RSPB big garden bird watch 2022

[geocycle]

Wow that's a lot! I gathered that they were pretty rare and I thought I was lucky to have the odd one or two very occasionally. Beautiful birds, lucky you!

Yes they are wonderful. We have a team of about 8 that come several times a day during winter. They probably all roost together in the nearby woodland. A complete frenzy on the feeder while one stands guard!

 

[Gillstay]

Very pleased as all our bird numbers have increased from the 6 birds the first time I did it here.
10 Bluetits to start, 2 woodpeckers, a Marsh tit, a few sparrows coming in now they have been displace by a cat the owners don't feed.
3 Greenfinch was the best bit as they have done so badly over the last few years.
Great to verify that the changes I am making are working in the birds favour.

 

[Gillstay]

It's interesting what we all saw. And even more interesting what we don't see. For instance I live surrounded by fields and whilst crows can be seen in them, they never come into my garden. Whereas in my previous abode, in the middle of suburbia, I was plagued by them. Likewise I don't see wood pigeons or starlings.
I've just spent an hour or so making four bird boxes and am now deciding how big to make the hole. Do I make it so the birds I know visit can use them, or a size that ones that I don't regularly see can?

I start small and if its not used open them up, unless i have a very specific one such as a Flycatcher.

 

[Illaveago]

This morning the garden was empty of birds except for 2 Chaffinches on the ground near the feeder .
Later on while I was doing the washing up we had a flurry of birds . 4 Sparrows , 2 Dunnocks ,1Blackcap, 2 Goldfinches on the feeder and a Blackbird . Most of the birds are looking around in the hedges and not at the feeders. The birds are also easily frightened and fly off when another bird lands .

 

[Tail End Charlie]

A bullfinch visited today. They do not visit very often so it's a delight whenever they do.
Another infrequent visitor are long tailed tits, but a family came yesterday, so I shouldn't complain.

My favourites are goldfinches, the colouring is superb and I love the tinkle they make as they talk to each other. Luckily I get loads of these.

 

[Sharky]

Don't know what these birds are, but the RSPB tour guide at Leeds Castle was very excited about a pair of them nesting in one of the ponds:-

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Don't know what these birds are, but the RSPB tour guide at Leeds Castle was very excited about a pair of them nesting in one of the ponds:-

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They're Coots, I'm surprised the guide was excited as that's a relatively common bird on inland waterways, ponds and lakes.

 

[Chief Broom]

I live a short distance from the sea at Brora and most birds are the 'heavies' herring gulls, black back, crows. jackdaws. pigeons and the like. Not many people feed the birds as not wanting to invite those mentioned who make a right racket. Had a herring gull dump on me tuther day and when they let loose i cant imagine anyone on the receiving end feeling 'lucky'
The neighbourhood could do with more cover for smaller species so they dont feel so vulnerable, thorny hedges/trees etc its a council estate with too many gravelled over gardens.

 

[annedonnelly]

They're Coots, I'm surprised the guide was excited as that's a relatively common bird on inland waterways, ponds and lakes.

They have amazing feet when you see them walking about.

 

[Sharky]

They're Coots, I'm surprised the guide was excited as that's a relatively common bird on inland waterways, ponds and lakes.

Update on the Coots. Cootlings live and well and learning from Mrs Coot.

 

[Hornchurch]

Yes I've wondered this myself. Chris Packham was gravely announcing on Winter Watch the shocking extent that bird populations have declined, and while I don't doubt the decline for a second, I do wonder how the data is compiled and whether it takes into account things like the sample timescale. Because as you say, one weekend of high winds across the nation and all of a sudden those gardens are probably looking very different indeed to how they normally do.

Well it looks like the bird feeders have hardly been touched ! There doesn't seem to be the same numbers of birds around .
Is it the weather ? Saturday morning was a complete wash out as the wind was too strong . Any birds that were flying were having trouble . The afternoon brightened up but the birds didn't return .
Yesterday birds visited our garden but the numbers weren't representative of what we normally get. On a normal day our bird feeders would be half empty . The Blackbird and Goldfinch numbers are down . The Goldfinches could be feeding elsewhere but the Blackbird numbers are half of what we usually get . Wagtail numbers are non existent. We used to get 3 to 4. Only 1 Robin ! Hardly any Starlings or Sparrows.
So what are they going to get from these figures ? Should they hold it again ?

As I clicked the 'reply' tab, I've got 3 to 4 (it's varying), BLUE TITS on my feeder outside my bedroom-balcony.

More Blackbirds than I've ever seen here too, which is a result, as they use a 'Suet Block' Feeder - (not the same as above)

But the MAIN reason I clicked-in here, is.....

Good News ; I've just seen our FIRST fully fledged Baby Blue Tit , wings "shivering" (as young new fledglings do)

It's like, she's fanning her wings 'a million times a second', to attract her Mum & Dad to feed her - Really CUTE !!!!

We've got an acre, much of it heavily wooded, not far from the North Sea, but still inland, overlooking open fields.

Terrain-wise, it's really just a bit of everything, with a 1,000 yr-old Church across the road, so we get all sorts

Bizarrely, Blue Tits & Great Tits aside, my most commonly seen bird, is a HUGE RED KITE

We've been lucky to've had a HUGE population 'explosion' of them round here, over the last 15-years.

There was talk of re-introducing the 'Sea Eagle' 10-miles down the road, at Snettisham Scalp, but it's been temp' shelved !

Depresses me tho', when I hear that other parts of the U.K have NOT been so productive, bird-wise.

They definitely brighten up the scenery around here & we've no shortage of 'bird-reserves' nearby

I've even got one of the R.S.P.B Wardens that lives at the back of our field (& helps me to I.D some of the rarer species.
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