Isn't it just always the way - when you get stuck in to the BGW, all your regulars seem to disappear! How do they know? You settle yourself down and they all seem to say 'Right, we're off!' and away they go, only to return when the hour is over! Does this happen to anyone else or is it just me? I know it all levels out in the end but isn't it frustrating when it happens. Oh well, I'll look forward to the results anyway, and hope that other folk had a little more luck than I did. I still love the little perishers!
Dotty
My count was down as well. Someone mentioned (on another thread) that a raptor was around, and sure enough just after I finished my count I saw a large raptor not too far away, though too far away to identify. It looked to be considerably bigger than the red kites that we normally see in this area so maybe it had been scaring off the regulars.
Me too!!! Have been getting a Gt Spotted Woodpecker(female) in recently but she made no appearence today,same with the Longtailed Tits although a male Yellowhammer came in for the first time in about a year, and l did spot a Sparrowhawk about so was lucky to count the birds that l did.
My count was down too, no jackdaw family who taught the youngsters to feed off the fat balls, no blackbirds yet recently there have been 4 males and 1 female in the garden beating the pigeons to the feed the chickens have spilt, only one paltry starling, even the feral pigeons couldn't be bothered to turn up and eat me out of house and home. Hope it was the weather - sunny but breezy. Now last weekend with snow on the ground....
We also had plenty of birds/variety yesterday but today like the everyone else a dismal failure from a bird count point of view. Eight birds in total(and we back onto open farmland) one was, what has been a regular variety for the last few days, a Reed Bunting and our resident winter visitor a male Pheasant came too late to be counted, even the Collard Doves failed to show until too late.
Same weather conditions as Seska - pitiful count - even the daily fun bunch - 6 longtailed tits - didn't show up for peanuts or birch tree action today.
Most of my 'usual suspects' failed to appear in their usual numbers but I did see two song thrushes which was a real treat as I very rarely see even one! Don't know whether these two were one male, one female?
Molymojo
I was lucky as I did the observation on Saturday by Sunday it was blowwing a gale and rain even so the numbers were down