Big Garden Bird Watch

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cornish tigress
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Big Garden Bird Watch

Post by cornish tigress »

Is everyone doing the RSPB bird watch thing this month? You can register if you haven't already at:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/

I know loads of you do it already, but if you haven't heard of it - It's a great way to document bird populations around the UK. It takes an hour of your time on the 26th or 27th of this month and you can do it from your window any time over that weekend. Fun to do with children.
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Rizzo
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Re: Big Garden Bird Watch

Post by Rizzo »

I've done it for several years now, so yes, I will be doing it.

If you're interested in that sort of thing, check out http://www.naturescalendar.org.uk/ where you can register and record various things from the first signs of Spring or Autumn, either in your own garden or a different location like your local park etc.
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cornish tigress
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Re: Big Garden Bird Watch

Post by cornish tigress »

That's a good idea, thanks Rizzo
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Nailsworthstiger
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Re: Big Garden Bird Watch

Post by Nailsworthstiger »

My wife who is a keen twitcher and bird photographer has registered, but when doing so she noticed that you have to be over 18 to take part. Any ideas why they don't want the youngsters to get involved?
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Re: Big Garden Bird Watch

Post by byrontiger »

It's very sad if the over 18 rule is true.
I remember being a member of the young naturists club based at the New Walk Museum.
It was such an experience to see owls,foxes and badgers when you're 12/13.
And their revenge is as the tiger's spring,
Deadly, and quick and crushing.
Rizzo
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Re: Big Garden Bird Watch

Post by Rizzo »

Nailsworthstiger wrote:My wife who is a keen twitcher and bird photographer has registered, but when doing so she noticed that you have to be over 18 to take part. Any ideas why they don't want the youngsters to get involved?
You have to be 18 to register, but not 18 to take part - they also run the Big Schools Birdwatch and the BGBW itself is aimed at the whole family taking part together, and a parent registering to log the data. I was told by an RSPB warden that it's a requirement for legal reasons, but there's nothing stopping a child taking part assisted by an adult registering and logging the info.
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Re: Big Garden Bird Watch

Post by tigerburnie »

byrontiger wrote:I remember being a member of the young naturists club based at the New Walk Museum.
It was such an experience to see owls,foxes and badgers when you're 12/13.

But did you HAVE to do it naked? :smt004 (or were you really a young Natualist)
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cornish tigress
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Re: Big Garden Bird Watch

Post by cornish tigress »

Are you NOT supposed to be naked then? That's why I always look forward to it :-( Well I've topped up my feeders and got my car facing the right way. Too blooming cold to be on my garden chair this year! Very exciting. Just got to hope my woodpecker turns up in the allotted hour or I may be tempted to cheat and you MUSTN'T :smt009
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Rizzo
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Re: Big Garden Bird Watch

Post by Rizzo »

Hmmm so is it cheating to have been putting out chopped apples all week because we had a fieldfare in the garden and I am trying to keep it there for the BGBW count?
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cornish tigress
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Re: Big Garden Bird Watch

Post by cornish tigress »

Ha di ha, no not at all, but you are now duty bound to put out apples everyday until they naturally fall from the tree, or his demise will be on your hands! :-)

He's been turned into a Field Fairy softie now and can't fend for himself!
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tigerburnie
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Re: Big Garden Bird Watch

Post by tigerburnie »

Filled my feeders and was mobbed by flippin House Sparrows,73 I counted,my neighbour is away and their feeder was empty so I got the lot.A few Golfinches,Chaffinches and a Greenfinch.No Siskins or Bramblings this year,though we did get Longtailed tits,Wren and a few Starlings.
"If you want entertainment, go to the theatre," says Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill. "Rugby players play the game to win.15/1/21.
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Re: Big Garden Bird Watch

Post by Rizzo »

As last year, my biggest number of one species was wood pigeon, 17 at one time. Rooks & jackdaws and a very brave black0headed gull which landed for a second or two to grab some food. Great tits, blue tits, coal tits, starlings and chaffinches & greenfinches (although lower numbers for the finches than in the last week or two of icy cold weather). One of the 2 fieldfares did appear briefly and thus got counted. Blackbirds a plenty, one robin & several dunnocks.

absent for this year's count were collared doves, magpies (usually there are several around but not today) no sparrows (again I had several during the ice & snow) and no long-tailed tits. No goldfinches today either.
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Re: Big Garden Bird Watch

Post by Nailsworthstiger »

We live on a farm in Herefordshire with a small copse on the other side of our garden fence. Nearly every day since we have had the snow, we have had our "resident" great spotted woodpecker fly into our garden and actually fly onto the bird feeder that is strategically sited outside the kitchen window. Part of the fence is a trellis wire fence and the woodpecker sweeps up and down and has even swooped through the fence. He then flies up to his tree and knocks his food in to his hole. The funny thing is we also have a couple of Jays who watch Woody and when he is off his tree they go and steal from his larder!

Alas in the hour we were watching yesterday, there was no sign of Woody. Typical!

What we did get were Siskins, Nuthatches, Jays, Magpies, Cole Tits, Willow Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Dunnocks, Blackbirds, Collared Dove, House Sparrow, Robins and Chaffinches.

We also have on frequent occasions, Sparrow Hawks and Buzzards, and the other day I came home and a Robin was laying flat out under our lounge window in the snow, no doubt he had been evading the big birds. He was still alive so I brought him in doors and placed him in a cardboard box with some tissue paper and placed it next to the radiator. After 10-15 minutes he warmed up, came to and tried to escape. So I took him out and he flew on to a fence and observed his surroundings. When he felt happy, he flew away. So that was my good deed done for the day!

As previously mentioned my wife is a keen bird photographer and often compares her work with those of her "heroes", namely Steven Round and Sue Tranter. They both have many fantastic photo's on their web sites, worth a look if your interested.
cornish tigress
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Re: Big Garden Bird Watch

Post by cornish tigress »

Lucky you! I have now what is a pretty ordinary garden apart from the pheasants and the woodpecker, but neither showed up during my hour either, so I just had run of the mill. My most exotic was a pair of chaffinches! Ah well. I guess it all helps the counting. The worst was trying to keep track of the army of sparrows during my count and keep it hand on heart accurate. :censored: kept flying about. Who knew. Well done with the robin. I did similar with a rook once, it's so nice when they actually survive and don't die of shock. Rescued a sparrow hawk with a broken wing once too and took him to my friend who was a vet in a cardboard box swearing he was very sick and would be no trouble. He grasped his talons onto the vet the minute he opened the box and wouldn't let go and I felt a little guilty in between all the laughing. Sparrow hawk survived too. Most of mine turn up their toes though :smt010
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CJ
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Re: Big Garden Bird Watch

Post by CJ »

not really about the bird watch, but I did hear a cuckoo last week and again yesterday. And the swallows are back. and the egrets have gone.

went to Paxton pits on Sunday and heard nightingales and chiff chaffs, and going back onTuesday for the nightingale walk in the early evening.
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