Can anyone tell me why we have had flocks of birds at the bird feeders all week, and yet at the weekend when the snow had gone and the weather was windy, we have very few birds on our feeders. Our survey looks very sparse and does not reflect the birds that we have here. Our regular visitors include 3 jays, a family of 5 long tailed tits, a female sparrowhawk, numerous finches and the occasional sight of a lesser spotted woodpecker. All seemed to have disappeared. Looking out now there are very few birds in the garden. We usually have to fill the feeders every day, but this week-end hardly any seed has been eaten.
I think its a conspiracy! those birds must know.
www.andrewa.zenfolio.com
The birds who normally visit us were absent this weekend, especially on Sunday when we did not see a single bird all day.
The rough weather on sunday did mean that most garden birds were less active, choosing to conserve energy rather than battle the high winds and rain that swept across the UK. Judging by the number of comments on this forum alone, saturday was a much busier day in gardens across the UK!
Just when it looked like the survey would coincide with a cold snap, trust the British weather to change!!! Even if gardens did go quiet when you did the survey we still want your records, evem if you didn't spot a single bird, as they will reflect the garden activity at that time, we can factor in the weather conditions when we look at the results overall.
Warden Intern at Otmoor.
Thank you IanH that makes sense to me now! I have been wondering where our feathered friends went.
kind regards the little robin (gayle)
We noticed a little less in numbers on Sunday no doubt due to the windy milder conditions but the chaffinches and blackbirds were out in numbers. We got a couple of blue tits making a quick show and a couple of goldfinches. Luckily we get two pairs of bullfinches: Stunning.
I've resorted to ground feeding as other people have the feeders up. We do get a sparrowhawk from time to time . It is sad to see less greenfinches around. And we get no sparrows visiting ... due to the aptly named sparrowhawk? Although they are plentiful a mile away. The flock of fieldfares came and conquered and flew off before Sunday...
My fieldfares went with the snow :(
They took over my neighbour's garden and roosted in their hedges, no other bird had a look in. No doubt a rough boisterous crowd but good to occasionally see different varieties around.
Thank you very much for answering my question on the lack of birds in my garden on Sunday. Everything made sense regarding the high winds and the fact that the birds would want to conserve energy.
We have a sheltered "courtyard" area by the kitchen and robins who come to our feeders. We have put breeze blocks on top of a 4ft wall to deter cats climbing up and have found that during the cold weather the robins have been using them for shelter. Is there a way that we can encourage them to use them for nesting? The blocks face east and back onto a laylandi hedge which has been regularly trimmed. The blocks are not in the open, we have planted Honeysuckle and Mock Orange in front which will provide shelter and privacy.
Hi Jennie
I've only just found this, sorry!
Robins will often make nests in unusual places, making use of any nooks and crannies that are sheltered enough, you may have already created a suitable site but it could be enhanced with a few well positioned robin nesting boxes, I wrote a blog about siting these boxes which might be of interest, have a look here.
I too have posted my lowest count ever on a Big Garden Birdwatch, but it is reflective not just of a windy day (it wasn't actually bad), but of a plummet in visitors to my garden since a few months ago. Goldfinches number one or two (if any) as opposed to numbers normally in double digits at a single sitting, no Coal Tits or Great or even Blue Tits, and even my family of Greenfinches is nowhere seen. For the first time ever there is a question mark over whether the scattered raisons will be eaten by the Blackbirds which are strangely absent too! I read the advice that the all come and go so stick with it and they'll be back, but it's a pretty depressing picture to look at all the feeders which were such a hive of activity hanging idle. I do hope they come back, and suppose I have no choice but to just stick with it, but if there is any guidance or explanation it would be very welcome!