RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch

Its the weekend of the RSPB Garden Birdwatch held every year in January. I've been taking part in this for years now - ever since the children were little.

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

Garden Birds and RSPB Survey

I haven't seen the wren entering the nest with food since Saturday so I am just hoping the young birds have successfully fledged. Here's a photo of the hanging basket last planted last summer where the nest was constructed.




I am still amazed the nest survived the heavy rain we have been having and managed to avoid being totally flooded.

Yesterday, saw 4 blue tit fledglings perched on the feeding station being fed by the adults.

The juvenile great spotted woodpecker is still being fed by the adults and have also seen the juvenile perched on top of one of the feeders. Male woodie had a peer into the blue tit nest box entrance today - thank goodness they have fledged.

First juvenile goldfinch seen eating sunflower hearts today.


I spent an hour over the weekend counting the birds in the garden for the RSPB "Make Your Nature Count" garden wildlife survey. The results they receive will reveal what species visit gardens in summer and show the importance of gardens as a habitat.

We saw the following species in the hour we counted:

Wood Pigeon 2
Great Tit 4 (including 2 juveniles)
Blue Tit 3
House Sparrow 3 (including 1 juvenile)
Dunnock 2
Goldfinch 2
Greenfinch 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Wren 1
Magpie 1
Robin 1
Chaffinch 2
Blackbird 1


Butterfly-wise in the garden we seem to be having a really poor year. Have only seen one or two speckled woods over the last few weeks.