Sunday, January 29, 2017

Big Garden Bird Watch

It has been a strange week! A week in which I haven't felt myself, a week in which I've done very little except a couple of walks I didn't feel like going on and reading a couple of books one of which I couldn't put down, I'll write about that in another post. 

I've done the washing and ironing and vacumed the carpets but that seemed to take all my energy.  I even missed Five on Friday as it somehow passed me by.

I managed to summon up the energy to think about taking an hour out to watch for birds visiting the garden in order to participate in the RSPB's Big Garden Bird Watch. We do this every year and I always enjoy it but it is always the case that the birds you see before and after the survey are always absent when you want them.

On Friday we saw eight Goldfinches, four Chaffinches and loads of Blue Tits, Saturday was so wet that we hardly saw any birds. We did the survey between eleven and noon today and below is a list of the birds visiting our garden in that hour.  

5 Blackbirds
10 Sparrows
2 Robins
4 Goldfinches
3 Wood pigeons
1 Collard Dove
10 Starlings
1 Thrush
1Blue Tit
2 Long Tailed tits

We were hoping to see blue tits again and had just about given up when just one appeared about five minutes from the end of the hour.  I was so glad the Thrush visited and it was such a joy to see the two Long Tailed Tits. 

 Squirrel in the foreground with a Robin and a Sparrow waiting for it to go so they could get to the feeders.
 
Thrush, this one visits everyday at the moment and on Friday we saw two so there is a pair.  There is also a pair of Robins, it's great when you see both at the same time.

 Chaffinch, I took this photo on Friday and we didn't see any during the survey.

Long Tailed Tit,  Paul took the photos of the Long Tailed Tits through the conservatory window on the feeders just outside.

I love these little birds.

The RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch is spread over three days this year so you can still participate tomorrow if you haven't already done the survey over the weekend.  Just click on the link for more details. 

36 comments:

  1. There's been some strange bugs around this winter... I hope that you regain your 'mojo' this week! Jx

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    1. I feel a little better this week, thanks:)

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  2. I hope you feel better soon. Sometimes these things just take over and it's best to give in to them or they can hang around for ages. Look after yourself and get well!

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    1. Thanks, I'm not going out very far at the moment:)

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  3. I hope that it is just the winter time blues . . . I get them too. What we need is some warm sunshine to brighten our spirits.

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    1. Some brightness in the weather would be lovely wouldn't it?:)

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  4. Sorry to hear you haven't been feeling yourself lately, I hope this week is better for you. I know what you mean about the birds staying away the minute you need to start counting. I forgot about the bird watch this year but it's good to hear it's on tomorrow too so I might just grab a cup of tea and watch what happens.

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    1. I hope you manage to spot some birds, it's the first time that the survey has been over three days:)

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  5. I hope you feel better soon. Your post is lovely - I see blue tits and great tits every day in the tree outside my bedroom window but the other day I saw long-tailed tits there too and I was SO excited. Sometimes little things bring great pleasure. x

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    1. I love the long tailed tits, such pretty and delicate little birds and it is such a joy to see them as they don't visit very often:)

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  6. Lovely to see all your birds. I haven't got my act together since being away so missed it this year. Not that there were many around today. Tomorrow is forecast to be wet as well.
    Take care Rosie, hope you feel better soon.

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    1. Thanks, Jessica. The weather hasn't been very good for the survey has it? The day before when it was frosty and dry we had loads of different birds dropping by to feed:)

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  7. Lovely photos, glad they're closeups. Hope you're feeling better soon, I wondered why you weren't on Five on Friday.

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    1. Thanks Janet, I don't often miss Five on Friday:)

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  8. So sorry you have not felt quite right! In spite of that, thanks for sharing the wonderful sightings you have had. I am excited to see your photos. I have trouble identifying some of the birds I have seen...but if I had photos of them perhaps I could do better.

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    1. Thanks, Gracie. I was pleased to get the photos as I took them through glass, The thrush turned out well with all its markings:)

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  9. Lovely photos and lots of birds, certainly more than ours. Hope you feel more energised this week :) B x

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    1. Feel slightly better this week, thanks:)

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  10. Fantastic, quite a few birds ticked off your list. We haven't had as many birds since our neighbours cut down their trees, hopefully they will be back soon. Hope you feel better thus week, it's all this cloud. 😊

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    1. It is the grey, dampness that gets to you, but the sun is out - just a little - today:)

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  11. Hope you feel better soon. I usually participate in the bird watch but keep getting distracted for some reason. You certainly captured some great photos.

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  12. So sorry you haven't been feeling very well - do hope you feel better soon.

    Great photos and so interesting to read about your garden birds. I always enjoy doing the Big Garden Birdwatch - numbers low again here this year and as you say so many species refuse to put in an appearance!!

    Look forward to hearing about the book you couldn't put down :)

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    1. Glad I was able to see a few birds and photograph them. I have entered my results on line. The magpies were back the day after! The book is called The Dig and is written by John Preston and I will try and write about it later:)

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  13. That's a fun bird station you have. I love the long-tailed tit. I wish I had some here to enjoy.

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    1. The long tailed tits are so delicate and pretty and they are great when they visit in small groups:)

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  14. Rosie, this is a beautiful photo of your Thrush. What a cheeky squirrel raiding the feeder! Isn't it amazing how agile they are and just how determined to get at the bird seed? Interesting to see the types of birds visiting too - do you know how many species of visitors you get in your garden? I was reading about someone who had counted 100 species and I believe that it was in the UK, though I cannot remember now, where I heard about this. Marie x

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    1. I think there is project where you can record all species in your garden, plants, trees, insects,birds, mammals and etc. Ours is an urban garden so we don't get as many as rural gardens I suppose. The squirrels take most of the bird food and they also pinch stones from the path to bury in the lawn too! I've no idea why:)

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  15. The photos are great Rosie. You have such a diverse range of birds come to the feeders. I am sorry to hear that you have been not feeling too great. Just think, it's February on Wednesday then Imbolc, halfway between the winter solstice and spring. We have the spring to look forward too with warmer days and longer daylight hours. Let yourself have some rest and recuperation if that is what's needed. x

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    1. Well, on 1st February the sun came out for an hour or so which was lovely, even Max ventured out to the pond and back so it must have felt warmer:)

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  16. Hope you feel better soon.I think it is that time of the year.That was a great list of bird visitors in one hour.I can't rem
    Ember when I last saw a starling.

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    1. Thanks, I feel a little better this week. We do get a good selection of birds and the starlings come in groups of 15 or so sometimes less. The sit in the trees behind the school and fly down into the garden when the food goes out in the morning:)

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  17. Sorry to hear that you haven't felt yourself, I hope that you will feel more like you again soon. I think that January does that to us sometimes doesn't it, better to snuggle in at home and read and do other cosy things and just relax. Then you can pick up again in February. I hope that the birds cheered you, you certainly saw a lot!

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    1. It was cheering to see the birds and I'm glad quite a few different ones visited. January did seem a long, grey month didn't it?:)

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  18. Hope you are feeling a little better... the photos of the birds you had in the garden are lovely.. Thrush a stunning bird.
    Amanda xx

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    1. I was very pleased the thrush stayed still for long enough to take the photo:)

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