Top 5 population of your garden

Thankyou for your response everyone, it has been really useful for me, I was thinking what's the fuss! Now I can see areas/habitats that are experiencing a reduction in sparrows.

Big Bird Watch will be interesting following this severe weather, I was already registered.

Maisie - very good metaphor, I have also got a Sparrowhawk rotisserie chicken counter that looks just like yours. I also have them line up for the bird table on the fence like a line of pre-match footballers singing the National Anthem. (It's not very nice clearing up the aftermath is it? But I guess not many people can say they get a sparrowhawk in their garden).

Whoever it was that has only got a few collared doves you are welcome to some of mine, mail order through my page lol. Free First Class Delivery. I had 22 at my last big count, despite the sparrowhawk picking them off.

Rural - North Shropshire - currently:

1) Goldfinches

2) House sparrows

3) Blackbirds (over 30 at the mo!!!)

4) Starlings

5) Chaffinches & Greenfinches

Plenty of blue & great tits, wood pigeons, collared doves,robins, dunnocks, wrens, magpies, jackdaws and a fieldfare! (even had a black headed gull 'drop in' Sunday afternoon!)

Hi LB

Thank you for your reminder for such a reliable source

Yes, it might be an odd ball year if this snow decided to stay around any more than it has done.

The birds are confused as it is at the moment

Yes, a cup of tea and note pad are at the ready here too.

Regards

Kathy and Dave

Hi Marjus, I'm over run with blackbirds aswell, I don't know where they are all coming from.

Blackbird do you think this weather will affect the breeding season aswell. I normally have a lot of fledglings quite early but I doubt I will this year after this. 

i would not agree that the west mids was stable a few years ago we had loads of sparrows in our gardens they used to nest in the eves in our houses you were woken up with the young squeeling for food but all thats gone and so have our sparrows we have stopped feeding birds on our feed tables here as they just attracted  more more visits from birds of pray

My top 15 for week ending today, as submitted to the BTO Garden Birdwatch survey, largest numbers seen at any one time:

House sparrows (20+)

Starlings (15+)

Goldfinches (12)

Black headed gulls (10)

Feral pigeons (6)

Jackdaws (5)

Dunnocks, Blackbirds (4 each)

Collared Doves (3)

Long tailed tits, song thrushes, coal tits, blue tits, robins (2 each)

Pied Wagtail  (1)

Quite a collection there Sparrow!  

Given this past week here the Sparrowhawk now features in my top 5 / regulars!

Karl - is there no way you could resite the bird table so cover was got at easier?  I'm also curious as to which Birds of Prey you were getting?  I get a Sparrowhawk but until last week she hadn't been in the garden for 115 days.  Going on a bit now...but what about Sparrow terrace nest boxes?  The sparrows here used to nest in the neighbour's roof until he blocked it up, but they're more than happy in the confiers now.

Slightly off topic, but I apologise.  While on my walk today on the walkway the back of the house it occured to me there are several colonies of House Sparrow up here.  I passed two on the walkway at this top end, I know to another by the school and there's one at the very bottom of the estate.  There are probably more dotted around here and I would in fact be interested to find out.  Especially since House Sparrows are no great travelers and only go so far for food etc.