Fat Controller Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Family of Long tail tits passing through this morning, Blackbirds getting amorous, half a dozen Jackdaws, sparrows, Robins and Mistle Thrush. Must be getting ready foe Big Garden Bird Watch this weekend. When they'll all be hiding.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted January 22, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 22, 2015 Yup, every BGB I have done almost all my regulars just disappear for the whole day...... Pah. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted January 24, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 24, 2015 Yup, every BGB I have done almost all my regulars just disappear for the whole day...... Pah. Phil Reply to my own previous post! Not only did almost all our 'regulars' appear but also three other species that have not visited (AFAIK) for ages! However, not one of 'our' 20+ Sparrows appeared (all day)! Idiots, they will now become endangered!!!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted January 26, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 26, 2015 Good list. 'Our Sparrows' still have not returned. The only thing I can think of is that there may have been a 'cat attack' and they have fled their roost in our hedge. After Sparrowhawk attacks they have spent a couple of days away in the past. P Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Our birdwatch count - which I was just going to enter on the RSPB site but got refused entry because my software is deemed too primeval - was much the same as all previous years. The one hour duration limits the species count to circa 30% of the permanent UK species we have seen in our garden frequently enough to know that they must reside fairly nearby, so it's always a different mix, although there are eight that have shown up every time. Great Tit 7 Blue Tit 4 Chaffinch 2 Dunnock 2 Nuthatch 1 Woodpigeon 3 Robin 2 Magpie 1 So that's the 'everytimers', then: Blackbird 3 Coal Tit 1 Greenfinch 1 Stock Dove 2 Blackcap 1 Treecreeper 1 GS Woodpecker 1 That's slightly better than usual at 15 species and 30 some individuals, 13 species / 25 individuals is the running average. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted January 26, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 26, 2015 (edited) Still have the Moorhen first reported in October.Now fully adult plumage. Visits most days, would love to know where it resides! Nuthatches still seen occasionally. Keith Edit I reckon some of these feathered individuals know when it's headcount time. Sat down one year at a given time to watch, after seeing plenty of activity in the garden, but for one whole hour - absolutely zero visits. As soon as the hour was up plenty of birds appeared. Haven't bothered since. Edited January 26, 2015 by melmerby 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted January 27, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 27, 2015 After experiencing just that, I 'bend' the rules I'm afraid. I do several hour watches on both days as this much more closely reflects the real situation in the garden. I then select the typical hour and if all those hours are blank then so be it. IMO I think the one hour once situation should be reviewed. Not sure but I think the BTO surveys are more reliable? P Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 The RSPB birdwatch is expected to be fairly crude; where it scores is the very large numbers of observations. As I understand it from a conversation some years ago, the data collected in this survey is principally valued as a large scale count of the most numerous species in the UK, an indicator of the general health of the bird population. The less numerous species reports are of interest, but it is recognised that it will be subject to some pretty hefty error, simply because most observers won't reliably recognise much more than the dozen or thereabouts species common to their area. A good example is when bramblings are present in numbers, driven off the near continent. The chaffinch count lurches upwards... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 (edited) Mornin' all, Continually excellent bird days in the snow of the Moorlands at the moment....all of the usual suspects and in good numbers. The blackbirds are enjoying the apple segments; lesser redpolls, goldfinch the niger seed; blue, great & coal tits the fat feeder; starlings, jackdaws, chaffinches, collared doves the crushed peanuts; bullfinch, sparrow, robin, greenfinch the sunflower hearts; pigeons and dunnocks hoover up any windfalls. Rarer visitors hoped for but it probably needs to get a bit colder with more snow first. Dave Edited February 1, 2015 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted January 31, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 31, 2015 (edited) I'm seriously jealous of your Bullfinches. The males are so 'rotundly' beautiful. Incidentally, the perverse Sparrows arrived back at 36E on Wednesday, all twittering that they hoped I hadn't missed them on the Birdwatch............blighters. P Edited January 31, 2015 by Mallard60022 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold colin penfold Posted February 1, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 1, 2015 This little chap may be using a nesting box in our garden, based on the fact that he keeps picking fights with his own reflection in our car windows and mirrors. Interesting the shot of him taking off, he seems to have flung himself into the air without starting to flap his wings Also, the other day at Weybourne on the NNR a little Waggy was patrolling the platform, and a Robin was busy turning his back on the commercialisation of Christmas 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornish Triang Paul Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Ahh Bullfinches, one of the best. sadly it means a long walk in the cold for me to see any in the usual places. Just the usual Blue, Great, Coal, Green and Chaff and Long-tailed in my local flocks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 (edited) Evenin' all, I was surprised to see a male blackbird allow me to walk right past him without him flinching this afternoon in the back garden. Curious, I scanned the area around him to see what