The bird feeding station was busy for today's RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch; when I first looked out of the window there were already goldfinches and a greenfinch on the feeder with blue tits standing by.
After topping up the feeders I sat down at the breakfast room window and began my count at 8..45. am. I started by recording the 2 goldfinch on the feeder, together with a wood pigeon perched in the willow tree and a carrion crow on the path. A magpie flew into the cherry tree and a robin popped its head out of the undergrowth by the feeders. Then two blue tits proceeded to chase each through the willow, and a great tit sat waiting in another bush.
The feeders were continually busy with birds, as the small birds took turns to grab a meal. The blue and great tits quickly snatched at a seed before taking it away, whilst green and gold finches rested on the perches pecking away at the food until disturbed by something bigger.
The usual single robin was joined by a second on the bird table, whilst four blackbirds hopped about on the grass, occasionally stopping to peck at one of the apples laying there. I saw a squirrel run along the grass and up the willow but it left the bird feeders alone. A more unwelcome visitor was the rat which came out from time to time from behind the summer house.
Beneath the bird table I saw a dunnock feeding on the seed which had fallen onto the gravel, but then I realised it didn't quite have the appearance of a dunnock. A closer look through my binoculars enabled me to see that it was a female blackcap, a bird which I'd not seen in my garden for a couple of years! It stayed around for the rest of the hour, hopping in and out of the bushes behind, sometimes feeding from the table and sometimes on the ground and was still there a few hours later. Hopefully it might stay around.
I also saw the usual quota of house sparrows together with two dunnocks which appeared regularly beneath the feeders and a female chaffinch which perched briefly in the tree before flying off.
My totals were therefore as follows:
crow 1
magpie 1
blue tit 3
great tit 1
blackbird 4
house sparrow 5
dunnock 2
goldfinch 3
greenfinch 2
wood pigeon 3
robin 2
chaffinch 1
blackcap 1
starling 1
(31birds of 14 species)
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