I had already filled the feeders the night before, and added the remains of a chinese takeaway to the sunflower hearts, Peanuts, and fat blocks. So at 08:30 I sat down with a mug of tea and some marmite on toast for my hours stint at the window, these are my results:
Blue Tit - 5
Blackbird - 3
Starling - 7
Chaffinch - 6
Greenfinch - 16
Robin - 2
House Sparrow - 2
Dunnock - 1
Great Tit - 2
Collarded Dove - 6
Goldfinch - 6
Jay - 2
Woodpigeon - 2
Magpie - 1
Jackdaw - 1
Brambling - 1
Nuthatch - 1
Coal tit -1
and finally, but not so pleased about, was a male Sparrowhawk, The first to be recorded in the garden this year. It wasn't the one that has plagued the garden for the last 6 years, but a new one ( the other one had a ring on its leg).
So 19 species turned up, and the sparrowhawk made the January garden feeder list up to 23. I was also keeping an eye out on the sky and vacinity around my garden, and was pleased to see a couple of GREYLAG GEESE (68) fly over the wet woods, I thought i'd missed this one for the January patch list.
At 10:00 the weather looked slighlty less wild, so I thought i would walk over to the lake, maybe there would be a rare duck species sheltering there. However all I found was 11 MALLARDS! Not worth the effort! I got wet and windblown for that! I did get to see a small feeding flock in the very very wet woods though, comprising of a TREECREEPER, 4 GOLDCREST, 6 LONG TAILED TITS and both the MARSH TITS, so the one that struck the window is doing ok!
I took some photo's around midday, when it appeared to brighten up a bit. not enough for photography really though, but here's some of what I recorded.
Above and below Blue Tit
Below: a Male Chaffinch
Below: a Goldfinch
Below: Greenfinch's at the sunflower feeder
Below: Nuthatch, with a Female Greenfinch looking on
Below: more Goldfinch and Greenfinch, with a Housesparrow
Below: Collared doves arrive in force
Below: Brambling, with Chaffinch and yet more Greenfinch
Below: yep, another Greenfinch
Below a Male Blackbird
8 comments:
Hi Warren. At least you ventured out for a while.You also got some good birds on your garden list this morning.
That's a far old seed feeder you have got there. You don't do things by halves do you Warren? LOL
Good list....I'd wondered where all our greenfinches had gone. They're all in your garden.
Steve, later in the atfernoon, the greenfinch peak was up to 18.
Ken.
If you want lots of birds, get lots of food, in great big feeders!!
well done for getting out (and in!) Warren.
Hello Warren,thats a very good garden count,mine was rubbish today,i havn't had any green or gold finches in my garden at all this year and yet last year there was loads, but i have to say i have been using wild bird seed this winter and last year i was using sunflour seeds ruddy recession. still idid manage 75 species on my patch this month.The best i have ever done.
Lee,
Your off to a flyer on your patch this year. I only had 71 species by the end of march last year!
Warren ,
Seeing as how the rain was like a monsoon most of today , you might have had a better garden count if you had had a vindaloo last night , and added the leftovers of that to the feeders .
A good garden count Warren, I got 14 species. Looks like you've got all the Greenfinches though!
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