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Irish Garden Bird Survey 2020/21

OpenYourEyes

Hi Everyone,

Just thought I'd start a thread in advance of the Irish Garden Bird Survey starting again on Monday 30th November 2020.

For anyone who hasn't taken part before, it's very easy, it's open to everyone, and it really is a case of the more gardens that participate the more we can learn about how our birds fare this winter. So, if you enjoy feeding and watching your garden birds, please do take part and spread the word to friends and family!

The website for the survey is here: https://birdwatchireland.ie/our-work/surveys-research/research-surveys/irish-garden-bird-survey/

Full details about how to take part are here: https://birdwatchireland.ie/our-work/surveys-research/research-surveys/irish-garden-bird-survey/taking-part-in-the-irish-garden-bird-survey/

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scarepanda

hirondelle wrote: »

The concensus seems to be to continue feeding throughout the year- I find the number at the feeders goes down but we get the great tits (parents) continuing to feed themselves at th peanuts while they forrage for insects fortheir chicks, so it seems to help to do so.

Ya the plan is to keep feeding, although I might reduce the number of feeders, depending on demand. Am I right in thinking that fat balls shouldn't be put out during the summer?

boccy23

So today's visitors was a pair of Siskins. Very nice indeed.

Also, the Greenfinches are very aggressive toward each other, or at least the males. Is that normal behaviour?

OpenYourEyes

scarepanda wrote: »

Ya the plan is to keep feeding, although I might reduce the number of feeders, depending on demand. Am I right in thinking that fat balls shouldn't be put out during the summer?

Yes, best kept to the cold winter months, so finish up with them in March or therabouts!

Corr1b

There appears to be an increase in Starlings in East Meath this year. They are aggressive and territorial at the feeders and when they arrive in numbers of up to twenty the smaller tits and finches clear off. The only competitors that can scare them are the Rooks from a nearby Rookery. Anyone got advice on how to ensure that the tits and finches get fed in these circumstances?

Del.Monte

You can't go far wrong if you follow RSPB guidelines on feeding: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/feeding-birds/

OpenYourEyes

Corr1b wrote: »

There appears to be an increase in Starlings in East Meath this year. They are aggressive and territorial at the feeders and when they arrive in numbers of up to twenty the smaller tits and finches clear off. The only competitors that can scare them are the Rooks from a nearby Rookery. Anyone got advice on how to ensure that the tits and finches get fed in these circumstances?

When birds like that appear on feeders, they cause other birds to change their behaviour. So, rather than hanging around on your feeders, the finches and tits etc will grab something and go and eat it in piece. Similarly, they'll try and arrive earlier and later in the day in the hopes of avoiding the 'bullies'.

Long story short, they aren't having as big an impact as you might think, and the smaller birds are well able to adapt to their presence. You could try putting some caging around your feeders though, or switching to just providing something like peanuts that Starlings will struggle to get out of the feeder but other smaller birds will eat with ease !

sliabh beagh

had my first ever siskins and greenfinch this week. think im up to 20 recorded species now. great way to pass the lockdown.

appledrop

boccy23 wrote: »

So today's visitors was a pair of Siskins. Very nice indeed.

Also, the Greenfinches are very aggressive toward each other, or at least the males. Is that normal behaviour?

Greenfinches are very aggressive, I've seen great aerial displays over the years as they love to argue mid air.

appledrop

As others have said I wouldn't worry about the starlings. The other birds do disappear but they just come back later when they are gone.

We have a lot of sparrows around here and after breeding seasons the tit families often stay away and come back later in day when no sparrows are around.

They must just be too noisy for them + they like a bit of peace!

happyday

sliabh beagh wrote: »

had my first ever siskins and greenfinch this week. think im up to 20 recorded species now. great way to pass the lockdown.

Well done. I must count mine. I love seeing new species. I have had siskins but no greenfinches, long tailed tits or bullfinches.

scarepanda

I've just seen 2 greenfinch at the feeders! Delighted, although a little concerned as they seem to be a species that suffer a lot from disease.

