Day 85 - Sutton Bank & More Big Garden Birdwatch

Hi everyone,

A charm of chaffinches.

Well I managed to get up to Sutton Bank this morning, a great place that I've posted on before about my walks here, as I knew they had some activities going on around the Big Garden Birdwatch. I got up there early, before they were doing their actual count, so I was just watching rather than counting but it was still great. I started out in the cafe and had a fantastic hot chocolate and flapjack whilst I watched the first set of feeders. (happy days!)

Well there was lots of activity! There were more chaffinches there than I could count, good luck to everyone doing the count! The blue tits were happily flitting in and out as well as the odd great tit, and coal tit. A little highlight though was the guy in the video I took. It was on the first set of feeders but the video was on the second set of feeders (sorry it's a bit shaky and it was through glass). I was having a good chat to the staff at the visitor centre (Hi Chris :-) as we were wondering if it's a Willow or Marsh tit. In the end I decided it was a Willow Tit but it's hard to tell and I might have that wrong, please let me know if you can tell from the video.

There were also Dunnocks and a few Siskins. We didn't see one but must go back for a good walk and hunt for them but I found out today that they also have Crossbills around this area as there's a lot of coniferous woodland around.

Goldcrest

I also had a report back from my grandparents big garden birdwatch. They only live just up the road but they get a few different species. Along with the Collared Doves, Wood Pigeons, House Sparrows, Starlings, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits, Dunnocks, Robin, Blackbirds etc. they get far more Chaffinches than we do, a greenfinch, a regular Squirrel and a regular pair of Goldcrests that visit! There's a photo here of one from their garden.

Short and sweet today as it was my first performance this afternoon, more on this soon as I'm going to use it for a theme I've been planning for a while :-)

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.