Bird Count

[Kevin Milkins]

Just a reminder that tomorrow,Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th January is the RSPB bird count weekend.:Razz

Great fun for the children to get involved in and it supplies invaluable information to help us understand our bird population.

Visit this site for more information. www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/ (http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/) if the link does not work, copy and paste it to your address bar.

[DeHaviLand]

I always do this one. 2 years ago, I was able to report having a sea eagle in my garden. Yesterday, I heard, but didn't see, a woodpecker.

[Liz]

I hope a few more birdies visit my garden or I won't have many to count. :(

It was the same last year and I usually have hundreds of birds at my feeders but just not at this time of year so a bad time for a count.

[Kenn]

I always do this count too but with the mild weather am not getting the usual amount of visitors.

[Mystical Potato Head]

I'm getting lots of Goldfinches at one time around my niger seed feeders,most has been 25 but there is usually at least a dozen.
Used to have 4,5 or 6 regularly but this winter the numbers have pretty much doubled.They've been the most common finch in my garden this winter.
Also a lot more Siskins than usual.Most of the other common species numbers are around the same as previous years.

Wont be able to do the count this year,working overtime again.

[Liz]

The most Goldfinch I've seen in the garden is four and that's despite Niger Seed and Sunflower Hearts to tempt them. Haven't seen any for a while. :(

The regular visitors are Starling (sad to see on the news that their numbers are in real decline), Chaffinch, Greenfinch, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Thrush and Collared Dove.
I miss the chatter and activity when they're not there and the garden is so eerily quiet.

MPH you could do the count anytime as the results don't have to be submitted until the 17th February. I'm going to wait until a day when there are the usual amount of visitors as, if I just did it over the weekend and hardly any turned up, this wouldn't be a true reflection of the number that do usually visit my garden.

[Kevin Milkins]

This winter has been a lot easier on the wild bird population with plenty of natural food available for a much longer period.

I have had loads of goldfinch this year and wasn't sure if it was a population boom for them or that I had been using a different kind of feed, (song bird mix). It has been a good year for all the finches, but I had also noticed less starlings.

I think with the weather taking a turn for colder it will bring plenty of wild birds back to the feeders.