Irish Garden Bird Survey 2020/21

OpenYourEyes · 20-11-2020 2:26pm #1

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/

OpenYourEyes · 20-11-2020 2:27pm

My prediction this winter is that each of Blue Tit, Great Tit and Coal Tit will increase their presence in gardens and move up the rankings as a result. They seem to have had a really successful breeding season - I'm inundated with them at the moment! Very few finches appearing in the garden as yet, but still plenty of time for them to arrive as the weather gets colder and natural food sources in the wider countryside get depleted!

Knine · 23-11-2020 2:11pm

I've signed up for this for the first time! At present I have lots of Goldfinch, Sparrows & Coal Tits.

Looking forward to it. Do they release results each year?

axe2grind · 23-11-2020 2:27pm

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Hi Everyone,

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

I am glad you told us here, because I could not find a start date on the website.
Only says first week of December....

OpenYourEyes · 23-11-2020 9:11pm

Knine wrote: »

I've signed up for this for the first time! At present I have lots of Goldfinch, Sparrows & Coal Tits.

Looking forward to it. Do they release results each year?

There'll be an article on the BirdWatch Ireland website detailing the results from last year!

(You don't have to be a member to take part, but the results are always published first in the winter issue of the magazine that BirdWatch Ireland members get)

OpenYourEyes · 25-11-2020 1:48pm

See below for an account of some of the distances that common garden birds travel. While some species are very much resident, with the likes of Blue Tits rarely venturing outside 5km for their entire lives, other species like Blackbird and Starling can come from as far away as Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and Russia in the winter, adding to our resident population of the same species.

https://birdwatchireland.ie/irish-garden-bird-survey-how-far-do-garden-birds-travel/

OpenYourEyes · 02-12-2020 10:58am

Next up on the topic of Irish Garden Birds, I've written an article about the lifespan of the average garden bird - see below for more details and please share to people you think might be interested!

https://birdwatchireland.ie/irish-garden-birds-2020-how-long-do-your-garden-birds-live/

OpenYourEyes · 02-12-2020 11:02am

First bird I saw when I opened my curtains on Monday was a beautiful male Bullfinch - a good start! I also had a Sparrowhawk nearly collide with my legs as it zipped past yesterday, and today a Rook - which is a very infrequent visitor to my garden for some reason (despite plenty of them in the area). Loads of Blue Tits, Coal Tits and Great Tits - the usual Robins and Blackbirds, a few Goldfinch and Chaffinch starting to accumulate too.

I had a male and female Siskin over the weekend - hoping they reappear sooner rather than later!

yaknowski · 02-12-2020 11:06am

Urban garden in Clondalkin.

6 bluetits at the proof feeder.
A rake of sparrows, starlings.
1 very bolshy robin
A female blackbird
A grey wagtail, which I'd never seen before.

Knine · 05-12-2020 9:43am

Yesterday I had

13 Goldfinch
12 Sparrows
2 Starlings
1 Chaffinch
1 Wood Pigeon

Lots of fighting over the feeders

05-12-2020 9:28pm

Anyone notice that thrushes have become scarce? We used to have them all the time, particularly in the early morning, catching snails. But the past couple of years I've seen hardly any.

mattcullen · 05-12-2020 10:47pm

inthehat wrote: »

Anyone notice that thrushes have become scarce? We used to have them all the time, particularly in the early morning, catching snails. But the past couple of years I've seen hardly any.

I see one couple of times a week in a neighbour's crab apple tree but never in our garden whereas the blackbirds will use the same tree but they will visit the garden daily. With fat balls out ( north Co Dublin) we get a lot of starling and sparrows. If we put out sunflower seeds we get a lot of coal tit's. The most common after that would be blue tits then great tit's on the feeders. Get a few chaffinches most days and collared doves and the odd Robin and wren. We rarely get goldfinch.

Should say we only started feeding this year so interested to see how year progresses.

Knine · 08-12-2020 6:16pm

Was delighted to see a pair of Greenfinche's today. Had not seen any at my feeders in about 6 years. Dublin 15 area.

