Irish Garden Bird Survey 2018/19

OpenYourEyes

Hi All,

I thought I'd create a thread for general garden bird chat over the winter.

This winter is the 30th anniversary of the Irish Garden Bird Survey so I'd really encourage everyone to take part and try and spread the word to family and friends who enjoy watching their garden birds. The survey is very easy and enjoyable, but still produces some really interesting data week-to-week and year-to-year!

Each year we have our biggest participation from Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare and Cork, with good representation from Galway and Limerick but we really need more participants from other counties to ensure the data is representative!

Here's the first of many blogs I've done for the Garden Bird Survey this winter: https://birdscount.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-irish-garden-bird-survey-your.html

Bsal

I have an olive tree near the end of the garden with lots of very small olives on it at the moment, I noticed my local Robin hopping around in it so had a better look with binoculars and he's eating the olives

New Home

...two turtle doves, and a robin in the olive treeeee....

magicbastarder

i tried surveying the birds in my garden, but they started quoting GDPR regulations at me and refused to give me their details.

fiacha

Day 1 of survey....11 House Sparrows maintaining an iron curtain around the garden feeders. Little sods.

Half-cocked

Left a trail cam set up near the ground feeding area while I was at work and got a Song Thrush - first one I've seen in the garden this winter!

Pretzill

Two ravens flew overhead in the garden - fantastic to see them. The chaffinches are winning in the number stakes at the feeders so far with goldfinches the next big group. First year I decided to take part in the survey. Garden birds are looking healthy overall.

fryup

this year as in many years previous its the great tits that rule the roost in my back garden

Rosahane

Standing filling the feeders at the garden table beside the shed yesterday morning when a male sparrowhawk came in from behind about a foot over my head and landed in the flower bed behind the tree with the feeders.

He sat there for a minute looking at me and managed to convey his annoyance at finding his feeding station empty and then flew out again over my head.

He's a regular visitor. A few weeks ago the wife and I went into the conservatory with our coffees, startling all the birds at the feeders which are only about 15 feet away when he came in over the neighbour's wall and looped at speed around the tree trunk and back out the same way. Amazing aerobatics as the tree trunk is only a few feet from the wall behind it.

We are seeing the same species as other posters, dozens of sparrows, lots of goldfinch, the blue and great tits, collared doves but no greenfinch.

Pretzill

Would I be right in saying Greenfinch and Siskin come a little later - we normally get them but no sign yet either.

Rosahane

Pretzill wrote: »

Would I be right in saying Greenfinch and Siskin come a little later - we normally get them but no sign yet either.

In previous years we have had Greenfinch and Chaffinch (no sign of them either) all year. Agreed , we don't get Siskin and Redpoll until later.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Pretzill wrote: »

Would I be right in saying Greenfinch and Siskin come a little later - we normally get them but no sign yet either.

Greenfinch are definitely all year round here and siskin are possible at any time, but more so in Winter.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Rosahane wrote: »

In previous years we have had Greenfinch and Chaffinch (no sign of them either) all year. Agreed , we don't get Siskin and Redpoll until later.

We have seldom Redpoll visiting the garden but have had them throughout the year. Numbers increase in winter with an influx from northern Europe.

Pretzill

I normally only see the Greenfinch around nesting time - hope all is well there.

12 goldfinches out there now - nyger whispers must have gotten around.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Today so far

Bluetit 5
Coaltit 3
Great tit 7
Robin 2
Greenfinch 2
Chaffinch 8
Goldfinch 9
House Sparrow 13
Blackbird 3
Songthrush 1
Mistle thrush 5
Dunnock 1
Wren 1
Pied Wagtail 2
Rook 3
Jackdaw 6
Woodpigeon 1
Collared Dove 2


All I'm providing at present is water, peanuts, a general seed mix, and apples but the garden is alive with birds of late.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I was refilling the nut feeders this morning and a Coal Tit continued to feed while I had the feeder in my hands, topping it up - charming.

fryup

for some strange reason long tail tits are always late to the party...they always appear in late winter?? (maybe its just my garden)

OwaynOTT

Do we record the total of what we see in a week or the highest amount at any one time or the highest total in a day?

OpenYourEyes

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Do we record the total of what we see in a week or the highest amount at any one time or the highest total in a day?

The highest amount at any one time!

Thud

Watched a Crow hop up a branch open the seed feeder lid and tip the feeder sideways to knock seed onto the ground for his crow buddies below, then repeat the process when that seed was gone....clever but annoying.

Bsal

Just had a visit from a Goldcrest haven't seen one for a few months.

Pretzill

fryup wrote: »

for some strange reason long tail tits are always late to the party...they always appear in late winter?? (maybe its just my garden)

Have never seen any here would love to (:

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

fryup wrote: »

for some strange reason long tail tits are always late to the party...they always appear in late winter?? (maybe its just my garden)

They are around all year and we get sizable flocks here in the garden from time to time (as many as 60 but usually 10 or 12). They travel about a lot and don't hang about in any one location for long. Not a visitor to the feeding stations but they come to the birch trees mostly.

