Big Garden Birdwatch - How did it go?

Just a quick poll to see how you think this years BGBW went with regards to bird activity in the gardens! Vote using the options below!

I feel a conspiracy was going and hour after my poll 2 never before seen wrens turned up and today all my goldies returned bringing a siskin along too.

How do they know?

Sarah

I was lucky.

My regulars turned up, and I had a new visitor - identified on this forum as a Mealy Redpoll who joined his Lesser Redpoll cousins on the nyjer seed.

A complete turnaround from most years for me, where normally nothing turns up. Ok, there weren't droves of birds, but I had some of my regulars as well as one new visitor (wren), so quite pleased.

Claire

Lol,  why is it BGBW Weekend is always one of the quietest in my garden? I feel so frustrated logging such poor results,  when the vast majority of the time my garden is positively alive! Grrrr ;-)

I had thought my count would be ruined this year, not because of lack of birds but those pesky feral pigeons, one of which has learned to hang off the perch of the feeders, thereby giving them a good shake and spreading the seed beneath, where his compatriots (all 23 of them) were waiting to gobble up the free feed.  Every time mr cleverglogs does this it scares away the regular birds.  Luckily my regulars weren't so scared that they deserted completely but  went to perch in my rowan tree about 10 ft away and took their feeding time in intervals.

I had a really good one this year, with my favourite bird, my wren, visiting and bringing a 'friend' hopefully a mate. I am sure they know when it is bird count time though and have laughed other years when they all re-appear after I have logged a poor count.  My long-tailed tits and wood pigeons were AWOL this year :-/

Frustrated? If you feel the BGBW is a competition for who has the most birds in their garden then frustration reigns :-)

I think it is sometimes significant that the birds you expect do not fly in.

Try a different whistle...:)

IanH

Just a quick poll to see how you think this years BGBW went with regards to bird activity in the gardens! Vote using the options below!

[Please visit the original post to access the poll]

Think we've done the bgbw for the last four years and haven't been able to include goldfinches or siskin before because they haven't turned up on time!! If we did it today we'd be able to put about 15 blue tits there seem to be swarms of them and we've never seen the seed in bird feeder go down so quickly!!

Did mine on Sunday lunchtime and much more activity than last year. Good job I did because the Sparrowhawk took a blackbird at 3pm and I have only seen the odd bid since then.

I certainly don't consider it a competition like that OldThingy....I'm just frustrated that I can't let the RSPB know that a mini flock of Long tailed tits are alive and well and living in my wee town in North Wales...........for that's the reason behind the count ;-)

But Jenny .............. someone else may have them in their count!

Hi Ian

In my case, I have never done this count in my current garden yet... but still we are a couple of miles away from our old house anyway, and in a similar open planned estate.

I feel the bird count was much the same as my old garden from last January 2010

I have photos and have added them to another thread I have opened.  I have been housebound for a few weeks - due to a damaged ankle and looking at my garden birds has been an occupation instead.

Regards

Kathy and Dave

One of the concerns we have about accuracy is the inclusion of migrating birds here in the South West for the winter. Our usual complement of blackbirds is three pairs (large garden) but this year we have had a gang of ten mainly adult males (two youngsters) that hang around the two feeding stations all day and chase off our local blackbirds. They arrived with the very cold weather in late November and show no sign of leaving. A couple manage to reach the fat block and fatballs in their holders but mainly they feed on the ground on seeds scattered from above, The small birds ignore them and the chaffinches feed with them while the tits and robins feed above. We have not had this gang culture in previous years. Thus the activity was up due to the foreigners! The form does not give a section for reporting unusual behaviours or the time period selected. Our birds seem to have their own visiting times with the resident jackdaws on the ground early each morning and then just flying over (so not counted) the rest of the day.

Every time I do my Garden Birdwatch it is the same...the birds disappear!!

I feed my birds daily and even thought it is generally quieter for many species this year, there is always more activity when I am not watching!!!!!

I wonder if it would be more useful to note the birds that visit regularly each season, therefore, giving a better survey of what is actually about and when? A bird diary....in say, Jan, Apl, July and October...