I counted birds for an hour yesterday and managed 14 species - about average. As always there are always a few of the regular visitors that don't visit during the hour - I think everyone encounters this :)
Fieldfare 1
Robin 1
Great Tit 1
Dunnock 2
Goldfinch 2
House Sparrow 8
Wood Pigeon 3
Coal Tit 1
Blackbird 1
Blue Tit 2 (noticed them for the first time this year starting to check out one of the nest-boxes)
Feral Pigeon 1
Greenfinch 1
Magpie 1
Long-tailed Tit 3
No signs of the Fieldfare today - its looks as though now its much milder it has moved on so glad I didn't leave the Birdwatch until today.
I started the Birdwatch with the overly ambitious idea of trying to photograph the birds I saw. I soon gave up on the idea as I was spending too much time trying to take photos instead of watching birds! Also, the birds are really too far away for the 70-300 lens.
Here's a few I took at the beginning - just a few record shots!
House Sparrows
Goldfinch
Dunnock
5 comments:
I really enjoyed doing it yesterday and the mistle thrush turned up within the allotted hour I'm glad to say. Both Nuthatches, the greater spotted female and 17 sparrows at once. Actually, I think there were more sparrows but I just couldn't count them! Lovely to see a Dunnock. We don't seem to get them up here.
Hi Caroline :-) I thought that was a pretty good count especially with the Fieldfare and the LTTs. I haven't seen the latter in my garden for a while. I wish I had done my count on Saturday when some of the 'snow visitors' were still around but I left it until yesterday when all but one of the Blackcaps had departed. My most prominent bird was the Greenfinch (8) although the Feral Pigeons gave them a good run for their money ;-)
I too gave up on the photography bit but you did well, not sure if those House Sparrows were getting friendly or squaring up to each other! My Dunnock kept off the list this year.
Em Parkinson - I find it good fun to do too even though these days it is usually just me doing the counting! Sounds as though you had a good count (never had nuthatches in my garden!). House sparrows are difficult to count they are so "flighty" and tend to hide amongst the leaves in bushes!
Shy Songbird - Hi Jan :) I made myself do it on Saturday because I knew I would want to watch Andy Murray on Sunday! - its a good job I did too as the Fieldfare had disappeared by yesterday.
Glad one of your Blackcaps stayed around for you. I find LTT's vary such a lot in visits some months they are seen every day others they disappear! You had a good greenfinch count - had my first sightings of the year last week in the snow when 4 suddenly turned up.
I love all your birds. I'm looking at this list thinking that I haven't seen over half of those species! You have a nice selection of birds. Mine are eating me out of house and home!:)
Rohrerbot - Thanks Chris. Some of the birds in my list might not be present in the US. There are so many beautiful birds that you see that I have never heard of :)
Getting through lots of bird food here too :)
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