BTO Garden BirdWatch 18-24 March 2007

1. Woodpigeon (5)
2. Jackdaw (2)
3. Goldfinch (6)
4. Chaffinch (47)
5. Greenfinch (17)
6. Chiffchaff (1)
7. Long-tailed Tit (1)
8. Blue Tit (1)
9. Blackcap (1)
10. Song Thrush (1)
11. Robin (1)
12. Siskin (2)
13. House Sparrow (1)

Current status of Nest Cam Box: Empty

A Good Start to the Week!

We've had a good start to the week with two new garden year ticks.

First up this morning was a lone Chiffchaff who has been in and out of the garden all day. The main attraction for him seemed to be the rambling rose. He's been feeding off it, and he took shelter in it during a heavy, but quick, hail shower. Spring, eh?!


Next up was the welcome return of a single Long-tailed Tit to the peanut feeder at the bottom of the garden. He or she did eventually find their way up towards the house - but I wasn't quick enough with the camera (I got some pics at the bottom, but they're too distant).

The male Blackcap is still visiting. I could set my watch by this chap: He arrives at 8:30am each morning and feeds on the sunflower hearts and fat balls on the ground feeder, and then he returns at 5:30pm for a fill-up before going off to roost. The Woodpigeons are after his sunflower hearts so I make sure there's a good handful hidden at the back of the buddleia for him.

Garden Year List so far (this is what I have recorded in the garden, not over)

In order of appearance:

1. Robin
2. Chaffinch
3. Greenfinch
4. Goldfinch
5. Wren
6. Blackbird
7. Collared Dove
8. Woodpigeon
9. Starling
10. Blue Tit
11. Sparrowhawk
12. House Sparrow
13. Dunnock
14. Jackdaw
15. Black-headed Gull
16. Song Thrush
17. Pied Wagtail
18. Siskin
19. Blackcap
20. Chiffchaff
21. Long-tailed Tit

No Coal or Great Tits so far this year - wonder where they've got to?

BTO Garden BirdWatch 11 - 17 March 2007

1. Blackbird (2)
2. Woodpigeon (3)
3. Blackcap (1)
4. Goldfinch (5)
5. Greenfinch (16)
6. Chaffinch (26)
7. Starling (1)
8. Dunnock (2)
9. Wren (1)

The single male Blackcap has been a daily visitor to the garden since he put in his first appearance last Wednesday.

BTO Garden BirdWatch 4-10 March 2007

1. Goldfinch (6)
2. Greenfinch (15)
3. Chaffinch (26)
4. Woodpigeon (4)
5. Blackcap (1)
6. Robin (1)
7. Blue Tit (1)
8. Blackbird (1)
9. Song Thrush (1)
10. Collared Dove (1)

Little More from Wednesday...

Today was the first real spring-like day of the year with the temperature reaching a whopping 9°C this afternoon.

The male Blackcap from this morning returned to the ground feeder:


The Greenfinches were out in force again today (along with the Chaffinches)

Our last visitor of the day was a Song Thrush:

The garden desperately needs a good tidy as it hasn't been touched this year yet at all. I'll start the job tomorrow if we have a repeat of today's weather.

No, honest, I will ;o)

New Garden Tick - Blackcap!

At last! A new garden tick arrived this morning in the form a male Blackcap. I hear them regularly from the back garden but this is the first time I've seen one in the garden. I'll keep the ground feeder stocked in case he returns - maybe he'll bring the missus!

BTO Garden BirdWatch 25 Feb - 3 March 2007

The figure in brackets shows the highest count of that species seen in the garden at any one time this week.

1. Chaffinch (37)
2. Greenfinch (23)
3. Goldfinch (6)
4. Starling (12)
5. Woodpigeon (3)
6. Blue Tit (1)
7. Blackbird (2)
8. Siskin (2)
9. Sparrowhawk (1)
10. House Sparrow (2)

Today, Monday, is cold ( currently 6°C) and gusty. I am yet to see any activity around our nest box, or any of the others that I can see from the back garden. I have started to collect sheeps' wool from a barbed wire fence we pass regularly for any birds to take as nesting material. It was popular last year with tits and House Sparrows.

Lets have a look in the bird box, shall we?

Very empty at the moment - and has been since October/November last year when we had an overnight rooster for a week (Oct) and a fleeting visit in the daytime (Nov).