RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch

Today was the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch

Since I normally get a decent amount of birds first thing, my hour was 9:35 to 10:35. (I wasn’t quite ready for 9:30 but that worked out well
My count
1 dunnock
4 starlings (quiet today)
11 siskins
4 blackbirds (although I saw 3 male and 2 female, there were only 4 at one time)
4 crows
1 blue tit
1 coal tit
1 great tit
5 chaffinches
4 goldfinches
1 magpie
2 wood pigeons
2 collared doves
1 gold crest
1 jay (woohoo, he was down the bottom of the garden for a while and I have a few fuzzy photos)
1 woodpecker (he returned, yippee - although I scared him off lifting my camera)
and with 2 minutes to spare
1 robin (I thought he wasn't going to turn up today.

noticably missing were :- treee creeper, nuthatch, long tailed tits.
I'd just finished my count, but there were lots of birds about when something seriously spooked everything and they all shot off. One poor siskin went the wrong way and splatted into my window. I rushed out in case it was the cat who had spooked them and to protect him, lifted him up using kitchen towels and put him the right way up, safe near the kitchen door (obviously I went back inside for my camera). I think the only damage was a bit of blood in his beak area. He flew off safely.

Later on in the afternoon I saw the tree creeper, 5 long tailed tits and 2 nuthatches. I think these are more late in the day birds rather than morning birds.

Some photos I took today:

Long tailed tit - cute as ever


Crows. I think they were having a romantic foursome!!!

This one was happy sat on next door's aerial

Until he flew off

Mr siskin after he'd gone splat. There was a bit of blood on the one kitchen towel I used to collect him, I think it was from his beak.

I think the siskins are the most common birds in my garden now.


The rear of a fat wood pigeon

And the nice side of a collared dove

Woohoo, I snapped the jay (albeit badly)

In all, a great morning counting. And also for the rest of the day.

Splat !!!!

Oh dear, what a kerffuffle.
I'd seen some bright green birds and thought they were greenfinches. Then I saw another similar bird, so was quietly opening the window, so I could get a better picture when I was startled with loud SPLAT.



The bird that I had been trying to take a photograph's mate had flown into the window.
She was lying on the floor for a bit twitching. I was shouting at her to get up but she didn't. She just lay there.

http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/justacey/OldAlbums/garden/?action=view&current=MVI_9573.flv


I ran round to where she was and she was still lying on his back, so, using a twig, I put her the right way up. She was breathing heavily, didn't seem to have any bits in the wrong place, but didn't move, so I got some tissue paper and put her onto a rock. I expect she was dazed.

She still didn't want to fly away and I didn't want next door's cat to get her.

http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/justacey/OldAlbums/garden/?action=view&current=MVI_9578.flv

I found a box and gently lifted her into it. It didn't have tall sides, I figured that she would fly off when she's good and ready, but she shuffled into the corner.

Her breathing was still fast and heavy

http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/justacey/OldAlbums/garden/?action=view&current=MVI_9581.flv

She was on her feet by now, but not really moving about. Using a twig, I gently turned her away from the corner so she could see she was still outside.


And she got fed up of being poked so flew off. Phew, panic over.

I saw 3 siskins later on so I'm assuming she's fine now.