Big Garden Birdwatch

It’s been the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend. Sadly I am rather hampered as far as this event goes by not having a garden (sorry if it seems like I’m going on about this a lot). So I took a short walk to my local park, Cherry Tree Wood, and did the hour there. Looking back at my notes (see below) I could’ve sworn there were more Blue Tits and Great Tits. I certainly heard many of them. But the survey is based on what you see at the end of the day.

The highlight was the Wren, which was perched on a branch just yards from me and gave off a burst of song before flying away.

Great Tit x2

Feral Pigeon x20

Blue Tit x2

Long-tailed Tit x1

Woodpigeon x1

Song Thrush x1

Robin x2

Magpie x1

Wren x1

Blackbird x1 (m)

Chaffinch x5 (2m, 3f)

Bird-notes from Canada

I have been spending the Christmas period in Toronto, and my initial bird-related observation from this relates to Christmas cards.

There are no Robins on the cards here. That’s partly because there are no Robins, or at least not as us Brits know them. The American Robin does exist, but in Canada it’s not a winter bird and in fact is more associated with spring and summer (it’s also not closely related to our Robin, the only similarity, and the reason for its name, being its red breast).

Here in North America, the bird of choice for Christmas cards and the like is the very impressive-looking Northern Cardinal. I can see why – it (the male at least) is red, and red is of course the festive colour. I am not sure how widespread it is as a symbol of Christmas in Canada, though, as Southern Ontario would appear to be the northern extent of its range.

As for actual viewings of birds, this has been limited as many of the species I have seen in Canada when I’ve visited in the summer have headed south. There have been sightings of crows by the side of the roads, small flocks of Starlings and occasional instances of geese heading south in a V-formation. I have seen a male Northern Cardinal at a bird-feeder in suburban Toronto, along with House Sparrows (they may be in decline back home but they’re ubiquitous over here) and their American cousins the Dark-eyed Juncos. Venturing further north to ‘cottage country’ some one-and-a-half hours north of the city, the only bird I encountered was one that gets its name from its call, a very distinctive ‘chickadee-dee-dee-dee’. I heard it before I saw it. When I did get to see it, I thought it looked like a fairly dull Great Tit, but was in fact a Black-capped Chickadee, looking for food at a time when most of the cottage owners have stopped putting out food for the birds because, like the geese, they’ve headed south for the winter.

Visitor photos!

The flat garage roof that is overlooked by my flat has a patch of standing water that attracts a few visitors from time to time. The most recent was this male Chaffinch, who was obliging enough to stick around for the time it took me to find my wife’s SLR camera and attach the zoom lens. This is in fact the first time I’ve seen a Chaffinch from my flat window! Now, if there was only a way to tell him about the unvisited suction-cup feeder a matter of yards away…

Winter wish-list

As the so-called ‘Indian Summer’ we’ve been having has finally come to an end and winter is fast approaching, I have compiled a list of the five winter visitors that I’d love to see over the coming months.

Originally, Redwing had been on this list but as I saw two of those a couple of weeks ago they can already be ticked off. A good start!

Waxwing – last winter was a good time for seeing Waxwings in London. Last December, I had my birding experience of the year when I saw three of them outside my office during my lunch break – the first time I had ever seen these very distinctive birds. Higher numbers of these can be found in towns during harsh winters as they come in from the countryside to look for food. At present I have no idea what sort of a winter we’re in for. But seeing Waxwings again would be great.

Brambling – these winter visitors can often be seen with flocks of other finches, according to my field guide. In the vicinity of where I live, Coldfall Wood is therefore a possibility due to the numbers of Chaffinches that I have seen ground-feeding there on occasions. It’ll take a bit of skill to identify them in such circumstances, but I’m feeling confident.

Fieldfare – one to look out for in parks. Not that I’ve ever seen one of these within the M25 before as, like the Waxwings, they only really come into the towns during harsh winters. Or maybe it’s just that I’ve not been looking hard enough!

Smew – a very distinctive wintering duck in South-East England, which I might get a chance to see at Brent Reservoir or Rainham Marshes. As anything may turn up at any time (the Waxwing sighting last year was proof of that!), I’m staying optimistic.

