Monday 31st January 2005
Garden BroadstairsI've been working on a
house in Broadstairs for the last couple of weeks and their garden backs
onto what used to be private grounds to an old house. In this ground and its
borders are some very handsome trees with lots of holes where branches have
snapped off over the years. Over the few weeks it's amazed me the wildlife
in this small area and it's hard to believe it's so close to main roads. The
family at this house feed all the wildlife with all the goodies they like
and have all the usual visitors including 3 Lesser Woodpeckers,
Green woodpeckers, Parakeets by the dozen, Grey Squirrels, Redwing
and a Sparrowhawk that’s into what's on the
table and not what's feeding on it ( I kid you not ) bees and a Hedgehog
already been sighted . The trees all providing homes for these including the
woodpeckers and a roost sight for the Parakeets
which sounds like your in the Amazon not Thanet. A joy that Tits
and other small birds can share the dining table with a Sparrowhawk
but tragic that this plot of history and its trees are all in the process of
being bulldozed away to make way for more Rabbit hutches for us humans to
live in .Sad to think that these houses will share its owners as the years
go by but horrible when you think that wildlife has no say with council
planning !!!A.CULL (Lara & Adrian)
Sunday 30th January 2005 Garden
Margate road
Thought it might be interesting to submit
my results for the RSPB annual birdwatch, I live along the Margate road
near the viaduct backing on to the allotments in Whitehall road. The results
where 4 Blackbirds unusual to have that many at once, 1 Robin,
1 Dunnock, 12 House sparrows counted but there were more in
the hedge, this pleased me because I only counted 5 last year, only 1
Starling which was odd because normally I would get a dozen or more, 4
Collared doves again a bit odd because I tend to get about 10 of them
and lastly 1 slightly iffy Wren I didn't get a very good look at him
skulking in the undergrowth but I am fairly confident that I am right. (Mick
Schroepfer)
Sunday 30th January 2005 Garden Dumpton Thanet
We still have the 2 Greenfinches and 4 Blue
Tits visiting the feeders within the garden, also
2 Robin,
2 Wren, 3 Dunnocks, 2 Blackbirds, 9 Collared Dove,
22 House Sparrows and 19 Starlings. 1 of the 2
Sparrowhawks landed on the back wall of the garden but didn’t
stay long enough for me to take its photograph (Gadget)
Tuesday 25th January 2005 Garden Watch Dumpton
(Dylan)
After getting blasted by the elements for most of the
morning, I chose the simple pleasure of "garden watching " for
the remainder of the afternoon. I set my scope/camera up in the kitchen
and proceeded to get a few pics of the birds visiting my feeding station.
If nothing else, it will make Bev happy as, I'm going to have to clean the
windows! Nothing much to report in between the frequent snow flurries.
Plenty of Starlings, House Sparrows, Collared Doves and Blackbirds
(5) with the occasional feral "Rock Dove". A couple of Carrion
Crows were burying bread in the long grass of my lawn and a pair of Herring
Gulls were perched, menacingly, upon my roof waiting for an
opportunity to rob a Sparrow, or Starling, of a cube of
"Mother's Pride"! A Sparrowhawk dashed along the hedgerow
at the end of my garden but that is as exciting as it got. (Dylan)
Sunday 23rd January 2005 Garden & edge of Field Dumpton Thanet
What a fantastic day its been, I have been doing all
the little job's around the garden, and as I have observed the Blue Tits
popping in and out of the nest boxes in the last few days, I decided it
was time to get them cleaned out so they are all reedy for the new tenants,
also the bird feeders around the garden and the feeding station have had a
good wash, and I replaced the feeders with fresh birdseed and peanuts, the
only new birds to visit my garden this week were two Greenfinches along
with the 4 Blue Tits, 2 Robin,1 Wren, 3 Dunnocks,
3 Blackbirds, 9 Collared Dove, 19 House Sparrows and
9 Starlings. over the field this week the 2 Sparrowhawk
have been hunting the Starlings, and when the farmer ploughed the last
of the corn stubble there were 150+ Gulls most of which were Black-headed
Gulls with a few Herring Gulls. (Gadget)
Monday 17th January 2005 Garden Elvington Kent
Birds generally the same as last week also similar
numbers the only newcomer for the year was a Great Spotted Woodpecker
13/14th there was a marked increase of Chaffinches mainly females
I'm afraid that's all for last week (TRP)
Monday 17th
January 2005 Garden & edge of Field Dumpton Thanet
We added two Fat-balls and 2 homemade fat-cakes to the feeding station
this week, around the
garden, 23 House Sparrows, 14 Starlings also 3 Blue Tits,
2 Robin, 1 Wren, 4 Dunnocks, 4 Blackbirds, 7 Collared Dove,1
Woodpigeon, over the fields we have seen two Sparrowhawks
hunting the field behind the house over the weekend. (Gadget)
Monday 10th January 2005 Garden Elvington Kent
Large numbers of Starlings, House Sparrow up
to 7 individuals, Dunnock 4, Great Tit 3, Blue Tits
peaked at 6 on Wed. Collard Doves 3, A few Blackbirds And
good numbers of Greenfinch +Chaffinch Wed morning 1 Green
Woodpecker turned up Thursday the highlights 1 Black-Redstart
and 2 Male Yellow Hammers, this is the first Yellow Hammers
to visit my garden for three years. (TRP)
Monday 10th January 2005 Garden River Dover
Kent
Though I have a very small garden, it is well
situated with woods at the back and front. Daily visits are made by Great
Tit, Blue Tit and Coal Tit which take seed from the
black sunflower feeders, I also have Dunnock, Chaffinch, Song
Thrush, Blackbird, Robin and Sparrows which
feed off the various seed that I throw down on the ground, I
also put down currents and sultanas for my friendly Blackbird, he
has now been visiting me daily for four years, even brings his family back
each year. I also find that by spreading porridge oats around keeps the
various species fed, even had a Grey Wagtail feeding on the oats
the other day. So by putting several types of feed out, ( I do it all
year round ), it makes a garden watch very pleasurable. (Graham Crick)
Saturday 1st
January 2005 Garden & edge of Field Dumpton Thanet
7-45 to 8-15hrs 11 Grey Partridges on the edge of the field
behind my house with 29 Crows, 22 Lapwings, 60+ Woodpigeons,
12 Stock Dove and about 150 Feral Pigeons,1 Green Woodpecker
flew over towards the farm and a count of 264 Rose ringed Parakeets
heading towards the cemetery and the park, 9 Redwing, 1 Song
Thrush with 7 Blackbirds dropped into the bushes along the edge
of the field, at the feeding station and on the lawn within the
garden 2 Blue Tits, 1 Robin, 1 Wren, 2 Dunnocks,
2 Blackbirds, 7 Collared Dove, a very nice start to the New
Year. (Gadget)
