Want to change the world while sitting at home with a cup of tea?
I was so glad to see a post by Pepperdoggie today highlighting the great RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch project.
Taking part in this has been a tradition for my wildlife loving family since it began , well before GCA/PMR , but with everything I have had on this week I nearly missed it!!
And I realised , just like PDog , that despite the pain and blurred vision , it is one of the old family activities I could still actively take part in. I wrote a reply but decided to share it in a post with the forum too .
Wildlife Spotting!
Be it from window, garden , car, or park bench is a PMR/ GCA Friendly , Chronic Pain Free Family Activity that you could all take part in straight away today!
Just taking an hour of your time, one day this weekend in January , to sit and record the number and variety of birds coming into your garden , community area , or even at the feeder hanging outside the window of your flat or house ( alone or with others) makes a huge difference to the research about the bird population in your area of the UK.
( You can find the trend , or start one , in other countries too)
It's so easy! Just print off the online survey , sit , tick , and fill in your results.
Or, write down your findings and send them by post to the address online if you have trouble doing computer work.
Most importantly, it is something for people like us on this forum whom suffer from chronic pain, PMR or GCA , that we can enjoy doing with our families , friends or on our own despite the disease.
Many of us suffer and feel loss or sadness at not being able to take part in the family activities , games or Days Out that we once did because of the impact of our symptoms on our physical abilities.
Many of us sit at the sidelines and feel guilty when our children , grandchildren , nieces or nephews or friends want us to take part in something they find fun but we find we can't do them. Or , we feel sorry that we can't actively take part in Community Projects or Social Groups anymore the way we used to.
The ' Big Garden Bird Watch', is an activity that even the most severe sufferers of PMR/ GCA or Chronic Pain among us can do with the little ( or big!!) kids , no matter how hard our symptoms strike. We can feel like contributors , create special memories, maintain bonds and do something for the good of the community again.
We can do it with others or alone and know we still make a difference.
With the family, even if you can't leave your own home you can sit together inside , watch the birds , get the children to fill in the survey ( little kids love spotting games) and talk about the birds.
You can buy feeders , or the ingredients for the family to make them , hang them anywhere you can see and sit and watch them start a tradition that can last generations.
Extend the pain free fun! You can get a book or look online together at the different birds you spot and learn about them , sit and watch them draw and colour in pictures of their favourite birds , have a go yourself!
This sort of PMR/ GCA friendly ( and family bonding activity) can last long after the 'Big Garden BirdWatch' has ended, as the children fill the feeders and spot the birds with you every week , all year around , to create a proper record of what goes on in your garden or outside your window.
Feeling more active ? Motivated? Keep going !!
Buy bird houses to paint and hang if you have the room , see who moves in.
And don't just look out for our feathered friends . Making Hedgehog havens , planting butterfly or bee friendly seeds or plants in pots , making bug hotels , are all things we can take part in to the physical level we can manage , the kids or a friend will do the rest.
And they will love the hours spent visiting Granny , Grandad, Uncle or Aunt, Mum or Dad or their Best Mate without anyone feeling PMR/GCA has to stop the fun.
If your Family already do these things at home , even better!
It means you know they will enjoy doing that at your house too , all you need to do is ask.
All of you will bond again in an activity that doesn't need to stop even with the worst forms of PMR/ GCA , and, you are saving the world too!!
( Let's face it, even if you are 'Bleary-eyed ' the kids can feel so helpful telling you what they see or describing it for you to guess)
There are silver linings even in the darkest skies and I know for many of us GCA/ PMR are the stormiest we have seen , but , who knows , perhaps PMR/ GCA will give us all a positive gift for the future if we manage to encourage the next generation of David Attenborough's despite the pain.
So , Thank You So Much Pepperdoggie for your post ,
' " Big Garden Bird Watch' " Mateys! It's Good for Us! ' ,
and hopefully everyone whom 'likes' my post will pop over to him and give him a ' like' too because without his reminder , I would not have written this post which might encourage you to start a new tradition today.
The RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch , and Wildlife Spotting in general , could remind us all that despite PMR / GCA we are still , " Born to be Wild".
UPDATED : Anyone following or who enjoyed this post and replies can get to find out who won between PDog and Bee in the Birdwatch Challenge , and get a list of some more upcoming events in the UK and Worldwide by reading my follow up post.
Keep spotting Bee xx
Written by
Blearyeyed
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We already do this with our grandson along with a whole list of nature homes and gardening. Two years ago he grew his first potatoes and was amazed how one potatoe gave him loads. Last summer he made homes.for bees and when out in our village he saw a beekeeper removing a hive from outside our village hall and quite indignantly told the poor beekeeper "Do you know bees are in trouble? I hope you are going to look after them". One very proud nanny. So we will be out doing our watch tomorrow.xx
Maybe one day when I am back on my feet I can get your both up here to help me on my WWT volunteering beat. Bet he'd love doing the big projects on the beach and playing with my bat detector!
