Big Garden Birdwatch

Is anyone doing this for this year? 27th-28th January. I've been doing it for a few years now - and the results are used by the RSPB to try to work out what's happening with the common garden birds these days, and back it up with data, rather than just hearsay.....

http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/

 

I do the regular BTO garden birdwatch which is more useful as it measures what is happening all year round
See
http://blx1.bto.org/gbw/

 

Have just registered there, HB - didn't know of it before. As you say, that's a much more complete picture.

 

Yes - it is excellent and keeping records makes you understand your own garden residents and visitors much more. 10 long-tailed tits flew in yesterday! You also get to know what food different birds like. You can also log butterflies, frogs, snakes etc etc.

 

We try to do the survey each year,but in the alloted time nothing comes into the garden,only before and after the event. :( I think you have the right idea HB with the BTO.Thanks for the link will have to check it out :D :D

 

I've done the Big Garden Birdwatch for the last few years and last year persuaded my mother in law to do it too. When I first began it was hilarious as we had so few birds visiting I counted 1 blackbird all day. That made me do more to encourage the birds in. By the time we moved we had blue tits, green finches, wrens and quite a few others including a flock of wax wings. Of course they never appeared in the designated hour :D I find the best time to count most birds are breakfst, dinner and afternoon tea time.

 

The great thing about the BTO bird watch is that you make notes of what you see in your garden whenever you can. Then you make a weekly summary on line by ticking boxes and entering the maximum number of each species that you saw at any one time. It's easy and doesn't involve a lot of paperwork or fuss. You can see your own records and national coverage too.

Very valuable when ploting the collapse of species like house sparrows and starlings. We can then start to see regional patterns and try to find out why certain formerly common birds are now scarce

 

Wherever we go on holiday in the British Isles or for days out,we always keep a list of all the birds spotted in the different locations we visit.We have been doing that for all our time together

 

It will be interesting this year to see what harm the Trichomoniasis outbreak has done to the finches, predominatly green finch and chaffinch. It only crossed species from Pidgeons in 2005 - but it is being widely reported.

 

Counted 14 greenfinches at once today whilst doing the bird watch and 5 chaffinches, so it might not have got here yet.

 

Good to hear - long may it last.

 

Done
Blackbird=1
Blue tit=4
Collard dove=1
Great tit=2
Gold finch=2
Magpie=1
Robin=1
Woodpigeon=1
Jackdaw=6
Song thrush=1

I just wish I could get some Sparrows to visit the garden,I have only ever seen 1 here in 26 years!!

 

Sad about sparrows - they are in serious decline. Sometimes people think they see sparrows but they are really dunnocks.

 

I only managed 1 Blackbird and 5 Magpies.
I hope you don't mind me adding some rarities seen around the country this weekend and although nothing to do with the Bird Watch thought they might be of added interest.
White stork..... Ebberston N Yorks
Black Eared Kite.....Snettisham RSPB Norfolk
(sub specicies of Black Kite 1 month)
Hoopoe.... Kerry
Common Crane......Horsey Norfolk
Cattle Egret..... Otterton Devon(3 weeks)
American Robin.... Bingley W Yorks
Great White Egret.... Blashford Lake Hants (3 weeks)
Rose Coloured Sarling.... Kidwelly Carmarthen