Bsal · 15-12-2020 3:26am

Busy day in the garden yesterday lot's of birbs, highlight was a Goldcrest.

Half-cocked · 15-12-2020 10:59am

inthehat wrote: »

Anyone notice that thrushes have become scarce? We used to have them all the time, particularly in the early morning, catching snails. But the past couple of years I've seen hardly any.

Pair of Song Thrushes have taken up winter residence in our garden, rarely see them during the Summer. Have Mistle Thrushes flying over regularly but not landing so I can't count them in the survey.

Birdnuts · 16-12-2020 1:17am

Noticed a big increase in wintering Blackbirds - nearly a dozen were feeding in a loose group together in a small field nest to my parents house in North Kildare

Bsal · 20-12-2020 12:29am

Recorded 18 species this past week.

Knine · 20-12-2020 10:55am

I am getting plagues of Goldfinch. Hard to even do a count!

OpenYourEyes · 20-12-2020 1:14pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

Noticed a big increase in wintering Blackbirds - nearly a dozen were feeding in a loose group together in a small field nest to my parents house in North Kildare

Same here in Wicklow - lots of new Blackbirds in the last two weeks, with a peak count of 8 at any one time.

OpenYourEyes · 20-12-2020 1:19pm

I'm on 21 species total so far - Starling was a nice surprise, briefly landing on a window feeder - have never had one here before! Woodpecker is obliging with daily visits, 2-4 Siskins each week, and Chaffinch numbers slowly building. Long-tailed Tits appeared in the treetops sone evenings, so must be roosting nearby, but only one has come down to the feeders.

I have sunflower hearts and peanuts out the whole time, and made some fatballs this week that the Robins and Blue Tits are already availing of.

bb12 · 20-12-2020 1:59pm

i leave out porridge oats only each day. north co dublin.
have tons of sparrows, blue tit, great tit, coal tit, blackbirds, starlings
a couple of robins, chaffinches, dunnocks, wrens, magpies
there's often killings going on at the feeder and i have to watch for the pesky starlings...they can take over and bully all the others out.

sliabh beagh · 28-12-2020 4:02pm

high numbers of all tits here in north monaghan. counted six coal tits on the feeder this morning. havent seen our resident sparrohawk since the suvey started. loads chaffinches and couple goldfinches but never seen a greenfinch. maybe they arent common this part of the country?

Bsal · 29-12-2020 2:06am

I have a male Blackcap again this winter eating the tiny olives on the olive tree.

fryup · 03-01-2021 9:38am

i haven't seen one greenfinch so far this winter, that virus they had must have decimated them

appledrop · 03-01-2021 9:49am

fryup wrote: »

i haven't seen one greenfinch so far this winter, that virus they had must have decimated them

About 5 or 6 years ago I would have 12-15 greenfinches but then they disappeared. Last 2 years I have maybe 2 or 3 but never recovered must have been decimated.

Switched to having plenty of goldfinches instead.

Definitely a great season for Blue tit, Great tit and coal tit this spring must have suited them for breeding.

appledrop · 03-01-2021 9:50am

No surprise bird feeder is packed this morning with cold temperatures overnight!

fryup · 03-01-2021 12:51pm

don't forget about water

Half-cocked · 03-01-2021 2:32pm

Corvid numbers for this week just got a big boost. A Sparrowhawk killed a Starling and it attracted 14 Magpies and 8 Hooded Crows!

Half-cocked · 25-01-2021 5:46pm

Half-cocked wrote: »

Corvid numbers for this week just got a big boost. A Sparrowhawk killed a Starling and it attracted 14 Magpies and 8 Hooded Crows!

18 Magpies in the tree at the bottom of the garden this time. This time it was a Buzzard upsetting them, a new record for the garden.

fryup · 25-01-2021 6:37pm

haven't seen any bullfinches so far this year, are their numbers in decline?

OpenYourEyes · 25-01-2021 6:39pm

fryup wrote: »

haven't seen any bullfinches so far this year, are their numbers in decline?