But , on another post nearby , I heard tell , that you confessed you daughter's psychotic cat is a one feline weapon of bird destruction and could be held accountable for the drop of population in your neck of the woods single pawly this year ( giggle!!) 😂😂😂
If Zach ever wants any tips or I have something he could use to start his career in Zoology please let me know , I would love to help in on his wild way! xxx
Thanks Bee. He does love his nature stuff. The school he is at is really encourages the kids to get involved with nature and year 1 and Reception all.go to forest school once a week
They all seem to love it and OH started helping out last year and hes loving it too!! He would love coming to see you.
The feline killing machine my eldest calls Bobby is quite literally the downfall of many birds in Sussex. The family near his house not only has peacocks.but also have a pond with a lot of very big fish and hes been seen sitting by the side of it probably working out how to get one!! Xx
I just thought we could really give your neighbours something to talk about if I come down and visit you and set up an overnight moth trap in your garden and we all sleep out with torches, especially if I teach you all how to throw stones to attract diving pipistrelles.
With your organ playing neighbour Count Bela Von Legosi next door you must have an infinite number of bats for us to attract from his spooky rafters😂😂
I was sitting thinking about Bobby the Cat , suppose he is doing is own form of bird spotting , although maybe a bit too proactive.
I am picturing him sitting triumphantly next his own survey results in the form of little birds heads on twig spikes like a Tudor King!😐😋😂😂
But just as birds gotta fly , cats gotta hunt but you may need to handcuff him ( or maybe paw cuff!!) to a chair if you want to up your results!😂😂😂
I have thrown down the gauntlet to Pepperdoggie to see who gets the most , he has suggested he is recruiting extra forces and a B52 to beat the girls , so I will become the blower to RAF Valley in the morning for reinforcements. The challenged is on!
Bobby is a real pain. We dropped oldest at home on Friday and she had to dash in as she could see him on the bench and realised her KitKat cake was under foil on the it. At Christmas he was so pleased with his robin present for them. They asked had to go in and feed him when they went away for a couple of days and we were met with the wings, feet, bowels and a whole frog minus his head!! Not all on one day but enough for us to clear up!! He's off to a cattery now!@
But just like all children whom act like demons at home he seems to be an angel when in the company of strangers just to make your daughter look bad when she says he misbehaves.
Perhaps he decapitated that frog because he didn't like the cut of his gib or with all those other body parts , and the fact that cats are well known for enjoying a good craft show on TV , he might have been considering making his own arty line of hipster taxidermy to hang over the cat bed.😂😂😋
I have realised (at silly o'clock due to insomnia and visions of you in my back garden doing weird thing with torches and stones ) that the reason we both like bats is simply because we are batty!! It explains so much about our mad behaviour before any sign of pmr and the pred induced brain fog!!
My poor neighbours have enough to contend with already let alone you and me bat spotting. There are loads of bats here and I have been in the way of a feeding bat. I love bats.xx
That's because the Count next door has a roost of them in his house , probably highly trained to come and spy on you when you are up to crazy things in the garden.
Definitely think we should have a camp out , complete with bat detectors and moth traps just to keep his little black flapping pets amused.
The other neighbour will be watching through the fence to work out what all the clicking and clattering is about at 3 in the morning.
But at least it will keep us amused with the Pred induced insomnia.
The poor neighbours who have suffered such a lot since we moved in including the incident with the blow up crocodile and the pool and the fairy light fiasco actually came around two days ago to see if I was ok after paramedic incident, as they were beginning to get withdrawal symptoms from manic things happening. Us doing some sort of bat watch in the garden will obviously provide entertain for more than just our immediate neighbours. Our bottom of the garden neighbours have just had some sort of search light put up and every so often it shines in our garden which I think has probably been provided by the parish council so they know what i am up to.yb
We will be your village version of Big Brother , the Council probably added cameras on the bottom of those stealth bats too so everyone can enjoy the action .
They just haven't told you that your village has its own version of Yellow Bluebell TV , 24 hour live streaming , the unusual behaviour and habits of this particularly odd member of wildlife.
This year's Springwatch may even be being filmed from the end of your garden. Perhaps you will find Chris Packham and Gordon in your shed with the blow up crocodile, quietly whispering their commentary on the footage from the hidden cameras for us all to enjoy.
Love it - my fave programmes Country File and the BBC 'Watch' programmes. Plus of course any wildlife programmes. Magic. Near to me is a bunged-up water guttering. The magpies (especially the magpies) but also other birds - when they can get a look in, go there for water. Putting out water is dangerous, cats are always on the look out, so I cannot feed the birds, but can watch them drink. Natural garden patch. Left to nettles and nature. Good stuff.
You could have fun with the moth and butterfly spotting in Summer then , many of them are great nettle munchers and love scrub.
Good point about the cats. Always important to put your feeders in a spot they can't reach.
They are meant to be bird feeders , not cat feeders after all😋😁
I am not surprised about the birds using your gutter.
Water is actually more important for us to provide for birds than food! Even in the winter.
In a shallow bowl on a high point , they need it to drink and clean their feathers.
Suprisingly , more birds die from dehydration than starvation.
My Aunt lives high in a flat , and her buildings garden has cats and urban foxes so not great for bird feeders but she decided to put up a window box and hangs those stick on bird feeders on her windows , just by opening them she can fill them safe inside.
She watches blue tits , green Finch , sparrows and a robin all from the comfort of her bed!
