Where were all the birds?

Same here Mike, I was kinda gutted as usually our garden is full of birds, we also live near farm & woodland, I'm thinking that after the snow thawed they have gone off to eat some natural food! When there was snow on the ground I could not keep count but my findings this weekend have been very minimal and not just the hour I counted, I continued to watch and very few have been in even today though I have seen my first house sparrows in a while!  

Same here too.  I'm in suburban Nottingham, the snow thawed very quickly here and I would estimate having seen approx. half of the usual number of birds, especially larger breeds such as blackbirds and wood pigeons...I don't know why I feel disappointed but there's an irrational feeling of wanting to have submitted 'better' results!

I nearly didn't submit my findings as in my book they were not a true account of the birds that visit our garden daily, and like so many other people have reported I was very disappointed with my count. During the week we had snow we had four beautiful song thrushes visiting throughout each day, but on Saturday when I did my count there was one!  Similarly our two resident Great Spotted Woodpeckers were conspicuous by their absence as were our ten long-tailed tits.  Not to mention siskins, greenfinches, goldfinches, bullfinches and jays!   Like you Lil-robin I put it down to them going off to seek natural food after the snow thawed.

We have a large garden 5 miles from the centre of Birmingham. Just before and during the snow, there was a big decline in small birds viusiting the feeders. Although one day we did have 5 long tail tits for a short time. We had a flock of 20 sparrows, lately only two! During the 'watch' I saw none, I do hope they are all OK

Same here down in Cornwall; I wondered if it was because of so many people taking part and putting food out that normally wouldn't!

I'm glad I counted on Saturday as there were quite a few birds around - yesterday I didn't see any and the feeders don't appear to have been touched, the birds here are obviously not too keen on windy weather but don't mind playing in the snow!!

I'm sure the little blighters know when the count is happening and go and hide in the hedges sniggering!! :)

Only a third of the usual number of goldfinch (and they only appeared in the final 5 minutes), only 2 blackbirds, 1 great tit and 1 greenfinch; no starlings, no sparrows, no collared doves. Unusually a Jackdaw (cannot recall one in the front garden before), and a reed bunting! None of the less common visitors such as Jay, Crow, Woodpecker, Siskin.  An unusual hour.

Same here, too.  I live in a large village by the sea and near to farmland and woods.  Usually I see many kinds of birds who come to my large garden to feed and squabble.  On Sunday with binoculars round my neck and pencil in my hand ready to count all these birds but what did I see?  Three wood pigeons fighting over the seed and one grey squirrel eating the fat balls. How disappointed I was!  Hopefully next year............

Same here, I had been looking forward to telling the world just how many birds visit my feeding stations. It's as if someone tipped them off, lol. My figures were well down and almost didn't post them.

It was the same for us. Almost didn't send in the count as like others it was so unrepresentative of our usual amount of visitors.  Friday we had Magpies, Woodpecker,  Long-tailed tits and Rooks as well as our local Sparrow 'tribe' and the birds we actually did see when we did the 'watch'.

We never only have just two collared doves in the garden so I too am convinced that they know and hide in the hedges sniggering!!