Ring-necked parakeets

Well Readers, on a dank and dismal Sunday morning I sat down at the kitchen window with my checklist, shut the cats out of the kitchen (because believe me there was no other way they were going to let me get any peace), set my timer for an hour and off we went. First up were two ring-necked parakeets, who have become regulars. I thought they’d prefer the sunflower seeds, but they’ll eat anything.

Starling

Maximum starling count was eight birds, and very fine they’re looking too, with their full breeding plumage. This one was clicking and chattering away. They even managed to scare off the parakeets but then started fighting amongst themselves.

Blue tit

A pair of blue tits were very daring and swooped down on to the bird table to take a single suet pellet before darting back into the lilac bush. The pair of great tits also did a ‘grab and run’.

Of course the squirrels put in an appearance, scaling the bird table like the free climbers that they are.

Four goldfinches came for a visit, which was great to see – they’ve been noticeable by their absence this past month or so. Three chaffinches dropped in as well.

Two woodpigeons visited the bird table, but spent more time beating one another up than feeding, as is their way…

Four collared doves rocked up, and waited patiently for their turn…

and then in the last minute (literally) two magpies smashed onto the bird table, scattering suet pellets and birds in all directions, followed  seconds later by a jackdaw.

So all in all I saw 29 birds. Some were sadly absent – no blackbirds, and there haven’t been any for months. No robin, but I have seen one around. No coal tit, ditto. No house sparrows! There’s usually a little flock, I  hope they’ll turn up soon. No dunnock, no long-tailed tits. But an hour is a short period of time, and hopefully most of these birds were just elsewhere.

Very pleased with the starling numbers though, definitely up on last year.

Did you do the Birdwatch? How did you get on?