The last time I participated in the RSPB’s Big Bird Garden Birdwatch was way back in 2011 – somehow work has always got in the way since then. I got up early this morning and spent an hour watching the bird activity in our garden. As in 2011, Lucy came and joined me, sitting at the living room window watching our feathered friends with interest. In the end she decided she’d had enough and went outside to check out her territory in our neighbours’ garden instead.
The colours in this starling's feathers are glorious, yet in most lights they simply look brown!
As I watched the birds I took lots of pictures. The light was truly awful, with no sign of sunshine, so I was shooting against the odds. Of the 158 photos I took only these three come anywhere near being worthy of publishing. I was pleased with the starling though as what little light there was brought out the colours in its feathers.
We had bluetits nesting in our bird box last year but it seems the local great tits are interested in taking up residence this year.
Ultimately I came spotted quite a variety of birds, and I now need to upload the numbers to the RSPB website so the national statistics can be collated. Here’s what I saw:
- 4 Blackbirds
- 8 Goldfinches
- 2 Bluetits
- 1 Magpie
- 2 Bullfinches
- 1 Dunnock
- 1 Wood Pigeon
- 1 Great Tit
- 1 Robin
- 1 Greenfinch
- 1 Starling
It’s a pretty good representation of the birds that regularly visit our garden – thank goodness they all turned out when it mattered!