Now that is pain free wildlife Spotting!
Thanks for answering and enjoy your joyful magpies , bee xxx
My bird feeders hang from my washing line away from the hedge, fencing and any other climbing frame my cat might decide could be useful if she ever decided to take up bird hunting again. Hanging there also stops mice as well. We have foxes around us but they don't tend to cone into gardens too much. Prob because every ones bins are not in the back gardens. As we have zachs rabbit in our garden we have a padlock on his hutch because foxes can undo the clasps on most hutches. I didn't know about the water though so will see how we can incorporate that into the garden but still keeping birds safe. We have flowers that attract bees as well which Zach loves. Cat isn't that impressed with bees though. Just remembered we had gorgeous dragonflies last year which was great. We just don't seem to get a good mix of birds. Might gave something to do with the birds of prey we have around but not sure? Happy bird watching every one.xx
My garden becomes deathly quiet twice a day , it feels uncanny , but the small birds know , or some send the alert that the birds of prey or the cats are doing their visit.
We get two sparrowhawks and strangely have done since the children got a rabbit when we first moved here.
It was amazing , the rabbit would sit and look at the hawk , the hawk at the rabbit, exactly the same time every day , 1.15 - 2.00 , it was like they had a regular time to meet for a chat . Rabbit was never scared , sparrowhawk just sat on the opposite wall never went closer. The rabbit has long gone but the very old sparrowhawk and now , another smaller male come in the same time every day. Soon as they leave the birds pop out again.
It's worth spending a whole day anywhere that you spot birds or animals , the experts thought I was mad until I pointed out that I had observed the same birds and creatures have a very punctual pattern every day and I was proved right everytime .
They are just like humans , you can set your watch by them, and have a to do list and what to do and where to visit in order. It makes spotting alot easier. I can tell people the exact time they will get to see nesting puffins leave burrows to fish at South Stack in the afternoon in Summer , 5.00- 6.30pm, we literally just go quickly to see it, arrive just in time and stand listening to watchers who have been waiting all day on the steps to see one.
I think eventually , if you use the right tactics on hanging food or birdboxes or create hiding spots for the birds for when predators drop in you can still get a nice balance . We even have a burrow of wrens in the spot just below sparrowhawk spot. They seem happy to coexist once balance is organised between them.
Dragonflies are quite easy to attract even without a pond , any standing water near by , or a little water feature will attract them from nowhere , a year after you put a water but or feature in your garden it's suprising how many things end up finding it. Even a tiny back yard can be teeming with life if you want it with a few of the right plants in pots.
Wish they still did what they did with the first 'Springwatch' series and we had 'Badger Cam Live' through the night with funny commentary from Bill Oddie , at least we would have something to entertain us through the night when cursed with Pred induced insomnia.
Have you gone on the website ?
That has some great ideas and activities for people of all different abilities and ages to do around the UK to feed their love of Nature.
Hoping my meds are sorted by March so I can do some more volunteering again.
And get down to the beach for the Wildlife Trust , " Great Shark Egg Case Hunt" in Feb or March.
That's another one for all if the weather is good , even if you are not able to run about you can go , sit in a deckchair covered in blankets and tick off the species as the kids , or other people's kids run back and forth bringing you the case to tick off and then putting them back where they find them ( good Nature practise tip!😋😁)
Good thing is the really young ones don't think about collecting a few but bring them one at a time.
So , by the time they finish they have ran so much they are wobbling around like they are the ones suffering from PMR!!
Nothing better than when you have two totally exhausted generations of people in the back of the car.
Makes it look like we have run the same marathon as the little ones😋😁😂😂
Loved yr response to YBluebell, good ideas - and yes, loved all the cam-corder slots. Good programmes. Will soon be another set of SpringWatch... Have a good one -
Absolutely agree, even when I'm feeling at my worse my window watches of wildlife in my garden a constant feel good factor!
Have positioned feeders around the garden so I have a view of one from most windows (bungalow) lucky enough to have amazing variety of birds with different seeds etc in feeders.
bonus of lack of sleep and frequently wandering around early hours I also enjoy seeing beautiful night skies and sun rises more now.
nature very important in my life and certainly for me the best medicine for general well being.
Fabulous idea darling. I shall be doing my bit even from 12000 miles away. I love your enthusiasm and I agree that kids like nothing more than adult involvement and keeping data. Thank you Queenie and PD. Xxxx
Bet we will be green with envy for the varieties of birds that you get as garden visitors over the weekend , let us know what you regularly see out there , it would be interesting to compare and contrast. Hugs x
I love watching the birds at our feeders. Our problem is keeping the squirrels at bay!! We now have squirrel proof feeders👍👍. Considering we live on the edge of a city we hhave an amazing amount of wildlife visit our garden!!
Squirrels are no longer a problem on our island , as we are becoming a red squirrel retreat.
Therefore , all grey squirrels over the years have been ' removed' , you have to go to the main land to see them .
So far only seen one red squirrel in the flesh , and I help with the Squirrel Trust , so they are hard to spot .
It's crazy but these days foxes and squirrels are more of an urban garden problem , we are in the country and hardly ever see them. Not just because of farmers shooting but the foxes have moved to were the food is easier.
