Big Garden Birdwatch :: 25 January 2014

I’ve just completed the RSPB Big Garden #Birdwatch. Despite the kitchen bouncing with the arrival of the week's shopping, the kids getting breakfast and raised voices, I managed to fit in an hour.

Unfortunately nothing unusual but quite a few birds through the garden. Putting out the suet pellets was successful in drawing in the magpie and starlings. The peak numbers in the 12 species that visited was: chaffinch (6), blackbird (2), goldfinch (8), blue tit (4), dunnock (2), magpie (1), robin (1), starling (3), great tit (2), coal tit (1), woodpigeon (3), greenfinch (2).

BOS Balscote Quarry :: 19 January 2014

Another shrike-less afternoon. In another attempt to see the great grey shrike that has been frequenting the quarry area for the last few months, we dropped in to the quarry again. Our target species failed to make an appearance. There was a constant flow of tits and finches on the feeders. It was really positive to see such a good number of house sparrows too. However, the treat at the end of our visit, was a pair of green woodpeckers rotating on the pole underneath the owl box.

A beautiful day to be out and about but a little on the cold side.

Our sightings (26) included: blue tit, great tit, tree sparrow, starling, goldfinch, chaffinch, rook, carrion crow, mute swan, dunnock, mallard, long tailed tit, greenfinch, robin, coal tit, green woodpecker, blackbird, teal, canada goose, lapwing, meadow pipit, yellowhammer, woodpigeon, snipe, wren and moorhen.