BWI Garden Bird Survey 2013/14

Bsal

It's that time of year again, new survey starts on the 2nd December.

http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/Ourwork/Researchmonitoring/GardenBirdSurvey/tabid/121/Default.aspx

Woodville56

Goldfinches, Chaffinches & Greenfinches top of the league in my garden so far this autumn , have been putting out nuts & seed for some time now though !
Hoping for a Brambling among them over the winter - had one in 2011 !

whyulittle

Just spotted my first Kestrel from the back garden. Alas, not in the survey period, and didn't fly over the garden but still delighted.

Also a few Goldecrests and LTTs knocking about in the open. Pair of LTTs back on the peanut feeder.

Bsal

I had a Peregrine fly through the garden this morning and over head for a few minutes, this is the 3rd time I have seen it since July in my area. I usually get a daily sighting of my local Sparrowhawk so this was a great surprise to have a good view of a Peregrine. My local Starlings seemed a bit confused as what to do about this new predator.

Woodville56

Seen a peregrine dive a flock of golden plaver last week, fantastic ariel display , didn't manage to get one though !!

Bsal

Anyone have any unusual visitors in their gardens yet? I hope my Siskins and Redpolls return soon and for the last couple of years I've had some Yellowhammers visit.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The annual garden birdwatch is every bit as interested in your common regular all year round birds as it is in rarer or seasonal visitors.

OpenYourEyes

Just had 2,000-3,000 Starlings stop over in the garden on their way to their roost - should make for an interesting entry in the Garden Bird Survey this week.....I think I had 5 starlings last week....

Bsal

I had one Redpoll turn up on the nyjer feeder today, first one this winter.

Kess73

Bsal wrote: »

I had one Redpoll turn up on the nyjer feeder today, first one this winter.

Mine started to return in number as well yesterday. Was only talking about them to a friend last week. Normally I have them back in pretty good numbers from about mid November at the latest, but until yesterday all I saw on my land on a regular basis were ones and twos.


But yesterday afternoon a blur of movement outside caught my eye, and when I looked more carefully there were redpoll darting into the trees and bushes they use every winter. Then shortly after that I had at least a dozen on two of my niger feeders.:)

Now that the redpoll have arrived, I can finally accept that it is winter.:D


Still no sign of my other indicator of winter, the redwing, though.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Just a reminder that this survey is now open and it's not to late to start entering weekly counts.

Bsal

My first Greenfinch of the winter season turned up at the feeder today

OpenYourEyes

Aldi are selling Birdfood and feeders this Thursday - I got 2 12.75kg of seed and 2 tubs of 50 fatballs back at the start of November and I'm only jsut finishing them off now. The birds love them, and good value!

Bsal

Siskins are back in my garden today, they are about 2 weeks earlier then last year. Also 4 Redpolls today.

Woodville56

Bsal wrote: »

Siskins are back in my garden today, they are about 2 weeks earlier then last year. Also 4 Redpolls today.

Same here ! A pair turned up at the Nyger Seed feeder yesterday. They were here same time last year and kept coming back to the feeder until April, then disappeared - probably had enough food supply in the nearby woodlands by then ?
Also a few redpoll hanging around in the past week !

whyulittle

I haven't really been monitoring the feeders this year, but a few nice ones out there today including male & female Blackcap & Siskin, and a passing-through Goldcrest.

Woodville56

whyulittle wrote: »

I haven't really been monitoring the feeders this year, but a few nice ones out there today including male & female Blackcap & Siskin, and a passing-through Goldcrest.

Interesting that you have Blackcap, haven't seen any wintering around these parts - north midlands !

Alun

We normally get one or two Blackcaps here as well, but none this year. Same for Redpoll, haven't seen one all year.

