Big Garden Birdwatch 2014

[dogsbody]

A heads up that this year's RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch takes place over the weekend of 25/26 January.

Why not spend an hour counting the birds in your garden / plot / park / farmland etc. and submit your results online.

You can register via the RSPB's website and if you do then there is a £5 discount voucher for their online shop which is valid until 31 January.

As in previous years please feel free to post your results here so we can share what visits our gardens and spaces.

I'm hoping to spot Bob my roosting blue tit!

[snuffer]

Mrs snuffer has been taking part in the 'Big Garden Bird Watch' for the last four or five years (perhaps even longer, can't remember).

Always interesting to see the results of what birds are visiting other peoples gardens.

[Jeanied]

I was so disappointed last year - the fieldfares and waxwings appeared in my garden after the event!

[Nicos]

And here is the French one which Scarey found!
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tch_76511.html

[Nicos]

We'll certainly be doing it- and we're letting as many people we know hear about it- both here and in the UK!

[arpoet]

We gets lots of birds all the year round in our garden, except the weekend of the big bird watch when they seem to desert us in droves.

[Bren In Pots]

We gets lots of birds all the year round in our garden, except the weekend of the big bird watch when they seem to desert us in droves.

That always seems to happen here as well

[snuffer]

Mrs snuffer has been taking part in the 'Big Garden Bird Watch' for the last four or five years (perhaps even longer, can't remember).

Have been informed by Mrs snuffer that she has been doing the survey for the last eight years.

2006 76 birds 19 species
2007 65 birds 14 species
2008 96 birds 19 species
2009 84 birds 18 species
2010 75 birds 15 species
2011 85 birds 15 species
2012 77 birds 13 species
2013 100 birds 16 species
2014 We'll have to wait and see. Will be doing the bird watch on Sunday.

[Vince G]

I can tell you now what will be in my garden. We live in a fairly leafy part of Ipswich, overlooked by one row of houses then fields beyond.

We'll definitely have:

Collared Doves
Black headed gulls
Magpies
Blackbirds
Woodpigeon
Robin

There is a remote possibility we'll see:

Wren
House Sparrow
Crow
Jay
Blue Tit
Great Tit

That's it !!

Where are the thrushes, all the different finches and warblers we used to see, plus the occasional bird of prey? Bird populations are seriously in decline in the UK

[Bren In Pots]

Its not a good weekend for the bird watch to much wind, rain and hailstones. we've not seen a single bird.

[ancee]

We gets lots of birds all the year round in our garden, except the weekend of the big bird watch when they seem to desert us in droves.

Yup! Same here! Today 2 magpies and a wood pigeon

[dogsbody]

Bren / Ancee - I know that feeling - I have to do my watch in two separate halves as I can't see some of my garden / feeders from the house. I spent the first hour between 9am and 10am this morning in the garden and go rained on 4 times. Fortunately the really stormy weather has just arrived.

The RSPB would still like to hear fom you even if your answers are zero. All the info together helps put up the bigger picture.

I have tried to determine the last date for submission - the survey doesn't close usually until mid Feb...

[dogsbody]

16th Feb is the submision deadline...

[scarey55]

I saw:
1 x Great tit
2 x Buzzards
2 x Blue tits
1 x Nuthatch
3 x Jays
8 x Sparrows
2 x Blackbirds
And... believe it or not 1 x Cormorant 550 metres up in the middle of France!

I have a conspiracy theory though. I think that word goes around the bird population that this is the counting Weekend and they all hide! I imagine them sitting in the bushes together, hiding and tittering behind unfolded wings!

[Jeanied]

I didn't manage to do mine this weekend, sad about that but needed to be elsewhere with the dog. And to cap it all the most popular bird feeders - red berry suet and sunflower hearts - got emptied in double quick time today so I know the tits, starlings and goldfinches have been extra busy today.