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
mine was join www.wildlifekate.com for an hour on her live stream she kindly did yesterday moring and my fav bird to my garden was a pair of nutchers
ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FEEDERS FULL ALL THE TIME AND LEAVE CLEAN FRESH WATER OUT ALL THROUGH THE YEAR
Goldfinches for me too, at least thirty taking turns at my feeders
Jan H
Goldfinches at least 10 in the top of my Silver birch a close 2nd were 4 Jackdaws fighting over the remains of the Yorkshire pud.
Unquestionably my star bird this year was a Red Kite that swooped down into my garden for some kitchen meat scraps. Certainly gave my resident magpies a fright!
Female Dunnock, ultra fat Robin. Still need to download 1 hour video onto PC and analyse contents :)
At well in excess of 100 Dunnocks,I guess they have to win,though the collared Doves,Blackbirds and Blue tits were all up in "High result" figures.there again,my garden/smallholding is over one acre.Pity that Bullfinches were not on the forms,I have just had quite a few start residing here,and of course,they day would not be the same with my everyday visitor the Grey heron ;)
Hi Melissa, i'm not sure how to break this to you but dunnocks don't flock in numbers like that...dunnocks are mostly ground feeders that have a fine bill, sparrow like plumage to their backs and grey throats, plus orange legs, they are territorial and often appear in pairs, rarely more...does this sound like what you have seen?
It would be great if you could post a picture of them so we can marvel at such a big flock or if they are not dunnocks, give you the right ID! Look forward to hearing from you!
Warden Intern at Otmoor.
Well, I confess I split my watching hour into two parts. Having started in my back garden in the morning, I was interrupted first by a couple of telephone calls and then a delivery, so ended up leaving till afternoon the second half that I wanted to do on the sizeable bank area opposite my cottage which I maintain as a semi-wild garden and which tends to attract some different visitors, ie large numbers of rooks and jackdaws, a couple of great spotted woodpeckers, the odd magpie and an occasional male sparrowhawk (none of the latter three in evidence this time). But I kept to the rules, ie only registered the maximum number in either place at any one time. Good to catch were the siskins and long-tailed tits, both of which do come quite often but are not reliably regular. Sad but all too predictable since the advent of the dreaded trichmonosiasis was the fact that I only saw a single greenfinch, they being what would have monopolised the hanging feeders a few years ago.
One thing that constantly puzzles me is the website description of blackbirds as solitary and territorial as that is not at all my experience, often having a dozen or more around at any one time. I can't say they actually engage in sociable dining together but I do put out half a dozen or so "plates" of favoured fare (mix of dried mealworms, crushed fatballs, chopped ripe bananas and of course the first pick sultanas/raisins!) and, while one feeds, a couple of others may well be perched close by, on the ground or up on a branch, until they reckon their turn has come to move in and take over. Which is not to say I have never seen one chasing another - a couple of pairs of males in particular seem to engage frequently in this in fits and starts around the garden - but it never looks aggressive, more like a tiresome younger brother making a thorough nuisance of himself!
My star has to go to the Goldies 27 as the rest of my birds let me down,although, the Goldies didn't come in force either.Saw lots of activity out back though in the fields so not all bad and if i had counted on Saturday it would have been much better, as all the usual visitors turned up :0)
An optimist sees the beauty of the complete rose.A pessimist sees only the thorn .
My star species was a Grey wagtail, i spotted it for the first time last year in the snow, and it made an appearance yesterday!! followed by the family of Goldfinches that spend the year in my garden :-)