Bird count day photo

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch

Apparently, along with 500000 others we took part in the BGBW on Saturday. I know it's not a competition, but desperate to get as high a count as possible we charged the feeders, added additional home made fat balls and even resorted to some bread for the jackdaws! We did our allotted hour starting 9.30am and as ever with these things it was a bit of an anti climax. We got some good numbers but nothing out of the ordinary really turned up - where have our siskins and redpolls from last winter gone? Nevertheless, the count was:
goldfinch 10
chaffinch 11
blackbird 4
dunnock 3
blue tit 6
coal tit 1
great tit 3
robin 2
jackdaw 3 (well done bread!)
G S Woodpecker 1
collared dove 2
house sparrow 12
greenfinch 1
pheasant 1

Winter returned with a vengeance last night with snow in the village and 3 or 4 inches up on the tops being blown into drifts - no wonder there is not much around.
Think we may abandon Swaledale next weekend and pop up to Caerlaverock and check out the wildfowl on the mudflats.

Time this winter came to an end!

Struggling to get this blog going but we will continue to perservere! Weather at weekend not that brilliant, cold westerlies with sleet and snow keeping most birds well hidden. The usual parade of bird table visitors included, blue tit, great tit, greenfinch, starling, dunnock, blackbird, coal tit, GS woodpecker, jackdaw, collared dove, robin, house sparrow, goldfinch, chaffinch and pheasant. Walked 3 miles up gill in afternoon but the only things of interest were 3 wintering ravens which seem to make there winter home here every year. Still plenty of red grouse up there despite the record shooting year! Everything else seems to have made in down into the valley or headed south for winter!

Test photo post of crossbill on birdtable in garden Oct 08

First Entry

First ever attempt at creating a blog. Seeking to create a local birdwatching blog for the Gunnerside area North Yorkshire. Will be unashamedly be copying from others who have done similar in other areas, that is if my IT skills hold out! Will try and post this now and then look at how to up load phots.