BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch 30 July -5 August
Another quite uneventful week in the garden, birdwise. Highlights this week were a male Sparrowhawk (on Friday) making his c.21st visit to the garden - he's yet to make a kill. Perhaps he chases the birds out of the garden and then catches them away from my sensitive eyes :o)
We had two juvenile Blue Tits and a single juvenile Great tit - all on Thursday.
Also on Thursday we had a rather rushed visit by twenty Starlings: They landed, foraged in the lawn (presumably for vine wevil larvae?) for around twenty seconds and then flew off as quickly as they arrived!
House Martins are in great numbers above the house. Swallows less so, but still good. The Swallows nesting above the front door of the house across the road are on their third brood, and the House Martins nesting on the house next to that one are on their second brood. Some days they are swooping in, out and over our garden so much I'm surprised one hasn't collided with me! Of course, they never land in the garden so I don't include them in the BTO survey. They are on my personal garden list as 'fly overs'.
We had two juvenile Blue Tits and a single juvenile Great tit - all on Thursday.
Also on Thursday we had a rather rushed visit by twenty Starlings: They landed, foraged in the lawn (presumably for vine wevil larvae?) for around twenty seconds and then flew off as quickly as they arrived!
House Martins are in great numbers above the house. Swallows less so, but still good. The Swallows nesting above the front door of the house across the road are on their third brood, and the House Martins nesting on the house next to that one are on their second brood. Some days they are swooping in, out and over our garden so much I'm surprised one hasn't collided with me! Of course, they never land in the garden so I don't include them in the BTO survey. They are on my personal garden list as 'fly overs'.
- Greenfinch (3)
- Chaffinch (10 - last few weeks has been predominately female, but males are now returning)
- Siskin (2)
- Woodpigeon (2)
- Blackbird (4)
- House Sparrow (15)
- Great Tit (1)
- Goldfinch (1)
- Blue Tit (2)
- Starling (20)
- Sparrowhawk (1 male)
Over:
Oystercatcher (4)
Swallow
House Martin
Labels: BTO
posted by The Bird Woman at 10:54 PM
3 Comments:
Regarding Swallows, Martins and Swifts - I believe that if they fly over your garden you record them as P - present, they are presumably catching insects that could have originated in your garden. They never do land, except on nests. I always have Swifts overhead and have been recording them as such for the past 3 or 4 years. I read it somewhere on BTO website.
Hi Anon,
It seems to be personal choice. I know people who do record them in their BTO survey, and also people who don't - even though, like me, they have them over the garden. The BTO say something along the lines of 'whichever you choose, be consistent'. As they only appear in the 'scarce species count' list I decided not to include them in my survey.
The Swallows and Martins often land on the roof opposite - if only they'd land on our fence instead!
As for the Swifts - they are close to us, but just not in our street. They sometimes zoom past in the evening, though.
They are a joy to watch and listen to regardless of whether they land or not!! My swifts have gone, presumably to Africa. They disapeared when the weather changed and have not returned. I do miss them.
I read your blog with great interest as we recently spent a great holiday in Northumberland/Borders and thought that Town Yeltholm would be the perfect town in which to live. You can but dream!!
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