Bsal

Is there anywhere to see the results from last year's survey?

Bsal

Garden very busy today counted 15 species so far.

New Home

Russell Salty Mouth wrote: »

They are around all year and we get sizable flocks here in the garden from time to time (as many as 60 but usually 10 or 12). They travel about a lot and don't hang about in any one location for long. Not a visitor to the feeding stations but they come to the birch trees mostly.

I get them in the general vicinity of the feeders, but they seldom avail of them. They seem to flutter from tree to tree, one at a time, then two or three together, and they don't seem to picky regarding the type of tree. Conifers, fruit trees, climbers, anything goes. They remind me of children going trick or treating house to house - they raid one place before moving on to the next.

OpenYourEyes

Bsal wrote: »

Is there anywhere to see the results from last year's survey?

PM sent.

If anyone else wants to see the results just PM me and I can email them on!

Pretzill

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

PM sent.

If anyone else wants to see the results just PM me and I can email them on!

Yes please tia

fryup

RE: Long tailed tits, i get them at the feeders (nuts & fat balls)...but as i mentioned above they always seem to appear in January

Bsal

My two Robins have paired up together, the male has been feeding the female and both have been sharing food in the garden.

New Home

Aaaawh!

baaba maal

Russell Salty Mouth wrote: »

They are around all year and we get sizable flocks here in the garden from time to time (as many as 60 but usually 10 or 12). They travel about a lot and don't hang about in any one location for long. Not a visitor to the feeding stations but they come to the birch trees mostly.

There are some birch bedside me that seems to draw LTTs- they work their way up each branch- and eventually they go from the birch to my feeders where they feed from the peanut feeders and the suet blocks. No interest in nyjer or other seeds.

Bsal

Just had a male Blackcap in the garden eating the tiny olives from the Olive tree. I haven't seen one for maybe two years in the garden.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

A reminder, folks, keep those feeders and birdbaths good and clean at this time of year.


The garden is awash with birds right now. Averaging 18 species per day.

Pretzill

First Siskin spotted at the feeders - don't normally see them until the spring!

OwaynOTT

Goldfinches, goldfinches everywhere.

Pretzill

My top bird is still the chaffinches - 19 counted at the feeders (and underneath) this week!
But the second is the goldfinches on 12
and this weeks newcomers at last count 3 siskin, with 1 bullfinch spotted in the bushes, I am waiting patiently for the greenfinch to make an appearance.

OwaynOTT

Pretzill wrote: »

My top bird is still the chaffinches - 19 counted at the feeders (and underneath) this week!
But the second is the goldfinches on 12
and this weeks newcomers at last count 3 siskin, with 1 bullfinch spotted in the bushes, I am waiting patiently for the greenfinch to make an appearance.

Siskins popped up here yesterday too. 32 goldfinches was the high count.

OpenYourEyes

I had my first Siskins this week too - wasn't really expecting them for another few weeks yet.

A Sparrowhawk soaring above the garden was the highlight this week though. I suspect we have a local bird, but rarely get to see it!

Bsal

Had a Redpoll in the garden today and the Blackcap is still sticking around.

fryup

don't think i've seen a greenfinch this winter..are they're numbers down due to a parasite?

Pretzill

fryup wrote: »

don't think i've seen a greenfinch this winter..are they're numbers down due to a parasite?

I don't normally see them until nearer nesting time -

Bsal

21 species last week think that's my best record.

magicbastarder

spotted a blackcap (or two) in the garden for the first time in years. feeding on the aphids on the purple sprouting broccoli too.

Pretzill

Spotted a brambling among all the chaffinches! The wintry showers are bringing a host of birds to the feeders and underneath.

fryup

bramblings were mentioned on bbc's winterwatch tonight

OwlEye

Woodpecker at the peanuts again this morning.

fryup

well personally speaking..the variety of birds visiting my feeder this winter has been disappointing...plenty of tits > cole, blue and great, plenty of robins, chaffinchs, goldfiches and tree sparrows and thats about it really

no greenfinches, no blackcaps, no bullfinches, no long tail tits, no wrens ..like there was in previous winters

(east-clare)

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

fryup wrote: »

well personally speaking..the variety of birds visiting my feeder this winter has been disappointing...plenty of tits > cole, blue and great, plenty of robins, chaffinchs, goldfiches and tree sparrows and thats about it really

no greenfinches, no blackcaps, no bullfinches, no long tail tits, no wrens ..like there was in previous winters

(east-clare)

If you have tree sparrows, it more than makes up for the others.

Nothing spectacular here but I get a greater variety usually in late spring here.

magicbastarder

tree sparrows? aren't they relatively rare?

whoops; got in late there.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Just had an update from BTO and even they say "The late winter period can also bring in many treats for the garden birdwatcher, including more sightings of birds such as Siskin, Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer. " So not too late yet, by far, for the less common garden birds.