Keeping the food for the birds is like taking on a gang of super spies.
As I sit here now the bird feeders hang outside my windows on both sides. In spring they fill up with baby Long tailed tits, sometimes as many as 15.
We have a problem here with grey squirrels so to stop them getting all the feed we have the bird feeders hanging in an old parrot cage. So far it has worked, the small birds get in, the squirrels can't, and we have hours of entertainment watching them try.
We have so many birds in this garden that we don't get eat many of the berries we grow, and the pigeons get most of the cabbage.
These surveys are interesting as they reflect many things I have noticed over the years.
When I was a child great murmurations of starlings were common here, now we barely see one. I used to think it so unfair that we didn't have any large birds of prey, just" boring " little birds. Now I see Sparrowhawks most days and hear the mewing of buzzards even if I can't see them. To top it all Peregrines nest in the local cathederal, I keep looking but haven't seen it here yet.
The most impressive new addition is the Little Egret which comes in from the salt marshes to feed in the local stream, beautiful elegant bird. Also, thanks to the salt marshes, we have fly pasts of swans and geese and just 3 fields away (one more than I can manage to walk at the moment) flocks of waders in amazing almost balletic flight patterns.
Needless to say when it come to the Bird Watch they are all on holiday but the Tits and finches featue highly and of course the lovely robin. I mut try to make a list of all the birds I see here, there are many more.
In answer to the question you are about to ask, I do have a spare room and you would be welcome to visit. Bring your binoculars.
And what a great tip for all bird feeders , hang your feeders inside old or those decorative cages to keep the squirrels offcthe food ,
Bird cages with various styles of food , including fruit and sugar water for butterflies in summer , hung in a tree would look so artistic , a real design feature.
It would certainly create something interesting for the art lovers on the forum to draw or paint.
We still have a giant murmuration of starlings over the back field , it's an amazing bird lure but soon to be stolen for an unwanted ( or at least on that field) side road for giant trucks.
So I will miss half of the birds to visit me because of it going.
Thanks for the ideas and thoughts , bet you get a great survey done , unless you have 70mph winds like me today , the birds , if they care to come out can't manage to get to the garden let alone land ! Hugs xx
Yes I would love to come when we are both up to it.
Peregrines on the cathedral , now that is a big motivation.
We have a little Egret that visits in the stream area up by the old school.
We have a short lane , we ( and all the local kids) call it the 'Bat Lane' because it is were we could go for a quick walk to watch and listen to the bats on the detector on a nice evening, then pop down to the end where the Inland sea reaches and watch all the nesting waterfowl and sea birds .
When my kids were young it became a bit of a village thing. Their friends and their families would ring up and join us , but there wasn't a walk when we didn't start on our own but get spotted by the local kids and then end up with a gang of them running down to join us.
They would spot us from their windows in the little set of council houses and go and grab their friends.
We were like the wildlife equivalent of a visit from the ice cream van. Everyone getting a turn holding the detector or using the mini binoculars that I got used to just carrying in bundles in a rucksack whereever I went.
Did prove that any child will rush to take part in outdoor ( and educational) fun if they just get the chance to do it.
Unfortunately , even the ' Bat Lane' so close but yet so far at the moment as it is short but quite steep and plays havoc on the headache and dizzy symptoms I have just now.
Was fun though , when kids came to knock we would smile because they would be asking if I was coming out to play!xxx
I got the impression you hadn't grown up and I bet your sense of fun helped. Sounds fun, I see you as a Pied Piper charactor.Things are different here very little community spirit but it was there in spades when we lived in Wales
Nothing better than involving children in nature, the main reason I went into teaching.
There wasn't a huge amount of community spirit here , at least between the different communities anyway, I think it is the same everywhere, but it's more obvious in the country because there isn't as much going on to get involved in close by like in towns or cities.
I think it just happens though when something is put on people do want to get involved and enjoy each others company but it takes someone to start it , and we are not all up to the job just now.
Like the codes of me as the Pied Piper , but maybe I should be called the Bat Piper of Ynys Mon instead , I could see a childrens book coming from it , thanks , you have given me a bit more arty inspiration now too. xx
As good as i suppose i can hope for Thanks. How are you? Bee is my beautifully nutty friend who is dafter than me and that takes some doing!! My poor neighbours are living with me next door which considering the things that went on last year i am surprised they are still living there and Bee is determined to add her own nuttiness to the mix!! We will be able to entertain the whole village together!!
We should get the whole PMR/ GCA Avengers League down there to entertain them, the blow up crocodile will pale in comparison with the bunch of us sitting around your garden fully costumed waiting for the ' batty call ' to spur us into action against PMR crime. xx
' Batty Call' , get it , noone can accuse us of going off topic this time !!😂😂😂😂
I think the image of me upside down on the inflatable crocodile, in the pool, dripping wet and swearing with a large glass of wine in my hand is going to take a while to erase form their memory but I think maybe we could at least give them something else to think about. Not being able to go in their garden because some very weird women had decided to invite all the bats in the area to a bloody garden party should be a start!!
We would be hysterical not sure they would feel the same as they were chased down the garden by hundreds of bats with our manic cackling ringing in their ears!! Oh the parish council would definitely be inundated with complaints!!