We've had additional visitors as well this week. We've consistently had 2 male blackbirds, but this week we've had an extra male and 2 females here. But no sign of the long tailed tits, I'm out of peanuts and fat balls which I presume is why I haven't seen them.

boccy23

I had 2 pairs of long tailed Tits this week. Lovely birds. First time to see these as well. Also Coal Tits this week to add to the list.

OpenYourEyes

I had 7 Robins during the week - seven!! I'm getting 4-5 pretty consistently over the last couple of weeks, but I never thought I'd see seven Robins in one tiny garden together tbh!

Yesterday's snow brought a single Song Thrush in addition to the 'regulars' - pretty sure it's the same Song Thrush that visited during the cold spell a few weeks ago!

boccy23

This mornings new visitor was a Blackcap. Another one checked off the list.

boccy23

I think I might have had a Willow Tit visiting this morning. Didn't stay overly long but I don't think it was a Coal Tit. It was more colourful than what I would expect.

Would that be possible here in Kildare? Are they present due to the bogs or lakes locally?

happyday

boccy23 wrote: »

I think I might have had a Willow Tit visiting this morning. Didn't stay overly long but I don't think it was a Coal Tit. It was more colourful than what I would expect.

Would that be possible here in Kildare? Are they present due to the bogs or lakes locally?

I'm not familiar with them. Must look it up.

OpenYourEyes

boccy23 wrote: »

I think I might have had a Willow Tit visiting this morning. Didn't stay overly long but I don't think it was a Coal Tit. It was more colourful than what I would expect.

Would that be possible here in Kildare? Are they present due to the bogs or lakes locally?

Honestly, it's so unlikely that you can probably rule it out. We don't have them here at all and they don't even really occur as a vagrant.

hirondelle

happyday wrote: »

I'm not familiar with them. Must look it up.

They're not native so unlikely- I know with Great Tit males that their plumage is more vibrant at this time of year to attract females, so possibly a coal tit dressed up to the nines?

boccy23

Ok, thanks guys. I hope "he" returns and I can get a better / longer look at him.

Bsal

Can't believe only two weeks left for this years survey, so far I've recorded 25 different species this year. Highlight so far have been Longtailed tits, male Blackcap and a Goldcrest.

sliabh beagh

Bsal wrote: »

Can't believe only two weeks left for this years survey, so far I've recorded 25 different species this year. Highlight so far have been Longtailed tits, male Blackcap and a Goldcrest.

i had a goldcrest crash into my patio door few weeks back. nursed him in my hand for 20 mins before he flew away. lovely wee bird. do they come to your feeder cause ive never seen one actually in my garden.

Bsal

sliabh beagh wrote: »

i had a goldcrest crash into my patio door few weeks back. nursed him in my hand for 20 mins before he flew away. lovely wee bird. do they come to your feeder cause ive never seen one actually in my garden.

I've never seen one on the feeders just skirting around in the plants and bushes.

sliabh beagh

good to know that. must keep an extra eye out for them feeding. do you have conifer trees nearby?

Bsal

sliabh beagh wrote: »

good to know that. must keep an extra eye out for them feeding. do you have conifer trees nearby?

The house two doors up from me has a 20 metre line of conifer hedge running along the back wall.

Pipmae

I had a visit from a red legged partridge this morning. The shock when I saw something so stunning waddling around my garden. I got a photo but it's very poor quality - through a window and on a zoomed iPhone lens.

I'm in Co Meath.

Pipmae

Red legged partridge

happyday

Pipmae wrote: »

Red legged partridge

Lovely to see something unusual. Well done.

fryup

any sign of Alan?

bb12

saw a woodpecker pecking on a silver birch tree today. never seen or heard one before and didn't even know they were in ireland

gzoladz

bb12 wrote: »

saw a woodpecker pecking on a silver birch tree today. never seen or heard one before and didn't even know they were in ireland

They only arrived 10/15 years ago and they are doing great. I am hoping to get some in my local park but that must be 3/5 years away.