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Worcestershire Garden Watch (1 Viewer)

A flock of five Jays have just flown high west over the garden here in Worcester while at the same time another two flew low NW. Until this week I'd never seen a Jay from the garden but single birds have been seen daily over the past few days.

Looks like the south-east influx is spreading westwards.

Brian
___________
Birding Today
 
I've walked around Redditch Golf course late this afternoon and saw 20+ Jays in 2 hours. Normally might see 1 or 2. Huge numbers seem to be reported coming through Norfolk.
 
Coal Tits

Four or five coal tits regularly in my garden (Marlbrook) so far this year, which is unusual, we normally only see the odd one. Fewer blue tits and far fewer great tits than normal though. Anyone else seeing the same thing?
 

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I must have all your Blue Tis, I normally get about 4 or 5, yesterday I had at least 11. I also noticed big movements of Thrushes.
Jackie
 
Not seen a Coal Tit in my garden so far this year, which is fairly unusual. Perhaps the cold weather has moved them elsewhere. Got Siskins tho', which is unusual, and there was a pair of Blackcaps in the early part of last week.
 
Its been an unusual winter. Two winters ago we had a flock of about 60 Siskin with a few Redpoll and Brambling in our garden for weeks. Last winter it was a flock of 30+ Redpoll with a few Siskin. This year, three or four Redpoll with one or two Siskin. Loads of Blackbird, Fieldfare, Robin, Tits etc but almost not a finch to be seen on the feeders in the heavy snow, very strange!
 
Plenty of Coal Tits around my garden today. I think most the Goldfinches have gone and joined local flocks ? Less Greenfinch numbers and 2 Nuthatches yesterday too
 
Ravenwing said:
Its been an unusual winter. Two winters ago we had a flock of about 60 Siskin with a few Redpoll and Brambling in our garden for weeks. Last winter it was a flock of 30+ Redpoll with a few Siskin. This year, three or four Redpoll with one or two Siskin. Loads of Blackbird, Fieldfare, Robin, Tits etc but almost not a finch to be seen on the feeders in the heavy snow, very strange!
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The same in my garden.
There is evidence that many of our passerines had a poor breeding season and this could be reflected this winter. Carduelis finches can vary from year to year again a reflection on breeding (in Scandinavia) and or their food supply failing or not as the case may be.
 
upstarts1979 said:
The same in my garden.
There is evidence that many of our passerines had a poor breeding season and this could be reflected this winter. Carduelis finches can vary from year to year again a reflection on breeding (in Scandinavia) and or their food supply failing or not as the case may be.
Click to expand...

I don't get Siskin or Redpoll in my garden ( as far as I am aware, as I only see my garden at weekends really at this time in winter) but I have had very good Siskin flocks within a mile or so the last 2 weekends, yesterday especially, into 3 figures.
Also saw a large Siskin flock at Grimley last week. Have had Lesser Redpoll too on my patch, again a few hundred yards from home, not in great numbers but on a par with the last 2 years.
 
The wintery conditions seem to be bringing more of a variety of birds into my garden at the mo. With both Song Thrush and Fieldfare coming in to feed on cotoneaster berries over past few days.

Also of interest are 2 female Blackcaps visiting the apple halves and a single Coal Tit (this is the first winter that I have recorded Coal Tit in the garden)

Jase
 

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Had my first Song Thrush yesterday, and an influx of Blackbirds. Usually I have 3 or 4, yeterday about 8 or 9. I have around 30 (hard to count accurately) Sparrows, which all fly off when a Jay comes to call. I am guessing they dont get on.
 
I live in Stourport and redpoll in my garden have been at reasonable numbers, currently i have 19 with at least 5 mealey.I havnt had siskin for some years and rarely get greenfinch.
Likewise cold weather has changed things with blackbird numbers up from 2 to 8, and 1 song thrush, 1 fieldfare ,3 chaffinch are new and last week breif visits from 1 brambling and a female yellowhammer (new garden tick).Total species about 17 at moment.
 
Unless I'm mistaken that's the first report of Mealy Redpolls in Worcestershire this Winter... and for it to be a report of up to 5 at any one time is tremendous.
 
Geoff WORCS said:
I live in Stourport and redpoll in my garden have been at reasonable numbers, currently i have 19 with at least 5 mealey.I havnt had siskin for some years and rarely get greenfinch.
Likewise cold weather has changed things with blackbird numbers up from 2 to 8, and 1 song thrush, 1 fieldfare ,3 chaffinch are new and last week breif visits from 1 brambling and a female yellowhammer (new garden tick).Total species about 17 at moment.
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Great to hear your still getting your Mealys Geoff!
MB
 
Blackbird on feeder

New behaviour to me, a male blckbird has taken to eating sunflower hearts from a particular feeder in preference to eating mixed seed on the ground. There is a lot of wing flapping but he seems to get a good meal. Anyone know how common this behaviour is?
 

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Garden Birdwatch

Just completed my hour for this year - 9.00-10.00. Slightly disappointing in terms of overall numbers, not much about at all. However species count was up by two from last year, as follows:
Blackcap 1, Blackbird 3, Goldfinch 1, Blue Tit 2, Robin 2, Greenfinch 1, Chaffinch 2, Siskin 1, Long-tailed Tit 1, Great Tit 2.

All the finches were present in larger numbers either in neighbouring gardens or as fly-overs. I must be putting out the wrong type of food |=(|

Last year's eight species included four - Coal Tit, Song Thrush, Redwing and Dunnock - that I didn't record this year. Also no Bullfinch for to years now, they were a given in previous years. May be due to the hard weather, or may be a real decline?

Cheers
Mike
 
I know what you mean. Yesterday I had loads of birds feeding, up to 40 at one time, because of the snow. Today the garden is pretty empty. Will do my count tomorrow.
 
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