Big Garden Birdwatch

Like a good RSPB member, I did my Big Garden Birdwatch count. From 8.10 to 9.10am, I stood at the dining room window and watched what went on outside in the garden.

BGBW isn't complicated: peer out of the window for an hour and count the max numbers of each species you see at once. Here are my counts:

• Blue Tit: 7
• Jackdaw: 7
• Chaffinch: 7
• Great Tit: 5
• Dunnock: 2
• Coal Tit: 2
• Long-tailed Tit: 2
• Greenfinch: 2
• Robin: 2
• Stock Dove: 1
• Wren: 1
• Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1

They only tell part of the story, though. The two Robins did not try to kill each other, as is the norm, but were clearly a pair, as they fed (on porridge oats) side by side. I think a nestbox will be required. However, the Coal Tits were intent on chasing each other round and round; they are very territorial.

The Long-tailed Tits were a bit unexpected as I haven't often seen them in the garden. They made a beeline for the fat-block feeder which makes me wonder if they've become more regular visitors while I've been at work.

I quite often hear Stock Doves cooing from nearby, but it was a nice surprise to see one sitting in the ash tree at the bottom of the garden for a couple of minutes.

The Blue Tits were particularly hard to count, as there was constant movement between the bush and the sunflower seed feeder. At first, I'd only managed to count four at once, which seemed a bit poor, but reinforcements arrived shortly after to boost numbers.

The last bird to add itself to the list was the woodpecker. Good to see he's still a regular visitor, enjoying hacking the fat-block to pieces. They cost £1.99 each but I have a cunning plan to make my own.

Still no House Sparrows, though, never mind Starlings...