National Bird watch on Exmouth Road

Left, Goldfinches on Janet Parrish's bird-feeder.

Exmouth Road’s Janet Parrish writes: Some of you may have heard that last month the RSPB held their annual nationwide bird watching exercise, in which members are asked to choose one hour over the last weekend in January to record the birds that land in their gardens. The rules are that the birds must land and not merely fly overhead and you may only record the total number of birds of each species seen in your garden (or indeed park, or wherever it was you chose as a location) at one time. For

instance two blackbirds must be on your lawn to count as 2. Two more half an hour later will not count as 4!

So………As a staunch member of the RSPB for over 30 years, your scribe set to work with binoculars and a full bird table to see what could be done. It was a fairly unsuccessful morning. You cannot control who visits your garden or unfortunately, explain to them that they ought to turn up to be counted.

For instance; on the 'dummy run' that I conducted with video camera poised on its tripod, as well as the usual blackbirds, robins, pigeons, crows, rooks and gulls, (yes, they all count) I recorded several small flocks of goldfinches 4 - 6 in a group; long tailed tits crammed together around the seed-feeder, so tightly that some had to wait in the camellias for their turn; blue and great-tits as well as both the resident blackcaps. These latter I thought had become residents, but according to a birding friend, migrate here from Germany, while our summer dittos fly south. Above right, the robin arrives to join the goldfinches.

What happened on the day? The robin arrived bright and early and true to form, launched into its regular impression of a humming bird, as it raided the seed feeder hanging at the 'feeding station.' (RSPB term for your bird table or, nowadays, your rather up-market wrought iron pole with various curlicue hangers and expensive add-ons.) After quite a while a blackbird began picking its way across the lawn. The hour was going very slowly. Another long wait and a coal tit deigned to feed from the peanut feeder nearer the kitchen window. Hm… three birds in one hour is not going to look good on my return. Perhaps I should try looking elsewhere in the garden. Left, Robin with the wind up.

Right, the coal-tit. Upstairs through the bedroom window, hurrah, a wren was busying itself foraging around the steps. Well that is four birds altogether. Shocking count. I know we have a rich diversity of birds and other wildlife here. In fact in the past we have boasted everything but wild boar and hedgehogs. Where were the song thrushes that only last week were feasting on the vast snail population? I know they do, as they use the edge of the path outside the back door for an anvil. Why were there no pigeons even, which together with the herring gulls are the scourge of every one's back yard? Most days a crow can be seen swaggering around with an eye to the main chance, to say nothing of the magpies. There is a large rookery only about 500 metres away, so why no rooks? Not so much as a ripple! The pheasant usually includes a walk through our garden as a matter of routine. He stayed resolutely in the field. Rats!! He cannot be included………..or can he??

Left, magpies are regular visitors. I'm getting desperate. Time is ticking on. At the 11th hour great news, there is our blackcap; just the male. They were both around last week. This is becoming a fishy story; 'They were all here last week and they have got away'. The equivalent of the gardener's cry, "You should have seen it last week." Just as I am thinking, "I have chosen the wrong day at the wrong hour in the wrong year" a chaffinch shows up, skulking in the rhododendrons, too close to focus the binoculars. I nearly missed him. Then, O joy, one blue tit on the peanuts and a goldfinch on the niger seed. Well, could be worse. Also two, TWO dunnocks, gleaning around the base of the feeding station. Well that brings the count to a more acceptable level of nine. Time is nearly running out. As if to take pity on me or perhaps to taunt me, four long-tailed tits arrive and cluster around the peanut feeder. Finally one solitary pigeon flaps noisily into the holly tree. Any other day and..….yes you guessed it, there would be at least three if not more.

So I have 11 species out of ….Oh I should think at least 20. Why did the woodpecker fail to turn up to be spotted? Answer, waiting until this morning - February 4th - to put in an appearance. What were the nuthatches up to? Hatching a plot to keep a low profile. Greenfinches? Gone off to greener pastures. Above, the pheasant on his regular walk through the garden.

OK, I didn't expect the green woodpecker. He only comes in when the ants are active. I didn't expect a visit from the peregrine falcon or the sparrow hawks, but it would have been a great coup. Buzzards? Yes, all these have been known to land in our bit of green space. Tawny owls too; once during the day when they were trying to teach their youngster to fly and hunt and not sit on the washing line looking gormless. Of course the warblers will not be here yet, but the chiffchaff has been known to over-winter here in the past. I shall keep my eyes peeled for anything unusual, including the other creatures that have been seen here. Deer, badgers foxes and rabbits will not be counted by the RSPB, of course, but it is rather a privilege to know they use this area, although a bit of a pain, as they all do damage to what I rather fondly regard as 'my garden.' Above, the green woodpecker.

Oh well, as far as birds are concerned, there is always next year.

Text and photos © Janet Parrish 6 February 2009