Dear Readers, it’s that time of year again when all across the UK, people sit in their kitchen windows or on a park bench and try to pay attention to the birds for a whole hour without being distracted. Yes, it’s the RSPB’s Great Garden Birdwatch. Today was sunny, dry and not too windy, so I was hoping to see all my ‘regulars’, and overall I wasn’t disappointed. Plus, it’s amazing what you notice when you haven’t got anything else to do.

Of course, it wouldn’t have been Birdwatch without a few interruptions. First there was a splendid black and white cat who decided to spend twenty minutes on the shed roof in the sunshine, which no doubt put a few birds off. Then there were of course these guys.

My lovely friend J has bought me a ‘squirrel-proof’ feeder which I intend to try soon, but as regular readers know, I am waiting to have some tree work done. Sadly, no sooner had I bitten the bullet on getting these done than the notices went up along the street that the promised Electric Vehicle charging points were going to go in along our side of the road, and that the workmen would be here for the next three weeks. This means that the tree surgeons can’t start work until the second half of February.

To add to the stress, while I was doing the Birdwatch I noticed two magpies getting very territorial about the big whitebeam. If they are actively nesting I’ll abort the tree work till later in the year. Keep your fingers crossed!

Anyhow, the number one bird in the garden was the starling, with 6 birds seen, three times the Birdwatch average. They look really magnificent at this time of year, with their iridescent plumage.

And there was the usual little flock of house sparrows – I counted 5, though there can be twice this number on a good day (i.e. on any day when the Birdwatch isn’t taking place.

There were three collared doves, patiently waiting for the squirrels to finish, but no woodpigeons and no ring-necked parakeets. The one feral pigeon who visits every day decided to wait this one out.

There were four goldfinches, and two chaffinches – such mothlike, flittery birds!

Goldfinch

Hen chaffinch

So, in total I saw:
1 Blackbird
2 Blue tits
2 Chaffinches
1 Dunnock
5 House Sparrows
3 Collared Doves
4 Goldfinches
1 Robin
2 Magpies
1 Great Tit
6 Starlings

Making 28 birds in total, which is about average apparently. I scored above the national average for starling and house sparrow (as mentioned) but also for goldfinch and collared dove. I came below average for blue tits (2 when the national average is 3), but all in all it wasn’t a complete write-off.

Plus (and I know I say this every year) there is something very therapeutic about just sitting and watching, without the endless distractions that we’ve chosen to surround ourselves with. During lockdown I spent so much time in the garden, however cold it was, and noticed so much going on. Even as a retired person I seem to filling my life with things to do – enjoyable things but nonetheless things that don’t involve just being peaceful and observant. I shall have to do a bit of rebalancing.