Last updated at 15:36, Thursday, 04 February 2010

Gordon Nicholson reports on the birds flying in - and out - of his Kells' garden

Hello again, well it’s been a really strange month, in the first week of this month it was really very busy, lots of birds, we had about 20 Blackbirds coming into the garden 12 Jackdaws 7 Rooks, and quite a lot of finches and tits, and a few Starlings.

Then in the second week we had a new visitor coming into the garden the Fieldfare a visitor from Scandinavia, we ended up having four of them in the garden. They came into the garden looking for extra food because of the really bad cold snap we were having. They don’t generally come into the garden, but they do in really bad weather.

The Fieldfares are a very aggressive bird; the Blackbirds did not like the Fieldfares because they were chasing them away from the apples and pears we had put out for them. I will tell you more about the Fieldfare later. Also during the second week the Blackbirds stopped coming into the garden, so I guess it must have something to do with the Fieldfares being in the garden.

At the start of the third week the Blackbirds were still not coming into the garden, but shortly after the start of the week the Fieldfares also disappeared, so gradually as the week went on the Blackbirds started to slowly come back into the garden. It was really nice to see a new bird visiting the garden, but I am sure the Blackbirds won’t want to see the Fieldfares visiting the garden again next winter.

We are also having a big problem with the Sparrow Hawks this month that could also be another reason why the Blackbirds were not visiting the garden. We only use to see the female Hawk in the garden but now we have the male Hawk also visiting, they have killed a pigeon and a couple of Blackbirds.

In the last week of this month we are back too normal with the birds they are all back now. But the Sparrow Hawks are still coming into the garden, but luckily they have not killed anymore birds, we happened to be out in the garden when they were here. We are also still having a big problem with the Pigeons hanging onto to the seed feeders, and the tits and finches can not get onto the feeders, we a sick of chasing the Pigeons away from the feeders.

This month was also the annual RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, you had to record the highest number of each species (not flying over) you see at any one time during your one hour of birdwatching. Then you had to submit your results on the RSPB’s website.

Listed below are the top birds that visited my garden, for the 2010 RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch.

• Blackbird 20
• Jackdaw 12
• Feral Pigeon 11
• Goldfinch 9
• Rooks 9
• Chaffinch 7
• Starling 5
• Greenfinch 5
• House Sparrow 4
• Blue Tits 4
• Magpies 3
• Carrion Crow 2
• Coal Tits 2
• Great Tits 2
• Robins 2
• Sparrow Hawk 2
• Collard Dove 2
• Dunnock 1
• Wren 1

This month I thought I would tell you about the Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)

The Fieldfare is a large thrush – It is similar in size to a Blackbird but it’s a little bit smaller than the Mistle Thrush with very bold plumage. They are winter visitors from Scandinavia. Adult male and female Fieldfares are similar in appearance, except that the female is duller and browner. Juveniles lack the grey head and are duller.

 The male has blue-grey crown, nape, and rump; chestnut brown back; black tail; and a buff breast with black streaks that extends to the flanks. The underwing, especially the armpit is white, and it has a pale grey rump.

Fieldfares eat berries and insects, they also eat worms and snails, and they are very partial to apples and pears. Fieldfares are an aggressive bird, and they will chase and fight with other birds to keep them away from the apple pears or anything else they are eating. The Blackbirds in my garden were very pleased when the Fieldfares left the garden; they were able to get some food without getting chased away or attacked.

They nest in a cup of grass and twigs in a bush or tree, Clutch size: 5–6 eggs Incubates: 11–14 days Young in nest: 12–16 days Number of broods: 1–2 Breeding season: May–July.

In the breeding season. Groups of Fieldfares nest communally in colonies. Collectively, the individuals that form the colony are vigorous in their defence against predators. If an intruder appears at a colony, individuals will launch an attack that often involves well-aimed defecation directed at the potential predator.

The picture of the Fieldfare sitting in the bush was taken bye my friend Paul Drake, Thanks for the great picture Paul.

Well that’s all for this month, bye for now, Happy birdwatching. - Gordon Nicholson

First published at 16:30, Wednesday, 03 February 2010
Published by http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk