Rspb Garden Bird Watch

[Alice]

Better luck for this year SueA but maybe all your wee friends are being counted in somebody elses garden.

[Piper]

This may seem like a funny question, but how do you know which birds have come into the garden? A robin flies in, lands on the grass then flies off again. Then another one comes back in, do I count that as 2 robins?

[SueA]

Hi Piper, because you might be seeing the same bird over & over you're only supposed to record the maximum number of any one type you see at one time during the hour that you are watching. That's if you see 3 starlings all at the same time , they fly off & you see another 2 arrive you record the maximum number of 3 (not 5) & you're only supposed to record them if they land in your garden not just fly over. As Alice says if the birds you usually see don't show up don't be tempted to cheat by recording them as they are probably in someone else's garden being recorded there.

[Piper]

Ok I get it thanks SueA. Should be fun. Like your picture.

[wellie]

I'm going to have to do it Sunday morning now, as I have to be away from home Saturday.
Madderbat, we had Hummingbird Hawkmoths in our garden last summer, and the summer before. What an incredible sight ! They were dipping into the nectar of the Verbena bonariensis that I had scattered throughout the garden. Simply STUNNING sight to watch with a cool glass of Pimms....

[madderbat]

Madderbat, we had Hummingbird Hawkmoths in our garden last summer, and the summer before. What an incredible sight ! They were dipping into the nectar of the Verbena bonariensis that I had scattered throughout the garden. Simply STUNNING sight to watch with a cool glass of Pimms....

Glad they are still around I only saw one once, it was the year my son was born and I was rocking him in his pram one day, walking round the house singing four and twenty blackbirds sixteen times (as you do!!) when I saw it. I went to get the camera and was so proud of myself, telling OH when he came home, only to find that there was no film in the damn thing! He thought I'd made it up and I began to seriously doubt my mind having recently given birth, and that was that really. I do know i saw it though

[wellie]

It's that moment of Wow! What's THAT?! Having never seen anything like it before. It really was a cross between a Hummingbird, and a Moth. Most extraordinary and enchanting, all at the same time.

[madderbat]

It's that moment of Wow! What's THAT?! Having never seen anything like it before. It really was a cross between a Hummingbird, and a Moth. Most extraordinary and enchanting, all at the same time.

It is wonderful, and quite memorable, even 21 years later. I was just trying to think which plant this one was on. I know it was about at my chest height, so must have been a rose campion or something like that, cos I don't think wwe had any buddleia at that time.
How many were there in your garden? I wonder if they are increasing from global warming etc. I definitely only saw one all that summer.

[wellie]

Sadly, only the one, Jane. But that was sufficient to send us scurrying to the insect ident book to find out just exactly what it was.

Not similar, I know, but Paulie and I returned from a trip back from Buckinghamshire one day, having visited friends, and the husband had spent many an hour the night before (!) reliving his 'butterfly days' as a child with his father, recounting the stories to me.....
On our return home, the VERY next day, an extremely beautiful butterfly/moth appeared in my garden, and I had to look it up in the book.
It just took my breath away, and it turned out to be a Cinnibar Moth?
Look it up. The picture in no way does the real thing justice, and I felt that a little angel from 'upstairs' was pinching me, saying "You see how exciting it can be?!"
Oh, I'm hooked....!

[smallblueplanet]

There were quite a few sitings of HB moth last summer MB. I think SueA even posted some good photo's.

I think it may have been on a thread to do with Verbena bonensaris (sic). We had quite a few, some which (it seemed) like birds returned to feed at the same time each evening. They (and lots of insects) love VB but also lavender too. Fabulous things.

[SueA]

Someone mention Hummingbird hawkmoths? I have seen them on a few occasions, one visited last summer for a couple of days on the buddleia. I first saw one about 3 or 4 years ago & have seen odd ones since so I assume they are moving further north due to global warming as they come from the continent & only used to be seen in the south.

[Piper]

Great pictures SueA. I wouldn't have a clue what they looked like. Thanks.

[mandyballantyne]

What is this

Hi All,

Silly question time, I have lots of little birds coming to visit but there is one I can not identify.

It is probably common but I have only just moved here from an area which did not get many birds.

It looks like a blue tit but it's belly/breast is a really bright yellow and has a bright red forehead not a crest as such and not it whole head.

Any ideas?

[madderbat]

Wonderful pictures SueA.
I'm still gutted that when I grabbed the camera 20 years ago there was not film in the damn thing. I hope if I grow buddlia and verbena they will turn up here one day.

[Birdie Wife]

I saw one in Dobbies Garden Centre in Perth last year, it made me wonder what the northernmost record was. Stunning little beasties.