RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2024

 

Female Blackcap, quite a regular visitor

 

David and I spent an hour doing the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch this afternoon. We felt our results were disappointing, but that may be more to do with the fact that we did our count in the afternoon this year (when many birds are less active) rather than in the morning. We often see Great tits, House sparrows, Magpies and Blackbirds. We sometimes see a Great spotted woodpecker, a Song thrush and a Wren. None of these put in an appearance today. 

You can see our results in the list below.

 

 

I wonder how you fared, or perhaps you will do a count tomorrow (28th). The full results will be released by the RSPB on 12 April 2024. 

Back in 2010 when we were still living in Swansea, we counted these birds. Last year (2023), from the same suburban Suffolk home as this year, we submitted this list. 

I don't know whether our local bird numbers have decreased or whether the new time of day had more to do with our result than other factors. Yesterday when we were on a very local walk, we counted a slightly different mix of species (Greenfinch, Blackbird, Blackcap, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Redwing and Starling), either from observation or from sound via the Merlin Bird ID app. It's good to know that we still have Greenfinches in our area as we rarely see these birds.

 

New Year Visitors of the Woodpecker Kind

 

What an age it seems since I last posted on this blog. There have been various reasons (largely Christmas plans and festivities); but here I am, emerging from a kind of hibernation and finding myself two days into the New Year! 

We have been been keeping a sharp eye on our coconut feeders as a Sparrowhawk swooped right down a few weeks ago, and might well have ended up inside if our sliding doors had been open at the time. There were no casualties on that occasion, but the raptor came surprisingly close to the glass. Perhaps she noticed the butterfly stickers at the eleventh hour, which are supposed to warn birds to keep away from the window pane.

Since that hair-raising moment, we have had scores of Blue tits, good numbers of Great tits and Long-tailed tits. We have also had regular visits from a female Great Spotted Woodpecker, the one in the photo above. Well, yesterday we suddenly realised that the bird we were watching had a red nape. This means we have also have a male in our neck of the woods. Will there be young ones later on? 

 

We were delighted to look out on 16 November, such a long time ago now, and find this Redwing enjoying the berries. We occasionally see these beautiful winter migrants in the garden. It is always a joy when we do. 

 

The October image above has to be one of our garden favourites for 2021. We love the whiskers, the beady eyes and those enormous ears! I have a hunch the sandy-coloured patches of fur probably make this a Field or Wood Mouse. 

And by the way, we checked on the Wasp-spider egg-sac just outside the glass door. It has survived the winter so far.

I look forward to finding new species in our wild garden this year. I wonder who will be first on the 2022 list ... Sadly we had no hedgehogs to report last year. When we first moved here to our Suffolk garden a decade ago, we had fairly frequent sightings, sometimes of a mother with young in tow. Let's hope we can somehow buck the current downward trend.

  

Fieldfares and Redwings

We have definitely had more snow than in our previous years in Suffolk. And, to our delight, the snow brought a huge mixed flock of Fieldfares (a garden first for us) and Redwings (just a few). All these photos were taken through the window of our home. Sadly the light quality was very poor when I photographed the Redwing, two photos below.

 

With a profusion of catkins behind

Seeing these wonderful birds so close at hand made me wonder whether there will be an influx, or even an irruption, of Waxwings. However, the Waxwing Twitter account, @WaxwingsUK , suggests to me that this is probably unlikely. 

A 'First' Garden Sighting - Redwing (I think...)

I looked out of my window this afternoon just before sunset and noticed an unusual bird on the branches of the Acer negundo, which rarely attracts avian life. 

Wondering if it could be a Redwing, I grabbed my camera and was able to take three record shots through the double glazing before it flew off. I apologise for the quality, but I think the photos show a solitary Redwing (unless you can advise me of some other ID) - a 'first' in my home patch; and, in fact, my first migratory Redwing of the year. There is a clear superciliary stripe and just a hint of the characteristic russet colour around the wing area on the photo above. You can see a few stray berries in the background which had perhaps lured the bird into our garden in the first place.   

I note from the RSPB website that Redwing have been given Red conservation status. I had never seen these birds before we moved to Suffolk five years ago. 

2015 Species List to Date

I am adding the first of my February sightings to my 2015 List ...

Our first Hare sighting in 2015, Suffolk, UK

The species in italics have been added in February. A star means that I have only spotted this species in one location - to date.