Their numbers are actually increasing quite substantially! I have a feeling that there was just a lot of food for them in the countryside this year. Mine were ever-present in autumn 2019, but it was well into the winter in 2020 before they returned to the garden!

hirondelle · 26-01-2021 12:24pm

A good survey year here- 27 species. Highlights are woodcock (I live beside bog and Scots Pine plantation and they occasionally spend the night in a very wet part of the garden!), jay, yellowhammer and goldcrest. I find it bizarre that I don't get any house sparrows, bullfinches or thrushes in spite of decent feeding opportunities. Having said that, the sparrowhawk in the plantation may be dispatching some species before I get a chance to record them.

Knine · 26-01-2021 5:32pm

Disaster here with sick finches 2 weeks ago so had to take in the feeders

fryup · 26-01-2021 5:41pm

which type of finch?

NickNickleby · 26-01-2021 5:42pm

Knine wrote: »

Disaster here with sick finches 2 weeks ago so had to take in the feeders

May I ask, how did you know they were sick? My garden has lots of little visitors, and for the first time in I don't know how long, I saw a Chaffinch (I think) in the garden. But he didn't go near the feeders, that I saw.

Moe than 1 Robin about. 3 blackbirds, at least one Dunnock; a few Linnets, about 8 Goldfinches. 5 townie pigeons that try to land on me when I put out the peanuts. Collared doves. Magpies - but easily scared off if I even approach the window. About a million Starlings, or maybe just 12-16. Wood pigeons, 1 seagull, Oh and one rat, but haven't seen him in weeks.

Knine · 26-01-2021 6:58pm

fryup wrote: »

which type of finch?

1 Goldfinch, 1 Chaffinch & 1 Siskin. Females.

I knew they were sick as they were all puffed up. They were very slow to fly away or did not fly at all, 2 were gagging & the typical food stuck to the beak. They would sit under the feeders desperately trying to eat. I see from the Bird FB groups that it is a big problem this year.

NickNickleby · 26-01-2021 7:02pm

Knine wrote: »

1 Goldfinch, 1 Chaffinch & 1 Siskin. Females.

I knew they were sick as they were all puffed up. They were very slow to fly away or did not fly at all, 2 were gagging & the typical food stuck to the beak. They would sit under the feeders desperately trying to eat. I see from the Bird FB groups that it is a big problem this year.

Thanks Knine, thankfully I haven't seen anything like that, ever. Sometimes the birds disappear for long periods and I worry about them. THen they hear me worrying and they all come back - or so it seems:).

Bsal · 26-01-2021 8:34pm

Just a reminder to wash bird feeders regularly.

Jellybaby_1 · 26-01-2021 8:44pm

We have quite a population in our garden at the moment. Himself is the one who keeps the feeders full for them. As well as all the usual suspects we also have a group of pigeons and collared doves. Lovely to watch them. Hope we don't get any sick birds so we'll keep a closer eye on cleaning the feeders. We saw our first Siskin this week too, a real bonus! We've only seen a wren once or twice though, love those little fellas!

Knine · 27-01-2021 9:26pm

Bsal wrote: »

Just a reminder to wash bird feeders regularly.

Equally as important is that area under the feeders, the sick birds tend to sit there spitting food everywhere

fryup · 28-01-2021 11:58am

i usually splash the area underneath with boiled water and give it a good sweep

bkrangle · 29-01-2021 8:45pm

First sparrowhawk of this year's survey today

She crashed into a hedge that was densely populated with sparrows (I don't think she was successful in her attempts) and then flew into a neighbouring garden.

Pipmae · 31-01-2021 3:52pm

The first greenfinch of the year appeared for me today.

I am inundated with coal, blue, great tits, robins, blackbirds, magpies, starlings, sparrows, chaffinches (male & female). I've a pair of collared doves and a pair of woodpigeons too. I've seen an odd thrush but it's not a regular visitor.

I'm hoping for goldfinches to visit me next.:D

mattcullen · 02-02-2021 7:02pm

Got our first greenfinch a few days back. Noticed it getting a bit lethargic. It didn't look thin or anything. Noticed today it wasn't feeding , was puffed up and sitting in the one spot for 10 min or so. Seems to be sick so have cleaned down the feeding station and patio and the feeders and will put the feeders away for a few weeks.

