Post 385 - Breakfast Gazing beyond windows for Big Garden Bird Watch

My little back garden where we feed the birds.

Hey everyone today's post 385 and 2 days ago WinterWatch ended, this is a show that is aired on UK television about the nature that can be seen at this particular time of year. I love watching it as it's one of the few nature programmes on the TV here and the best in my opinion. It's always nice to see what is happening each season and what sort of nature there is about. They cover some really great species and you get to find out lots about them.  It's also a great opportunity for asking and getting answers to questions.

Blackbirds are quick to come once the food's out!

Well, I only bring this up because on the show they mentioned the Big Garden Birdwatch which is run by the RSPB at this time of year. Basically it's a huge event that happens nationwide that is solely for counting the amount of birds that are in your garden or the area that you're surveying. This area could be a garden, a park or anywhere that you know of that is wild enough to see birds, it could be in the middle of a big city too - they need some people to survey everywhere!

The Starlings aren't far behind!

Well, anyway, I took part in this, as I do every year, and I think I managed to see a good amount of birds. I sort of expected I would as we feed the birds everyday but you never quite know what's going to turn up when. I watch the birds on the bird table most days at breakfast but don't always count or list what I've seen so the Big Garden Birdwatch always helps me to realise just how much there is out there in our gardens! I got some nice pics today but they are though the window so some aren't that clear.

We get quite a few!

Once the foods been put out there seems to be a bit of a regular routine at our birdtable. The Blackbirds are the first to move in, they hit the bird table and the lawn and patio where we spread a few bits of mealworm and suet. Next we get the Starlings, usually quite a crowd of them. Once they are sure the coast is clear the Wood Pigeons and Collared Doves show up. It's about this time that the Jackdaws and Magpies, if they are going to, show up.

A Jackdaw decided to join us today.

In amongst all of this the little birds are darting about getting what they can. We are lucky to have House Sparrows that love our hedge and they dart in and out grabbing bits when they can. They also nest in the eves of our house so we get to see lots of fluffly fledglings!

Here is the list of birds I saw today:

• Dunnock - 1
• Jackdaws - 2
• Woodpigeon - 3
• Collared Dove - 2
• Blackbird - 8
• Robin - 1
• House Sparrow - 6
• Starlings - 12
• Great Tit - 1
• Blue Tit - 2



And a Goldcrest but only for seconds!

• Coal Tit - 1

And the favourite surprise sighting, as I haven't seen one in my garden this year was a lovely Goldcrest. Too quick for a good photo but just caught one of it on the feeder! I also saw a Heron and a couple of Herring Gulls flying over the garden too!   

And a lovely Robin!

I did the same thing on Saturday morning and I had a Chaffinch, Long Tailed Tits and the Magpie show up. It was a bit of a disappointment that the Nuthatch that was visiting us in the Autumn didn't show up. Probably a good job the Sparrowhawk we see from time to time wasn't about this weekend!

Our garden is rural and backs onto a paddock but it is quite small with just a bit of garden on each side of our house. Even though it's small it helps a lot of birds and lots of species. If everyone in the country does this our birds will be very well looked after!

Hope you enjoyed.

Z.