My first Big Garden Birdwatch of the weekend was this morning at the residence of the American Ambassador in Regent's Park.
Ambassador Susman kindly allowed a group of us to count birds in his garden. We were a mixture of young and old, expert and learner and Brit and Yank. But the garden was plenty big enough for us to spread out and do our own counts!
The dusting of snow surprised us all but the sun was shining and the birds were active. Long-tailed tits appeared almost as if on cue, a wren sang, wood pigeons sat in the trees, great-spotted woodpeckers drummed, called and flew. Great tits sang, robins chased each other through the shrubs, a ring-necked parakeet called and flew past, magpies chattered and a fieldfare flew over, perched briefly and flew on.
We were given a very warm welcome by our American hosts and warm hot chocolate at the end of the count.
It was fun, we saw some birds, I met some nice people. A very sociable bird count.
Here, back in east Northants, there are lots of birds in my garden. I bet they'll have gone when I do my second BGBW tomorrow! But I hear from staff at The Lodge that BGBW forms are already coming to us through the internet in record numbers.
Quite cold this morning so guess the counts could be quite high,interesting to see the results.Just by chance happened to go over old comments and was very pleasantly surprised to see comment from Claire Smith,really good information,just surprised RSPB experts have not supplied before but more importantly East Anglian residents need to have access to all the information available on points that might worry them.Suppose it is possible of course that they have this information but those of us out of the area do not get it.
Not allowed obviously for bird count but what a result a place think on Poole industrial estate like a overflow levelling pond,always seems a surprising place to see Bittern but one or two are regularly seen,today 4 reported also Weymouth RSPB suspect that they have 3.
Hi Mark a friend suggested I look at Major Anthony Crease writings on what I think would be Raptor Politics website,would think he is the person who has looked at Eagle Owls while they have been on Army range.Reading what he says and the comments it seems as if RSPB is in a very difficult position to put it mildly,especially as would think he is the most knowledgeable person in this country on them and how they are likely to impact in this country.Seems there are photos of them on oil platforms so could have arrived naturally which surely rules out having a cull(they have probably lots of problems with illegal activity).
Would think you are upto date with this but if not ought to look.