WHAT'S BUZZING OR FLYING NEAR YOU 2020

We usually have hundreds of small birds in our garden but they are sadly lacking this year. We have a lot of pigeons, our resident crows (same three for the last fourteen years or so), very few magpies (always had about six) but lots of robins and blackbirds. I don't know whether the overabundance of pigeons is keeping the tits and finches away.

The amount of robins has increased. We have always had at least three pairs nesting in the garden and I'm able to recognise the regulars as they all have slightly different shapes and markings. This Spring we have at least five new robins (don't think they're the young of the locals as the locals tend to help me in my work and usually introduce their young) who tend to be a little nervous of me at the moment. One of the new ones has black markings on its face

 

Of course, having said that, they have now started coming back again

We saw, on the feeders (all at the same time), three long-tailed tits, six blue tits, five greenfinches (used to have hundreds lining up on the willow near the feeders but didn't see any this time) and a number of sparrows and finches cleaning up under the feeders.

The woodpeckers are still spending most of the day taking it in turns to feed. I don't know what has happened to the ones that were nesting in the poplar that came down the other month. Last time we lost a poplar the family in that moved into one of the other poplars although there was another family in it. I suppose that as its a high rise they don't seem to mind.