Forum home› Talkback
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Talkback: RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2012

donutsmrsdonutsmrs Posts: 487
in Talkback
Hi Richard, I did the Big Garden Bird Watch, I spent a lovely hour on Sunday afternoon watching the birds. I've done the Bird watch for a few years now and really enjoy it. Like you I saw the normal birds like sparrows, starlings etc. But it has enabled me to see a bird a didn't realise came into my garden, a Dunnock two of them in fact, so what a bonus. And would you believe it, yesterday I saw two little Wrens, now where were they on Sunday when I needed them.

Posts

  • Peat BPeat B Posts: 441
    Darn ! I missed the big garden birdwatch on Saturday, as I was becoming a Grand-daddy ! All the same, I can safely report that the 'lotty bird population is healthy, varied and growing. Today, Thursday Feb 2, I noted in 1/2 an hour, 6 jackdaws, 2 starlings, 1 cock greenfinch, 2 cock chaffinch, 2 dunnock, 2 collared dove, 1 feral pigeon, 6 blue tits, 2 great tits, 1 coal tit, 2 pheasant, 5 blackbirds 2 robin and this was good enough for the time there !

    I kissed seeing the usual gang of spuggies seething around the hedge, as they are commonly numbering 5 or 6 .
  • mallingopalmallingopal Posts: 17
    I am glad we are not the only ones with a lack of birds in the garden. I wondered if its because the weather has been mild and there are still a lot of berries left on the trees and bushes.
  • littlerlisalittlerlisa Posts: 1
    I have a woodpecker that visits our feeder everyday to feed from the fat balls. It is costing me a fortune in fat balls and coconut and he decided not to turn up the one day I was counting!
  • Surbiton_MargotSurbiton_Margot Posts: 24
    I also did the bird watch and was disappointed that so few birds were around this year (2 wood pigeons and a magpie!). I also wondered if the mild weather was to blame as last year our bird feeders were attracting a lot more visitors, including more shy birds such as jays (we have an urban garden)... hopefully it was not reflective of any decrease in populations, just the fact that the birds are finding their food elsewhere in the milder weather?
  • Sue GoughSue Gough Posts: 23
    Hi Peteballan, lucky you, I haven't seen a greenfinch here in the North York Moors national park for several years now. Used to have at least 6 every day
  • whitevanwomanwhitevanwoman Posts: 22
    I missed the watch because I spent so much time sorting out my VAT and annual Self Assesment which had to be filed by 31/01. Since there are so many people now filing S.A.'s(think it is somewhere between 3 and 5 million people) perhaps this survey could be moved to the following weekend.



    If it had, I could have included the 10 at least Redwings which invaded our garden to strip our self seeded Holly of most of the berries. There are still some left and they will be back tomorrow to finish the job.
  • Shropshire LassShropshire Lass Posts: 8

    I was lucky enough to see 6 house sparrows, 5 greenfinches, 5 chaffinches, 4 wood pigeons, 3 blue tits and then 1 or 2 of the following - robin, blackbird, dunnock, great tit, magpie, collared dove, carrion crow and goldfinch. A good haul I'm sure you'll admit but all the more amazing as halfway through the watch, the sparrowhawk whizzed through the garden. Usually when he races through, the little birds take to the evergreens to hide for the rest of the day. They were obviously feeling brave on this occasion as they returned after a few minutes (or maybe they just didn't see him!?). Mine isn't a rural garden but a suburban one so I appreciate the luck I had with the variety of birds I spotted.

  • oldchippyoldchippy Posts: 244

    I have never seen so many Fieldfare as this year it must be cold in europe,

Sign In or Register to comment.