Garden Bird Survey - Winter 2015/16

OpenYourEyes

Birdwatch Ireland's Garden Bird Survey begins this Monday, 30th November 2015. It's very easy and well worth taking part in, and worth getting family and friends to do the same - it's this type of engagement with nature that helps people start to be more aware of and appreciate nature in a larger sense.

Here's a link to Birdwatch Ireland's website with everything you need to know about the survey: http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/Ourwork/Researchmonitoring/GardenBirdSurvey/tabid/121/Default.aspx


And here's an article in the Irish Examiner that talks about the survey and includes a few helpful bits of information re: feeding garden birds etc:
http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/outdoors/infographic-top-tips-for-looking-after-birds-this-winter-366448.html

keps

Registered:)

Half-cocked

Me too. I remember last year, a lot of my birds disappeared as soon as the survey started. Turned out a neighbour started Winter feeding and must have been putting out nicer food!

pawrick

registered, never took part before so thanks for the heads up

axe2grind

Oh bother, so my 7 Jays were a week early!!! :cool:
Never seen more than 3 together before, so was quite amazed

Thanks for reminder

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

axe2grind wrote: »

Oh bother, so my 7 Jays were a week early!!! :cool:
Never seen more than 3 together before, so was quite amazed

Thanks for reminder

Had you 7 Jays in the garden? Wow. I was chuffed with one a couple of weeks back.

axe2grind

Eduardo Young Toucan wrote: »

Had you 7 Jays in the garden? Wow. I was chuffed with one a couple of weeks back.

7 was min count! Reckon it was 8. Foraging for various things, apples, acorns and whatever they seem to be finding in the grass.

Half-cocked

Had 6 Long-tailed Tits on the peanut feeder for the first time ever this morning:D No doubt they will never been seen again seeing as the survey starts tomorrow!

Had a couple of Goldcrests too:D

magicbastarder

we have chickens in the back garden. should i count them?

Jayzesake

Half-cocked wrote: »

Had 6 Long-tailed Tits on the peanut feeder for the first time ever this morning:D No doubt they will never been seen again seeing as the survey starts tomorrow!

Had a couple of Goldcrests too:D

Were the Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests actually feeding on the peanuts?

We have both where we are, but I've never seen either coming to our peanut feeder. Only Great, Coal and Blue Tits, Chaffinches and Greenfinches, and Dunnocks and the occasional Robins on the ground collecting bits that have fallen.

savagethegoat

Jayzesake wrote: »

Were the Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests actually feeding on the peanuts?

We have both where we are, but I've never seen either coming to our peanut feeder. Only Great, Coal and Blue Tits, Chaffinches and Greenfinches, and Dunnocks and the occasional Robins on the ground collecting bits that have fallen.

No Goldfinches? I'm snowed under with them. Have had a couple of LongTailed visit but not on the feeders. Not had a Goldcrest visit.

Jayzesake

savagethegoat wrote: »

No Goldfinches? I'm snowed under with them. Have had a couple of LongTailed visit but not on the feeders. Not had a Goldcrest visit.

As above, we have plenty of Goldfinches - and a multitude of other species - around, but they don't come to the peanuts we put out. Usually see the Goldfinches feeding on thistles and other wild plants.

savagethegoat

ah , well my Goldfinches go mad for Nyger and Sunflower seeds. but they do also take peanuts

Jayzesake

savagethegoat wrote: »

ah , well my Goldfinches go mad for Nyger and Sunflower seeds. but they do also take peanuts

Might have to expand the menu

savagethegoat

Jayzesake wrote: »

Might have to expand the menu

I only just started bird feeding so I'm a novice but that's what I did. Peanut consumption gone right down now I have sunflower and njjer available.

(I also tried a seed mix which none of them went for and fat balls with some success with the Tits

Half-cocked

Jayzesake wrote: »

Were the Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests actually feeding on the peanuts?

We have both where we are, but I've never seen either coming to our peanut feeder. Only Great, Coal and Blue Tits, Chaffinches and Greenfinches, and Dunnocks and the occasional Robins on the ground collecting bits that have fallen.