Birds

Home Patch

1. Blackbird (several)
2. Blue tit* (small cluster) 
3. Bullfinch* (one female - first female spotted in the garden. Snowy conditions)
4. Buzzard (one - a first!) 
5. Carrion Crow (several)
6. Chaffinch* (one)
7. Common Gull (about eleven)
8. Goldfinch (small flock)
9. Great Spotted Woodpecker*
10. Great tit* (about four) 
11. Green Woodpecker* (one)
12. Grey Heron (one)
13. Long-tailed tit* (about eight, possibly more most days)
14. Magpie (about five)
15. Redwing (one, in the snow of 31 January - a first in the garden)
16. Robin* (one most days)
17. Song Thrush* (one - and also one in the park)
18. Starling* (five)
19. Wood pigeon (plenty!)
20. Wren* (one)

Abberton Reservoir, Essex Wildlife Trust

1. Common Gull* (a few) 
2. Goldeneye* (two)
3. Greylag Goose* (a flock)
4. Lapwing* (colony)
5. Mallard (quite a few)
6. Mute Swan (about twenty)
7. Tufted Duck* (ditto)

Bawdsey

1. Barn Owl* (one)
2. Carrion Crow (one)
3. Coot* (four)
4. Cormorant* (one)
5. Grey Heron (one)
6. Kestrel* (one)
7. Lesser Black-backed Gull* (one)
8. Mallard (several)
9. Mute Swan (two)
10. Pheasant* (two)
11. Red-legged Partridge* (small flock)
12. Wigeon* (four)

Christchurch Park

1. Redwing (about seven)

Snape

1. Teal* (one)
2. Little Egret* (one)

Southwold

1. Turnstone* (twelve)

  
Current total of bird species seen: 37



Mammals

Home Patch

1. Grey Squirrel (one on several occasions) 

Bawdsey

1. Hare* (two)
2. Muntjac Deer* (one)  

Ickworth

1. Fox* (one)

In advance of the Big Garden Birdwatch, my 2015 Bird List to date

Goldeneye, Essex Wildlife Trust's Abberton Reservor Reserve

These are my 2015 January lists, thus far. I am only counting each species once, even if it is spotted in several locations ...


Birds

Home Patch

1. Blackbird (about five)
2. Blue tit (small cluster) 
3. Buzzard (one - a first!)
4. Chaffinch (one)
5. Common Gull (about eleven)
6. Goldfinch (small flock)
7. Great Spotted Woodpecker
8. Great tit (about four)
9. Grey Heron (one)
10. Long-tailed tit (about eight, possibly more most days)
11. Magpie (about five)
12. Robin (one most days)
13. Song Thrush (one - and also one in the park)
14. Starling (five)
15. Wood pigeon (plenty!)
16. Wren (one)

Abberton Reservoir, Essex Wildlife Trust

1. Common Gull (a few) 
2. Goldeneye (two)
3. Greylag Goose (a flock)
4. Lapwing (colony)
5. Mallard (quite a few)
6. Mute Swan (about twenty)
7. Tufted Duck (ditto)

Bawdsey

1. Barn Owl (one)
2. Carrion Crow (one)
3. Kestrel (one)
4. Lesser Black-backed Gull (one)

Christchurch Park

1. Redwing (about seven)

Southwold

1. Turnstone (twelve)

  
Current total of bird species seen: 29



Mammals

Home Patch

1. Grey Squirrel (one on several occasions) 

Bawdsey

1. Muntjac Deer (one)

All species can be found on the RSPB site here.

If you live in the UK and would like to take part in the 2015 Big Garden Birdwatch, you will find details here. 

Redwings in the Park

It was a bitterly cold weekend, though the snow flurries were minimal. We visited Christchurch Park, where this Grey Squirrel was busy foraging at the edge of one of the grassy areas.

After our sighting of a Barn Owl last weekend, we thought it would be good to see if Mabel the Tawny Owl was 'at home' since I had read that she had been back in her favourite spot. There was, however, no sign of her on this occasion. I expect the afternoon was too cold for her to sit at the opening of her usual tree hole. 

This magnificent Song Thrush was hopping about, and we looked hard to see whether (s)he was ringed, but there was no ring in sight.

The Blackbird gives an idea of scale for the Redwing

Suddenly on this muted January afternoon, our eyes were alerted by movement in front of a female Blackbird. We thought at first that it might be a Brambling, a bird I would love to see, but it was a Redwing, another winter migrant. According to the RSPB site, it is 'the UK's smallest true thrush' and is on the Red List for conservation. There were, in fact, several Redwings hopping about in the dead leaves. I failed to find a good setting for my camera in the dim light, but at least I have a couple of record shots and another bird to add to my January list.

A Lull in the Weather ~ a Stroll in the Park

After a stormy night, the weather cleared a little on Sunday afternoon
so we visited one of our local parks.

There were a few Mallard ducks and Moorhens on one of the main ponds.

This Cormorant had deserted the coast or waterfront in favour of easy pickings. 

There were also quite a few Black-headed gulls. 

The sunshine brought the Grey Squirrels out into the open,

foraging for their buried food supplies.

Suddenly we spotted a small flock of Redwing. 

These winter migrants breed in northern regions of Europe and Asia,

but arrive in the UK in small flocks.

Speaking of winter migrants, we had read reports of Waxwings in our area,

but we failed to find them.

