Garden Birds

Woke up this morning to see a sprinkling of snow. It didn't linger long as the snow turned to sleet and then rain. Its been another week of cold, dull, grey weather.

Its been a good week for garden birds so I've made a good start on the 2011 garden bird list. Species seen this week are (in order of appearance!):

Blue Tit
Robin
Wood Pigeon
House Sparrow
Magpie
Goldfinch
Great Tit
Dunnock
Feral Pigeon
Blackbird
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Carrion Crow
Wren
Grey Heron
Long-Tailed Tit
Coal Tit
Collared Dove
Sparrowhawk

The sparrowhawk shot over the fence one morning like a missile and a blackbird feeding had a very narrow escape. A wren is roosting in one of the hanging baskets - I wonder if it is the same one who nested in the same basket in the summer.

I've seen a few other species locally to add to the general 2011 bird list - black-headed gull, pied wagtail and starling.

2011 Garden Bird List = 18 species

2011 General Bird List = 34 species

And I still haven't yet managed to see a waxwing!!!! I am checking all the local berry and apple trees daily without success but I am getting sorely tempted to go on a "local twitch" to try and catch up with this species.