Goldeneye – as with the Snew, a distinctive wintering duck that can be seen on lakes throughout the country during the winter months. Maybe a long shot in the South-East, but I shall be keeping an eye out for it when I’m near water!

Chance encounters in the park

A chance decision to go through Regent’s Park while walking between appointments in Central London with my wife at around lunchtime yielded some rich pickings in terms of water-based birds. The birds all seemed to be very used to human contact, with the pigeons, Black-headed Gulls, Canada Geese and Grey Herons all loitering on the path and barely moving out of the way as we walked past. I can’t say I am surprised by the first three species I mentioned there, as they do seem unafraid of people in public parks, but I couldn’t believe I was so closed to more than one Grey Heron.

The most intriguing sighting of the day had to be the Egyptian Geese. I had no idea that these could be seen in Central London, but as the entry for this species on the RSPB’s website states that it is ‘seen frequently on ornamental ponds where it was originally brought’, then I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised.

According to a website on birding in Regent’s Park that I have found, over 200 species have been seen there, so it would appear that what we saw on our impromptu lunchtime stroll was merely the tip of the iceberg!

Birds seen in Regent’s Park, London c. 1:00-1:30pm

Weather overcast with moderate wind and a hint of drizzle

Black-headed Gull x100s

Canada Goose x50

Grey Heron x6

Greylag Goose x20

Coot x50

Moorhen x20

Feral Pigeon x100s

Tufted Duck x12

Pochard x1 (m)

Mallard x20

Mute Swan x2

Egyptian Goose x10

Herring Gull x2 (both juv)

Carrion Crow x10

Cormorant x1

The sound of birdsong in the morning

A morning’s birdwatching in Coldfall Wood started, as walks in Coldfall Wood often do, with my hearing much but seeing little. My knowledge of birdsong is getting better as I was able to recognise the call of a Wren. Small bird, big voice. Blue Tits and Blackbirds – two calls that I have no problems recognising – could also be heard, along with a Green Woodpecker (often heard but never seen!) and lots of Carrion Crows. The Ring-necked Parakeets, meanwhile, were by far the loudest!

I was soon rewarded with some sightings, with Blackbirds flitting across the path and Ring-necked Parakeets in the trees, along with many Carrion Crows circling overhead. I found the smaller birds more rewarding though – a Robin skulking near ground level, a female Chaffinch, some Great Tits and a couple of Blue Tits. Then a quick, blink-and-you’ll miss it sighting of a Wren that I just about managed to focus on with the binoculars before it flew off. Further on, I spotted two Jays on the ground looking for acorns.

The continually circling crows were explained, I think, by the fact that the playing fields beyond the wood were being used for Sunday morning football matches. The crows can often be seen on the fields in large groups and they appeared to be waiting for the footballers to finish and leave so they could have their fields back! This did not deter a crowd of Black-headed Gulls from gathering on the ground though.

And finally – back into the wood, and to a clearing where, if you wait for a while, you’ll see the birds flying across. Along with the Ring-necked Parakeets I saw what at first glance appeared to be two more Great Tits, but on closer inspection with the bins turned out to be Nuthatches feeding in the trees. All in all, a rewarding morning.

Carrion Crow x 30

Woodpigeon x4

Robin

Blackbird x7 (2m, 5f)

Ring-necked Parakeet x10

Blue Tit x2

Great Tit x5

Jay x2

Chaffinch x1 (f)

Wren

Magpie

Black-headed Gull x40

Feral Pigeon x50

Nuthatch x2

Birdwatching notes from Sunday

30/10/11 – Canons Park, Edgware, Middx. 2-4pm. RSPB Feed the Birds Day event. Weather overcast with light precipitation.

Ring-necked Parakeet x30
Magpie x8
Chaffinch x3 (2m, 1f)
Black-headed Gull x12
Carrion Crow x6
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Starling x30
Feral Pigeon x50
Woodpigeon x10
Goldfinch x20
Greenfinch x6
Redwing x2
Mistle Thrush x2
Common Gull