London (change)
Today 9°C / 6°C
Tomorrow 16°C / 7°C

Talkback: Big Garden Birdwatch 2009

in Talkback

Latest posts | New discussions | Hot threads | Forum topics
Help | Settings | Public profile
Reply
Related Article
Big Garden Birdwatch 2009
When it's cold outside, and none of the family offer to join me in the garden for a spot of tidying up, it's nice having the company of some feathered friends instead.
1 to 20 of 25 messages
Previous page
Next page
Gardeners' World Web User
26/01/2009 at 21:34
We have been very happy to see chaffinches, greenfinches, our resident Blackbird, Robins and Blue Tits. The following I think we have are Great Tit and Coal Tit. These birds enjoy the seeds and peanuts we have in the feeders. I have just turned all the boarders over and created a new boarder and the Robin has been having a feast. In the young Oak Tree in the garden next door I noticed two birds the size of the Blue Tits (not sure if they were) were chasing around the branches but swirling up and down them. We have had some Blue Tits looking at our nest box. It has been up over a year but never been lived in. My husband and I enjoy looking out onto our garden with all the coming and goings and used the dry weather on Saturday to do some tidying up. We have 2 Westies that the youngest spends her time just sitting under the confiers watching them come and go feeding.
Gardeners' World Web User
28/01/2009 at 15:50
I had my best-ever BGBW on Sunday, seeing almost every species I've ever spotted in my garden, plus a couple of extras. I saw 3 wood pigeons, 2 blackbirds (1 male and 2 female but only 2 at once so I only counted 2), 6 starlings, 2 robins, 1 dunnock, 1 collared dove, 1 blue tit, 1 song thrush (only the second time I've ever seen one in my garden I think so I'm most grateful to her for showing up at that particular time!!), 3 Long Tailed Tits, 1 coal tit and the new ones were a magpie and 2 carrion crows. All in all a great hour - most enjoyable! I've had one blue tit-style nest box up for a while now but it's not been used yet so I might move it. I also have a robin-style box and a house sparrow terrace waiting to go up - just got to find the perfect spots for them in my relatively small garden!
Gardeners' World Web User
28/01/2009 at 16:00
We took part for the first time this year - there were a couple of species missing from our usual visitors - collared doves and greenfinches, and we usually get at least 5 goldfinches instead of just the 3, and only 1 wood pidgeon as opposed to 3 or 4. I'm pretty sure it was two different robins, but as there was only one at a time, we couldn't count as 2. But the blue and great tits, sparrow, chaffinch and blackbirds, even the solitary magpie, made our hour spent worthwhile.
Gardeners' World Web User
28/01/2009 at 23:42
Had a lovely time watching a pair of robins out of my kitchen window.They are sizing up my passionflower as a potential house to build their nest.Isnt it a bit early for this to be happening?Would appreciate any comments
Gardeners' World Web User
29/01/2009 at 12:26
I, like Sandra, have noticed that the Robins seem to have paired up already (and the blackbirds) and it does seem a couple of weeks earlier than normanl. As a general rule of thumb my old dad used to say that birds always paired up on Valentine's Day!
Gardeners' World Web User
30/01/2009 at 22:41
I really wish I could put bird boxs up but haven't anywhere high enough for them to be safe, too many cats in the area to take the chance, I have seen them many times lurking to catch any unsuspecting creature, I chase them away but they sneak back as soon as I go indoors. I really prefer the bird population.
Gardeners' World Web User
31/01/2009 at 17:48
Will want to put up bird boxes for this Spring. I understand you are supposed to place them facng in a certain direction - N/S/E/W?? Which is it if true??
Gardeners' World Web User
31/01/2009 at 19:03
Dawn, aim to site the nest boxes out of direct sun where the boxes could overheat during the day. Avoid a south facing position in direct sun. In preference choose an north, east or west-facing site.
Gardeners' World Web User
01/02/2009 at 15:33
I have had a visiting Gold Crest to the peanuts during January feeel so priviledged as I have not seen one in the garden for about 5 years however I suspect that she has been around but this particular cold weather has made her visitthee peants.
Gardeners' World Web User
02/02/2009 at 18:40
So, what did I spot in my hour of the Big Garden Birdwatch? Blackbirds 2 Collared Dove 3 Robin 1 Bluetit 2 House Sparrow 8 Starling 8 Chaffinch 1 Woodpigeon 2 Magpie 1 Not a bad hour, but no sight of other regular garden visitors like Long-tailed tit, Great Tit or my favourite Song Thrush. With this cold weather now upon us, everyone should remember to put out fresh water for the birds, and top-up feeders.
