My Little Garden Birdwatch. Spring is just around the Corner

February and it’s still raining, keep your fingers crossed, let’s hope the weather improves for Spring 2013. Even though 2012 was the 2nd wettest year on record in the UK, rain hasn’t stopped play in my soggy little garden. Chaffinches and Robins are chirping and the Blackbirds, in pairs, are atop the hedgerows so looks like Spring is just around the corner. The two Doves, which fledged from the Hawthorne bush, just in time for the Queen’s Jubilee, are still coming to the feeder. They now do a regular circuit, fluttering from the Willow to the street lamp, from the street lamp to the old cherry then to the feeder. That is what’s so wonderful about nature it goes round and around. We also get visits from Greenfinch, a Great Tit, a Coal Tit and brave little Blue Tits. I say brave because they are the only ones to snatch a peanut while the Doves are plonked on the feeder. I sat and watched out the window as Jenny Wren and partner shared the job of nest-building, darting in and out of the fir tree above the feeder and I was thrilled to catch the moment as two baby wrens fledged. The Chaffinches have been around in numbers all winter, the Sparrows which nestled on mass in the privet hedge are now ensconced in the Hawthorne. Other visitors to the garden last year were a Peregrine Falcon, a fleeting sojourn from 8 Goldfinches, a female Bullfinch and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. In the video clip a male Chaffinch is singing for England in my garden. He sang his little heart out on this branch every day, practically the whole of last May. (Collins Gem Description) “Ringing pink call; song a powerful cascade of rich notes ending in a flourish” If you know if he is singing to attract a mate or protecting his territory leave a comment.!

In January North Devon was all a twitter as Waxwings made a rare appearance in the area. They are regally, proud looking wanderers, and I hope they stayed around for the the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch. which was held on 26-27 January 2013. Wildlife Surveys are great fun for the whole family so if you’d like to get involved in other RSPB Surveys visit http://www.rspb.org.uk/thingstodo/surveys/
Ariticle by P. Adams 2nd January 2013

TAKE PART IN THE BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH THIS WEEKEND

The world's biggest wildlife survey, Big Garden Birdwatch, now in its 34th year, is nearly here and you could help make it the biggest one yet! Please help the RSPB create a 'snapshot' of bird numbers in your area simply by counting the birds in your garden (or local park) for one hour at any time over the weekend of 26-27 January.  Big Garden Birdwatch helps the RSPB understand how garden birds are doing, so the more people who take part, the more they can learn. Register today and make submitting your results on the weekend quicker and easier. Plus, you'll also get £5 off your next purchase on the online shop as a thank you (offer runs until 3 February 2013).

BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH 2012 RESULTS

The Big Garden Birdwatch 2012 results are here! Wow! Just under 600,000 people took part, and helped count over nine million birds! In total, over 70 different species were recorded in 285,440 gardens across the UK over the weekend of 28 and 29 January. - Click here to view results in your area.  

The 2012 Big Garden Birdwatch top 10; Position Species

1. House Sparrow  
2. Starling   
3. Blue Tit   
4. Blackbird   
5. Chaffinch 
6. Woodpigeon   
7. Goldfinch   
8. Great Tit   
9. Robin  
10. Collared Dove  

Starlings at all time low. Sadly, the counts revealed that starling numbers are at an all time low since the survey began more than thirty years ago.Though still at number two on the results board, starlings were seen in fewer than half the UK's gardens. In the first survey in 1979, the average number of starlings seen in UK gardens was 15. This year, that number fell to its lowest ever with an average of just three starlings seen per garden. These declines are being mirrored across much of northern Europe too, and because of this drop in numbers, the species is red listed as a bird of high conservation concern .........Click here to read article in full

Goldfinch - Photo copyright B. Adams

Caught in the Act.

A plump female bullfinch munching on the new honeysuckle shoots.

BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH 2012.

The RSPB’s biggest event of the year, the Big Garden Birdwatch will take place on January 28th and 29th. Last year over 609,000 people took part counting over 10 million birds which really helped  to monitor how the birds visiting our gardens fared over the winter. If you register by the 26th January you will receive a free information pack and 10% off bird food. You can pre-register at Big Garden Birdwatch website: www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch. This fun event encourages people of all ages to get involved and really enjoy the wildlife in their garden.

Read more posts of the Big Garden Birdwatch

Big Garden Birdwatch 2011 Results

The Big Garden Birdwatch 2011 results are here! Wow! Over 600,000 of you took part in this year's Big Garden Birdwatch. Not only does that make 2011 a record-breaking year for the number of people watching their garden birds, but your counts also revealed some exciting news about our smaller birds. Click here to view results in your area.  

The 2011 Big Garden Birdwatch top 10; Position Species

1 house sparrow

2 starling

3 blackbird

4 blue tit

5 chaffinch

6 woodpigeon

7 great tit

8 goldfinch

9 robin 

10 collared dove 

Next Event

June: Make Your Nature Count

October: Feed the Birds Day

The RSPB’s biggest event of the year "Big Garden Birdwatch"

The RSPB’s biggest event of the year "Big Garden Birdwatch" will take place on January 29th and 30th. In recent years, around half a million people have taken part but this year the RSPB hope to encourage even more people to count the birds in their garden over the weekend. Go to the Big Garden Birdwatch website: www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch where you can pre-register and receive a free information pack (if you register by 19th Jan) and 10% off bird food. Big Garden Birdwatch encourages many people to get involved and enjoy the wildlife in their garden and from 11th January, they are offering new adult members a choice of free gift that includes the popular RSPB classic apex nest box if they join by 31st March. Or, you can still choose the RSPB Handbook of British Birds or bird feeder with seed – all perfect gifts to help people enjoy the birds in their garden.
New Membership prices for 2011:
Single child £16
Two or more children £26.50
Single Adult Membership £38
Joint Adult Membership £48
Family Membership £53


