What a privilege! Unusual things in our gardens.

We have a mostly white blackbird. She has been around for a few years and is nest building again

Small and brave for this time of year - a solitary Night-Scented Stock, in a pot and just about to flower !

Shelflife

A few years ago we had about 12 waxwings in our apple tree . They were there for an hour or so and I was able to get close, they were not disturbed at all by my being there.

We have had waxwings once too. I had forgotten it was ages ago and has never been repeated.

I am in Canada and often see raccoons and occasionally coyotes in the neighbourhood. There were a pair of bald eagles in the park this morning. Last year I saw a young bear visiting neighbouring gardens! He was removed to a more appropiate environment!

A few years ago we had about 12 waxwings in our apple tree . They were there for an hour or so and I was able to get close, they were not disturbed at all by my being there.

I’d love to see a badger- only ever seen one in a zoo. We do get echidnas from time to time in our garden (a bit like hedgehogs ) We always got loads of king parrots until recently but they have suddenly disappeared. We get kookaburras in the evenings, very noisy.

We had a Pokemon once. It was one of those virtual things that younger teens could spot and 'collect', and they were always turning up in search of it. I quite miss it (and them).

It’s not unusual for them but I saw a red cardinal when visiting my son the US last year. It regularly flits about their garden but I was beyond excited!

I have a visiting hedgehog which entertains my cat who just sits and watches him. I put out cat food for him and missed him over the winter but hope to see him again soon.

It was quite amazing, to see them every day. All the long-timers here say they have never seen it. We would have around 5-7 every day. I'm guessing the herring or shrimp run was stronger than usual which is why they were here.

How wonderful to see the humpback whales, Canadiangran!

I've only seen a whale 🐳 once, it swam alongside our ferry on the crossing
(Pentland Firth) from John o' Groats to the Orkneys. Magnificent creature.

Love this thread, and it's wonderful to hear what sort of wildlife is around your areas. I had to look up a hoopoe, and they're lovely!

Not in our yard, but from our window we can see eagles, great blue heron, and from late December to early Feb we saw many humpback whales in the harbour. We could even hear them snorting as they breached.

I put out suet cakes in winter, but we had too many starlings (invasive species) swoop in in large groups making a mess, so we have stopped. The humming bird feeder stays up all winter, and we have a resident Anna's hummingbird that defensively guards the feeder.

It wouldn’t be unusual for everybody. but we had a nuthatch on the fat ball feeder this morning - along with the usual dozens of tits (blue, great, long-tailed).

I also had a large rat in my garden all last Summer. No matter what I did I couldn't get rid of it. Luckily it's gone now. I divorced him!!

NIMBY but local people nearby have recently had a pair of white egrets in their gardens. That’s very unusual for Scotland! They seem to mix quite happily with the local ducks and heron. Everyone is hoping they’ll breed. 🪺

My sister feeds a fox (vixen) she calls her Emilia.

pascal30

I have a fox which visits most evenings..

So have I. She comes every evening for her supper and I’ve named her Lucy.

Three deer are often just outside and my son saw an eagle recently. At first I doubted him but he was correct. Town nearby has at least one kookaburra (I believe at least two escaped from a wildlife park that used to be there). They must like the climate in SW Scotland!

Quite a few Tulip trees around here, a few Monkey Puzzles as well. Nothing unusual in my garden today, but a few days ago I had a greater black backed gull cruising magestically across. We get gulls here in NE Hants but never seen a black back gull before. Our green parakeets hopped over the border into Surrey a few years ago but these days we have a pair of kites constantly circling and calling. Hopefully chicks will follow.

Allira

pascal30

Allira

Not in the garden, thank goodness, but wild boar and sheep by the side of the road and outside the supermarket.
We used to have badgers walking across the road too.

Whereabouts do you have wild boar Allira?

In Gloucestershire.
Wandering past the pub too 😁

That sounds amazing.. do they live in the Forest of Dean? sorry don't wish to be too nosey but I used to see them in France..

Some cows!
Lived on an estate near edge of town, they had got out from a field across the road. They crossed the road and were eating my grass.

NanTheWiser

Delila

Does my sister’s unusual sighting count? This morning she saw a green parakeet in her garden on the Dorset coast.

I get those all the time! On the borders of London and Surrey, and opposite the local park, where they breed. Flocks of 20+ fly over regularly and are extremely noisy!

Also here in France, terrible if you park your car under their tree.

Witzend

granto3

I don't think parakeets are unusual these days. In London there is quite a colony of them (I know it is probably a flock) Anyway, if you look it up, they have overtaken the cockney sparrow

It’s many years since I’ve seen a sparrow anywhere around here!

They've moved to our garden.
Most other birds have moved away.

pascal30

Allira

Not in the garden, thank goodness, but wild boar and sheep by the side of the road and outside the supermarket.
We used to have badgers walking across the road too.

Whereabouts do you have wild boar Allira?

In Gloucestershire.
Wandering past the pub too 😁

Not very exotic, but I am so thrilled to have hedgehogs in our garden. I put food out for them every night, and have a hedgehog house too. We back on to fields, but there have been a lot of new houses built down here in Ramsgate. I'm just hoping that the farmer behind us doesn't sell up to the developers - if he does I think the hedgehogs will leave.