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Post by NellyDee on Jan 31, 2016 9:17:52 GMT
Did not manage yesterday - snow blizzards. Will try again today.
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Post by Tringa on Jan 31, 2016 15:12:57 GMT
We completed ours about two hours ago. We got ten species with goldfinches being the most numerous by a mile. I think during the hour there were only a couple of minutes when there wwere no goldfinches in the garden.
I was a bit disappointed when I tried to input the results, logged on, completed the numbers on the page of bird photos and then added Redpoll (they were lesser redpoll but the RSPB site would not accept that as a name)as a bird we saw that was not on the list.
However, when I checked my results after I had submitted them the redpoll count was missing, which was particularly annoying as we saw more redpolls than robins, blue tits, great tits, blackbirds, or long tailed tits.
Dave
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Post by NellyDee on Jan 31, 2016 16:57:44 GMT
Managed to get my count. had to first trudge out and fill the feeders, Masses of birds then the sparrow hawk flew in, so had to wait before they came back, despite it sitting high up in one of the trees. I too got confused with the 'Birds not on list' First I typed in all four that were not on the list + number seen and clicked 'add', then I thought maybe you should do one at a time, so did that. There really should have been something to say bird had been added. Then on other things they did not have pine marten. Difficult putting in what land like - I have an occasional loch and a burn, but had to put pond. How big is the garden - mine not really a garden more woodland, wetland flat area. Hey how. Can't help thinking that it was more England orientated. I could not access my results as I had not created an account.
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Post by NellyDee on Jan 31, 2016 17:11:25 GMT
So my count was 14 species. Not on list was Hooded Crow, Mallard,Heron and Sparrow Hawk + Pine Marten.
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Post by rowanberry on Jan 31, 2016 18:40:25 GMT
After hearing all that, I think I'll post my results in!
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Post by htcdude on Feb 1, 2016 16:56:34 GMT
Nothing out of the ordinary for me, usual number of Starling, Crow, Magpie, Wood-pigeon, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Robin and Goldfinch. Fly-bys included Black-headed Gull. That was it!
Nige
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Post by ayjay on Feb 1, 2016 23:06:23 GMT
I managed 35 minutes over the weekend, (two fags, two coffees and a chocolate croissant).  I have to admit I've not been particularly diligent about keeping the feeders filled lately because of my other duties with a fairly recent and drastic downturn in my wife's mobility problem and so I wasn't expecting as much as we usually record. (My neighbour has feeders out so I know the birds aren't going hungry). Wood Pigeon 9 Starling 4 Great Tit 3 Blackbird 1 Magpie 2 Goldcrest 1 In previous years we've also recorded Greenfinch,Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Brambling, Blackcap, Blue tit, Coal tit, Song Thrush, Dunnock, Long-tailed tit, Nuthatch, House sparrow, Siskin, Herring Gull, (a chicken carcass will bring them down), Black headed Gull,Carrion Crow, (my garden list is at 68 ,but that includes flyovers too). A varied and regular supply of food obviously makes a difference, but also this winter is so much milder than most I can remember. |
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Post by rowanberry on Feb 1, 2016 23:54:16 GMT
My results were so bad this year I'm ashamed to send them in.  Thanks goodness the jays turned up, but I don't know where everyone else cleared off to! I'm blaming the persistant drizzle and wind. All I had was: Two blackbirds Two robins, (which was a bit of a surprise...first time I'd seen the pair of them together so far this year) One pigeon Nine sparrows and thank goodness the dunnock and one coaltit turned up right in the last five minutes, else it would look like I never bother to feed them at all. There were NO starlings! Most mornings there are a dozen swinging about on the feeders, and no blue tits or great tits, either! I'm not putting any fatballs out for the rest of the week, just to teach them a lesson.  |
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Post by NellyDee on Feb 3, 2016 13:33:21 GMT
I do wonder how these bird counts work. 1 hour on one day. Invariably on said day birds will not appear or only 1/2 as usual and some species not at all. For instance a few days before I had 15 greenfinches, but not on the day - surely this would count that they were in decline as not many showed up on the count. Hope there are other methods of counting birds.
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Post by shirl100 on Feb 3, 2016 15:20:50 GMT
I do wonder how these bird counts work. 1 hour on one day. Invariably on said day birds will not appear or only 1/2 as usual and some species not at all. For instance a few days before I had 15 greenfinches, but not on the day - surely this would count that they were in decline as not many showed up on the count. Hope there are other methods of counting birds. I am not too sure how this one works, but if the birds aren't in your garden they may well be in someone elses so they would get counted. I know when you submit records to the British Trust for Ornithology you only use a 4 figure grid reference so their data is based on km squares. I suppose You could add your missing regulars as a note in the box used for other birds not on the list. Shirl |
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Post by alf1951 on Feb 4, 2016 15:57:09 GMT
The statistical techniques used are well thought out so please don't be selective about which hour you select to do the count and don't add in "extras" who turn up before or after the hour as this will skew the results. Over-estimation of numbers is no more helpful than under-estimation. A number of my "regulars" failed to materialise during the hour, others appeared in the field next to us. Nor could I observe the whole garden from my vantage point and I found it hard to resist making allowance for these... but I did.
Alf
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Post by shirl100 on Feb 4, 2016 18:04:08 GMT
A number of my "regulars" failed to materialise during the hour, others appeared in the field next to us. Nor could I observe the whole garden from my vantage point and I found it hard to resist making allowance for these... but I did. Alf Same here, but I did exactly what the survey said and didn't count the latecomers, tempting though but we should all follow exactly the same process. It's the same with my otter and butterfly surveys - there are exact days / times, weather conditions etc and each surveyor follows the survey instructions so there is consistency across the country / UK. Shirl |
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Post by Tringa on Feb 5, 2016 11:00:23 GMT
A pat on the back for the RSPB.
I emailed them because I could not add the 3 lesser redpolls we saw during the Birdwatch to the numbers I submitted. I emailed the RSPB yesterday and earlier this morning they replied asking for details so they could add the observations. Just a couple of minutes ago they emailed to confirm they had updated my submission - excellent!
Dave
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Post by rowanberry on Apr 12, 2016 21:48:12 GMT
The results of the Big Garden Birdwatch have been tallied.... www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdwatch/results.aspxIn total, 8,262,662 birds were counted  House Sparrow is still top of the list, except for in Northern Ireland where the starling came out on top. Interesting that goldfinches and chaffinches are at no.s six and seven- we don't see the goldfinches all that often, and chaffinches never. I can't download the file for the overall results... my computer doesn't like it for some reason. |
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House Sparrow is still top of the list, except for in Northern Ireland where the starling came out on top.