RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch results show milder winter helps small garden birds House sparrow remains at the top of the Big Garden Birdwatch rankings with almost 1.3 million sightings throughout the weekend. Almost half a million people across the UK spent an hour watching the birds that visit their garden or outdoor space as part…
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Bird song (14) – Chaffinch
Now that April is here I can write about the Chaffinch singing on the orchard bough, although I’ve been hearing Chaffinch song , sometimes from our small apple tree, since February. This one was recorded in Brandenburg today! Whereas this one is from Yorkshire… And this one is from Lincolnshire… It’s a song that is…
For the record…
The first time I mentioned coronavirus on this blog was on 27 February when I wrote; I’d be surprised if this disease kills as many people in the UK this year as die on our roads, but I might well be wrong. I may look foolish in future, but if so it won’t be the…
Events dear boy, events…
The London Wildlife Festival, which was hit by strong winds last year, has had to be postponed until 20`2`1. That’s a great shame and I hope it will be third time lucky for them. Also, the first HHDay event in Wales is paused. No doubt the Bird Fair folk are watching events closely, and with…
Guest blog – Further Offerings of Ornithological Lessons By Olaf Lipor, (trans. by Ian Parsons).
Olaf Lipor is a well-known Scandinavian naturalist with a long track record of engagement in citizen science projects. His previous Guest Blogs here, about two years and one year ago, were on a Fat Tax and Citizen Science. Olaf is not yet found on Twitter. I am aware that the pages of this website are…
#COTF20 my garden birdwatch (6)
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Four years ago I was a team member rushing around the Negev desert and the area around Eilat in Israel spotting birds in an international bird race. What a daft thing to do! But we raised a lot of money for conservation of migrant birds in Greece (and, quite honestly, had a lot of fun)….
#COTF20 my garden birdwatch (5)
Smart bird, eh? The Champions of the Flyway project is raising money for Steppe Eagle conservation – see here. No species added to my day list in a mid-afternoon watch so I’m still on 28 species for today. But I’ll have one more look and listen as it gets dark.
#COTF20 my garden birdwatch (4)
The late morning birdwatch produced a good clutch of species. First was a Chaffinch followed by a couple of Buzzards. Then Long-tailed Tit and Goldcrest. A Common Gull flew over and then so did a female Sparrowhawk and, rather late in the day, a Red Kite. Blackbird Gadwall Robin Dunnock Wren Woodpigeon Jackdaw Collared Dove…
#COTF20 my garden birdwatch (3)
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That’s another watch done – this time from indoors looking out while drinking tea and eating porridge. I was expecting to see a Chaffinch around the birdfeeders – but none yet. The four species I would expect to see today which are so far eluding me, are Chaffinch, Red Kite, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk. I’ll probably…
#COTF20 my garden birdwatch (2)
Another birdwatch, up to 0730 takes the list from 7 to 21 species. All of the species below are regulars except for the early watch’s garden lifer Gadwall and the sighting of a single Greylag Goose (3rd ever record). Blackbird Gadwall Robin Dunnock Wren Woodpigeon Jackdaw Collared Dove Greenfinch Goldfinch Starling Greylag Goose Rook House…