We sat down on Friday lunch time and decided to start counting whilst eating our sandwiches. Earlier, through the kichen window, I'd seen four magpies having a bit of a tussle. Three of them had the fourth backed up against a shrub with flapping wings. open beak and its claws in the air it looked quite distressed. It eventually got away from them and flew off. The other three stalked across the lawn as if to say 'job welll done'.
It was the appearance of three Long Tailed Tits on one of the fat ball feeders that decided us to start the count.
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In the hour we counted nine Sparrows. one Robin, five Chaffinches, three Long Tailed tits, one Blue Tit, one Dunnock, three Wood Pigeons, two Collard Doves, six Goldfinches, three Bullfinches and three Blackbirds.
Where were all the Goldfinches? We usually have at least fifteen of them gathered around the feeders and earlier this month we had eight and sometimes ten Collard Doves pecking around under the feeders especially when the Goldfinches were feeding and dropping seed to the floor.
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Just the usual suspects here: sparrows, great tits, blue tits, blackbirds and a wood pigeon. A noisy little flock of long-tailed tits usually visits every day but they must have known that I was looking out for them so they stayed away. I've never seen bullfinches in my garden and I'm jealous. Mind you, we did once have a peacock who flew in and stayed for a few days! x
ReplyDeleteIt's always good to see the usual birds as they often disappear over the weekend of the bird watch. I love longtailed tits, they are one of my favourites and I'm so glad we have them visit also the bullfinches, so colourful. Did you feed the peacock whilst it was visiting?:)
DeleteThat is a good count with some super species. So jealous of your Bullfinches as they are rare visitors here. I did mine early afternoon today. 10 species seen - most of the regular species visited but none of the less regular ones! I did see 3 Ring Necked Parakeets but as they were flying over the garden I couldn't count them!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad we did the count on Friday as Saturday was awful weather and Sunday there were hardly any birds about. It was good to see from your post what species you had counted. We saw crows and gulls flying over but couldn't record them, also a magpie on next door's tree also not recorded:)
DeleteI think you do very well with your count Rosie. I didn't take part but have done in the past. I don't feed the birds (don't want to encourage them because of Gizmo) but there is plenty for them to feast on in the garden. There are always plenty of sparrows hiding inside the dying privet hedge in the front garden! x
ReplyDeleteIt was quite a good count and I'm glad we did it on the Friday. I'm sure you have lots of plants that birds and insects love in your garden. When our cats got older they didn't bother with the birds at all, just shared the garden with them, perhaps Gizmo will be the same:)
DeleteWow, that is a lot of different birds & do all of those different varieties visit regularly? I don't know whether we have a bird count over here, at different times of year we have a few odd visitors, but my regulars always make us smile, even when they are misbehaving. Take care & hugs.
ReplyDeleteYes, all those varieties visit regularly now although the bullfinches less so than the others. We see the bullfinches in colder weather and over the nesting period as they are anxious for food then. You too take care:)
DeleteMy goodness, that was amazing! What a great haul with so many different birds. We counted this morning, it was a bit slow but we we managed bluetits, great tit, woodpigeons, Robin, blackbird and jays. 😊
ReplyDeleteIt was a good haul, so glad we did the count on the Friday and not over the weekend, how wonderful to have the jays vist you we have only ever had one in the garden during a very cold winter:)
DeleteHow lovely to see the bullfinches such beautiful colours. B x
ReplyDeleteWe love the bullfinches as their colour catches the eye, the female is less colourful but still very attractive:)
DeleteThat's a great count. How lucky you are to have all the finches. :)
ReplyDeleteGoing to get my post writes up soon as I did two, one at home and one with my sister and family. X
When we first came here there were more greenfinches than goldfinches and we never saw a chaffinch it has changed quite a bit over the years. Great to do two counts. I'll look forward to your post:)
DeleteVery pretty birds.
ReplyDeleteThey are aren't they?
DeleteThat's quite a count in one day. Do you put different seeds in the feeders to attract different birds? Do you have a problem with dropped seeds growing things later in your yard? I ask because one year we had thistle in the feeder, what a mistake that was. A lesson learned the hard way, lol.
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We used to use mixed seed but, like your thistles, it did seed on the ground so now we just use sunflower hearts which the finches and tits love, suet sprinkled in the ground feeder for the robins, doves and blackbirds also suet balls too as all the birds love those:)
DeleteA good count Rosie, the wind has been awful hasn't it!
ReplyDeleteThank you Pam, I was pleased with the count. The wind has dropped today, thank goodness and at the moment the sun is shining:)
DeleteWe are actually having agonizing thoughts about continuing with backyard bird feeding. I can't even remember a time that we didn't do it, but this year we seem to have attracted a regular gang of rodents, including a couple of Brown Rats. None of the neighbours close by feed birds and they are not too thrilled when they think that we are the cause of the rat on their patio!
ReplyDeleteOh, no that is a shame. On a couple of bird forums I am a member of several people are worried about feeding the birds because of rats and anxious neighbours. I've never seen rats here, thank goodness, as I would, like you, wonder what would be the best thing to do as we have lots of birds visit regularly and we enjoying feeding and watching them:)
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