Eurasian Collared Dove / Turkse Tortel (SIY): Also a regular visitor.
Finches, Euphonias
- Eurasian chaffinch / Vink (SIY)