# RSPB Big Birdwatch....



## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Anyone particpating this weekend?

http://www.rspb.org.uk/Birdwatch

We've just finished our 1 hour 'watch' in the garden (NE Norfolk coast) and saw..

1 Thrush
1 Robin
1 Blackbird
17 Starlings
1 Songthrush

We usually get a lot more variety than that but you have to stick strictly to what you see within the hour.

Be interesting to see others results from wherever you live....

Pete


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## Tezza (May 1, 2005)

Hi

I did mine this morning in South Wales. Sat there with my Tea & bacon muffins, (inside of course) wow didn't the hour go quick.

2 robins
6 Blue Tits
2 Coal Tits
3 Great Tits
16 Jackdaws
2 Blackbirds
2 Wood Pigeons
2 House Sparrows
1 Chaffinch
1 Magpie
1 Long Tailed Tit

Tezza


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## Ian_n_Suzy (Feb 15, 2009)

I didn't know this was on. But I just happened to be looking out the Window earlier at the snow covered Trees. I lost count at 12 Long Tailed Tits, the tree looked alive with their "flicking tails" (they nest in our garden every year and the young birds seem to hang around for ages after). 

There was also 2 Jays in the adjacent tree, which is a rarity as we don't often get them in the garden.


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## motormouth (Jul 3, 2010)

My wife did it this moring, thick snow where we are

8 Blackbirds
3 Collared doves
3 Robins
5 blue tits
2 dunnocks
2 house sparrows
4 starlings
4 chaffinch
3 wood pigeon
1 coal tit
3 great tits
1 pied wagtail
1 nuthatch
1 woodpecker

She loves long tailed tits and was dissappointed none came down during the hour, about 6 arrived 10 minutes later.


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## lifestyle (Apr 27, 2008)

I have just finished my watch.They must have gone away for the weekend   

1 Blackbird
1 Starling
2 Ring doves
6 Wood pigeons
2 Crows
1 Seagull

Most days we have robins ,tits , wrens ,thrush ,sparrows and chaffinches.as well as all above.

Les


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

We've also done it and it's a cracking idea, but I can't understand the restrictions?

Why strictly one hour, when the time of day is not specified. That makes a huge difference to us - we get loads of birds on the feeders early in the morning, but later on there is just an occasional visitor.

Why on one specific day? This has had a seriously effect on our count. Yesterday when it was freezing cold with several inches of snow on the ground we were inundated. I had to put out more mealy worms several times. Today it's relatively mild and the only snow left is under the hedgerows - and very few birds have been around.

Why don't they want to know what type of bird food you put out? This makes a big difference to which birds are attracted.

Am I missing something, or would it have been far more scientific to specify (_say_) two or three one-hour periods at set times of day, and ask for the average count over the weekend period (_or longer if possible_) for each timed period.

I suppose people would not have participated if it wasn't made easy and convenient, but it seems to me that dodgy data is almost worse than no data.

What am I missing?

Dave

P.S. As has already been said, several species of frequent visitors just didn't happen to turn up during the one hour period. Does that mean the data processors will assume those birds are not common in that area?

Edit - correctid grammer, before Pippin sore it! :lol:


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Dave they do ask for the type of bird food put out when you submit your return. Do agree about the time of day and the weather. I reckon if it was longer than an hour you would be counting the same birds twice or even three times which is not what they want. 

Did mine at lunch time today.

2 blackbirds (many more sometimes)
3 blue tits (difficult not to count some twice so settled for three)
2 Carrion crows
2 chaffinch
1 coal tit 
1 collared dove
1 great tit
1 greenfinch (usually have a small flock)
2 long tailed tits
1 robin
1 starling (usually have three regularly)
1 wood pigeon ( there is a pair around but didn't see its mate today)

My dunnock that lives in the garden was nowhere to be seen in the hour. Trouble was I think the neighbours were also putting out food it being a weekend and counting them so the allegiance I have in the week was upset, many being lured elsewhere  

peedee


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

peedee said:


> I reckon if it was longer than an hour you would be counting the same birds twice or even three times which is not what they want.


I'm not sure about that Peedee. :?

They don't want you to *count *all the birds you see in one hour, they want to know the highest number you saw *at any one time* during the hour. _(Their emphasis - not mine!)_

So you could not possibly "_*count*_" the same bird more than once. You might *see *him several times, but you would only *count* him the once . . . when he was accompanied by the maximum number of his mates. :wink:

I am presuming the one hour time limit is to make it easy and encourage people to take part. If you are not counting, but recording only the maximum number of each species observed at any one time, why specify one hour but not the time of day?

It means they will (in effect) get the maximum number of each species seen during the *whole day*, because people will do their recording at different times throughout the day.

Methinks someone at the RSPB needs a lesson or two in statistical analysis.

Dave


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## adonisito (Nov 6, 2009)

We're doing it tomorrow, should have done it today really, there was a mistle thrush in the garden all morning , bet he disappears tomorrow along with practically everything else , resulting in an Adonisito count of 1 scruffy starling !


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