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| Always ensure fresh water is available The birds will appreciate it. Frozen water like this is easily melted or by placing a saucer of fresh water on top - it's easy to provide for them! |
The Big Garden Birdwatch, first took place in 1979 for younger members of the RSPB. It wasn't until 2001 that adults were asked to take part - yes, I know, I'm a bit late at coming to the party - but better late than never, eh!!
The purpose of this event is to count the garden birds visiting our gardens during a specific weekend - the weekend of 26/27 January, this year and for 1 hour only. So pretty easy to fit in for most lifestyles.
Once data is collected and logged - they can work out our most common garden birds here in the UK. If you don't have a garden, you can do it in your local park.
So, how do you do it? You count each separate species of birds in your garden at one time - that way you don't record the same bird more than once! It's important that you only record the birds 'in' your garden - not those flying over. Mind you, what about the ones sitting on the fence!!
Once your hour is up you have until the 15th of February to log your information - check out the RSPB WEBSITE for more information. There are forms to download to help you record your data and just for registering you can claim £5 off when you shop at their online store!
I've been making sure that I can id all the birds that regularly visit my garden and yesterday, after clearing the footpaths of snow and ice - I had a little practice run! Although snow was on the ground - it was a fresh sunny afternoon. It's not often I get a chance to sit down and do nothing for an hour! In my garden, the birds just generally go about their business whilst we are in the garden, and that includes the cats and the dog! I do make sure that the cats (3 young boys) wear bells on their collars and we have very few casualties! If you would like more information on the birds - please follow the links!
These are the 3 most common birds that visit my garden.
Camera......Action!!
House Sparrow (passer domesticus)
By far the most prolific birds that visits my garden. These rather noisy social creatures will eat pretty much anything you put down to them. They will feed from tables, feeders, ground feeders and forage about in the undergrowth for food. Always the first in the queue when the feeders are filled up! Generally they will feed in the garden when we are about but disappear in their droves to the hedgerow when danger is about. Whilst they do eat seeds and grains - insects are an important part of their diet. Planting insect friendly plants will provide a vital source of nourishment for them and in particular their young when they most need it.
What a quieter place my garden would be without these birds and their bully bird tactics!
They will rather greedily hog the feeders - like the sparrows they too will eat anything you put out. Their fighting is just not confined to other species but their in house squabbling can get rather noisy!
There is something rather comical about the way the smash their beaks into the fat balls in the hanging feeders - only for the little birds patiently awaiting the spoils that drop to the ground!
Another year round visitor but in springtime their numbers multiply rapidly.
You can't fail to notice their glossy multi-coloured feathers - iridescent is a better word to describe it, I think!
Blue tits are another of our common garden birds. It is said that if you have 5 blue tits at one feeder at any time - your garden is probably feeding 20 birds. I've often more than 20 birds in the garden at one time - so just how many am I feeding?
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| Blue Tit Easily recognisable by it's blue eye mask |
Unmistakable in flight, as they make for the garden - these little beauties are always first to investigate anything new! In fact - I was given a couple of nesting boxes as a Christmas present and as I have no practical places in which to hang them - I hung one near the roof of the shed - within seconds 2 or 3 blue tits had been in for a nosy!
They too will visit a variety of feeders but not often on the ground - being very agile they can get into some awkward positions. Sunflower hearts will always take preference over other foods followed closely by peanuts. They also eat insects and fruit and can be seen pecking away at the branches looking for insects.
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| Getting ready to go! |
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| Hanging from a peanut feeder hooked inside a Weeping Willow |
Being as I want my garden to be wildlife friendly as I can possibly make it - it is important that I encourage as my different bird species as I possibly can. There are lots of birds, either resident or visitors here in Scotland that do not visit my garden or they have only been a fleeting visitor - I'm hoping that in time I can encourage some of them in and make them more of a regular. I wonder that as the shrubs/trees mature (2 years ago my garden was just lawn and paths), the borders become fuller, the pond entices yet more wildlife and the log piles rot - will the difference be obvious or just slight?
Do you provide food for the birds in winter or all year round or not at all?
Will you be taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch?
What birds are a common sight in your garden?
I wonder if other countries do a similar event? If you live anywhere other than the UK - I'm sure I won't be the only one interested in hearing about it - please feel free to tell us all about it!
I will be doing a follow up blog on the less abundant bird species visiting my garden - so please come back soon!