The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is this coming weekend. I took part last year and they have sent me a lovely photographic identification guide this year, which I shall keep. Just how do you count sparrows though, when there are more than 20 of them?

Details online if you are interested.

Hi Trisha,

You could do it the Bill Oddie way - which is to count a block of them - multiply the block up by the number that are filled and that will give you a rough estimate...

I have all the usual birds in my garden... would like to see Thrushes as they are my favourite - but I do not have enough lawn to encourage them in... but the feeders and bird table are well visited.

And my resident robin (recognisable because he has a white feather on his wing) is back - made it through the winter...

I shall be counting - but my problem is the starlings - if the flock decide to come down the garden is nearly covered - talk about "The Birds"...

Angie

Great, so we are the only 2 twitchers this coming weekend then? (I got the date wrong, but only to give everyone time to get ready.)

I shall be keeping a special eye out for the goldcrest I saw today, he is bound to feature in my count at the weekend. For some reason I have 2 robins even though they are very territorial -must be a pair.

Sorry peeps u wont be the only twictchers this weekend, I shall grab my field glasses and major bins, to see whats happening in my garden, from the back door to the back fence, 100ft away.

I have quite an assortment of birds, from blue xxxx, great xxxx, coal xxxx, blackbirds, pied wagtails, sparrows, starlings a plenty, magpies, jays, assortment of pigeons and doves, crows, even had the odd sparrowhawk land in the garden, but would love to see some goldcrests, bullfinches, greenfinches, chaffinches etc, yet for some strange reason we dont seem to get many of them around here, any suggestions as to why? as I put an assortment of foods out, and at different levels. I havent even seen our regular Robins for quite a while either.

Also Tertia, I did the bird watch last year as well, only I did'nt get a photographic identification guide, I could do with one.
Good luck counting on sunday.
Jay

Hello people. If my garden is as busy as it was last weekend I am in for a busy hour!!! Last Saturday for the first time ever I had 4 - yes 4 - greater spotted woodpeckers on the feeders at one time. We haven't had blackbird before but we currently have two visiting the bird table. I wuld never have thought when I moved into this house 2 years ago I would get so much enjoyment from my garden visitors!!.

Changing the subject slightly we have had up to 6 grey squirrels at a time but on Thursday I went out to fill up the peanut feeders and there was a RED squirrel by the time I got the camera it had disappeared but I will keep the camera handy in case it pays another visit.

Happy bird watch.

Hi Jan 21
You lucky lucky thing, a RED squirrel no less, i would dearly love to see them in my garden, at the moment I seem to have adopted 1 grey squirrel and now its brought along some friends. We do have foxes and hedgehogs in the garden, along with the usual nightcrawlers ie neighbours cats!
I've had grey foxes and now it seems as though we have 2 young red ones, one of them has black socks on. so cute. If its ok to ask what part of the UK do you live, maybe that would explain red squirrels and woodpeckers!

Hi Jay/falcon
Greenfinches are only interested in my field rose hips they sit on the top of the hedge and pull them apart for the seeds. Not interested in the cultivated roses at all, but might come for some peanut. Goldcrests are said to like grated cheese sprinkled under conifers, their main food is insects and they are very difficult to spot - like a pingpong ball, smaller than a wren and more bouncy than a blue tit.

The photo guide was one sheet of A4 but very handy. Happy spotting.

Hi Falcon
I live in Milton Keynes - but am lucky to live next to a 16th century protected woods. This plays host to countless species of wildlife. We have foxes badgers and the odd deer but we seem to get some oddities. A few weeks ago we had a pea hen strutting round in the garden and while I was a bit timid to approach it my son had it taking cheerios from his hand!! it was amazing to watch. When I told our local park ranger about our visitor he said that it must have been blown off course by the high wind we were having at the time.
Let us post back with the results of our birs watch it would be nice to know what birds are around
TTFN

Hi Tertia,

What variety of field roses do you have, maybe I could invest in some to encourage this wonderful birds into my garden?

Hi Jan21
Your must feel very lucky to have such wonders nearby, with so much going on in your back garden who needs a TV!
Out of interest is there a best time of day to do a bird watch? As I put an assortment of food out every day, and my garden is always busy, unless something more interesting is going on in a neighbours garden. Lets hope the weather doesnt change too much either, the weather turned yesterday, and the birds disappeared.
Lets have fun tomorrow.

Hi falcon
Native field rose : rosa arvensis white flowers, red hips supposedly a weak stemmed shrub no more than 1m high, but will grow through to the top of a hedge. Plenty of pictures online. Dog rose (pink flowers) might work as well.

Hi Tertia,
I have a rosa rugosa growing, its still only an infant, would this be a variety that the birds like? I do have lots of other roses growing, most inherited from moving in, but really would like to grow plants, bushes, and any wild flowers that help our feathered friends etc. I have left pruning all the roses this year, and they are smothered in rose hips, yet I've not seen any birds go for them. Would they be the wrong type then? I will certainly look for the field rose and plant a few. Thank you for that. Regards Falcon

Hi peeps, did you all enjoy your garden watch? This is the first time I have ever seen a greenfinch and a siskin. Wicked. Still poor show from the Robins and blackbirds. Hopefully these will soon come back. I do miss their sweet songs. Plenty of starlings and sparrows, great xxxx, blue xxxx. Think all the others must have still been asleep! How did you all do? Especially you Jan21, with your back woodland! Let us know how you all faired, speak soon Falcon.

Hi Falcon
Sorry for the delay in replying - have been up in North East looking after my Mum who had a stroke the day after BGB.
I watched on the Sunday from 2pm - 3pm - seems there is most activity then. I had 3 woodpeckers, and a selection of blue xxxx, great xxxx, chaffinchs, only 3 robins, 1 siskin, 2 blackbirds, 3 wood pigeons, 4 collared doves, magpies ,2 pied wagtails, 1 greenfinch - I feel as though I should add a partridge in a pear tree!!!. It was a nice day as I had the little girl from next door watching with me she was so excited. The only downside was the resident squirrals kept jumping off the garage roof down onto the nut feeders and scaring the birds off.
When I returned home after 9 days my garden was a complete nightmare as the squirals had thrown all the hanging feeders on the garden.
Glad you had a good time.
TTFN

Hi Jan21
So sorry to hear about your mum, I hope she is feeling much better now. I was just thinking about a partridge when you mentioned it, tee hee!!
Last year I sat in the sun and threaded unshelled nuts together and strung them out on the bushes and trees, since then I've had a squirrel in the garden, now I shell them first! The squirrels can be very destructive, I have watched them chew through the plastic holders of peanut feeders to get them open as well as the metal ones, not fair on the birds, guess they have to eat as well. I was delighted to see a siskin and a greenfich for the very first time in my life in the wild, although I must admit at first I thought they were mouldy sparrows, and hadn't had a wash!!
Since the BGB I have had a lot more birds of all kinds in the garden, its a shame they didn't visit the day of the BGB. Better luck next time.
It must have been a real pleasure watching with your neighbours little girl, so nice and peaceful, did she enjoy it?
Wish you all well, especially your mother.
BFN