This white bibbed duck (above) may be a hybrid Mallard,
although when I thought I saw one last time, 

hybrid expert Dave Appleton told me
that he felt the duck I had seen on that occasion 

was 'simply a domestic variant of Mallard,
not a hybrid between a Mallard and any other species.
Domestic Mallards come in a bewildering variety
 of sizes, shapes and plumages.' 

So many thanks to Dave,
whose 'hybrid duck' photos can be viewed here. 

The Mallard drake above was doing a spot of preening ...

... before setting sail across the pond with his mate.

There was a photographer keeping a close vigil on this corner of the pond,
and if you follow the red arrow above, you will see why.



Every so often a rat would emerge from one hole or another ...
and the one in the photo below took to the water for a swim. 

Members of the public have been asked to refrain
from feeding the ducks in this pond
because the scraps of bread and suchlike
prove particularly attractive to the rat population.

 

Postscript ...

Having checked out the photos on Dave's Domestic Mallard pages here, I'm pretty sure that the bibbed duck above is much the same as the one on his site from South Creake, Norfolk.

Seasonal Splash: Anglesey Abbey and Rendlesham Forest

We saw quite a few birds over the weekend, despite bitterly cold weather. The Blue tits continued to enjoy the coconut fat-ball in the garden, and were joined or pushed out by Robins and Great tits.

We ventured out through light snow to Anglesey Abbey, where we saw a Redwing among the snowdrops, but it was too well covered in the undergrowth for my camera to 'catch' it. We also noticed this Fieldfare, seen initially through binoculars, as it was a good distance away. 

The birch wood was magical, with snowflakes falling and the occasional clump of snowdrops underground, set off by the silver shimmer of bark.

This is the mill. Folk were hard at work, packaging wholewheat flour ... and on a cold afternoon, the smell of was most compelling!

While I was looking for Fieldfare, we suddenly saw a green and yellow bird shoot past at speed. It landed on the grass, quite a long way from us, but near enough to see that it was indeed a Green Woodpecker, our first of the season. 

The thrush was also a good distance away, but here's a photo for the record.

It is always a joy to see the first wildflowers of a new year, and this small Violet was peeping out from the undergrowth.

I was astonished to see such an early periwinkle, but it may have been a 'garden escape'.

Then yesterday we took a chilly afternoon walk in the opposite direction, at Rendlesham Forest, near Orford. The light was very poor and once again samll flakes of snow were falling. We came across a single clump of Snowdrops. I wonder whether someone or some creature had (trans)planted them.

Rendlesham Forest in administered by the Forestry Commission, and I always like their signs. We were glad that there were coloured trails to follow as the forest is extensive.

There were small circles of ice on the water, but it was the reflected trees that caught my eye.

We drove home 'via' Orford, where I caught my first glimpse of the wildlife haven, Havergate Island, in the River Ore. We saw a Barn Owl (our second in about as many weeks) swooping low over the field and in front of our car. The light was fading and my photo didn't come out, but we enjoyed the sighting. I'm always amazed at just how pale, almost luminescent, these birds are.


2013 Bird list to date ...

1] Blue tit (HP = home patch)
2] Chaffinch (HP)
3] Wood Pigeon (HP)
4] Magpie (HP)
5] Mute Swans (Mistley and Flatford)
6] Blackbird (HP)
7] Goldfinch (HP)
8] Great tit (HP)
9] Greenfinch (HP)
10] Robin (HP)
11] Marsh harrier (Minsmere)
12] Black-headed gull (Minsmere)
13] Bullfinch (Minsmere)
14] Song Thrush (HP)
15] Wren (HP)
16] Canada Goose (Needham Market)
17] Great Crested Grebe (Needham Market)
18] Mallard (Needham Market and Flatford)
19] White ?'garden escape' Pekin duck (Needham Market)
20] Moorhen (Needham Market)
21] Jay (HP)
22] Long-tailed tit (Minsmere)
23] Cormorant (Needham Market)
24] Turnstone (Southwold, Shotley)
25] Herring Gull (Southwold and Felixstowe)
26] Shelduck (Minsmere)
27] Pheasant (Minsmere and Flatford)
28] Barn Owl (Flatford and Rendlesham)
29] Carrion Crow (HP)
30] Starling (HP)
31] Pied Wagtail (Ipswich) 
32] Redwing (Anglesey Abbey)
33] Fieldfare (Anglesey Abbey)
34] Green Woodpecker (Anglesey Abbey)
35] Egyptian Goose (Ickworth)
36] Grey Heron (flying overhead)
37] Coot 
38] Dunnock (HP)

Wildflowers, 2013
1] Violet
2] Aconite
3] Snowdrop (not sure how 'wild'!)
4] Periwinkle (ditto)
5] Daisy (March, HP)
6] Dog's Mercury (March, Kentwell)