More Big Garden Bird Watch Posts

Big Garden Bird Watch 2010 Results

It's Official small birds struggled to beat the snowy winter

Nearly 530,000 people took part in Big Garden Birdwatch 2010 and counted over 8 and a half million birds. The RSPB celebrated last year with the arrival of long-tailed tits in the top 10 for the first time, suggesting they were getting used to feeding on seeds and peanuts in hanging feeders and on bird tables. However, smaller bodied birds are particularly susceptible to the cold, having to eat almost continuously to stay alive, so they were very keen to get your counts and see just how the bad weather at the start of the year affected bird populations. As predicted, birds like the long-tailed tit, coal tit and goldcrest were the worst affected, with average numbers of all three species dropping significantly since the 2009 survey.
Country birds get in on the count
The weather was also responsible for many more sightings of countryside birds like fieldfares, redwings, bullfinches and yellowhammers in gardens. More usually found in fields and farmland trees and hedgerows, these birds visit our gardens for food when they can't find enough in their usual haunts. Other members of the thrush family, including song thrushes, mistle thrushes and blackbirds, were seen in much higher numbers this year, also looking for food. An unusually high number of blackcaps were also seen. In this harsher winter we might have expected their numbers to decline, but more blackcaps than usual were discovered on bird tables. Just like the long-tailed tit, this suggests that blackcaps are adapting their feeding behaviour to take advantage of bird tables and feeders, and therefore becoming more visible in gardens.

Still in decline
Although the RSPB were particularly concerned for small birds this cold and snowy winter, some of our most familiar garden birds have also continued to suffer huge declines. House sparrows might have retained top spot for the seventh year running, but in the last five years alone these chirpy birds have declined by 17%. Blackbirds rose from third to second place, while starlings dropped to third - the first time they have been out of the top two in more than 10 years.

The 2010 Big Garden Birdwatch top 10; Position Species Average per garden
1 house sparrow 3.77

2 blackbird 3.28
3 starling 3.13
4 blue tit 2.58
5 chaffinch 2.19
6 woodpigeon 1.91
7 robin 1.49
8 great tit 1.39
9 collared dove 1.33
10 goldfinch 1.29

Related Article North Devon Snow Party is Over & Big Garden Bird Watch results 2009

The North Devon Snow Party's over!

The North Devon’s snow party is finally over. In December 2009 there was a cold snap and snow flurries ensuring the UK enjoyed that elusive White Christmas. At the beginning of January a winter flock of lapwings on the field heralded the start of what was to be the coldest and longest snow spell for years bringing treacherous conditions on the minor roads in North Devon coast and country areas. (The last time we experienced such extreme arctic conditions was when we were snowbound in Croyde in the early eighties, our first ever winter in North Devon.) School children were thrilled to be home building snowmen but it was a testing time for local services and those not able to go out for the duration. Congratulations are due to our rural postman who braved blizzard conditions to keep the Royal Mail coming. This was also a time to keep watch on the local bird population as feeding stations were even more vital. Taking advantage of the nuts and seeds on our garden bird feeder were, in various numbers, robin, chaffinch, greenfinch, pied wagtail, house sparrow, dunnock, blue tit, blackbird, willow tit, great tit, mistle thrush, collared dove, field fare, squabbling starlings and for the first time a stunning bull finch. Rising temperatures and gale force winds on the 15th January marked the end of the winter wonderland. By the 16th January the last traces of the children’s snowmen, built on the 5^th January were washed away by torrential rains. On the 17th January the field became a vital feeding ground for a flock of approximately 30 fieldfare. Ominously by Monday 18th January, the field is visited once again by an ever larger flock of between 141 and 150 lapwings. It will be interesting to see which birds hang around for the Big Garden Bird Watch, the RSPB's biggest event of the year which will be held over the weekend 30 and 31 January and encourages people all over the country to count the birds in their garden for just an hour over this one weekend. It's very simple to take part and provides the RSPB with information and patterns in bird numbers that help them prioritise their conservation work. They are also celebrating Big Garden Birdwatch with a special promotional incentive to join the RSPB - new members joining between 19 January and 31 March can choose a FREE RSPB classic apex nest box (normally £11.99) as their free joining gift. Join the RSPB today

Big Garden Birdwatch Results for 2009. According to the RSPB for the first time in the survey's 30-year history, the long-tailed tit has flown into the Big Garden Birdwatch top ten. This highly sociable species increased by an astonishing 88% from last years count. They believe this pleasant increase is because this insect-eating bird has adapted to feeding on seeds and peanuts at birdtables and from hanging feeders. This result highlights perfectly the positive impact that our feeding and bird care can have on some birds. Record-breaking celebration. Well over half a million people celebrated the 30th year of the Birdwatch, making this the biggest bird survey in the world. A huge increase from humble beginnings in 1979 when just 30,000 children took part. Big Garden Birdwatch 2009 was held on 24 and 25th January 2009.

BIRDS ON TOP: The 2009 garden top ten:

Position Species Average per garden

1 House Sparrow 3.70

2 Starling 3.21

3 Blackbird 2.84

4 Blue tit 2.45

5 Chaffinch 2.01

6 Wood Pigeon 1.85
7 Collared Dove 1.44

8 Great tit 1.40

9 Robin 1.36

10 Long-tailed tit 1.34