Waxwing

Waxwing
"To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour."

From "Auguries of Innocence"

by William Blake

Tuesday 29 January 2019

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2019





I've been taking part in the RSPB Garden Birdwatch for quite a few years now. I decided to watch the garden for an hour on Saturday morning as weather did not look good on the Sunday!


For once quite a few of the regulars did actually show up although not all of them!


I always get through several cups of tea and chocolate biscuits!




So what did I see?

Long-tailed Tit 2

The highlight was a Goldcrest x 1 which bathed in the garden pond

A few record shots heavily cropped!





Blue Tit 2

Great Tit 1

House Sparrow 3



Blackbird 2


Wood Pigeon 5




Robin 1

Dunnock 2

Goldfinch 2

Magpie 1



Final List





The only mammals seen were 2 Grey Squirrels - sorry about the murky photo - I really should have cleaned the kitchen window first!





13 comments:

Rosie said...

I always count the birds on scrap paper with the 'five bar gate' system too. How lovely to have a visit from a Goldcrest especially during your hour of watching, you captured some nice shots of him or her:)

Ragged Robin said...

Rosie - Thank you. Great minds think alike :) It was the first Goldcrest I had seen this year so I was so lucky seeing it in the hour!

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

Better than my one!

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

yes you were very fortunate to see a Goldcreast

Pam said...

Lovely to get the Goldcrest, I usually get a few over winter but haven't seen any in the garden since November. Same for me with the counting, it's much easier. It's no hardship sitting with tea and biscuits watching birds :)

Ragged Robin said...

Simon Douglas Thompson - Thank you - all results useful whatever you see :)

Margaret Adamson - I was especially as it was the first sighting this year!

Pam - Thank you - I was just fortunate with the Goldcrest - they are so easy to miss! As you say it is no hardship - hour soon goes :)

Anonymous said...

Itcompletely passed me by this year - I thought I used to get a reminder...

Ragged Robin said...

Toffeeapple - what a shame you did not get a reminder. I saw it mentioned in the RSPB magazine and a few reminders on other blogs. Hope you can take part next year.

Ragged Robin said...

John Scurr - Thank you. I must admit I don't sit for much of the time - tend to stand at kitchen window and taking photos also gives you something else to do. Sometimes I also go upstairs for a while where I can see more of the garden.

A shame you don't get Goldcrests where you are and such a sad story about the one at your mother's. We normally only get Siskins passing through here but one winter they visited the feeders regularly and once we found one dead that had flown into a window. So tiny and pretty and as you say sad.

The Quacks of Life said...

goldcrest is a good sighting! BTW I have yet to see a Greenfinch!!

Ragged Robin said...

Pete Duxon - Thank you - was rather pleased Goldcrest put in an appearance in that hour :) We don't get Greenfinches in the garden at all any more :( still see plenty though on feeders at local nature reserves.

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Seems like a very enjoyable activity - and a good excuse to eat chocolate biscuits too! Right now I am nearing the end of two weeks in Costa Rica and the garden birds here are just a tad different! Will be good to be back home on Thursday away from all the heat and humidity. It has been 35 degrees most days with 100%humidity. Pretty uncomfortable for this northern boy!

Ragged Robin said...

David Gascoigne - Thank you :) Glad to hear you are on holiday as I hadn't seen a blog post from you for a while. Oh gosh Costa Rica - now that is one country I would love to visit but must admit I didn't realise how humid it was! - I would struggle! Apart from the heat etc hope you have had a good time and look forward to your posts and seeing your photos :)