Big Garden Birdwatch - How did it go?

But Jenny .............. someone else may have them in their count!

One of the concerns we have about accuracy is the inclusion of migrating birds here in the South West for the winter. Our usual complement of blackbirds is three pairs (large garden) but this year we have had a gang of ten mainly adult males (two youngsters) that hang around the two feeding stations all day and chase off our local blackbirds. They arrived with the very cold weather in late November and show no sign of leaving. A couple manage to reach the fat block and fatballs in their holders but mainly they feed on the ground on seeds scattered from above, The small birds ignore them and the chaffinches feed with them while the tits and robins feed above. We have not had this gang culture in previous years. Thus the activity was up due to the foreigners! The form does not give a section for reporting unusual behaviours or the time period selected. Our birds seem to have their own visiting times with the resident jackdaws on the ground early each morning and then just flying over (so not counted) the rest of the day.

Every time I do my Garden Birdwatch it is the same...the birds disappear!!

I feed my birds daily and even thought it is generally quieter for many species this year, there is always more activity when I am not watching!!!!!

I wonder if it would be more useful to note the birds that visit regularly each season, therefore, giving a better survey of what is actually about and when? A bird diary....in say, Jan, Apl, July and October...

bramble67 said:

I feel a conspiracy was going and hour after my poll 2 never before seen wrens turned up and today all my goldies returned bringing a siskin along too.

How do they know?

Sarah

bramble67 said:

I feel a conspiracy was going and hour after my poll 2 never before seen wrens turned up and today all my goldies returned bringing a siskin along too.

How do they know?

Sarah

I felt that  was lucky with my count on Saturday 11 -12 noon. I didn't have my occasional visitors but extra starlings in particular. My blackbirds weren't as many as I have has previously, nor my goldfinches but as a 72 year old Silver Surfer (of 5 years experience) it was my 1st count & I will definitely do it again. If I had made my count on Sunday at the same time my scores would probably have been 1 only or even NONE.  I was really excited when my starlings began to land, very considerately 1 by 1, so that I was able to count them easily, 17. 

   Eileen.

Dear JennyWren,

I think you misread my post. I was making the point that the BGBW was not a competition and that if you have no birds land in your garden then zero birds is also significant.

My long tail tits didn't turn up on time and when the clocks go forward in April the pidgeons get very confused :D

Actually, I had seven blackbirds and two thrushes turn up for the count. Never seen that many in my garden. Some-one must have let slip...

:-)

Hi Ian

My BGBW was very successful, thank you.

All of my regulars were present and correct, the GSW male also sent his female, the blackcap and the robin spread the news and told a couple of their friends to come, and they all came at once to show me that there were three of each of them.

Five blackbirds were waiting in the tree for me to start counting, and I've never seen five at the same time so far this year.

I even spotted the wren for a second or two.

A siskin would have been welcome, as would a redpoll, but I have forgiven them for turning up elsewhere.

Thanks for all your votes and comments so far, a real mix of results by the sounds of things! Please remember that the Big Garden Birdwatch is not an exact count of all the birds in the UK or a competition to get as many as possible, it is a way of evaluating the trends in common bird populations. All results are significant even if you don't see any birds in the hour, we still want to hear about it. So far it looks like being a record breaking year for participation so a big thank you to all who contributed!

I must admit my Birdwatch had some highs and lows. The highs were the resident robin turning up with a possible mate for the first time this year and going to a potential nest site (will be watching this as the season goes on!) and a charm of 6 goldfinch turning up with a single greenfinch and 3 chaffinches, unusual visitors for the suburb.

The lows were none of the occasional visitors turned up, no song or mistle thrush, no redwing or fieldfare and the grey wagtail that paid a visit during the snow didn't make a guest appearance. However not a single starling landed although one or two flew overhead and only five house sparrows settled in the garden, the flock is usually in double figures.

It will certainly be interesting to see the results later in the spring.

Ian H said:

However not a single starling landed although one or two flew overhead

Hi Ian

I wouldn't have counted that as a 'low' in my garden LOL

My grey waggie turned up as usual. I could almost set my clock by him. :-)

During BGBW, I ended up with a flock of Starlings.  They thrive in my garden - I have seen more than that at times.  I think I have my own personal flock LOL.

If they are not visible in my garden they are close by somewhere.  When I go out to feed the birds they sit on top of the TV ariel on the roof at the other side of the road watching me put out the food chatting amongst themselves.

On top of that they sit on top of my own chimney (since the fire is not used), and echo's of their songs fill up my front room - very dreamy!

Like you Chris I have a Waggie - Pied Waggie in this case,  and he is always around looking out for seeds on the ground feeder - wonder what he  likes the most?

Regards

Kathy and Dave