The Tits had a quick poke at them, then the fat balls, then headed back into the trees. The Goldcrests stayed in the nearby hedge, I've only ever once seen a Goldcrest take food from a feeder.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I have Long Tailed Tits (record number was 66) and Goldcrest in the garden. They never feed on the nuts or seeds provided.

Goldfinches attack the peanuts.

BTO Graden Bird Surveys have shown a marked increase in Goldfinch numbers using gardens.

pawrick

Wish i could recognise all the small birds I see in the garden, there are a few dunnock like ones that I'm not sure about. There seems to be a regular breeding pair of long eared owls near my house, I've started hearing two distinct calls at night, it was the same last year around this time and they seem to hunt around my garden as I've seen them a few times passing through to the trees nearby.

OpenYourEyes

pawrick wrote: »

Wish i could recognise all the small birds I see in the garden, there are a few dunnock like ones that I'm not sure about. There seems to be a regular breeding pair of long eared owls near my house, I've started hearing two distinct calls at night, it was the same last year around this time and they seem to hunt around my garden as I've seen them a few times passing through to the trees nearby.

Dunnocks tend to stay low and don't venture too far away from the shelter of a bush, and you're probably unlikely to see more than maybe two at a time? My two Dunnocks have gotten a bit more active and visible in the last couple of weeks.

pawrick

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Dunnocks tend to stay low and don't venture too far away from the shelter of a bush, and you're probably unlikely to see more than maybe two at a time? My two Dunnocks have gotten a bit more active and visible in the last couple of weeks.

thanks for the info. plenty of shelter where i spot them alright but I also throw some food scraps out and seeds when emptying my parrotlet bowls so I get a mix of small birds appearing around the same spot. Haven't put out any feeders this year yet but might start from next weekend.

Bejubby

Does anybody know how to attract bullfinches to the garden?
At the moment I have about 10 Goldfinch 4 greenfinch, blue tits great tits Robins sparrows wrens.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Bejubby wrote: »

Does anybody know how to attract bullfinches to the garden?
At the moment I have about 10 Goldfinch 4 greenfinch, blue tits great tits Robins sparrows wrens.

Some people swear by black sunflower seeds for Bullfinch but it never did it for me. Mine feed on the Honeysuckle berries and the buds of my fruit trees. I never considered them a true birdtable species.

axe2grind

Long-tailed tits been eating peanuts in my garden for years.

Been a good start to survey with Grey wagtail, Jay and best of all GS woodpecker today. The latter ignored the feeders, just passed through.

Bejubby

Eduardo Young Toucan wrote: »

Some people swear by black sunflower seeds for Bullfinch but it never did it for me. Mine feed on the Honeysuckle berries and the buds of my fruit trees. I never considered them a true birdtable species.

Thanks.
I've seen them in the locality and seemed to be picking at some sort of tree, IL have to go look and see what it is and maybe take a few clips from it and grow them.

In the meantime IL try what u said. Lovely looking birds

Half-cocked

2 Greenfinches at the nyjer feeder today - very rare visitors to our garden. Now that they have found the feeder, I'm hoping they might become regulars. Plus 3 Bullfinches passing through, another infrequent record.

Bejubby

Half-cocked wrote: »

2 Greenfinches at the nyjer feeder today - very rare visitors to our garden. Now that they have found the feeder, I'm hoping they might become regulars. Plus 3 Bullfinches passing through, another infrequent record.

What food had you for the bullfinches?

savagethegoat

Half-cocked wrote: »

2 Greenfinches at the nyjer feeder today - very rare visitors to our garden. Now that they have found the feeder, I'm hoping they might become regulars. Plus 3 Bullfinches passing through, another infrequent record.

I counted 36 today before I lost count. Getting to be a pest :-)

Half-cocked

Bejubby wrote: »

What food had you for the bullfinches?

None, they just passed through the trees at the bottom of the garden. I've never had them on feeders:(

recedite

axe2grind wrote: »

best of all GS woodpecker today. The latter ignored the feeders, just passed through.

What county are you in? Most sightings seem to be along the east coast.

axe2grind

recedite wrote: »

What county are you in? Most sightings seem to be along the east coast.

Same as yourself. Quite regular to hear them drumming when out and about though usually hard to get a good sighting.

recedite

I heard one once, but have not seen one yet.