Our Idea of going off topic is not the same as any one else's unfortunately!! Best bit is we actually dont need any encouragement at all to be nuttier than usualxx
I used to love the birds in the garden but as I have inherited my sisters cat when she was ill and it is a fiend ,loveable but still a fiend .I have stopped putting fat balls out and stuff even trimmed a certain tree to make it difficult for her to climb so we miss the Blackbirds and such .Better safe than sorry . I do agree it's so lovely to get breakfast and sit and just watch . So restful .Many years ago when we had a house with a small yard I had hanging baskets with strawberries in for us to have .The birds used to sit in the baskets and peck away so we let them is was fun for the kids when they were small .Lovely sight .
Yes , I had a constant war going on since the kids were small between whom got the strawberries first , the children , our tea table or the Hedgehog. Hedgehog was the biggest winner.
My Aunt lives up in a high flat and has some of those tiny stick on feeders on a window she can fill them just by opening it , no dangerous leaning out , and she can watch the birds from bed , seriously pain free spotting!! Perhaps that might beat the cat.
My gran grew peas in her garden and I used to go out open the pods carefully take the peas out and leave the empty pods still on the plant!! I got on to so much trouble. My grans brother lived s few doors down and grew lots of fruit but his raspberries got hit hard when I stayed at my grans!!
I must have the laziest cat going. The birds feed whilst she is on the decking!! All she's bothered is a big pigeon and he lost some tail feathers and one dragonfly got too close to her in the summer!!
The funny thing with my old cats was they would just watch the birds from indoors and only come out to chase other cats away if they heard them on the patio or near the bird feeders.
One afternoon , we had shut the curtains to keep the sun out of our eyes and the cat heard the scratching and a tapping on the window so went to do his guard duty.
He was either lazy or liked to suprise them by standing looking mean when a human pulled the curtain back for him.
He stood waiting best evil stance , the curtain flew back and he saw a giant buzzard standing staring right back at him.
Run!! Couldn't get him from under the bed until teatime.😁😂😄
Poor cat. Buzzards are big and scary. We have a nesting pair in the cathedral and they have returned for at least 10 years. There are cameras up there and it's amazing to watch them. We.get a lot of birds of prey swoop.over the gardens and on to the fields beyond and last year a kestrel landed on our thick hedge. The cat missed.that one!!
So well written Blearyeyed- very motivating to get going and be part of a family activity that any of us can take part in, at different levels. So often,as you said, it is what we can’t now do with the family. I,for one, am a bit cheesed at having to cancel so many things since November so it’s good to find as you say something positive to engage in. Have also now started to send videos to the grandchildren, chatting to the older ones, singing songs to the younger ones. One of my younger grandchildren after listening to my rendition of “ Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” which wasn’t very good, I hasten to add, shouted “ more!!”
So the lesson gained from all this is to be more inventive and to think of alternatives to what we did before I think. Must add though that it wasn’t my idea to start sending videos but started by my daughter in London who sent me the video of Artie( 18 months) talking a little and singing and I sent my return video. Great fun x
That's definitely it , inventive ways to do activity that is not so active but doesn't make anyone feel like they are missing out.
Perhaps you should could video your singing efforts and make it into a file for the children
Another pain free activity if you can manage the singing .
Doing the little moves , it would be like PMR/ GCA babysitting duties.
Your children could use grandma's video on the TV for an hour for the kids to sing along with while they do a job or have a quick break and you are still helping out without having to even leave the house.
Post a song on here and we can all sing along too!
The little ones all love the nature stuff though , they run around you sit in a comfy beach chair and let them find things , they don't realise grandma isn't doing things because she can't.
Lovely post & replies Bee.... Thanks for the reference... How much did you say your agency fees were!!
This cat problem with the birdies!...Why don't they have bells on their collars! At least it would give an early warning!... Admitted with some cats you would need a bloody big bell to slow them down any!!
Chilling windy day it is here too! Bin strike/work to rule & plastic/ paper flying all over the place! Recycling!!!!! What a joke it is!!
Fed the Mallards Coots & Moorhens on a slow amble today! Interesting conversation with a fellow feeder about the bread agenda! His border terrier kept them sharp too!
Anyway! Lets get to the stats & the sticky bits! Some confusion here!
2 woodies. 2 blackbirds. 1 robin.. 2 sparrows & numerous blue tits & great tits!
Big problem! Am I recording the same tit's! They queue up & take their turn on the feeder! They have great cover to nip in & out! I do wonder about the stats but I'm not a mathematician!!
It's all beautiful to watch matey it's going fast if we don't watch it. Good on You!
They do give you the suggestion that you try to count them as they arrive and feed in their little groups , watch which way they go , if the same species returns from the same garden pretty quickly it is probably the same birds and you shouldn't count them again.
I was totally plagued by howling wind and rain for most of the day .
Ended up having a brief hour when it was sunny and only blowing at about
30mph !! the odd bird could come in .
I could also go out without being blown over , or hit on the head with a stray plant pot or flying house , so I went and sat by the unkept bit of scrub like corner I keep for birds and peered in the old blackberry vines and ivy ( perfect roosting , nesting hiding spot for the little birds) .