looked like another conservatory glass casualty....his mate was lying motionless on her back. She appeared beyond hope but I left him to sit with her a while. An hour or so later I went to dispose of the body only to find him gone and her sitting under one of the patio chairs....apparently gathering herself again. Knowing that the shock of me approaching might finish her off I've stayed indoors and watched her through the window. A few moments ago she allowed me to place a small saucer of milk right under her beak....just in case a little sustenance helps. Heading out for the constitutional this morning I looked for the blackbird....she flew off as I approached, apparently sustained by being in the lee of the house and possibly by the milk but her mate had returned to stand guard in the open and had frozen to death on the yard. I placed him in a shallow bowl of warm water but I think that he is a goner. Dave Edited February 2, 2015 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted February 2, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 2, 2015 Now that is rather sad. I keep telling myself not to sentimentalise animal behaviour, however having watched a great programme on Sunday evening about animal/bird partnerships, I am not too fussed about being sentimental. P Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightengine Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Had a goldcrest in the garden today on the branches of the Christmas tree. Not seen often here. Goldcrests were apparently quite prominent in Worthing, West Sussex back in the 1800's but were trapped almost to extinction in that area. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 At present it's costing more to feed the birds than it does me! A foot long feeder of sunflower seeds will disappear in under 2 hours. Fat balls and peanuts are eaten at the same sort of rate. The Robins see off mealworms in quantity. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 ....we limit the amount of food that we put out by using only standard size feeders and only fill them 2-3 times per week to contain the expense. Sometimes an extra influx of sparrows empty the sunflower hearts or else extra goldfinches/redpolls empty the niger seeds in a day and I then leave that feeder empty for a day to encourage them to dine amongst the various local gardens where food is put out for them. We do put out a range of food and there is usually a good number of birds around at any one time. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted February 7, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 7, 2015 Good practice there Dave. Unless the weather is very poor I allow the feed to diminish and then also put no refills out for a day or so. That allows the birds to forage as they should and there are neighbours that feed so they have a good choice (usually). We also have rich habitat for a wide range of birds just down the road from us. Sadly it is a dog area but that (the owners allowing that is) just creates sh*t all over the place and does not really disturb our 'friends'. P 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted February 7, 2015 Author Share Posted February 7, 2015 Just a word of appreciation for the new avatar ↑ ↑ ↑ That's my sort of bird watching. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 (edited) ....we limit the amount of food that we put out by using only standard size feeders and only fill them 2-3 times per week to contain the expense. Sometimes an extra influx of sparrows empty the sunflower hearts or else extra goldfinches/redpolls empty the niger seeds in a day and I then leave that feeder empty for a day to encourage them to dine amongst the various local gardens where food is put out for them. We do put out a range of food and there is usually a good number of birds around at any one time. Dave Yes, I am the same. I limit what I put out and when. I manufacture my own non-seed mix from various items that I buy in bulk, such as dried mealworms, suet pellets, sultanas and various nuts which have been partly blitzed in a small electric kitchen device. This has no seeds to put off the collared doves and wood pigeons which would take control of the feeding station from dawn to dusk otherwise. However, I find that if I fill the container up with that mix every day, the birds do not eat the fat balls or other delicacies they have on offer, so I leave it empty for a couple of days every so often and then, faced with fat balls or starvation they seem to prefer the former. I suppose it is just like everything else, give them a regular treat and they will not go back to eating the mundane stuff. Edited February 7, 2015 by jonny777 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westie7 Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I think Ive just found out why I only have a few sparrows nowadays… Looks like a Sparrowhawk has taken up residence in the trees along the stretch of the river at the back of the house. All the finches and tits seem to have relocated downstream. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted February 14, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14, 2015 I think Ive just found out why I only have a few sparrows nowadays… Looks like a Sparrowhawk has taken up residence in the trees along the stretch of the river at the back of the house. All the finches and tits seem to have relocated downstream. New cats is our problem. P Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andytrains Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) Heron is my problem at the moment trying to nick my fish out of my pond. Mind you, it scares the sh!t out of next doors moggy. Edited February 18, 2015 by andytrains Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) For some unknown reason, all ours have vanished yesterday and today - no seed have been taken from the bird-table, and I've thrown out some cheese, which the blackbirds normally pounce on and devour with gusto - not a sign! Edited February 18, 2015 by shortliner Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Same here. An occasional blue tit makes a fleeting visit to the sunflower hearts, otherwise nothing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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