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Today, as we have for the last 7 years, we are partaking in the RSPBs Big Garden Birdwatch and trying to count the number of the various species that visit our back garden for a little something to nibble on. The time period is one whole hour and you have joined us after a hearty breakfast, Maggie out of the way, the seed, fat balls and peanuts topped up and coffee to hand....
It has been 11 mins and after a feeding frenzy from the Sparrows and Tits, it has started pour down which is affecting visibility. Mamma G has just arrived and is now distracting us at the perfect moment - nothing is happening out there - plus we now have boiled cake, sausage rolls, sweet mince pies and wheaten. Mamma did her survey yesterday and it's funny to see both her and Andrew getting so excited at the great tits coming to see the egg seed feeder.
Our Robin is here - 28 mins late! He's here everyday all day but seems to be shy today...must be because I have my camera, birds and I don't get on.
Oh the rain has stopped and the sun is shining...umm shining right in my eyes and making it almost impossible to see the laptop screen - plus I'm in my dressing gown, it's white and reflecting - arrgh. We've decided to take a break for 15 mins anyway as Mamma has has her arm twisted and is going to have a cuppa with us :) I hope taking a break isn't against the rules!
Maggie has sneaked in and the birds don't even care in the slightest - I guess she isn't seen as a threat, haha.
Blackbird - oh goodness how I love that gorgeous yellow break in contrast to the black; they love the seed feeder that is low in the garden hidden behind the Winter Box. There's only ever one at a time in the garden, I wonder if that's normal.
Sadly we are at the end of the hour and no really exciting finds, no peregrine falcon (a pair live nearby) and no pheasants (from the big estate) nor did we have a visit from the long tailed tits, they will probably come now, such is our luck.
So, Andrew is now filling in the online form - the RSPB is awesome and fully embraces technology so there are no goodly reasons not to take part! They are on twitter @Natures_Voice and this is the birdwatch webpage.. https://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/
I shall simply list the results here...
Did you take part, were you one of the 136,000+ people who did (so far)?? Any interesting results?
Hugs and love
We did take part and like at your place it was pouring with rain most of the time. As usual many of the usual suspects refused to show their beaks. I do have a theory that the birds are being totally disloyal to us regular bird feeding people and dessert us for those who pop food out specially for the count weekend. The birds know that if they grab the unexpected bounty they can always rely on our food being there later!
ReplyDeleteWhat , Carrie - no starlings!!!!
ReplyDeleteHugs from Bangor.
Brian.
Sue - that sounds like a very clever plan indeed...oh my the birds are playing with us!!! Soon they shall take over the world!! :)
ReplyDeleteBrian - hello! I know, no starlings, isn't that odd?? We just don't get many here yet half a mile away Mamma G gets loads. x
ReplyDeleteI did it. Nothing very exciting, and I had to endure a bollocking from my cat who couldn't understand why he was being kept in, but I quite enjoyed just staring out the window for an hour!
ReplyDeleteMy eldest did it today, but there wasn't much to be seen. We did have quite a few blackbirds in the garden last year, three or four at a time, and then later on the chicks of one pair as well. We've got grape vines, and they love the fruit. Also the blueberries and raspberries. All of it in fact!
ReplyDeleteAarrghhh, talk not to me about the number of blueberries I have missed out on to our feathered friends...grrr it's war were that is concerned this year! They are pesky at times but it would be terrible not to see them about, I do so love birds xx
ReplyDeleteYou obviously had great fun doing the Birdwatch! Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteAwh seeing the bird tipping away at the bird feeders is a sight I love have a few of them on the side of mobile and the rest off the shed to the front of the mobile so i have a good view of them all feeding and flying around and hear them tapping away at the side of the mobile I seem to get all the blue tits at the mobile and the shed seems to get tons of sparrows.
ReplyDelete