I got far less birds than usual , about 50% less , and because of timing don't know if I can include the sparrowhawks , they did sit at the usual lunch time spot for a little while in a soggy feathery mess before giving up and swinging like untamed kites back to the trees by the far end of the fields, but that was an hour before I could venture out and brave the cold when the rain had stopped .
I got the following , mainly using the unconventional method of counting birds in a bush instead of in your hand.
5 Jackdaws ( we have generations of them living on our chimney and in the ornamental cherry).
1 collared dove
1 wren ( popped its head out from their burrow near the wall , also another generations of a family resident , will not move despite originally being encouraged by us trying to flatten the grass back down and putting in a twig nester, think they are Royalty their home sticks up from the edge of the patio , looks like an Ancient Celtic Mound!)
12 Tree Sparrows ( in bush)
3 House Sparrows ( arguing with the neighbours in the same bush)
2 Green Finches ( girls chatting in the same bush, about feathers or something, even a gale can't stop a good lass talking😋)
1 Common Thrush ( same bush , the overcrowded housing issue at the end of my garden is becoming a bit of a social crisis!!)
1 Blackbird ( male , typical of the gender , ranting about the noise from the neighbours😋😂😂)
2 Starlings ( watching the mayhem of the neighbours fighting with glee from the wall , brought their own snacks from the neighbours garden to help make the spectacle more enjoyable!)
The infamous and undeniable garden favourite, 1 Chubby Robin
And my personal favourite garden visitors popped by briefly ( took them all at least four efforts to fly in before they gave up trying to feed and pushed off )
1 Male Goldfinch ( big hint!! if you want them in your garden put the dandelions you weed from your garden in a pot to flower and become dandelion clocks , they love them!!)
2 Male Chaffinch
And I am including them despite the break in spotting
2 soggy Sparrowhawks!!
The End .
So who won? Even Stevens I say , we will call it a draw , we are both Winners here .
Hope everyone else feels like a winner and got some good spotting on today too.
Shake hands , same challenge , same place next year PDog? Hugs Bee xx
Too good for me kid!.. You've run me ragged! Our big bruisers didn't turn up! Crows & Magpies still stuffed up with the roasted chickens fatty bits from Friday! No Wagtail or Starlings! Or any exotics!
I need a good coach with this competitive stuff! Cost me a fortune with the B52!
What's this common thrush!...Is that a song thrush or mistle thrush?
Song thrush , we do have a Mistle thrush pair too , they visit from the trees across the back field, but not today , I was surprised I saw anything outside the bushes in the wind , at least without a ball ane chain attached or an anchor to stop them blowing off.
The back field is a treasure trove , we get all the migrating and water fowl birds feeding or resting in it every year , really interesting geese and lapwings
( on Wednesday afternoons) but the road the plan to help lorries go to and from the changes at the power station will put pay to a vital resource for the birds and alot of pleasure for us.
They choose that field over the course because it is near the river and quite damp in parts , low grass from sheep grazing , so perfect for finding all the right interesting weeds and grubs they need to eat.
Got a pair of Bean Geese passing through last year .
Seems a nature paradise for birds there & yourselves. Hope they don't bugger it up too much with the proposed road! Never seen a Bean Geese. We do get a few Greylags join in with the Canada Geese around here.
It's Rubbish isn't it!! Who can have any will to recycle stuff in our City! Stuff blowing all over the place! Don't know who's to blame but it's shite!
Loved this post. Here in the states, Texas, it is called the Big Backyard etc. Do it twice a year.
also the post about bats. For many years I gave the Friday night talk at a bat "tunnel" cave. Hated to give it up when I got to stage that I didn't want to drive on rural roads at night. Yes, a lot of coping, I find with having PMR, is to stay engaged, Nowadays I work 4 hours a week at the local Nature Center and also a couple of volunteer hours at the library. At present I am working on a project to give a talk to a small group of people. I've iet done this for the last 4 years, I find it all helps me to kind of subdue the pain in my thighs and occasionally in my shoulders. In addition maintaining a "good" diet, went off last night and drank two glasses of Malbec, and some meditation helps.
Please tell us the results you get from your garden surveys or the types of butterflies that visit.
Being , like you a wildlife junkie , I would love to compare and contrast what we all think of a normal garden birds and creatures , bet you , like the Australians will make us green with envy.
So glad you are able to keep up with the activities and talks , even though I know like me you probably miss all the hikes , habitat clearing and keeping an eye on the animals were they live.
The beach chair and some blankets ( for you) with a gang of volunteers ( kids or adults ) bringing you the things to tick off or talk about ( then returning it where they find it, good spotter practise rules 😋) is a great way from PMR sufferers, expert enthusiasts or gran and grandad who need to stay pain free and not do the running about but still get to be involved.
Waiting to hear about your birds , good to know that US forum members have a survey or two to do , do you have any links ?
Before kids we took up bird watching. The Cornell Ornithology Lab and The Audubon Society created The Great Back Yard Bird Count (GGBC) every year. This year it's February 15-18, 2019. gbbc.birdcount.org/about/
"Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time.
