55 and counting...
That’s the number of bird species spotted by keen members of the newly formed village WhatsApp Nature Group, who participated in the survey alongside the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch event in late January, reports Norman Jackson
By the end of the month the 55 different species recorded included:
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Garden birds - Robin, Blue Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Great Tit, Marsh Tit, Sparrow, Dunnock, Wood Pigeon, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Magpie, Jackdaw, male and female Pheasants, Red-legged Partridge, Dove, Collared Dove, Jay, Starling, Thrush, Wren, Nuthatch, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Goldcrest, Fieldfare, Raven, Carrion Crow, Rook, Bullfinch, Redwing, Hobby, Common Whitethroat, Common Linnet, Chiffchaff, Woodcock, Blackcap, Skylark, Meadow Pippete, Grey Wagtail, Parakeet
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Birds of prey - Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Red Kite, Buzzard, Peregrine (falcon), Hobby (falcon), Barn Owl, Tawny Owl
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Water birds - Mallard, Coot, Canada Goose, Heron, Egyptian Goose, Swan
We will continue with the survey throughout 2024. By the end of the year we hope to have developed a comprehensive understanding of the birdlife within our parish B- Line. One of the joys of our community WhatsApp Nature Group is that we not only share our experiences and photographs, we also pool our knowledge and expertise, learning together. You can find details of our birdlife survey here.
It’s not easy to photograph wild birds. They don’t sit still for very long and unless your camera has a good zoom lens you are unlikely to get good photos. I've spent the last few weeks experimenting with a new camera and static motion-activated wildlife camera. You can see the result of some of the birds I have managed to photograph on our YouTube channel here.
In case you missed it...
Re-betchworth organised an online introductory talk on bird spotting with Peter Almond, the British Trust for Ornithology Ambassador for Surrey. If you didn't get the chance to join this excellent Zoom session you can catch the recording here on the NatureShare site.
And if your inner bird-watcher is twitching and you'd like to join our wildlife surveys and/or our community WhatsApp Nature Group, do get in touch at: lifewilder@gmail.com.