Where have all our garden birds gone?

[dhjgreen]

yep, we've upped our game fat balls wise too. Totally covered in Sparra's & Dunnocks.

LTT, coal, great, blue, starling (they are pretty, you know) come to ours.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

... the invasion of Waxwings, Redwings and Fieldfare. In the 'Mail' it would suggest these are all coming over here, taking all our berries and moving in on the resident birdies territories.

 Which has ended 'unfortunately' for one Redwing, eaten by a Sparrukipawk earlier today. Should I mail the Mail? 

 

'Tis a strange thing, in twenty some years enjoyment of our present garden and the birds that frequent it, neither of us have sighted a live Redwing here. Four casualties though, two into windows with broken necks, two predated, today's being the second such. Had all the woodpeckers yesterday, bet we don't see a single one tomorrow...

[dhjgreen]

Hope you meant a full set of woodpeckers seen, rather than predated by said sparrowhawk!!

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Rest assured all very much alive, pair of Green Woodpeckers drilling the grass, a Lesser spotted back and forward fairly regularly through the day, and a male Greater spotted late in the afternoon trying out the peanuts; something that usually only occurs when they are feeding young.

[dhjgreen]

Rest assured all very much alive, pair of Green Woodpeckers drilling the grass, a Lesser spotted back and forward fairly regularly through the day, and a male Greater spotted late in the afternoon trying out the peanuts; something that usually only occurs when they are feeding young.

Phew

[jetmorgan]

Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend. I usually do it and choose the day report that most reflects what 'normally goes on' at 36E. Guaranteed to lose all birds for 'an' hour I choose, I am afraid I cheat and do several hours over the three days and submit the most realistic report.

I actually prefer the B.T.O. surveys but I have not done one for ages.

Phil

I usually forget about that Big Garden Birdwatch hour as well and do the survey during the day recording the maximum number I see in the garden at any one time. I think any survey like that done in one hour will give a false number of the amount of birds. You could have one long tail tit arrive in the hour you choose but 6 in the next...you can't not count them. And I get different birds in the back garden to the front.

[Tim Hall]

A Song Thrush has been singing in the park over the road, from about 5am every day for the last couple of weeks.

[dhjgreen]

It is now officially winter, we have had our first reed bunting.

[Mallard60022]

I usually forget about that Big Garden Birdwatch hour as well and do the survey during the day recording the maximum number I see in the garden at any one time. I think any survey like that done in one hour will give a false number of the amount of birds. You could have one long tail tit arrive in the hour you choose but 6 in the next...you can't not count them. And I get different birds in the back garden to the front.

I'm sorry to say it but I think the Big Gdn B Watch is flawed for exactly the reasons you say. I know birdwise and creaturewise what is regular in our garden and I know the approximate numbers of species we have almost every day.  There are rare bursts of visitors such as LT T1ts and they may only stay for 30 seconds. We have a resident Wren and that has yet to show up on my birdwatch hour(s). As soo as my surveys are over it will appear.

For a true record of what is happening in gardens they need to change the 'method' and also do it at different times of the year. I'd suggest that all except one or two of my eight Blackbirds feeding here daily at the moment are immigrant birds that will move out to their own territories in a few weeks. I'd also suggest that our garden has a set of residents throughout the year and I could tell you that set now, without counting as it has been very much the same gang for many years now.     

If the idea of the BGB is to 'count the number of birds locally' to assess changes in numbers, then it needs to be modified to birds in the area local to where one lives.

Just my opinion and I welcome thoughts on this.

Phil

[chris p bacon]

I usually forget about that Big Garden Birdwatch hour as well and do the survey during the day recording the maximum number I see in the garden at any one time. I think any survey like that done in one hour will give a false number of the amount of birds. You could have one long tail tit arrive in the hour you choose but 6 in the next...you can't not count them. And I get different birds in the back garden to the front.

 

 

I'm sorry to say it but I think the Big Gdn B Watch is flawed for exactly the reasons you say. I know birdwise and creaturewise what is regular in our garden and I know the approximate numbers of species we have almost every day.  There are rare bursts of visitors such as LT T1ts and they may only stay for 30 seconds. We have a resident Wren and that has yet to show up on my birdwatch hour(s). As soo as my surveys are over it will appear.

For a true record of what is happening in gardens they need to change the 'method' and also do it at different times of the year. I'd suggest that all except one or two of my eight Blackbirds feeding here daily at the moment are immigrant birds that will move out to their own territories in a few weeks. I'd also suggest that our garden has a set of residents throughout the year and I could tell you that set now, without counting as it has been very much the same gang for many years now.     

If the idea of the BGB is to 'count the number of birds locally' to assess changes in numbers, then it needs to be modified to birds in the area local to where one lives.

Just my opinion and I welcome thoughts on this.