Now, more than 160,000 people of all ages and walks of life worldwide join the four-day count each February to create an annual snapshot of the distribution and abundance of birds.
We invite you to participate! For at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, February 15-18, 2019, simply tally the numbers and kinds of birds you see. You can count from any location, anywhere in the world, for as long as you wish!"
Sounds good to me , and it means the competition can be back on for me and Pepperdoggie, bird count round 2 , great that all forum members worldwide can take part too.
I will put it in my diary , and write a post closer to the date to let everyone know , thanks so much for the information, bee xx
I have written a follow up story post with my results including a nod to you and your kind suggestion , think you might like it , hope we can get people going on 15th!! xx
Thank you Bee for your very inspirational post.l usually receive a form from the RSPB for the bird and wild life watch but not this year.There are very few birds in my garden since some new neighbours acquired a cat ,even moving the feeders into my front garden still does not make much difference .l always loved watching them from my kitchen window but it would not be fare to encourage them now.l know that cats make lovely pets but they do destroy a lot of birds,l would never have one myself as l could not bear to see the dead or injured little birds and animals they bring in.l have grandsons who have always been interested in nature,and l think there is nothing better than rambling through meadows looking for insects and butterflies,as well as bird watching and anything about nature. Best wishes Bee ,xxx.
Great reply , glad you are bringing up some of the next generations Chris Packhams!!
Hope the post helps you think of ways to join in with them when you don't feel up to getting out.
And the replies about how to get them running in the great outdoors while you have the comfy beach chair and tick off from your list , in any place you visit is always a good way to take part even when you are achy and still have the fun.
Even stopping in the car works , or doing a nature spot from the car on long journeys keeps them from sending you mad , and they see some great things , especially birds of prey.
There are a few suggestions for cat and squirrel beating with the feeders above that might help , and ifcyou want more ideas or I think of something I will let you know , hugs Bee xx
I have written a follow up post with my results and added Bee commentary , who won the GBW? Thought you might be interested , and more suggestions for surveys to add your garden bird spots on to in Feb, hugs Bee xx
Hope you are not worrying about your bats they are good house guests really😘
Thanks Bee for your reply,l had to finish my last post because my son and grandson had just arrived here,desperate for a bowl of hot soup and crusty bread after a very chilly game of golf,apparently the golf balls kept going way off course because of the strong wind .l do not know why they try and play in weather like this! I was interested to read of the various ways to feed the birds well away from cats,l will try the washing line method.The main problem is the water ,l think that was the main cause of their demise because the cat could easily reach them on the bird bath.l am pleased to say that l could hear plenty of twittering going on from a lot of trees over the road from me,so there are birds still around this area ,mainly sparrows and wood pigeons .There was a pair of blackbirds in my garden last week,they flew back into some trees in the cats garden,l can only hope that they will survive !l do have bats in my roof,a neighbour next door to me told me he had seen about twenty five fly out from under the roof settings,and then they fly to the trees in the nearby cemetery to eat any bugs they can find amongst the foliage .l have never heard a sound from the bats ,l think they must be in a part of my loft that is concealed because of a loft conversion. It must make my home sound rather creepy,it is just a sixty year old bungalow,l think they must have chosen my roof when a neighbour cut down an old hedge which apparently had a protection order on it,which he ignored and seems to have got away with .I shall be interested to hear the results of yours and Pepperdoggie,s search ,l love his posts and pictures and he is so fortunate to live near water and ducks in a nearby park.l can hardly wait for spring,everything suddenly seems to brighten up then especially the garden .All the best Bee and hugs for you too ,Patricia xx.
If you have bats in the rafters they can be very quiet , even flying in and out to hunt in Summer you will only hear the same sort of noise as birds flying to nest ( but without the cheeping!) as you know they are silent communicators.
That's why we have the bat detector , it picks up the sonar location they use , each species has a different decibel level to communicate so when you pick up the loud clicking on the machine by turning the dial you can record which variety of bat flew past , which is hard to see by eye even at twilight they are so fast.
Bats can cause alot of smell or some other issues because of their waste , so if you do have them as a gift from your bad neighbour stealing their home you can deal with them by putting bat boxes along the roof were they come to roost , and then filling the original entrance space when they go to hunt. Unfortunately , you have been stuck with the job because as you say they are protected , even in your home and you need to keep them or be allowed to relocate them. But really if you aren't doing a big conversion and the brood is small they are a nice thing to home and care for.
If you use your old bird table to put fruit skins and sugar water on in Summer it will attract butterflies , moths and bugs to watch , but also you could get a great view of bats hunting all the little gnats that will be attracted to hunt around it in the evening and morning. Put a strong light or torch on behind the fruit in the evening pointing to you and you may even get some really good night time moth spotting for when Pred insomnia bites.
Water is important for the birds , more so than food , you can if you have space on the wall of the house or in view of your window put up hanging basket hooks , near window level , hang feeders and hang a cup at an angle or pretty saucer ( held from the hook by little chains or string ) with water in it , this means you birds will come back to feed , wash and visit right in view of your windows because there is no chance that cats or foxes can climb on them to attack.
