I got quite a good count, but no surprises. As usual some of my regulars were missing, eg starlings, song thrush, whereas I spotted other normal garden birds I seldom see during the Bird Watch, eg wren. I have had house sparrows back for several years now, after almost total disappearance for a while, and it's nice to hear them twittering away again in the hedge. I think I also spotted a couple of tree sparrows. During that very cold weather I think I saw a waxwing, and also a lesser spotted woodpecker, but sadly not today. I've been looking-out for that waxwing to confirm my identification after checking with the bird book, but havn't seen him since. I never got around to creating the fat balls which usually attract the starlings, so they also failed to show-up today. Last year I was lucky to spot long tailed tits at my bird feeder, something I would probably have missed had I not been watching. Another year a sparrowhawk flew low, just above the window, and then perched on a nearby branch; another sightging I'd have missed had I not been watching.
You are lucky to see such a good variety normally. I have spotted up to 14 varieties in one week, but not for a few years and today it was only 5 of the commonest garden visitors. However, four of these varieties were still in the pairs that they had formed before the snow, e.g, robins and blackbirds, that don't normally tollerate each other at other times of year. I was hoping that they hadn't started their nests when the snow came. Yes, it was a very disappointing count, but I guess the birds were glad to do some natural foraging for a change. I live in a town and in the autumn had a sparrowhawk on my bird pole. That is amazing for my garden, but no such luck when we want to send in something spectacular for our count. I miss the fields and the wildlife - come on birds, I need more of you in my garden please. If they weren't in our gardens they must have gone somewhere???
Our Big Garden Bird Exodus started on Wednesday. It happens every year, but threatened to be particularly painful this year because the last eleven months have been so wonderful. Bullfinches and goldfinches came to the feeders in the February snow and have been with us ever since - until Wednesday. Siskins arrived for the first time three weeks ago, together with the occasional greenfinch and nuthatch. But since Wednesday, just tits and sparrows. In the event, yesterday's count wasn't so bad. All the new regulars came back, albeit only in small numbers. The most serious absentee was a much older friend, the dunnock.