Tessa the Duchess Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I get the RSPB newsletter. This weekend is their national garden birdwatch. If you want to join in all you have to do is...spend an hour watching the birds in your garden during the weekend of 26/27th January and keep a toll of the highest number of each bird species you spy in your garden over the hour. Then go to www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch and enter your results. Some of the birds on their list of possibles I haven't even heard of wouldn't know what a Dunnock was if it came and bit me on the bum Anyway it fits in nicely with watching the chooks freeranging, Oh...chickens don't count btw Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Just as well chickens don't count - if everyone on here counted theirs in the survey, the results would confound a lot of birdy people . OH is the bird expert so I'll set him up on a bench with a supply of coffee and banana muffins (which I've just made!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 You've probably got Dunnocks in your garden all year round. We have. Pretty tweedy little birds - same size as a Robin or a Sparrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 We have done this for the past couple of years, but all of the birds seem to move out for the day We have a bird in or near to our back garden that is singing from about 11pm until 3am at the moment, it sounds a bit like a blackbird to me but I am not very good with birdsong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 we hardly ever saw garden birds before we got the chooks, even though we have a bird table and put seed out for them etc. It was because of all the cats we used to get in our garden during the day. It was very upsetting as we're both big brid lovers. The cats don't come anywhere near now during the day as they're scared of the girls! Just been watching a couple of collared doves sitting on the fence, kissing each other, sweet! We have a little robin who is a regular visitor now and a cple of great tits and several blackbirds. oh and we get the occasional wren. Thanks girls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted January 25, 2008 Author Share Posted January 25, 2008 Kate re the Dunnock. See I would have said it was a sparrow Poet. we got more wild birds in the garden pre chickens. If they are freeranging and a wild bird dares to set foot in the garden they all run and chase it off Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Dunnocks have sharp little beaks, Tessa. Sparrows beaks are much more blunt and they're not such natty dresses either - Dunnocks are smart, neat little birds - much pinker legs too . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted January 25, 2008 Author Share Posted January 25, 2008 Dunnocks have sharp little beaks, Tessa. Sparrows beaks are much more blunt and they're not such natty dresses either - Dunnocks are smart, neat little birds - much pinker legs too . Thanks for this Kate, I will be very 'eagle' eyed when I do my hours birdwatching Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 We have dunnocks, blackbirds, finches, bluetits, greattits, coal tits, robins, a woodpecker, goldfinches, and last spring we had a brambling which is not usual for up here, last week we had a starling at the nuts, and we have field fares too. We have the garden watch form but like others - they seem to move away on that day!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanbb Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Will be doing the online form at the weekend. It's amazing just how quickly the hour does go by Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treekeeper Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Dunnocks are the 'sparrows' that stay on the floor to feed. Took my son to our local RSPB reserve last Saturday and watched Egrets etc and best of the day an otter! The whole place was flooded so we had to wade through water to get to the hides lucky we had our wellies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 We usually have a few dunnocks, as said above, they hop about under the shrubs and keep close to the fence. Ours are always in and out of the chicken run! I did the birdwatch last year with the boys as we normally get loads of birds in the garden. They definitely all moved away that day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I'm hoping our collared doves come. I have had 19 of them at one time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 This isn't in our garden so doesn't count, but OH has seen a kingfisher on a couple of occasions at the canal where he goes for a lunchtime run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanbb Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 One of the most surreal things was seeing a crane land on our shed about a year ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 We had a heron on our garage last year (Is a crane different to a heron?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 You've probably got Dunnocks in your garden all year round. We have. Pretty tweedy little birds - same size as a Robin or a Sparrow. Have you read "Heart of the Valley" by Nigel Hinton? It's a year in the life of a female dunnock. Someone lent me the book and I felt obliged to read it, but found that I really enjoyed it. It includes what happens to other things around, including some humans, and has a wonderful description of the migration of a cuckoo. I think you might enjoy it too Kate. Waterstones sells it. Also in Amazon Marketplace and on Abebooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basset Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 I think I'll do the bird watch tomorrow morning. We get lots of birds in the garden including regular sightings of a heron, a woodpecker and flocks of parakeets. Parakeets seem to have completely taken over round here, they are one of our most common birds now. Has anyone read "How to be a bad birdwatcher" by Simon Barnes. I really enjoy Simon Barnes writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Has anyone read "How to be a bad birdwatcher" by Simon Barnes. I really enjoy Simon Barnes writing. I got it for Christmas, it's very good! I am going to do the Birdwatch tomorrow, although today I looked out a few times - not a bird in sight! They must know it's the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted January 27, 2008 Author Share Posted January 27, 2008 Well, I've just spent a very unproductive hour staring at the garden waiting for the flocks of wild birds to arrive ONE dusty looking starling and a robin who is a daily visitor and popped in for about 3 minutes I feel quite embarassed to fill in the form, perhaps I will be economical with the truth Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 We've had a good time. 2 Blackbirds 1 Blue Tit 4 Chaffinches 13 Collared doves 12 House sparrows 1 Magpie 1 Robin 3 starlings 5 woodpigeons 1 Jackdaw and 1 Songthrush I haven't included 8 chickens but there are lots of seeds on the birdtable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted January 27, 2008 Author Share Posted January 27, 2008 That is amazing Ginette. I am very jealous We also have several birdfeeders but for that hour they were ignored Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 That's a shame isn't it? I'm lucky that although our garden is small, we have fields backing onto it. I'm sure that makes a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...