THE BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH

This year, the garden was once again subject to an hour of bird counting, as the annual RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch survey took place.

Last year the list of birds spotted and counted was as follows (starting with the most seen):

House sparrow – 9

Blackbird – 9

Great tit – 7

Blue tit – 6

Starling – 5

Robin – 4

Magpie – 4

Long tailed tit – 4

Dunnock – 4

Woodpigeon – 3

Goldfinch – 2

Tree sparrow – 2

This year the order changed slightly, and we didn’t see any tree sparrows or woodpigeons. The 2018 order was as follows:

Long tailed tit – 9

House sparrow – 7

Great tit – 4

Dunnock – 4

Goldfinch – 4

Blue tit – 2

Blackbird – 2

Magpie – 2

Wren – 2

Robin – 2

The weather on Saturday wasn’t the best and we did pick a time later in the day, so missed most of the action earlier in the day, hence the lower numbers.

The flock of long tailed tits didn’t disappoint again, and they even managed to outscore the house sparrow.

I’ve not noticed any real difference in the number and type of birds coming into the garden over the last few years, with sightings of tawny owls, sparrowhawks, crows and song thrush, among those who are seen perhaps a couple of times a year.

Among the flora in the garden, the snowdrops, winter rose and crocuses are already flowering, with others, including daffodils and tulips, starting to emerge as green shoots.

While it’s still January, and there’s likely to be more colder and stormy days to come in the next couple of months, the weekend did start to give us a feel of spring – temperatures reach about 14c on Sunday.

Which means it’s time to make sure the bird nest boxes are in good order and ready for any spring guests – particularly the camera nest boxes!

WINTER COLD POSTPONES PREPARATIONS FOR SPRING

This year we can’t say we haven’t had some proper winter weather. The snow, ice and bitterly cold northerly winds have caused wildlife in the garden to postpone plans for spring.

The nest building of the house sparrows has stopped (see first three images below), although overnight roosting has continued with the female bird (see final image below).

 

 

 

 

A pair of tree sparrows are still showing great interest in the sparrow nest box ‘complex’, but not in the section with a camera in.

In the last couple of days I have seen the pair of robins, whose territory includes the garden, flirting with each other and driving off intruders.

A pair of great tits have also been showing signs of flirtation but, like the robins, it doesn’t last long as the search for food to keep them alive during the harsh overnight frosts takes their attention.

Recently a grey squirrel has been frequenting the garden. This is unusual because although they seem to live about ½ a mile away, visits to the garden have been very rare.

The prolonged cold weather must be driving them further in search of food.

With the ground rock hard, the single winter rose and snowdrop are unlikely to be joined by any of the numerous bulbs that had pierced the surface of the soil a couple of weeks ago.

The branches of the fruit tree in the garden are covered in the first shoots of spring buds, but I don’t expect there to be any further movement in the next week or so.

That’s because the forecast appears to show this cold weather staying for a while, so postponing the recent eagerness of the wildlife in and around the garden to prepare for spring.

PLANNING AHEAD FOR SPRING

The stormy weather appears to have abated for now, which is good news for everywhere, particularly those areas with the dreadful floods we’ve been seeing.

It’s also seen a change in some of the flora in the garden, with the first snowdrop appearing and blossom on the fruit tree.

Along with the snowdrop a host of other spring bulbs are showing, with tulips, daffodils and crocuses all sure to be flowering by the start of March.

 

I do have a little worry about them due to the severe snow and cold weather we experienced last March, but I guess that’s the gamble nature plays every year and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.

I’ve already planned my spring planting session and I’m hoping the hard work over the winter in preparing the ground will pay off.

This week I’ll be buying the required seeds ready for the germinator and, for some, simply putting them straight in the ground.

With a new baby due in June it’s vital all the planning is done now so the plants are well on their way to bearing fruit by June.

Finally the garden is now equipped with two nestbox cameras, as I’ve hooked up one of the compartments in the sparrow nestbox (see above).

Below is the view from each camera, first tit cam then sparrow cam.

 

 

There’s not been any action yet, but I’m hoping to see some visitors in the next few weeks.

WINTER WARMTH PROVES BLOOMING ENTICING

The winter storms are continuing and causing chaos for people and wildlife across the country. The ground in the garden is soggy, while the stream that runs passed the house is often full to bursting – luckily it would take an apocalyptic level of rainfall for it to come anywhere near the garden.

Fields around the house are always flooded sometime covering up to 80/90 per cent of the area. It does make me wonder what’s happening to the crops that have already been sown or the grass that is waiting to make an appearance for spring.

Despite the threat of a proper winter cold spell last week, it continues to be very mild and this is being shown in the emergence of spring bulbs, including the crocus, tulip, daffodil and snowdrop.

Remarkable the first one to flower was the crocus, which shows just how mild it must be for it to flower before the snowdrop.

I’ve not noticed any birds taking shelter in the camera nestbox, although the new camera will be in place by next weekend so hopefully that will show if the triple sparrow nestbox is being used as a roost.

The size of the flocks of birds coming to the garden feeders is fairly steady, with daily sightings of all the usual suspects for my area – blackbird, robin, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, house sparrow, tree sparrow and dunnock.

I rarely see chaffinches, goldfinches, magpies, jays and wrens, but I know they’re around. Plus flocks of starlings and redwings are often seen flying at low level over the garden.

My main task this week has been to remove and uproot to trees to make more light for the canopy floor, encouraging wild flowers and creating areas for vegetables to be grown.

It was hard work and my hands, shoulders and arms are feeling it now. So until next week enjoy the pictures of what’s been happening in the last week.

 

PREPARING FOR THE WINTER FREEZE

Frosts, fog and ice scrapers have been the order of this week, which is why I’m pleased that my garden is ready for winter – and also next spring.

The fallen leaves from a couple of the small trees have provided the borders with a covering of nature’s own fertiliser, while crocus, snowdrop, daffodil and tulip bulbs have been planted in the non-veg areas.

Added to that is the horse manure from a local farm and I’m hoping for a very colourful and early start to spring in the garden.

There is still pruning to do and the dismantling of the temporary greenhouse, but I can do nothing more to help the garden been in the best condition to see it through the coldest season of the year.

One more thing I’ll be doing is fixing the second bird camera to the sparrow nestbox and I hope this is in place by Christmas.

The other camera is still working, well it is at this point of writing, and it’ll be interesting to see when any birds make use of it to roost.

I’ve started to see a couple of blackbirds in the garden and the sparrows, both tree and house have made daily visits, but there’s not been more birds visiting recently.

It’s hard to actually tell to be fair, as most days of the week I’m not here in daylight.

Perhaps a new batch of peanuts will tempt a few more species in, although the fat snacks haven’t had that effect. That said they are being eaten, just not when I’m around.

As we near December and the potential for even colder weather, I suspect the numbers and species of birds will increase – as will my vigilance to the menace of the local cats.