Monday 30 January 2012

BGBW 2012

Meanwhile, back on Planet Earth...

In an effort to accentuate the positive as regards having a rotten cold, my plans for Sunday were put on hold and I was available to take part in the RSPB's Big Garden Bird Watch after all.

The burning question this year has been where have all the birds gone? Although as this linked article points out, due to the mild weather, many species haven't had to resort to visiting town gardens, there being sufficient food in the surrounding countryside.

Having spent the morning blogging about our trip to the Ouse Washes, by midday I was huddled by a radiator and staring intently at the back garden. Though we'd not been putting out as much food of late, there was still a varied cast of feathered characters visiting Tense Towers. As ever, the tricky bit wasn't so much identifying the birds, it was calculating the number of each species.

Our Lass went to the bedroom window to monitor the treetops that were not visible from downstairs and between us we were just about able to cover most angles. All of the 15 species that we'd recorded in the preceding week put in an appearance during the hour, though sadly I wasn't allowed to count a flyover by a male Cormorant :o(

However, Eagle Eyes herself managed to spot a Reed Bunting sat in the upper branches of the Hawthorn tree, flashing white tail feathers to prove it wasn't a sparrow, so we were happy with our efforts on the day.

Having said that, less than a mile away, the Admiral (newly promoted once more) was watching a Red Kite and a Woodcock at HESC!

5 comments:

holdingmoments said...

A good count, with a Reed Bunting too. Excellent.

All I had was a Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove and a Feral Pigeon. The rest of my regulars avoided me like the plague.

Imperfect and Tense said...

Keith, It's flippin' uncanny, isn't it? How do they know? Do they receive the RSPB newsletter email? I think we were fortunate because we accidentally starved the little blighters for the preceding 7 days. Tough love, that's Our Lass!

Spadger said...

Well someone has to read the RSPB enews! No other bugger in their right mind does :o) Anyway my birds get naff all - I seldom feed (the birds!)and its been so mild this year anyway. If it turns colder and the passage finches start moving through then that's when I will feed.

Tales of a Bank Vole said...

Now I know where I got my triple man flu - beware the vengeance of sickly bank vole!

Imperfect and Tense said...

Tony? That was you in the Reed Bunting costume?

Come on, it can't have been your turn to be ill again so soon. Too much time spent under damp wood piles, I reckon.