We chose Saturday morning for our watching hour. One of us was posted at each of the windows that look out over the side of the house where all our feeders and bird tables are situated. This is the site of the main bird activity - it's impossible to cover all angles with just the two of us.
The blackbirds didn't let us down and as usual were waiting to be fed.
They also patrol under feeders when other birds are feeding and collect the titbits that fall down. Every tiny scrap is searched out from amongst the leaf litter. Along with most of the other birds blackbirds are also partial to uncooked pastry scraps that is if the magpie leaves any after grabbing a beakful and making off into the trees.
The blackbirds tolerate each other as long as an acceptable distance is maintained between them. Too close and a beak-off is initiated. They also seem to take turns at the choicest areas. I guess some sort of pecking order is in play, however challenges do take place and squabbles break out. These, however, are not as raucous as the quarrelling of the starlings,
The tiny blue tits will take food from anywhere but generally can be fairly confident that they will have the peanut feeder more or less to themselves although if the weather is really bad other birds will provide competition.
At the other end of the scale are the comparatively huge woodpigeons who unlike the starlings can be surprisingly delicate feeders, especially considering the devastation they can cause in the allotment.
We had decided to try a second count on Sunday morning to compare results but it was unusually quiet and so we gave up. Even the blackbirds were reluctant to make a group appearance - they did come but in ones and twos only.
When I went online to submit our results I found that last year's results were still in place. Comparing them I found the two sets of results were very close
I would guess that the numbers of starlings and sparrows are higher than our count suggests but they are scattered and constantly on the move or hidden amongst the tree branches and shrubs and so very difficult to count.
On other days we have counted three robins but in the count only saw one at a time.
Goldfinch numbers always seem to drop off at this time of year but during the breeding season we have had a whole flock or 'charm' and have counted up to 14 at a time.
All this leads me to think that I may do a count once a month, just for interest, to see how the situation changes from month to month.
As part of the count we are asked about other garden wildlife but I find the questions difficult to answer. You have to state whether you see the chosen creatures, daily, weekly, monthly, less than monthly, don't know or never.
So what is the correct answer for the frog which we see daily when lots are splashing around in the pond spawning but none now when they are hibernating?
I 'ticked' less than monthly - how can it be more frequently for animals like the frog and hedgehog that hibernate and disappear over winter?
NB: Photos not taken during the count