On the plus side we have a female blackcap visiting and it and the blackbird are enjoying the apple we leave out so I'll continue to feed them. Good few goldfinch and chaffinch about too but they seem fit and lively. Siskin coming and going too

Livefornow · 03-02-2021 2:45am

Took up feeding during the first lockdown. Great fun watching the comings and goings in a suburban garden.
Have an all year round flock of sparrows 10-12 or so. Starlings were plentiful during the summer and roosted in the trees in the garden at night but they are not frequent visitors now although they still descend in large numbers now and then. The sparrows have taken their roosting spot.
Daily visits of blue tits, coal tits and I think a couple of great tits as they seem bigger than the blues. Have a couple of dunnocks too which I thought were just sparrows but on watching them have noticed different markings and feeding habits.
We also have around a dozen resident Collared doves, counted 21 one day last Autumn. Four Wood pigeons are regulars, four Blackbirds, the odd thrush and half a dozen Magpies who nest in the trees at the end of the garden. We have three obligatory robins and had a wrens nest successfully fledged last summer.
A pair of greenfinches and a pair of chaffinches are daily visitors since November and I had nearly given up on a Niger seed feeder as I never saw anything go near it. But now it has around a dozen Goldfinches visit daily.
I can’t get over the number of visitors we get, spend a fortune on seed now but well worth it for the entertainment we get.
We also have a Sparrowhawk who pops in from time to time but I don’t have to buy any seed for him

boccy23 · 05-02-2021 4:17pm

Hi All

I am similar to Livefornow. Put up a feeder last Saturday for the first time in about 5 years.

Very interesting how quickly the birds adapt.

Had the usual Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinchs, annoying Starlings (!), Robin, Wren, Green Finches, Gold Finches.

But today I have seen a Redpoll (not sure if is Lesser or Common) and also what looked to be a Yellowhammer. Would this be correct? It's head was streaked yellow and body was brown with some streaks. Siskins seem to be the other way around. Are yellowhammers common?

I'm in Kildare.

Birdnuts · 06-02-2021 1:56am

boccy23 wrote: »

Are yellowhammers common?

I'm in Kildare.

Still reasonable numbers in and around tillage areas in Kildare

baaba maal · 06-02-2021 12:25pm

boccy23 wrote: »

Hi All

I am similar to Livefornow. Put up a feeder last Saturday for the first time in about 5 years.

Very interesting how quickly the birds adapt.

Had the usual Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinchs, annoying Starlings (!), Robin, Wren, Green Finches, Gold Finches.

But today I have seen a Redpoll (not sure if is Lesser or Common) and also what looked to be a Yellowhammer. Would this be correct? It's head was streaked yellow and body was brown with some streaks. Siskins seem to be the other way around. Are yellowhammers common?

I'm in Kildare.

I'm also in Kildare- nearest tillage is 1km away but the yellowhammers occasionally find their way to the seed feeder so it is entirely possible iyou saw a yellowhammer. The first one I ever saw I assumed was an escaped canary!

boccy23 · 06-02-2021 3:21pm

Thanks guys. It was nice to see something which I had seen before.

The cold week ahead might bring more new spots!

appledrop · 06-02-2021 5:45pm

Wow boccy would love to see a Yellowhammer or Redpoll.

No lucky with those but in fairness I cant complain we do get a lot of species for a Dublin garden.

I think it helps that around us houses are lot older so more mature trees etc.

baaba maal · 07-02-2021 9:06am

boccy23 wrote: »

Thanks guys. It was nice to see something which I had seen before.

The cold week ahead might bring more new spots!

Definitely will. The other one we are getting a lot of is long tailed tits- absolutely gorgeous, regularly get this flock of thirteen or so, on a peanut feeder with two more keeping lookout from nearby branches, with a seamless rotation of this arrangement so each of them gets to eat.

Irish Garden Bird Survey 2020/21

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