RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2014

Ok did mine today,  so here is the list

7 blue tits
9 great tits
8 long tail tits
6 coal tits

5 chaffinches
2 greenfinches
2 bullfinches ( eating the buds on the magnolia!)

1 robin
3 sparrows
1 blackcap

5 blackbirds
1 song thrush
12 fieldfares
  8 redwing
( actually loads more but they were in the ivy behind where I was watching so I couldn't count them)

1 wren

3 crows
1 woodpigeon
2 jays
1 magpie

1 GS woodpecker
2 Green woodpecker - wonderful exotic looking birds, we have a lot around here in the wood and garden!

2 Buzzards

2 Mallards
1 Moorhen

I could see them bobbing around behind the fence...on the pool side.

My area for watching from the house has 2 bird tables, a couple of big oak trees, grass and hedges with ivy etc and also backs on to our little meadow with the pool ( which is full at the moment!) , so I do get some water birds as well.....

Basically we are lucky enough to own a small nature reserve here, with woodland, meadow, hedges marsh and a pool, so get a lot of different birds.

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch results

Sorry I do not know why this did not get published at the right time!

Compost Mansions BGBW results - Sunday.

Common birds

Blackbird

3

Blue tit

8

Carrion crow

3

Chaffinch

10

Coal tit

3

Great tit

8

Greenfinch

1

House sparrow

3

Long-tailed tit

12

Magpie

2

Robin

3

Song thrush

1

Wren

1

Other birds

Bullfinch

2

Fieldfare

14

Great spotted woodpecker

3

Green woodpecker

1

Jay

1

Pheasant

9

Redwing

3

All gone...

The snow, that is! It had mostly gone yesterday evening

And we woke up to green grass and a bright blue sky this morning, and virtually no snow..

We had a brief few hours of beautiful sunshine, here    ...but now it is raining and hailing and gloomy and dull.

I was meant to be driving to Ryton to volunteer at Garden Organic's Potato Day but decided it would be a bit risky with the dodgy weather forecast. Shame, as I love doing my Master Composter/Master Gardener duties and I love visiting Ryton. Still there will be many more chances to go during the coming year.

Looking out  over the garden it is good to see the snowdrops flowering and the daffodils showing through as green spikes. I am a bit concerned about possible flooding though, as the ground is already covered with standing water in places from the snow melt. Hopefully the rain will not last!

Have done my Big Garden Birdwatch for 2013 - must file it at the RSPB website. I will post about the results tomorrow.

One bonus to the rain - I looked out of the study window by my desk at the most beautinful rainbow. The end of the rainbow is apparently just across the road from me...wonder if I can find a crock of gold?

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch - 1000th post!

Ok this is IT, my 1000 th post on this blog ( cue drum roll!)

I could have blogged about compost, or growing veg  or organics or hens, but I decided to blog about the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch as it is coming up very soon and is something very dear to me.

As the RSPB say

Helping garden wildlife is fun - and it couldn't be easier. Over the weekend of 26-27 January 2013, the RSPB would love you, your friends and family, to get involved in Big Garden Birdwatch - the world's largest wildlife survey!

As an activity that started life as something for our youth membership to do in winter, Big Garden Birdwatch has grown into fun for all the family. All you need to do is count the birds in your garden or a local park for one hour then tell us what you see.
If, like us, you love wildlife and want to do something to help, this is your chance to get involved in something that really counts.

We are really lucky here at Compost Mansions, we have a 3 glass sided porch which looks out onto the bird feeders so sitting there for an hour nets a lot of results!

Pleae join in - it is really good fun and is helpful in so many ways. The birds in the UK really need our help in this!

Big Garden Birdwatch - the results!

Ok did mine earlier on so here is the list

6 blue tits
9 great tits
10 long tail tits
6 coal tits

5 chaffinches
4 greenfinches
2 bullfinches ( eating the buds on the magnolia!)

3 robins
3 sparrows
1 dunnock
1 blackcap

3 blackbirds
1 song thrush
10 fieldfares
5 redwing
( actually loads more but they were in the ivy hedge behind the bird feeders area where I was watching so I couldn't count them)

2 wrens

3 crows
2 woodpigeons
2 jays
1 magpie

3 GS woodpecker
1 LS woodpecker (!) Oh joy its come back!
2 Green woodpecker - wonderful exotic looking birds, we have a lot around here in the wood and garden!

AND.....1 sparrowhawk getting a small ground feeder ( chaffinch?) and eating it in front of me, at the very end.....

I forgot to add the
1 Heron
2 Mallards
1 Moorhen

I could see them bobbing around behind the fence...on the pool side.

My area for watching from the house has 2 bird tables, a couple of big oak trees, grass and hedges with ivy etc and also backs on to our little meadow with the pool, so I do get some water birds as well.....

Basically we are lucky enough to own a small nature reserve here, with woodland, meadow, hedges marsh and a pool, so get a lot of different birds.

An enjoyable hour, well spent!

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch

Today I am about to go and sit at my dining room window, with a cup of coffee, binoculars and bird book to hand, to watch birds.

I am taking part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch

Its very easy to do, you settle down for your hour watching and recording the highest number of each bird species seen in your garden, or local park (not flying over) at any one time, on either Saturday 30 or Sunday 31 January 2010.

Thats all there is to! So...why not join in?

I will let you all know what I saw later on today...