What birds (are you/have you been) watching? What birds have been watching you?

[ardcarp]

Who’d have thought that a bird so commonplace not too many years ago would have achieved ‘cult’ status through murmurations and occasional visits to gardens?

Agreed. And they can imitate sounds such as ring-tones and engines!

[Serial_Apologist]

Agreed. And they can imitate sounds such as ring-tones and engines!

Sainsbury's mega branch in Sydenham "successfully" introduced injured bird alarm calls to their car park to frighten starlings away. Maybe someone complained - starlings are something of a rarity compared to in times past - because the alarms have now been switched off, and the starlings have started to return.

[Pulcinella]

Today's Times reports the top ten garden birds from the recent RSPB survey (three days at the end of January):

House sparrow
Blue tit
Starling
Blackbird
Wood pigeon
Robin
Great tit
Goldfinch
Magpie
Long-tailed tit

The main point in the report (sorry: I don't think a link would work, as the text scrolls on my iPad so probably won't work elsewhere) is that the numbers of greenfinches and chaffinches fell to the lowest level on record.

I wouldn't have thought that the end of January was a very representative period to choose, though. The numbers of birds around must be very temperature dependent at that time of year, surely, so one year's sightings may well be very different from those in other years if there were milder/harsher conditions.

[ardcarp]

Good to see starlings so high on the list. Whilst we see them gathering for a 'murmuration' in the distance, we seldom see one in our garden...as opposed to all the others on the list which are plentiful.

Correction! Mrs A says the house sparrow is somewhat uncommon in these parts, but we have plenty of dunnocks (also called the 'hedge sparrow'). We also see wrens (and hear them), at least two 'families' having nest sites nearby.

[Bryn]

Good to see starlings so high on the list. Whilst we see them gathering for a 'murmuration' in the distance, we seldom see one in our garden...as opposed to all the others on the list which are plentiful.

Correction! Mrs A says the house sparrow is somewhat uncommon in these parts, but we have plenty of dunnocks (also called the 'hedge sparrow').

House sparrows are still undergoing recovery from a rather drastic reduction in numbers:

https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/conservation/projects/causes-of-population-decline-of-urban-house-sparrows/

Additionally, the impact of trichomonosis has been suggested as a contributory factor to the big drop in hause sparrow numbers in 2006.

[oddoneout]

Good to see starlings so high on the list. Whilst we see them gathering for a 'murmuration' in the distance, we seldom see one in our garden...as opposed to all the others on the list which are plentiful.

Correction! Mrs A says the house sparrow is somewhat uncommon in these parts, but we have plenty of dunnocks (also called the 'hedge sparrow'). We also see wrens (and hear them), at least two 'families' having nest sites nearby.

The starling ranking masks a problem though doesn't it? The UK population has plummeted, so we only see large numbers when the migratory flocks appear. I used to have a group of up to 6 in each of my two previous gardens throughout the year but now it is occasional seasonal groups of wary and transient birds.

[Maclintick]

Today a pair of willow warblers on the silver birch in our garden. Yesterday a yellowhammer observed by Mrs M. On my bracing constitutional at the reservoir, newly-arrived hirundines swooping in great numbers, and a hobby which rocketed across the causeway at low-level. Resident pied wagtails now unusually congregated in a group of 8 -- safety in numbers, perhaps...

[vinteuil]

Today a pair of willow warblers on the silver birch in our garden. Yesterday a yellowhammer observed by Mrs M. On my bracing constitutional at the reservoir, newly-arrived hirundines swooping in great numbers, and a hobby which rocketed across the causeway at low-level. Resident pied wagtails now unusually congregated in a group of 8 -- safety in numbers, perhaps...

... you are a lucky person to have such sightings!

We have to make do with pigeons, magpies, rooks, parakeets, and the occasional jay.

Although... on a stomp round Wormwood Scrubbs early this morning - there was a blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna?)

(a tame one, I think... )

.

[johncorrigan]

A glorious sunny, snowy walk round the Loch this morning was topped off with an osprey fishing. We watched it for about ten minutes as it made a couple of unsuccessful dives before moving away towards the other side of the Loch. Didn't see it later on, so assume it was successful in its angling attempts.

[HighlandDougie]

A glorious sunny, snowy walk round the Loch this morning was topped off with an osprey fishing. We watched it for about ten minutes as it made a couple of unsuccessful dives before moving away towards the other side of the Loch. Didn't see it later on, so assume it was successful in its angling attempts.

Ah, you lucky person! Loch of Lintrathen? or Loch of the Lowes? I haven't seen an osprey yet this year, although a friend had two of them having a rest on the way north in a large tree near the end of his garden. I've been greatly enjoying seeing the local pair of eagles on a regular basis, most recently seeing off a brave if ill-advised buzzard.

Having just ordered some more bird food for the three mid-sized feeders, the birds seem to have got through almost 100kg of the stuff since October (and God knows how many kilos of hazelnuts the red squirrels have buried/eaten). Not sure which are the greediest: siskins might just currently take the gold medal, closely followed by the other finches (green, chaff, and gold) - and for making a mess (but the regular ground feeders benefit: a pair of yellowhammers, three mallard, innumerable wood pigeons and two very fat red-legged partridges - happily, no longer Roland and family). Simple things, indeed.

[johncorrigan]

Ah, you lucky person! Loch of Lintrathen? or Loch of the Lowes? I haven't seen an osprey yet this year, although a friend had two of them having a rest on the way north in a large tree near the end of his garden. I've been greatly enjoying seeing the local pair of eagles on a regular basis, most recently seeing off a brave if ill-advised buzzard.

Having just ordered some more bird food for the three mid-sized feeders, the birds seem to have got through almost 100kg of the stuff since October (and God knows how many kilos of hazelnuts the red squirrels have buried/eaten). Not sure which are the greediest: siskins might just currently take the gold medal, closely followed by the other finches (green, chaff, and gold) - and for making a mess (but the regular ground feeders benefit: a pair of yellowhammers, three mallard, innumerable wood pigeons and two very fat red-legged partridges - happily, no longer Roland and family). Simple things, indeed.

Loch of Lintrathen, dougie.

[Dave2002]

Birds have been spurning the food we put out during the last few months. Don’t know why - I threw away some fat balls, and replaced them in a new feeder, but still no takers. Last year there were queues of birds of different varieties - sometimes to fight over these. I wonder if there’s a greater cat prevalence nowadays.

There are red kites and/or buzzards most days though, as well as pied wagtails.

[Bryn]

Birds have been spurning the food we put out during the last few months. Don’t know why - I threw away some fat balls, and replaced them in a new feeder, but still no takers. Last year there were queues of birds of different varieties - sometimes to fight over these. I wonder if there’s a greater cat prevalence nowadays.

There are red kites and/or buzzards most days though, as well as pied wagtails.

I put the heavy drop in bird feeding down to the four cats next door on one side and a further one next door on the other side (no cats living in the property behind the back garden). However, the feeders haning from the eaves get no business either, so perhaos there is another rationale. The two bird baths do get some use.

[cloughie]

I put the heavy drop in bird feeding down to the four cats next door on one side and a further one next door on the other side (no cats living in the property behind the back garden). However, the feeders haning from the eaves get no business either, so perhaos there is another rationale. The two bird baths do get some use.

Busy nesting and keeping the magpies away ... and there are more insects around!

[agingjb]

Our mob have almost given up on fat balls and peanuts, but sunflower hearts are going down at speed: siskins, goldfinches, greenfinches, and all the usual suspects (with woodpigeons, dunnocks and a pheasant lurking below for the fragments dropped).