It's all done for another year, at least for me. I got the usual suspects and no more, so I have I've awarded my star status to the Goldfinch - they came out in force for me, and I didn't get any last year. I got 8 species last year, 5 this year, and only 2 of these were on last year's list - interesting. Which species was the star for everyone else?
Annie
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
Einstein
I got up at 07:30 to do mine and was rewarded with a great spotted wood pecker - only the second time I've seen one in our garden! Other species were 3 blackbirds, 3 blue tits, 1 chaffinch, 1 collared dove, 1 dunnock, 10 house sparrows, 2 long tailed tits, 2 magpies, 2 robins (fighting), 5 starlings and 2 woodpigeons.
My stars this year were Nuthatches - I saw 4 of them together. All fighting over the buggy nibbles I'd scattered on the grass. They were being quite aggresive - as were the 2 robins I saw. More exciting than I expected. The sun is shining here in Devon and I think all the birds think spring has arrived! (on a non-bird note, our pond has been writhing with frogs all week!)
My stars were 6 redwings, only the second time we'd seen them in the garden (and only saw one last time). Managed to see two really close up on the tree just outside our bedroom window - beautiful birds.
Hi, this is the first year I've done the BGBW. My star species was a female great spotted woodpecker.
I had two beautiful great spotted woodpeckers on my nut feeder today- they are my favourite and have been regular visitors in recent weeks. And a rather sad looking great tit with most of the feathers on his head missing
I've just posted about what I'm pretty sure is a black cap too. New to our garden in Bradford. They must be coming further north because it's been so mild.
This is my fourth BGBW and I'm always thrilled to see my regulars, but it's the Long-tailed Tits which I wait for. I've not seen them for the whole of January, but they seem to know it's BGBW day and there they were just 10 minutes into the hour!
Ours were 3 coal tits. Maybe not very exotic but entertaining to watch and making use of our feeder.
Me & 3 ;)
Just a bit concerned about the wish of people to up the numbers, scientific sampling is all about an accurate sample being taken and not ignored because the figures don't fit in with what you wish for! Remember someone down the road may be doing the count and may have the birds you see on other days from time to time. So decide when to start then do your hour and at the end of the hour stop. If 10 mins late a flock of long tailed tits arrive ignore that and enter what you saw in the hour! Incidentally that happened to me and I missed several of my regular birds but my idea of regular in my mind is probable do I see them most days but not do I see all of these each hour. Accurate data with good attached statistics over time will show the truth and the trends!
Just finished my hours watch, disappointed not to see our usual 2 Jays, however did see 2 x Nuthatches. Didn't see them but will probably hear our 2 resident owls, no idea what type as can never see them! Several naughty squirrels raiding the squirrel proof feeders!