What an amazing experience!! For someone who couldn't tell the difference between a blackbird and a turkey a couple of weeks ago & showed no interest or time! I'm now totally hooked all thanks to an RSPB stand at my local garden centre a couple of months ago & joining up.
I've learnt to recognise so many species over the last couple of weeks through looking at photos, reading threads & getting replies from such helpful folk on this site :D
Although most can't be counted in my "official" 1 hour count. I spotted 3 buzzards on the A9 coming home from Inverness this afternoon & then went on to do my garden count. I'd 16 starlings at once! robins, greenfinches, gold finches, coal tits, blue tits, blackbirds, chaffinches, sparrows and the most amazing site (after the count finished) was training my binoculars onto the tree at the side of my house thinking it was a mass of sparrows! It was 36 finches!! who perched for some time.....greenfinches, goldfinches and a mix of male and female chaffinches.
Unfortuantely no sign of my Great Spotted Woodpecker today (I've only seen him once on my feeder) Fantastic day! Doing the same tomorrow but in the morning for my own records. Fab new hobby! Thanks to all X
Glad you enjoyed yourself and welcome to birding. Won't be long before you are driving everyone crazy every time you see a bird, especially new ones.
I'm still trying to get to grip with gulls, wish they were more like chiffchaffs and song there own name.
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