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Irish Garden Bird Survey 2020/21

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24

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    #32
    hirondelle
    Registered Users Posts: 326 ✭✭hirondelle


    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.


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    #33
    Knine
    Registered Users Posts: 3,761 ✭✭✭Knine


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


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    #34
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    which type of finch?


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    #35
    NickNickleby
    Registered Users Posts: 1,813 ✭✭✭NickNickleby


    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.


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    #36
    Knine
    Registered Users Posts: 3,761 ✭✭✭Knine


    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.


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    #37
    NickNickleby
    Registered Users Posts: 1,813 ✭✭✭NickNickleby


    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:).


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    #38
    Bsal
    Registered Users Posts: 1,766 ✭✭✭Bsal


    Just a reminder to wash bird feeders regularly.


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    #39
    Jellybaby_1
    Registered Users Posts: 896 ✭✭✭Jellybaby_1


    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!


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    #40
    Knine
    Registered Users Posts: 3,761 ✭✭✭Knine


    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


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    #41
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


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


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    #42
    bkrangle
    Registered Users Posts: 607 ✭✭✭bkrangle


    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.


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    #43
    Pipmae
    Registered Users Posts: 2,002 ✭✭✭Pipmae


    The first greenfinch of the year appeared for me today. :D

    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


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    #44
    mattcullen
    Registered Users Posts: 275 ✭✭mattcullen


    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


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    #45
    Livefornow
    Registered Users Posts: 96 ✭✭Livefornow


    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 :)


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    #46
    boccy23
    Registered Users Posts: 2,919 ✭✭✭boccy23


    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.


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    #47
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users Posts: 9,632 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    boccy23 wrote: »
    Are yellowhammers common?

    I'm in Kildare.

    Still reasonable numbers in and around tillage areas in Kildare


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    #48
    baaba maal
    Registered Users Posts: 772 ✭✭✭baaba maal


    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!


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    #49
    boccy23
    Registered Users Posts: 2,919 ✭✭✭boccy23


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

    The cold week ahead might bring more new spots!


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    #50
    appledrop
    Registered Users Posts: 5,789 ✭✭✭appledrop


    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.


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    #51
    baaba maal
    Registered Users Posts: 772 ✭✭✭baaba maal


    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.


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    #52
    scarepanda
    Registered Users Posts: 3,438 ✭✭✭scarepanda


    What do long tailed tits like to eat? We have about 5 coming here and I pretty much only ever see them on the fat ball feeder. I'm out of fat balls at the moment so I need to get some more. But I want to keep them visiting the garden as they are fast coming a favourite!

    I've been feeding the birds here properly since November. I started off with mixed seed, then on to sunflower hearts and now nyger seed. I've a bag of sunflower hearts ordered and will go back to that as the main food, especially around the patio. It's so much cleaner and seems to keep a wider range of birds happy. I also mix some mealworms in. I'll move the nyger seed down to the lawn. I also have 1 peanut feeder, but the birds don't seem to be overly fond of it here.

    The main type of bird we have here is chaffinch, followed closely by goldfinch. Then there's some long tailed tits, blue tits, great tit, blackbird, wag tails and some robins. I think I've seen some greenfinch and a thrush around as well. And during the week some starlings.


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    #53
    baaba maal
    Registered Users Posts: 772 ✭✭✭baaba maal


    scarepanda wrote: »
    What do long tailed tits like to eat? We have about 5 coming here and I pretty much only ever see them on the fat ball feeder. I'm out of fat balls at the moment so I need to get some more. But I want to keep them visiting the garden as they are fast coming a favourite!

    I've been feeding the birds here properly since November. I started off with mixed seed, then on to sunflower hearts and now nyger seed. I've a bag of sunflower hearts ordered and will go back to that as the main food, especially around the patio. It's so much cleaner and seems to keep a wider range of birds happy. I also mix some mealworms in. I'll move the nyger seed down to the lawn. I also have 1 peanut feeder, but the birds don't seem to be overly fond of it here.

