Big Garden Birdwatch

Along with many others in the UK, I spent an enjoyable hour over the weekend watching the birds and making a note of the most numbers of each species seen at any one time as my contribution to the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. I couldn't help thinking that if it had been a couple of weeks ago when the whole country was blanketed in snow I would have been able to record some really interesting visitors but of course I realise that wouldn't have been a true representation of my 'usual' sightings.

I was quite surprised not to see a Dunnock which I normally see quite often and there were no Great or Coal Tits either which was rather disappointing although I didn't find it as easy as I should even with binoculars due to my ongoing sight problem which I mentioned in a previous post. I have been told, by the way, that I will be having 'ordinary' surgery and not laser surgery as I was at first led to believe, the first eye will be done at the end of April and the other later in the year. Anyway, back to the birds! My results are as follows:

1. Blackbird 8
2. Blackcap 2
   
3. Blue Tit 1
   
4. Chaffinch 5
   
5. Collared Dove 5 (Pictured above)
   
6. Goldfinch 2
   
7. Greenfinch 10
8. House Sparrow 3 (The House Sparrow is on the red list of endangered species)
   
9. Long-tailed Tit 1
10. Robin 1
11. Starling 4 (The Starling is on the red list of endangered species)
    
12. Stock Dove 1 (The Stock Dove is on the amber list of endangered species)
    
13. Wood Pigeon 3

I was very pleased to be able to include both the male and female Blackcap as although I knew the female had been around she had been very elusive unlike the last two Winters when the female was more evident than the male. The Stock Dove was a huge surprise and I only noticed it at the last moment having previously thought it was a Woodpigeon.

I am having difficulties taking photos (for obvious reasons and expect I will continue to, until at least early Summer), at the moment so the following representations of what I saw during my count were all taken by me in my garden but not necessarily during the weekend birdwatch. The exceptions are the House Sparrow and the poor record shot of the Stock Dove both taken during the count and through glass.

So, in alphabetical order:

Blackbird

'I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries,
and very frankly give them fruit for their songs.'

(Joseph Addison}

This photo of a female Blackcap is not too good as it was at the farthest end of the garden. I do love her chestnut coloured cap and I always think she looks less fierce than Mr Blackcap who I featured on my last post.

Female Blackcap

Blue Tit

Chaffinch

'It glanc'd fleet before me!----
Was't a meteor that fled,
With bright dappl'd pinnions,
And gorget of red?
Nay, nay 'twas the chaffinch;
And "twink! twink!" he cries,
As he darts through the hedgerow,
With fear and surprise.'

(Thomas Gillet)

Collared Dove

Goldfinch

The Goldfinch has for some time been the bird which visits my garden the most and in large numbers, but recently, the Greenfinches have become quite intimidating at the feeders and frequently scare the Goldfinches away!

Greenfinch

'At the distinctive song of the greenfinch old memories awake
That voice I first heard as a young boy I never could mistake
It stirs up memories of the northern Spring and the leafy woods of May
And it has followed me across the World from places far away.'

(Francis Duggan)

House Sparrow

Long-tailed Tit

Robin

'The robin, tamest of the feathered race
Soon as he hears the woodmans sounding chops
Wi ruddy bosom and a simple face
Around his old companions feet he hops
And there for hours in pleased attention stops'

(John Clare)

Starling

I really hope I've got the following ID right, I'm pretty sure it isn't a feral Pigeon as it doesn't have the correct bars on the wings. As I mentioned before, this photo was taken in a rush, with poor eyesight and through glass!

Stock Dove (I hope)

Wood Pigeon

Well, that's it for the 'Big Garden Birdwatch' for another twelve months, it will be interesting in a few weeks time, when the results have been collated, to see which birds are being seen most often in other people's gardens.