In reply to ItisaRobbo:
Definately not me Robbo - I stick to the rules and stick to what I see. I have Corvids (lots of Jackdaws) and seagulls sitting in rows on house roofs all day like they enjoy sunning themselves
The Red Kite is a fly over in the back garden. Out of the kitchen window.
The Buzzards are circling in the distance out of my bedroom window
The Great Spotted Woodpecker shot up a nearby tree trunk in the back field, and I hear them all of the time. We have had 3 breeding pairs here in different trees. Magpies sitting in trees looking at me putting food out, so they can steal it cheeky they are LOL
House Sparrows sitting in a row on bramble bushes over back garden wall
Not so many birds on feeders because of the time of day but plenty birds moving about.
We also have a scope ready to use in the upstair bedroom looking at the feeders and back fields. We see a lot of birds
Regards
Kathy and Dave
In reply to Peewit:
Peewit said:Definately not me Robbo I have Corvids and seagulls sitting in rows on house roofs ev
The rules also state you're only meant to count what you see in your garden (assuming it is a garden count rather than a nature reserve one where I think you're meant to document that).
Oh right , Robbo, I thought it was what you see as far as you can see - we live and learn. No, not a nature reserve here just lots of bird movement everywhere I see everything from.my upstair bedroom window.
Peewit said:Oh right , Robbo, I thought it was what you see as far as you can see - we live and learn.
Oh right , Robbo, I thought it was what you see as far as you can see - we live and learn.
Personally, I'd prefer that method. I think RSPB (and other bird counts) try and keep it as simple as poss, as identifying flying birds in the distance is fraught with mis-i.d. risk. It is also argued that counting a bird next door might be double counted by the neighbour. Like I said, I'd prefer just counting everything I see as it makes it a bit more interesting. Otherwise, an hour could end up with 4 or 5 species some years which doesn't give a true picture of what's here.
Hi Robbo I think you are right in what you say by keeping it simple. Luckily, I cannot see into my neighbours (except upstairs and I do not do that anyway might think I am weird LOL to have a scope looking their gardens) and I never would take counts out of their gardens anyway because like you say they may do the bird count too. My own front garden is small and birds never seen to use it, only the Blackbirds searching for worms in the morning. I think the Azalas put them off. No wildlife friendly plants at all The back wall goes straight onto a field in my garden with a wild patch of blackberries that the birds love to hide in like the Sparrows. The field is a large void of green space, and I can see quite far back. Have seen Foxes early in the morning. Lots of broadleaf trees that the birds sit in to watch me put food put. Not built up here at all so lots of access to different species. Have seen about 20 Red Kites flying over together in our back field one day and I wish I got a photo because it was a fabulous sight to see Will think ahead for next year with bird count and yes it does ask what type of garden you have though I have to say I did not see the question unless I overlooked it
Hi Robbo Coming to think about it, yes I do live within the boundaries of Pembrokeshire National Park LOL quite far into the park boundries (checked up on Google) Yes, I have a garden in a nature reserve - now I am confused LOL.
My count was what landed in the hour and how many of each species were there at any one time.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The RSPB big Garden birdwatch can be done in the garden, over the Balcony or in your local green space but you only count the birds that land during the hour that you birdwatch in the big garden birdwatch. Also The big garden birdwatch is still letting people send in there counts so even though the garden birdwatch weekend is over you can still take part in the big garden birdwatch and send in results until the 19th February