Gardeners' World Web User
04/02/2009 at 14:56
We were away for the birdwatch weekend,so could not take part this year. We are really lucky to have a variety of garden birds, especially sparrows and blackbirds. I feed them at least twice a day, and get hours of pleasure watching their antics. Two main problems ... how do I get the bluetits to use the nest box, and how do I get the sparrows to nest in the garden. They used to nest in the flat roof space above our kitchen, but last year suddenly stopped. Instead of the numbers exceeding 20 at one time, we are down to about 8.ould the roof space have beome to contaminated with constant use? We can't get at it to clean it out.
Gardeners' World Web User
15/02/2009 at 12:00
I sent in my Birdwatch list, but it would have been a longer list of birds if I had waited until now. The reason is that I have now constructed a log feeder as per the article in January's GW magazine. I modified it by drilling a few extra holes & fitted these with twigs to act as perches. The birds love the suet & seed mixture. Thanks for the idea GW.
Gardeners' World Web User
15/02/2009 at 16:32
hi dawn i have all my blue tit boxes and long tail tit boxes facing south and they go in every year i am putting a robin box up in a short time as last year they nested in my ivory tree did not make a good nest so all the chicks fell out i took them down to our bird sanctuary a short drive away and they did well gemma
Gardeners' World Web User
16/02/2009 at 12:50
For Dawn. I have to disagree with Gemma. The BTO and RSPB do not recommend facing a nest box to the South, In this position the box (and chicks) can heat up too much on sunny days The best advice is to position boxes facing North or North West. Clearly, if the whole site is in the shade during the day then a south-facing site is fine!
Gardeners' World Web User
07/03/2009 at 22:29
The bird activity has been fantastic this year we have added another feeder for the smaller birds. I saw my first Wren at about 5.30pm on Friday 27th climbing through the Jasmine branches I felt so pleased.
Gardeners' World Web User
12/06/2009 at 15:45
could any one tell me when is the best time to cut ivy back causing minimun desruption to birds and insects. We can't get in our garage any more because the ivy has gone mad!!
Gardeners' World Web User
13/06/2009 at 21:14
This morning from 5.30a.m.woken by a choir of bird sound../A Linet singing its wide repetoir! for the next hour I sighted the following birds, mostly feeding their young. Long tailedtits- 10 young ones sitting on the telephone wires!4 parents with 5 babies each ! Then, the greater spotted Woodpeckers feeding one greedy fluffy babe.The range of birds above the river Teme, here is anazing. from Nuthatches to Greenfinches,to river Chaffinches,withlong silver legs,wrens nesting up in the corner of our Patio roof,magpies,Jackdaws,great & blue tits,thrushes calling each other in the orchard. Big backbirds,pigeons we also ve a Barn owlet and Tawny Owlets at night. Mallards,coots and moorhens on the river. A heron flew over this morning ! Buzzards are high above being mobbed by crows usually! three robins, who must be related ? Ordinary chaffinches, and pigeons galore-seen a group of them mob a baby Peregrinfalcon!
Gardeners' World Web User
13/06/2009 at 21:19
As stated above. This area in Shropshire is truly amazing fo wild life most of the year. kingfishers have also been sighted further down the river near Tenbury Wells.Sparrow hawks swoop and catch thir smaller bird prey.Atother times of year we have goldfinches, Bullfinches, a few Siskin also.
Gardeners' World Web User
15/07/2009 at 17:26
In this month's Gardener's World magazine,[page 96], regarding the rapid decline of house sparrows, my husband & I have spent many happy hours just lately watching dozens of parents feed their young on our seed trays, one poor soul had three youngsters all begging to be fed at once. Some fledglings, if ignored knew exactly what to do & fed themselves when the parent flew off. We, in Yorkshire have siskins,bluetits,coaltits,long tailed tits,robins,hedge sparrows,collared doves, wood pigeons, a kestrel, a sparrow hawk & a heron looking for a meal from a neighbour's fishpond. So Mr Moss, if you want to see a lot of house sparrows at close quarters [we sit just six feet away from the feeders] come to Pudsey & have a cup of tea.
Gardeners' World Web User
14/10/2009 at 17:45
About ten or twelve Redwings seen in Capel le Ferne, Folkestone, during October 2009. They were after the red berries on the yew tree.
1 to 20 of 25 messages
Previous page
Next page