    The main type of bird we have here is chaffinch, followed closely by goldfinch. Then there's some long tailed tits, blue tits, great tit, blackbird, wag tails and some robins. I think I've seen some greenfinch and a thrush around as well. And during the week some starlings.

    For me, the LTTs go-to is fatballs,but they seem really happy with peanuts as well. I hope with that range of foods that you are buying the large 20kg bags (25kg for the peanuts iirc), it makes a huge difference in the price.


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    #54
    Irishphotodesk
    Registered Users Posts: 1,896 ✭✭✭Irishphotodesk


    Had a pair of collared doves out the back this morning in Enfield co meath, is that normal for this time of year/type of bird.

    They didn't eat anything just stayed around for a bit then flew off.


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    #55
    scarepanda
    Registered Users Posts: 3,438 ✭✭✭scarepanda


    I'll definitely have to get more for them so!

    :D, ya, I'm getting the big bags of food, or at least of the sunflower hearts and nyger seed. I'll only get a small bucket of peanuts for the moment as generally the birds seem to prefer the other seeds.

    Is there any difference in what you should be feeding the birds coming into spring/summer?


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    #56
    NcdJd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 994 ✭✭✭NcdJd


    Irishphotodesk wrote: »
    Had a pair of collared doves out the back this morning in Enfield co meath, is that normal for this time of year/type of bird.

    They didn't eat anything just stayed around for a bit then flew off.

    Yes it is normal. I've two that have started feeding out the back in the last few days after an absence of a couple of years. Lovely birds always seem to be in pairs.


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    #57
    appledrop
    Registered Users Posts: 5,789 ✭✭✭appledrop


    We have collared doves all year around and usually always in pairs.


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    #58
    NickNickleby
    Registered Users Posts: 1,813 ✭✭✭NickNickleby


    Having trouble getting sunflower hearts. Ended up buying two pre-filled feeders - very poor value.

    Watch and listen to the collared doves. Its usually two here, occasionally joined by a third (rival suitor?). I always know when they're coming. As they come in to land, by which I mean the very last second, they always make a loud call almost like a shriek. Never see them on the feeders, as I presume its too awkward for them.


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    #59
    NcdJd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 994 ✭✭✭NcdJd


    NickNickleby wrote: »
    Having trouble getting sunflower hearts. Ended up buying two pre-filled feeders - very poor value.

    Watch and listen to the collared doves. Its usually two here, occasionally joined by a third (rival suitor?). I always know when they're coming. As they come in to land, by which I mean the very last second, they always make a loud call almost like a shriek. Never see them on the feeders, as I presume its too awkward for them.

    They love sunflower seeds. I sowed an acre of sunflowers in 2018 but was during the drought... Due to no moisture the seeds didn't germinate quickly and I made the mistake of leaving some spilled seed at the headland. The collared doves, along with a couple of grey squirrels, went up and down every row and picked out the sunflower seeds. I ended up giving up at scaring them off... in the end they won the battle and glad they benefited from my failed sunflower plot :)


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    #60
    hirondelle
    Registered Users Posts: 326 ✭✭hirondelle


    scarepanda wrote: »
    I'll definitely have to get more for them so!

    :D, ya, I'm getting the big bags of food, or at least of the sunflower hearts and nyger seed. I'll only get a small bucket of peanuts for the moment as generally the birds seem to prefer the other seeds.

    Is there any difference in what you should be feeding the birds coming into spring/summer?

    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.


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    #61
    mattcullen
    Registered Users Posts: 275 ✭✭mattcullen


    Pulled my feeders in last week because I saw a greenfinch that seemed lethargic and I was concerned might be sick. I read that it's best to stop feeding the birds for a few weeks in that situation so the flocks disperse and disease doesn't spread. The thing is that I live in a suburban estate and the house behind us are still feeding so I'm wondering is it pointless?

    On the long tailed tits, I've noticed some in the trees in our estate in the last week. Never seen them on the feeders before but maybe the have just arrived!


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