The forecast was not great for today and, with visitors due for lunch, I had to start my count fairly early. It was overcast with drizzle but the recently filled feeders were already attracting a number of garden birds and I quickly counted 2 crows, 2 blackbirds ( on the apples), 9 sparrows and a couple of woodpigeons up in the trees
Five minutes later the crows left and were quickly replaced by two magpies, although these didn't come over to my main bird feeding station area. There was then a flurry of activity; several blue tits flying back and forth, visiting the sunflower heart and fat feeders, a great tit on the sunflower hearts and a robin and dunnock on the ground pecking the bits that were falling from the feeders above.
Then the rain started more steadily and most birds left to take shelter, although there was a fleeting visit from a single goldfinch and just occasional visits from blue tits, a robin and dunnock.
Half an hour into my count and it stopped raining; the crows came back, also three blackbirds reappeared,. A second robin made an appearance alongside the first which reminded me that I will have to soon put up my nestbox for them that I purchased recently. Just need to decide the best place!
Half an hour into my count and it stopped raining; the crows came back, also three blackbirds reappeared,. A second robin made an appearance alongside the first which reminded me that I will have to soon put up my nestbox for them that I purchased recently. Just need to decide the best place!
Birds came and went, but no further new species or increase in numbers until I saw a third robin which was quickly chased off by one of the others!
I noticed the breeze had started to pick up but this didn't deter a couple of starlings from vising the fat feeders, and meanwhile the flock of sparrows had increased to 12.
It was nearing the end of the hour by now and it had started to rain once more, however just before I left my window seat, four goldfinches arrived together on the feeders while a male chaffinch perched in the bushes behind before dropping to the ground to feed.
Total for the hour: 10 species totalling 39 birds as follows:
blue tit 5
great tit 1
dunnock 2
robin 3
wood pigeon 4
house sparrow 12
carrion crow 2
goldfinch 4
blackbird 3
magpie 2
chaffinch 1
blue tit 5
great tit 1
dunnock 2
robin 3
wood pigeon 4
house sparrow 12
carrion crow 2
goldfinch 4
blackbird 3
magpie 2
chaffinch 1
Time 9.25 a.m. - 10 25. am.
N.B.An hour later a greenfinch arrived, but too late to include in my count!
garden feeding station
A few pictures taken from my window but poor quality due to bad light and rain!!
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