Thanks again Blee for your good advice.l do not like the thought of the bats making a mess in my roof space,the neighbour who told me about them said that they did not make much mess and liked to keep their sheltered space clean,obviously wrong about that.Fortunately l have not noticed any bad smell so far but l dread to think what it must be like in there ! I shall order some bat boxes from the RSPB and hope that will take them out of the loft.l know they have been there a long time and yes they have never made a sound that l can hear.l would have not been aware of them at all if the neighbour had not told me.This neighbour is not the one who cut down the hedge,he passed away sometime ago .ATB and thanks again xx.
Ps Bee,l would like to know what other issues their waste can cause,l hope it is not too unpleasant !l was worried about this when first informed about them but knew l could not disturb them too much as they are protected.l found a small baby bat once nearly drowning in my water but,l lifted it out and put it on the grass to dry off,when l went out later it was halfway up the wall under the sealed off parts of the loft.Thanks Bee x.
It depends on the species and the number , they are lovely and won't cause much mess , smell or damage , sorry for worrying you.
They do clean their areas if living in more confined spaces like roof areas because they want a tidy home.
Occasionally the smell , if their are lots of them , can be smelt because the fluid of their scat is high in nitrogen , methane , ammonia , bit like chicken poop really.
It is unlikely to cause any damage but can be hard to clean off and can sink into the wood creating the smell in very hot weather .
Only really bothersome if you are planning to build or store things in the attic .
The boxes are pretty easy to make from old bits of left over wood , you can get a plan off nature web sites or I can find you a link , much cheaper than buying them. But don't worry about them , they are in people's houses for decades and just like you often people don't even realise it until they spot them fly out or plan to work on the roof.
The nuisance only really comes for people wanting to move them , the red tape and silly levels of bureaucracy getting in the way of simple common sense. And makes people do what your neighbour did and destroy the bats homes .
They can actually do you a favour , keeping other little pests out because of the bats they don't move in. If you ever want them moved let me know , I will find out the information on the local Bat trust in your area and they will put up free bat boxes for you or offer to move them on when the time is right. In the meantime , enjoy them , I would love some bats , had boxes for years still no buyers!!
Hi Blee,thank you again for posting back the information regarding the bats in my roof space.l have never really worried about them and they could have been there for years.l used to see them when my son’s were toddlers and that was over forty five years ago,they were always around here .They used to swoop around outside their bedroom window at dusk .l think that the ceiling in here would become stained if they did make a lot of mess .l can see all around my loft apart from the space above my kitchen,l think that is where they are.l am going to contact the wildlife trust for this area to ask if they can detect if they are actually still there,if they are l ‘ll get a box and watch what happens.l would far rather have bats than mice rats or squirrels in the loft .lt has been so interesting reading your posts,there is always so much to gain from nature,really good for us to get outside and enjoy,certainly takes our minds off PMR/GCA ,good therapy !Bye for now ,take care,Patricia xx.
Anybody following this post can find out my results, who won? The bird watch challenge between PDog and Bee and the great suggestions for more events from kind forum replies in my follow up post .
Thanks Blee,l am not worried about the bats,they have never caused any trouble so far,l will look out for them in the summer around dusk .l hope the weather is not too bad where you are,there has been some snow here but it was a nice sunny day which made the day a lot less cold .l can’t wait for the spring,there are plenty of green shoots appearing around the garden and some snowdrops are out now,plus primroses and winter pansies.l have been busy painting gorse and heather on a card for a friends son’s 50 th birthday,apparently he loves those .l know that you love art and are very creative,your art sounded very interesting .All the best Bee,love from Patricia xx.
I love gorse , especially the smell of coconut that rises from the flowers in the sunshine.
A wonderful plant to spot all sorts of wildlife in too, and apparently the number of flowers that bloom in Spring are meant to indicate how good the summer will be , and how many kisses you should receive by the following Winter.
I would love to see some pictures of your cards when you finish them .
We have big healthy patches of snowdrops in the garden , the frosts before Christmas followed by warmth might just bring the season of Spring flowers forward this year.
Did you know it takes 6 weeks for Spring to travel from the South of England to the tip of Scotland?
Have you ever tried sitting and rough sketching your birds as they fly in the garden from the kitchen table?
It's a nice little drawing , brain training exercise.
You can do it by looking at your drawing , but also by not looking at the paper and allowing your hand to do the work with your eyes on the subject , finishing it in a few minutes without taking pencil from paper.
Everyone's first efforts are rotten but the results improve , funny and quite interesting , lots of animators do it and get very good , it can help make your pictures of moving things more life-like.
Painters like to do it with watercolour and just three colours too.
It might just distract when you finish doing some work with the brushes as a bit of arty wildlife fun.
Hope enjoy the follow on post and keep happy , hugs Bee xx
Thanks Bee,l do think that just painting anything in just watercolour without any pre drawing can give some surprising results ,especially with flowers and birds .l hope that there will be more birds to see in my garden soon,as long as the neighbours cat is not around ! The man who loves gorse lives in Wales and has lots of it around where he lives,plus the heather too.Hugs to you too Bee and l really enjoyed your post ,in fact all your posts are very enjoyably and inspirational xxx.
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The Lighter Side of PMR / GCA - Just a Quick-ish One from Benjamin Towers... ;-)
