# Anyone else do the RSPB Bird watch at the weekend



## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Anyone do the RSPB big Garden Watch over the weekend.

I spent an hour between 2 and 3 oclock yesterday afternoon.
Glass in hand, binoculars at the ready. Birdfood in the usual feeders.

Not a single bird came into my garden.

Between 4 and 5 I counted 49

Dave p


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## Jodi1 (Mar 25, 2010)

We settled down to do our birdwatch yeaterday afternoon. I thought it seemed a bit quiet in fact absolutely bereft of any birds at all, when suddenly a Sparrowhawk swooped down from nearby trees and settled on the birdfeeder! He sat there for a few minutes before departing and after several minutes the birds returned and we has a reasonable overall count (including the sparrowhawk)


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## trevorf (May 16, 2005)

Yes I have done it every year since it started. Sparrow numbers up, Blue Tit numbers down compared to last year. Rarest visitor was a Greater Spotted Woodpecker.


Trevor


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## motormouth (Jul 3, 2010)

Dave
Binoculars???? You must have a blooming big garden  

My wife does it every year and yesterdays count was:-
2 Blackbirds
2 Collared doves
2 Robins
4 Blue tits
2 House sparrows
2 Starling
2 Chaffinches
14 Long tailed tits (yes all at once!!!)
2 Coal tits
3 Great tits
1 Pied wagtail
2 Nuthatches
3 Golden eagles
2 Osprey

(only joking about the last two)


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Yes I do have a long garden.

Blue tits were the most counted on my list but I am sure they were popping in and out of my neighbours garden, some may have been counted more than once.

My count for 4o`clock to 5 included.
3Great tits
2 Blackbirds
15 Blue tits
3 Robins
2 Wrens
9 Starlings
3 Dunnocks
5 Sparrows
3 Collared doves
3 Pigeons
1 Pheasant


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Wish I had known as we are getting our sparrows and starlings back after quite a few years absence.

Not very well publicised is it?


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Not publicised enough.
i found it a couple of years ago on RSPB site.

In a couple of weeks they will phone and try to get me to be a member.

Tesco vouchers I think.

Dave p


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> Anyone do the RSPB big Garden Watch over the weekend.
> 
> I spent an hour between 2 and 3 oclock yesterday afternoon.
> Glass in hand, binoculars at the ready. Birdfood in the usual feeders.
> ...


You did it at the wrong time Dave, birds are more active first thing on a morning after a long night then late afternoon in readiness for the night. On both occasions looking to consume as much as possible.

Paul.


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## trevorf (May 16, 2005)

> some may have been counted more than once.


You can't count them more than once Dave. You are only supposed to record the maximum number seen at any one instant, not all counted within the hour, There is a subtle difference.  

Trevor


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## bazzeruk (Sep 11, 2010)

Really disappointed this year. Just moved to Chippenham and we had the grand total of one blackbird!!

Have spent a fortune on food, but to no avail


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## SomersetSteve (Oct 4, 2011)

I always have the impression that there are fewer birds than usual in our garden around the time of this, I wonder if others near us hear about it and start feeding birds to "up their count" then forget about after a few days.

I did mean to do it but when I looked out and saw just 3 sparrows and - unusually - a rook I decided against sitting in a rather cold conservatory for an hour.


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## Suenliam (Mar 22, 2006)

Reason no one else has any sparrows is because they are all in our garden - too many to count


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Counts are probably down due to the mild winter, there is more food and insects about in the countryside than normal so birds do not have to venture into our gardens quite so much.

I actually forgot to do a count  but one good thing I have noted is the Greenfinches are back in spite of numbers being down because of disease last year. Chaffinch numbers are still down though.  

peedee


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## Westbay (Mar 15, 2008)

Had all the usual stuff, but one extra was the tree creeper that showed up with 10mins to spare.
Needless to say, today looked like birds-are-us out there.


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## mandyandandy (Oct 1, 2006)

Been going out to a patient who was telling me about this and did the hour sometime in the morning. She had been so looking forward to having something to do having sat at the window for around 3 months doing nothing. 

2 pigeons 
1 blackbird 

She was not happy at all bless her, wish I could have shipped some in and dropped them over her fence   

Mandy


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