RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch

This weekend was the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, where you spend an hour counting the birds in the garden, then report your findings to the RSPB. It was cold and sunny this morning so Bug Mad Girl and I stocked up the feeders and counted the birds. We counted 50 birds, of 14 species, plus 1 squirrel! Most of our regular visitors made an appearance, but we had one big surprise!

Our totals were:

• 1 green woodpecker: It's only the second time we've seen one in the garden, so it was very exciting to see one in a tree. It only stayed there for about 30 seconds and a Buddleia bush was in the way, so the photo is horribly out of focus I'm afraid. There's no mistaking what it was though!

• 7 starlings

• 1 rook
• 8 jackdaws

• 2 magpies

• 4 chaffinches

• 2 blue tits
• 2 robins

• 1 blackcap: no sign of the male today

• 2 blackbirds: We've decided to call them Brenda and Eric. Brenda is still having a lot of trouble with the starlings and Eric has taken to guarding the second bird table that's further down the garden. He sits on the fence then chases any birds away that land on it.

Eric checking for unwelcome visitors through a hole in the roof

Brenda really doesn't like starlings!

•  12 house sparrows

• 2 dunnocks
• 5 woodpigeons
• 1 red kite: Whistlejacket was sat in his tree. A seagull flew past and he got very upset about it!

• 1 squirrel

 



No sign of any long-tailed tits, the male blackcap or goldfinches today, but still lots of birds to report.