27.01.15
Happy new year!
We did our usual bird count last weekend and thought you might like to see the results. We did our count between 11.30 and 12.30, so missed the big feeds at either end of the day, when we would expect to see a great many more birds on McMurdoston’s numerous feeders. It’s always tempting to cheat but that’s not the point of the count is it!
crow – 4, chaffinch – 31, blue tit – 5, goldfinch – 20, great tit – 2, coal tit – 2, tree sparrow – 2, redpoll – 2, blackbird – 2, wood pigeon – 30, greenfinch – 3, robin – 2, dunnock – 2, magpie – 1, buzzard – 2, jay – 2, common gull – 55, rook – 40, twite – 35, house sparrow – 1, raven – 2, greater spotted woodpecker – 1
During the hour we also saw the following flying over or in the distance: red kite, approximately 100 barnacle geese.
Just to show off, over last weekend we also saw: sparrowhawk, pheasant, wren, merlin, redwing, fieldfare, nuthatch, treecreeper, jackdaw, mute swan, song thrush, mistle thrush, long-tailed tit, snipe.
Every evening now seems a little lighter for a little longer. We can start to believe that those wonderful Spring and Summer visitors will make their appearance before too long. With luck they will all find a place here – we now have 31 nest boxes made and erected on site. Mind you, we have more than enough to look at right now – there are well over 20 goldfinches on the feeders outside the kitchen window as I write!