Half-cocked

We have a regular male Blackcap and occasional visit from a female. Red apples cut in half and stuck on branches brings them in.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I have blackcaps galore in the fields and hedgerows surrounding the house but they rarely visit the garden despite ample supplies of apples provided. Likewise with Redpol and Siskin who are regular local visitors but seem to find more than sufficient food without resorting to the garden. Probably one of the vagaries of being a single house in the middle of a rich environment.

Bsal

I had my first Blackcap of the season visit the garden this morning, same time as last year. I have 2 Dunnocks now in the garden I think male and female, one of them has been singing for the last few days.

fryup

seen a male blackcap at our feeder as well as well as bullfinches, blue-tits, great-tits and coal-tits

Bsal

Just had a male sparrowhawk make a kill on a goldfinch in the garden at 4pm, he was happy to stay on the ground to eat his meal too, left nothing but a spread of feathers.

Cork boy 55

Saw a robin making a nest a few days ago ?!?
Pretty early.

Woodville56

Snowy morning here in the midlands & a full supporting cast at the bird feeders & ground feeding , chaffinches ( at least 40) green finches , goldfinches, redpoll & Siskins, a few dunnock and some house sparrows, assorted tits. a cock pheasant and, strangely , only male blackbirds ??

Cork boy 55

two firsts today, must be the weather

Saw a goldcrest in the garden for the first time, our smallest bird.


Also Saw a Dipper at work In a small river inside Cork City.

Chisler2

Woodville56 wrote: »

Snowy morning here in the midlands & a full supporting cast at the bird feeders & ground feeding , chaffinches ( at least 40) green finches , goldfinches, redpoll & Siskins, a few dunnock and some house sparrows, assorted tits. a cock pheasant and, strangely , only male blackbirds ??

A great opportunity to join in and contribute to the (now-international!!!) Great Backgarden Birdwatch:- http://gbbc.birdcount.org/about/ which runs from 14th - 17th February.

I'll be participating from Iowa this year. The continuous belt of Arctic Clippers which are giving sub-zero temperatures and snow-blizzards probably mean that my "count" will be just the dozen or so shivering sparrows and the pair of sharp-shinned hawks for which they constitute dinner, the Downey woodpeckers at our suet-feeders, rose-fronted nuthatches up and down the trunk of the walnut tree in the garden, the occasional Whiskey Jey (Blue Jey). The Cardinals which were so plentiful last winter - which was mild - have not put in an appearance for months.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

That site is extremely tedious to use compared to BTO and Birdwatch Ireland survey forms. I started entering today's sightings and gave up I'm afraid.

Chisler2

Ivan Scrawny Nectarine wrote: »

That site is extremely tedious to use compared to BTO and Birdwatch Ireland survey forms. I started entering today's sightings and gave up I'm afraid.

The "watch" begins tomorrow (Friday 14th). Could that be the issue?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Chisler2 wrote: »

The "watch" begins tomorrow (Friday 14th). Could that be the issue?

No, I decided to enter roving reports as I do for other organisations to cover yesterday's birding.
Not to worry - I probably do too much reporting anyway.
All these organisations need to just share their data rather that collect it seperately. I know the BTO Gardenbirdwatch passes Irish data to Birdwatch Ireland.

Chisler2

Agree with you on the desirability of pooling data to improve knowledge of what is really happening with species populations, especially given the possibilities information technology brings. Ah well...........soon perhaps!:o

Bsal

Male Sparrowhawk was in again this morning and caught another Goldfinch.

Ulmus

Greenfinches have hardly appeared at my feeders this winter. I'm in Dublin.

Woodville56

Ulmus wrote: »

Greenfinches have hardly appeared at my feeders this winter. I'm in Dublin.

Interesting thing about Greenfinches ( a bit off topic though ) , I came across a sizeable flock of them scavenging along tide mark debris / seaweed on the west coast last weekend - always regarded them as garden/countryside birds - must be seed and small insects in the seaweed that attracts them ??

whyulittle

I spotted my first little Redpoll of the season in the garden this afternoon.