Counting the Early Birds

I was up early this morning to take part in the RSPB (Royal Society for Protection of Birds) Nature Count.

The object of the exercise is to spend an hour watching and recording all birds in your garden (if you don’t have a garden then a park or other likewise area will do).

I was up at 6.15am and was sat  in my hide from 7am to 8am.    The light wasn’t too good for photography but I did manage to get a photograph of a Jay.  They are very skittish and quickly fly off especially when they spot movement.

A Jay helps himself to a peanut:

I also had four Magpies in the trees at the bottom of our garden:

Collared Dove and Three of the Magpies:

I counted:

Magpies – 4

Robin – 1

Great Tit – 1

Dunnock – 1

Collared Dove – 1

Feral Pigeons – 1

Black Bird – 1

Not too bad a number.

Our Squirrel also spent time feeding heartily on the bird seed. The Jay had already taken the peanuts I put out for him.

Squirrel on bird feeder tray:

It was a pleasant hour although the bird count was low.

There is something about getting up early. The peace and quiet, the morning dew and the gradual warming from the sun accompanied by a cheerful blackbird singing in it’s rays . . . . . . . . well, you get the idea!

A Flower Festival was next on the agenda – thats for my next post.

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