This is my first time doing the garden survey. During the survey I saw two chaffinches which, on further reading of the RSPB book, turned into Linnets and then Red polls. I'm really certain about the latter now but I logged the Chaffinches, which we have seen in the past. I jumped the gun a bit I'm afraid but, as we have seen Chaffinches at other times, I don't suppose much harm is done?
Anyway, I sat down with a cuppa in the conservatory with lots of birdular business in the garden and they all promptly flew away. They are not ever spooked by my presence in the conservatory so I suspect a lurking cat, a raptor on the roof or something similar. We do get sparrowhawks around the garden and buzzards up high and neighbours' cats visit occasionally.
Luckily the last 10 minutes of an otherwise empty hour got really busy and I had trouble keeping up, so I had something to send in after all.
I'm afraid the identity crisis is not just your conundrum! I am almost positive that I've had a Blackcap mooching about under the feeders, but my binoculars were a bit smudged and it could have been a Coal Tit. I plumped for Blackcap on the survey; whatever it was, it's been before! I also have worries over my crows and rooks! Throw a jackdaw into the mix and I'm really scratching my head. I think what I need is better binoculars!
At least now I know that we have (lesser) red polls visiting. We saw quite a few more today on the nyger seeds and occasionally on the mixed seeds. If I had not done the survey I would probably never even have noticed them. Apparently they are on a red list but are visiting garden feeders more and more.
I've had a less welcome visitor this afternoon, eating up the spillage from the seed and nut feeders. We have a brook running at the bottom of the garden and hang the feeders from the hawthorn bushes that edge the bank. The visitor was a large brown rat. He has made a convenient hole on the bank just next to the feeders and had a rather fierce spat with one of our squirrels, seeing him off up the nearest willow tree!
I like to think I'm a nature lover, but really do not want this bad boy around.....any suggestions???
I feel the same way about starlings and pigeons on my feeders. They just seem to take over like playground bullies. But I suppose rats and starlings are all part of nature/life/whatever you call it and have as much right to support as pretty little blue tits?
Or, get an air gun! A conundrum I guess.