In addition to feeding the birds, I've just put up this bird roosting pouch picked up at my local garden centre for a bargain 99p. I've added my scrap tapestry wool ends to make it really cosy and tempting for the birds to nestle into. I've put it high up in my Betula utilis var. jacquemontii (Himalyan birch), so it's out of reach of the cats. I've also put up some new bird feeders too - time will tell if these are squirrel proof, keep your fingers crossed!
All this is in preparation for the RSPB Garden Birdwatch on 26-27 January, their annual mass survey of as many UK gardens as possible. It only takes an hour, so if you haven't done it before, why not give it a try? The RSPB website has much more information, plus a guide if you need some help with identification. If you're looking for more regular bird survey work (including gardens), then the British Trust for Ornithology has plenty for you to get stuck into.
I'm looking forward to Garden Birdwatch. I've done it the past couple of years, when I saw very little of interest. This year I'll be doing it on the allotment so I hope to see not only more birds but something out of the ordinary as well. Perhaps the green parakeets that we keep hearing, but rarely see, will show themselves.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the early reminder about it. I'll be doing an entry during the week beforehand as I usually do.
Hi VP
ReplyDeleteI did the bird survey last year in the allotment, sat on a deck chair freezing - like Flighty, I thought I'd spot something more out of the usual. I think I might do it from home this year.
That bird roost is excellent. Not everyone's favourite, but I love bats. I put a box up for them at the allotment last week high on an oak.
Simon
Hi Flighty & Simon,
ReplyDeleteGlad you're also doing the birdwatch! I'm really lucky as there's a hedgerow & stream next to the house, so plenty of birds to look at from the window. I just give them a little encouragement with the bird feeders etc. :)
I've found my results are very different depending on the weather. If it's dull and cold, I record very little. If it's bright and sunny, they're usually queuing up to get in the garden! If the birdwatch had been the weekend before it was last year, I would have had just 1 bird to record - a sparrowhawk on sentry duty by the feeders, just 12 feet away from the house.
Simon - I love bats too. We have a Pipistrelle flying round the garden on warm evenings in the summer. Sometimes it comes within a couple of feet of my head - magical!