RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch

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.

Paul's photo

I'm really glad we did the count on the first day as the wind yesterday kept many birds away from the feeders. 

My Photo

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.

My Photo

 It was a joy to have the Long Tailed Tits and the Bullfinches  (two males and one female) visit during the count.

Paul's photo

Paul's photo

 

 

 Did you take part in the bird count?  If so what did you see? Anything different, or your usual visitors?

 

RSPB's Big Garden Bird Watch

Each year we join in with the RSPB's Big Garden Bird Watch.  This year was no exception and we enjoyed taking part. 

Saturday was very wet and windy so we decided, as the recipe came with the pack we received, to make the Bird watch Bites to eat with coffee whilst sitting for an hour counting birds today.

They were quite easy to make once all the ingredients were assembled.  I used dried cranberries instead of raisins and desiccated coconut instead of flakes as they were in the cupboard.

They came out quite well the photo above is of the first batch.  

They soon cooled down enough to try one with morning coffee

The ingredients made fifteen in all so plenty for the next day or two.

We sat down around eleven o'clock today and saw quite a few birds but not as many as usual because of the rain and wind.  No sign of the group of goldfinches which usually visit our feeders nor as many sparrows as usual.

Paul managed a few photos whilst I was busy in the kitchen baking cakes for my next door neighbour for an afternoon tea following a funeral tomorrow. 

 Robin

 Male Blackbird

Dunnock

Then we started the count

In our chosen hour we saw:-

3 Blackbirds
1 Blue Tit
1 Chaffinch
1 Dunnock
8 House Sparrows
3 Robins
13 Starlings 

also 1 Wren and 1 Goldcrest which weren't on the main list but could be recorded elsewhere.

Where were the wood pigeons, goldfinches and magpies that we usually see? Perhaps they were on a day's outing somewhere!

Did you do the bird count?  How did you get on and what did you see?