Saturday 26 January 2013

RSPB Garden Watch!

This weekend is the annual RSPB garden watch which encourages everyone to spend an hour watching their garden, local park or nature reserve. A straight forward form is then completed and electronically submitted to the RSPB. Results of species trends are published in March.

My choice of venue was my garden which contains three feeder stands a ground feeder and a bird bath. The feeders contain mixed, niger, sunflower seed, fatballs, suet pellets, peanuts, and chopped apples.

In the past I have seen Goldcrest and Blackcap during the hours watch, the former is very rare in my garden. The hour started slowly with a Coal Tit, Robin, Starlings and Blue Tits visiting the feeders.

(Robin)
A few House Sparrows arrived with a Dunnock which seemed to create some squabbling at the feeders even though there was plenty of space for all present!

(Dunnock)
Blackbirds were the next arrivals two females and a male followed by a fleeting visit by a Fieldfare. A Magpie and Crow were next neither stayed in the garden for long.

(Fieldfare)
Just beyond the half hour mark activity in the garden reached its peak with a mini invasion of fourteen House Sparrow. These numbers were down on recent counts of c25 during the cold snap.

(House Sparrows)
Collared Doves started to arrive sitting up in the apple tree numbers reached nine which is a new record for my garden. I didn't want to flush them therefore could only get six in the shot!

(Collared Doves)
The hour came to a close with nothing unusual species wise and a few notable absentees in Great Tit, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Rose Ringed Parakeet. There were gulls that passed overhead but only species that stop off in the garden count towards this survey. 

List of sightings from 1 to 2pm as follows:-
Collared Dove x9, Fieldfare x1, Dunnock x1, House Sparrow x14, Blackbird x3, Magpie x1, Crow x1, Blue Tit x2, Robin x1, Wood Pigeon x1, Starling x4.


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