I'm a real newbie to the art of garden birdwatching but have recently been giving it a real go with my 10 year old daughter.
One question though (and it may be an obvious answer) but is there anything that contributes to there being such a drastic difference in the number of birds seen in the garden?
My daughter was rather disappointed today when we completed the Big Garden Birdwatch as the birds were so few and far between! This time last weekend the garden was a hive of activity with a much wider array of species also. I consistently place food out so there's never a shortage so does anyone have any ideas????
Thanks
Rachel
Same here, It;s been colder and frostier the past few days, that usually makes quite a differnce to ours. They don't travel so far when its like this. Quite typical though
Hi Rachel.Welcome to the forums. I know how you and your daughter feel. Sometimes I think they hide during the BGBW, just to tease us. :-) Yesterday I estimated about 20 starlings, but during the count this morning just nice turned up. A couple of hours later, I look out and see 13 starlings. No doubt if you were to count the birds at the same time next week, your garden would be a hive of activity.The only reason I can think of for a low bird count is a change in the weather. If you were affected by the recent heavy snows, the recent thaw and increase in temperatures might have lead to a drop in the number of birds visitng you.
Paul.
Warning! This post contains atrocious spelling, and terrible grammar. Approach with extreme edginess.
Hi Rachel
If you have a look at the following thread you will see that many people have been experiencing similar problems.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/forums/t/9378.aspx
Since the weather conditions have eased somewhat I have noticed in my garden that there is a bit of a feeding frenzy at first light when birds need to top up their energy levels after what are still cold nights but then there is a lull in activity. It may be that birds are beginning to disperse into open country with Spring only a few weeks away but coming to gardens for a quick meal.
Don't forget also that many of the common birds that we see in our gardens in winter are not the some ones that are present in summer. Quite a lot of birds like blackbirds, thrushes and finches come in from the continent and quite a lot of "our" birds go south for the winter.
It may be, although I don't actually know, that as the days lengthen and the weather improves they are beginning to get restless to return "home". Just a theory.
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Hello Rachel,We have all experienced the same. At this time of the year, especially with the snow and cold temperatures, the birds will stay where there is a good supply of food. When the snow clears they have a chance to explore the fields and hedgerows or travel further afield.
Hi Rachel and welcome, a major factor with "my" birds, relative to their appearance, is the outdoor activity by near neighbours. If they are out in their gardens a lot, whether it be pegging out washing, gardening or just relaxing my number of visitors can decrease dramatically.
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!