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Male Sparrowhawk

4:23 AM | Posted by Unknown | | Edit Post

Male Sparrowhwk from this morning. He usualy pops in most weeks but has a poor success rate in my garden due to the fact that the position of my feeders give the small birds plenty of cover to retreat to. The images dont show the squirrel that was a few yards away in the same tree that had frozen with fear, its a good job the larger female wasnt sat in wait.

All the images are poor as they were taken from inside the house and this mornings weather was particularly murky and wet

Labels:Sparrowhawk | 0 comments

RSPB Garden birdwatch

3:17 PM | Posted by Unknown | | Edit Post

For over 30 years, the RSPB have been asking supporters to count the birds in their garden for one hour over a specific weekend during late winter. During this time, more than 3 million hours have been clocked up watching and enjoying the birds that visit our gardens (that's more than 380 years worth of info!), and every year, over 6 million birds are spotted and recorded. These figures go along way to understanding the trend of species that are indecline and those that are prospering more.

Of course the hrs watch is only a snapshot of whats going on, its great to get the kids seeing whats under their noses too but also its a quick indicator of how some species have fared after the winter cold.

I did my hrs RSPB Big Garden birdwatch on Saturday 08.45-09.45:
A Hard frost overnight
In order of appearance for 2012:
08.45-09.45

Blackbird 5
Housesparrow 5
Greenfinch 16
Dunnock 1
Goldfinch 4
Woodpigeon 2
Starling 3
Jackdaw 1
Chaffinch 5
Blue tit 3
Collared Dove 2
Lesser Redpoll 11
Coal Tit 1
Magpie 2
Great tit 2
Long Tailed Tit 2

This is how it compares with last year
In order of appearance for 2011:
08.45-09.45- same time of the day

Greenfinch 6
Blackbird 2
Carrion Crow 2
Robin 1
Starling 15
Lesser Redpoll 21
Blue Tit 2
Chaffinch 3
Woodpigeon 4
Siskin 3
Goldfinch 2
Mealy Redpoll 1
Magpie 1
Housesparrow 4
Dunnock 1
Fiedfare 1
Wren 1
Feral Pigeon 6
Collared Dove 1

2012 Vs 2011
16 Species this year Vs 19 Species last year
65 individual birds this year Vs 77 individual birds last year

What does it tell me? probably nothing that I didnt know before ..... Geenfinch numbers are up this year and have been over the whole winter just as the Lesser Redpoll numbers have halved just as they have over the whole winter, and most of the Starlings this year were busy pestering somebody else, But put together with the other million or two results it will paint a better overall picture.

Glad to have to my bit

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UK First this morning - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

3:02 AM | Posted by Unknown | | Edit Post

Very pleased with todays visit to my local patch in my village as I have at last seen my first UK Lesser Spotted Woodpecker -a female. Although poor images it has only taken 5 years to get this! I will try for a better photo over the next few days if the fog decides to recede

Update: Returned this morning and was fortunate to see the female again and shortly after she disappeared I was given some stunning views of a male.

Happy Days.

Labels:Woodpeckers | 0 comments

Winter regulars

10:50 AM | Posted by Unknown | | Edit Post

These little stars are back again in great numbers. The Lesser Redpolls do really well in my garden with numbers reaching a daily average of 25-30 however the peak came a few weeks ago when 37 showed up. They are suprisingly trusting for such a small bird as they sometimes let me edge towards them to get a better shot. These were taken last week in the only day of sunshine I can rememeber this month.

Labels:Lesser Redpoll | 0 comments

Foxy Lady

10:16 AM | Posted by Unknown | | Edit Post

A very nice suprise this weekend as 2 Red Foxes came into the garden for a sunbathe. This is the first time I have seen a fox in the garden during daylight hours.

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2011: The not so regular species of the garden

11:34 AM | Posted by Unknown | | Edit Post

I think I have got to know personaly some of the birds that frequent my garden. For instance I can look out of the kitchen window and know that the Housesparrows will be in the shrubs by the patio and that they will spend time fying back and to from there to the eaves under the roof of my house where they live, or the pair of collared Doves that preen each other on the very same branch day in and day out, or the Robin that bounds about under the feeders harrassing the Dunnocks .... of course you met all these in my last post. This post is about the birds that dont stay too long or only come as seasonal visitors. These following birds are the more seasonal or irregular visitors to my garden during 2011..... and those that I was lucky enough to get the camera on!

Bullfinch
only shows up a couple of times a year, sometimes with the partner in tow

Fieldfare

winter visitor, especially when the cold weather sets in and often whith heavy snow fall.... sometimes its just for the apples whartever the weather.

Greater Spotted Woodpecker

used to make regular family appearances even to the point of bringing the youngsters for play time on the lawn

Lesser Black Backed Gull

usually overhead but can be tempted down with a little bread

Long Tailed Tit

usually just passing through

Mistle Thrush

snow and apples... enough said!

Sparrowhawk

hmm.... my favourite species and the sign of a healthy bird population in and around the garden

Reed Bunting

again another winter visitor and a cool bird to get visit.... was lucky enough the get 3 males all feeding together

Lesser Redpoll

Novemeber through to April in large numbers and a fun bird to watch

Grey Heron

once sat on our roof!

Moorhen

what no water!! this fella stayed a few days

Redwing

snow and apples... a re-occuring theme

Siskin

small numbers duringthe winter months

and possibly the highlight.....

Mealy Redpoll

a scarce winter visitor anywhere in the UK.

To have this fella visit for 120+ straight days was very humbling

of course not everything makes it into the digital world... in October a Woodcock made a brief visit to the garden but it simply teased me with its appearance and flew off as I lent over to reach for the camera... alas all but a memory!

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2011: A year of birds in the Garden

5:57 AM | Posted by Unknown | | Edit Post

A total of 58 species either visited my garden or flew directly overhead. Depending on the season around 25 of these species either breed in and around my garden or are at least regular if not daily visitors. A good mixed habitat helps, along with mixed food sources.

The playground.......
The feeders are to the left under the wind swept trees. A large border surrounds the garden that is utilised by the ground feeder birds looking for worms or seed spills. The House sparrows spend most of the time in the bushes nearest to the patio on the right hand side, while the corvids keep lookout from the Oak tree at the back.