Phil

Lady Bacon works at RSPB HQ, the information gathered is a snapshot of a period of time over the whole country. It's the biggest survey of its kind anywhere and the sheer volume of data they receive has proved worthwhile and accurate.

 

We count about 3 times over the weekend (3 seperate 1 hour slots) then submit the one hour we think most reflects the average activity we see. 

[Mallard60022]

Lady Bacon works at RSPB HQ, the information gathered is a snapshot of a period of time over the whole country. It's the biggest survey of its kind anywhere and the sheer volume of data they receive has proved worthwhile and accurate.

 

We count about 3 times over the weekend (3 seperate 1 hour slots) then submit the one hour we think most reflects the average activity we see. 

That's exactly what I've done for years and thanks for the inside info especially as it is obviously worthwhile.

Philupthesurveyform.

Edited January 31, 2017 by Mallard60022

[dhjgreen]

No one saw a waxwing then, same here.

[Bernard Lamb]

There have been no starlings about for a good many years but five turned up a couple of weeks ago and have remained in the garden.

They seem to like mealworms and when I put out half a cup of them the starlings arrive and clear the lot in minutes.

Poor old robin gets pushed out, so I have to go down the garden with a few and stay until he gets his share.

Several sightings of buzzards, including two together on one occasion in the last few days.

Bernard

[geoffers]

Usually do the birdwatch but was away from home during the three days of the exercise so no results from us. I do feel, though, that there are fewer tits and finches around that last year. Have seen no more than three bluies and three long-tails at any one time. Usually more.

[steve1]

Fat balls popular here. Had to top up yesterday. Spotted on the have been tits blue, great and longtailed, sparrows, starlings, robin and blackbird. Seen floating in sky this morning was a buzzard.

 

At the back of us is flood plain for the River Derwent ( Yorkshire one of that name) Given all the rain we have had lately it has been doing its job and we now have a large lake to look out upon. When this happens, waterfowl appear from nowhere in flocks. Spotted so far have been Mute swans, mallard, pochard, lapwing and black headed gulls. Had I some more poerfu'bins no doubt other species could be identified.

 

steve

[DDolfelin]

You may have noticed my complaints about the mess Nijer Seed makes.

 

Yesterday I cleaned out the feeder and noticed ten tiny holes in the bottom - presumably for drainage.

All this time it has been acting as a sort of sugar shaker scattering seeds all over.

 

Doh!

[melmerby]

Fat balls popular here.

No takers on the fat balls for ages.

Currently the Long-Tailed Tits are devouring mealworms at some pace but in the summer they cluster around the fat balls.

 

You may have noticed my complaints about the mess Nijer Seed makes.

 

Yesterday I cleaned out the feeder and noticed ten tiny holes in the bottom - presumably for drainage.

All this time it has been acting as a sort of sugar shaker scattering seeds all over.

 

Doh!

I put a small tray under the niger seed to catch surplus as the Goldfinches were pulling out more than they eat through the slots anyway.

 

Keith

[DDolfelin]

Siskin and goldfinches are back.

Mistle thrush singing in the top of a tree,

SHawk just zoomed through the birds waiting to get on the feeders - a miss this time.

Blackbirds already squabbling.

[jonny777]

Yes the Sparrowhawks makes occasional swoops in the direction of my feeders, and then kindly perches on the fence for me to have a good look. I know from experience to stay perfectly still, because at the slightest movement it will be off.

 

My day has been made by seeing a goldcrest on the suet block. I often see them in the nearby bushes but never before out on the feeders.

[DDolfelin]

I know the goldcrests are at the top of a tree but that far off the ground in the winter light it's impossible to see them properly.

[Downendian]

Not watching your bird feeders at night? We have a few resident Tawnys around the cottage in Devon.

Now I wonder, may put out some fat balls.

http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/watch-owl-eating-from-bird-feeder-something-thought-to-have-never-been-recorded-before/story-30112804-detail/story.html

Neil

[Mallard60022]

I was looking out of an upstairs window yesterday breakfast time at the usual fussing and feeding out back and the Sparrow gang suddenly fled to the hedge as a SHawk flashed across the garden space and did a steep left turn as it was pursued by the 'local Crow'. I've never seen the Crow move that fast. Sparras didn't reappear for a good half hour. Cracking bit of action with no known casualties, but a hungry SHawk no doubt? Crow reappeared later in the day.

Some time later, from a downstairs window, I witnessed our first real, extended feeding visit from a couple of LT Tits and they returned several times and also appeared a few times today. However, the Sparras are a bit daft and when something turns up on the feeders, they have to come and investigate and can be quite 'bossy'. Despite this I have had the pleasure of watching the LTT from close range and they are very pretty little birds. 

Phil

[dhjgreen]

Ball of fluff on a stick, cute.

[Wolseley]

The scene in our next door neighbour's front garden a few days ago:

 

[dhjgreen]

Are they finding food?