RSPB Birdwatch this weekend

[firbeck 859]

I know that quite a few of you have an interest in our feathered friends, I wondered whether any of you were taking part. It's easy to do, just record the different species you see on your bird table and garden for an hour, better still, go on the RSPB website, they'll tell you what to do and they have an on-line recording chart.

I thought it might be a good idea to see what some of you record around the country and in different habitats, Sea Harriers don't count though Beefsteak, perhaps some of our American contributers might like to take part for the hell of it.

I'm not hopefull of seeing anything amazing here, following the local councils decision to turn the river area over the other side of my fence into a 'nature reserve', they've destroyed the habitat of many rare species, and continue to do so despite my protests, we won't be getting any more Nuthatches, thats for sure.

[plantfit 7,597]

Ayup firbeck,

Scope and bins already in place looking over the back fields

Rog

[firbeck 859]

Ayup firbeck,

Scope and bins already in place looking over the back fields

Rog

Have you seen anything exciting yet, I've only just got back from meeting the Hun, madams gone to the local farm shop to get some snacks for the birds ( I reccommend the Robin mix ) so we can artificially persuade them to call in at the bird table tomorrow.

Our reed bunting, a former visitor to our bird table 18 months ago, it's nest site and habitat now destroyed by our Local Authority and it's army of blue rinsed 'nature lovers', but they know best don't they.

[Beefsteak 305]

I have a problem in that we don't get anything in our garden at the moment,(Just the odd brave Blackbird) on account of the cats. We did get a Zebra finch a couple of years back , but they got that too!! (Obviously it had escaped from somewhere)

[plantfit 7,597]

Plenty of blackbirds, long tailed tit, great tit, blue tit, cole tit,house sparrow, hedge sparrow (dunnock) great spotted wood pecker, green wood pecker, pheasant, robin, great black backed gull over, black headed gull over, kestrel, sparrowhawk, buzzard all over.

In two hour stint this afternoon at 14.00hrs - 16.00hrs

Rog

[Fynger 841]

No garden here but we do our best...this is our front window

[plantfit 7,597]

Pair of regular visitors to the back garden, one day I will get the gun out and have them in the pot, but until that day comes I will enjoy their company

Rog

[teebee 8]

Details and an illustrated counting form / instructions can be obtained here - but you've only got today to do it

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/index.asp

Just submited mine. Nothing outstanding, but our small garden in Rise Park attracted

6 sparrows, 4 blackbirds, 2 bluetit, 1 coaltit, 4 woodpigeons, 2 dunnocks and 2 magpies, all in the space of one hour

The two squirrels don't count!

(Only record the maximum seen at any one time - not the total over the period)

[firbeck 859]

The weather here is so appalling today, it's been continuous rain since we got up, I doubt whether we are going to get a true picture of what is about.

So far, apart from the usual suspects, two large flocks of Goldfinches and long tailed tits brightened the gloom, but it's so dark and dismal you need a pair of night glasses to make out anything.

I know that they aren't very clever, but I love pheasants, please don't shoot them Rog.

Fynger, that looks like a coal tit you had on your feeder, I reckon mine are hiding in the bike shed, don't blame them either.

[firbeck 859]

So what happened to all you twitchers then.

We had foul weather all day, Liz put out some extra bird food at about 11:00 and this is what we recorded over the next hour, nothing really spectacular I'm afraid, the results were duly sent off when the RSPB form eventually appeared on their site.

Blackbird 3

Blue Tit 4

Chaffinch 4

Coal Tit 1

Collared Dove 2

Dunnock 2

Goldfinch 6

Great Tit 2

Greenfinch 1

House Sparrow 2

Long Tailed Tit 6

Robin 2

Song Thrush 1

Starling 2

Woodpigeon 2

Wren 1

Rats 2

It's noticeable how the numbers of House Sparrows have dwindled, and this year no Corn Buntings, Reed Buntings, Nuthatches or Woodpeckers, thank you Braintree District Council.

[katyjay 5,091]

That was a lot of birds in an hour firbeck, wish I'd have been there. No magpies, are they still around or don't they come in the gardens? Also, if it was a bird watching day shouldn't the weather have been FOWL. LOL.

[firbeck 859]

We do get Magpies, Jays, et al, they just didn't fancy coming out yesterday, can't blame them.

We do get a large number of birds in the garden, as I write this I can see 4 Goldfinches and 2 Blue Tits on the feeders but I think it is probably due to the fact that we back on to the so called 'Nature Reserve' that has been so messed about with by the ' More knowledgeable Powers that Be' that they are forced to seek food in peoples gardens.

I've just been for a walk down there with the dogs, please don't encourage me to say what I think about the sad situation that I've found, I'm an amature, these people that run it are alleged paid proffesionals, if this is this the best that they can do, well, f### em, whatever I say won't make any difference, it might interefere with their pension plans otherwise, we have to support our local council don't we, they know best after all, tossers.