UKC

How did everyone do with their big birdwatch?

Not as fruitful as last year, but 9 species, with house sparrow being the runaway winner. 

Fewer birds in my garden in general - and I reckon this warm winter being main reason. Did have a goldcrest last week (and seen two on this  mornings dog walk, very close).

14, with Starlings coming top.
5 collared doves so they seem be doing well round here.

10 species with great tits being the winner.

I didn't do it but I think magpies or pigeons win in the garden. 

Just half a mile outside the village the twitchers have been gathering this week for a group of brambling in a particular tree. 

We did it this morning. Robin, Bluetit, Blackbird, Sparrow, Collared Dove, Wood Pigeon and Dunnock. Better than last year when all we saw was a lone Sparrow. Also saw a rat this morning, which I'm not happy about and will be dealing with.

Then out for a local walk and saw Buzzard, Roe deer (male with lovely velvety antlers), Tufted duck, Widgeon and Crested Grebe on the gravel pits and a Kingfisher on the river, and many other small birds. This is around Otley, Yorkshire.

Quite low numbers this year. The goldfinches, which for a few years have been the commonest bird in the garden by a long way, were  present but in much lower numbers. The most numerous bird were great tits.

Dave

The highlight, which we could not record, was a buzzard, far above the garden, being harried by a carrion crow.

Yeah had a few things fly overhead as well. We live fairly close to a nature reserve so get some nice sightings every now and again - chaffinch, blackcaps, sparrowhawks, woodpeckers, a variety of gulls etc, but none today. 

Not seen a Blackcap yet this year, but I keep looking!

Too windy for it yesterday but much better today.

The other half did it this morning (with me called through to assist her with id's as required). Starling, collared dove, woodpigeon, goldfinch, chaffinch, greenfinch, bullfinch, siskin, brambling (only recently we've started spotting them in the garden), great tit, blue tit, house sparrow, dunnock, and rooks so a good variety.

Less fruitful for me this afternoon, weather took a turn for the worst soon after starting. A nice flock of 20 goldfinch settled down for a bit, but only  2 greenfinch and chaffinch, 3 starlings, 2 siskin and a lone bluetit. 

Last year much more greenfinch and reed bunting. I think the neighbour having her previously overgrown garden thinned out his responsible.

Made the mistake of leaving it too late and only saw 7 different species this year but they did include a Goldcrest which I've not noticed in our garden before so I was pleased with that. Also Long Tailed Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Blackbirdsn a Robin and a Song Thrush. 

Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Robin, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Chaffinch and Song Thrush - all regulars at the feeders here. Great and Blue Tits the most numerous but a huge increase in Jays this winter. Very aggressive with other birds.

Anyone who enjoyed it, the BTO run an all year round recording project based on what you see in your garden. More than just birds. It's quite cheap to take part.

As for the RSPB watch, it's always my lowest species count during winter. Just 11, blackbirds won on 7.

Literally no birds. Admittedly, I did it yesterday at the height of the storm, but didn't expect nothing at all! 

Oddly nothing around apart from a lone robin, and a confused looking sparrow.

Then a Sparrowhawk dropped in.

Garden: magpies, wood pigeon, crow and buzzard. Not seen so many small birds about this winter though i did spot a wren last week which is a first.

Saw a lot more over at Doxy marshes 23 species including 3 Little Egrets

Great tit, blue tit, coal tit, long tailed tit, dunnock, blackbird, robin.

10 for me, seeing 4 goldfinch and 4 starling, 2 sparrows, blue tits, blackbirds, pigeons and robins, and one each of chaffinch, coal tit and magpie, 

We live in an obscure remnant of the Great North Wood in south east London, bird life is a mixture of crows, magpies and the odd robin...but it's mostly parakeets!

That happened to me last year! The sparrowhawk was a good spot, but then I didn't see anything else.

Not much this year. Very windy here though - the seagulls were struggling in it, so I'm not surprised the garden birds were all in hiding.

Disappointing year for us, but I think doing it at midday to fit in with the children's activities and other stuff meant that I missed the best time of day.

Blackcap (there is a resident female also but only saw the male), dunnocks, blackbirds, coal tits / blue tits / great tits, robins, woodpigeon, chaffinch. Funnily enough I've never seen a sparrow in the garden.

Watched our blackcap chase off virtually every other bird from the area except the big ones. I think he was keeping away all our goldfinches that we usually see. And I expected long tailed tits too as I see them often, but not in that hour.

House sparrow 6.

Blackbird 12

Wood pigeon 3

Disappointing tally for my wife who has recently got into birdwatching. But no feeders in the garden, they were all loitering on the garden fence eyeing up neighbours feeders.

ooo, get some feeders out. It's my weird obsession recently. Have 11 on the go right now + a table and bird bath. I'm not much of a birder, but I do find it very relaxing sitting, having a coffee first thing and watching all the activity.