Final week I wrote concerning the birds that fly over my Suffolk backyard (in japanese England), this time it’s the flip of the actual backyard birds, people who not solely land within the backyard, but in addition feed in it. I’ve solely lived in my present home for 5 years: the earlier house owners weren’t enthusiastic about both birds or gardening, so I’ve to work exhausting to make the half-acre property extra enticing to birds. I’ve planted a local hedge with elder, hawthorn, yew and wild roses, created a small orchard and dug a pond. As well as I present loads of feeders, stocked with combined seed and husked sunflowers, plus fats balls. I used to supply each peanuts and niger seed, however intriguingly the birds not appear enthusiastic about both.
A Woodpigeon contemplates a shower on a moist day
Most conspicuous of the every-day birds are the Woodpigeons (above). Not a day goes by with out woodies within the backyard for this is without doubt one of the most plentiful of native birds. Curiously, although these pigeons are quite a few on the native farmland, my observations recommend that my backyard birds hardly ever enterprise far into the encompassing countryside. They clearly know the place they’re effectively off.
Inventory Doves hardly ever land within the backyard. This hen did so on 21 June this 12 months
Collared Doves are additionally every day guests, although not fairly so frequent as their bigger cousins. These doves are comparatively latest colonists, as the primary pair recorded nesting within the county in 1959. Although Inventory Doves can usually be seen flying over, they hardly ever land within the backyard. They do sometimes: my {photograph} was taken within the backyard this 12 months, on 21 June.
This Inexperienced Woodpecker ignored the steel Nice Noticed Woodpecker
It’s all the time a deal with when a Inexperienced Woodpecker arrives within the backyard: they normally spend time hoping round on the garden, feasting on ants. Nice Noticed Woodpeckers are solely occasional guests, which is shocking as these good-looking birds are readily interested in hen tables. At my final backyard they had been every day guests.
Blackbirds (above) are conspicuous residents and could be seen all 12 months, although there are occasions within the autumn after they change into much less apparent. Considered one of my favorite indications of the altering 12 months is once I hear a cock blackbird uttering his first tentative notes of tune at nightfall on a gentle February day. It’s the younger birds that sing first, with the older males not becoming a member of in till March. I can then look ahead to listening to these melodious songsters on daily basis till mid July.
Music Thrushes are keen on ivy berries rising in my hedge
A Redwing feeding on ivy berries in March
Whereas Mistle Thrushes fly over recurrently, they hardly ever land. Music Thrushes seem far more ceaselessly, and from late winter there’s normally one singing at daybreak and nightfall. These thrushes had been as soon as far more widespread that they’re at present, so I’m all the time delighted once I both see or hear one. It takes chilly climate to push Redwings into the backyard. These migratory thrushes are shy birds, however they’re interested in the ivy berries in my hedge. Fieldfares, the Redwing’s bigger cousin, additionally come into the backyard sometimes, however are extra usually seen flying over. I took the {photograph} (under) on 24 January 2023, my birthday.
Robins are acquainted year-round residents, and one which sometimes nests within the backyard – I present a few appropriate open-fronted nest packing containers. Wrens additionally happen all year long, however they’re unbiased birds, not enthusiastic about my feeders. That is in distinction to the Dunnocks (under), although they arrive low within the pecking order, so usually scavenge for crumbs below the feeders. They’ve a reasonably and somewhat under-rated tune that may be heard from early spring proper via to the top of the breeding season. It’s all the time a delight to discover a Dunnock’s nest, for they lay essentially the most stunning sky-blue eggs, clean and shiny with no markings.
Dunnock: a typical however unobtrusive resident
Starlings having fun with a communal tub on a December day
Starlings are periodic guests. Within the spring they’re every day guests, raiding my feeders for fats to feed to their rising kids. In late Could, when the younger birds depart the nest, there could be as many as 40 or 50 within the backyard directly. Starlings are excellent at synchronising their hatching, so all of the birds within the space fledge inside a number of days of one another. This, little question, helps general survival. They’re very dapper birds and clearly prefer to look sensible, for they bathe ceaselessly, usually in firm. The {photograph} above was taken from my examine window on 29 December 2021.
A wintering Blackcap, photographed in December 2023
There’s a tall, thick hedge bordering the japanese facet of the backyard, and each spring this holds a singing Blackcap. These warblers have a delicate however enticing tune which is all the time a delight to hearken to. Blackcaps are principally summer season customer to this a part of England, however rising numbers of people now over-winter. Final winter I noticed a male Blackcap on a number of events in December, however solely as soon as in January. Ringing information present that our nesting Blackcaps go south within the winter to the Mediterranean, whereas the wintering birds come from Germany and japanese Europe.
A Blue Tit in early spring
4 species of tits are common guests – Nice, Blue (above), Coal and Lengthy-tailed. The latter all the time seem in roving flocks, and by no means keep for lengthy, however in passing they’ll cluster onto one of many feeders, with as many as 9 or ten birds competing for a perch. Goldcrests (under), the smallest of my backyard birds, are periodic guests: they’ll usually be heard singing in late winter and early spring, however recognizing the singer generally is a problem.
The smallest of my backyard guests: a Goldcrest
Goldfinches add a contact of color all year long
A misplaced backyard hen? No Bullfinches have been seen for 3 years: I’m nonetheless hoping to enhance on this image, taken quickly after transferring to my present home
Whereas Greenfinches are every day guests in various numbers all year long, Chaffinches have change into fairly scarce. In my first winter right here I used to be delighted to see Bullfinches on a variety of events. The {photograph} (above) was taken on 6 January 2020, a month after I had moved right here. The next winter I had one sighting, however none since. Hopefully they may re-appear someday. Goldfinches happen all year long, whereas Siskins are every day winter guests to gardens only a quick flight away, however they’re uncommon birds right here, although I anticipate to see a number of every winter. Thus far I’ve solely recorded a Brambling as soon as, a cock (under) on 21 April 2021. He should have been heading again to Scandinavia.
This cock Brambling paused within the backyard briefly one April
Amongst my favorite common guests are Reed Buntings (under). They invariably seem in late winter and thru into the spring – my earliest dates are initially of February, the newest on the finish of April. My most rely is six, however it’s extra usually one or two, and virtually all the time cocks. They’re attracted by the feeders stuffed with husked sunflowers.
A February Reed Bunting feeding in considered one of my raised beds
Two cock Reed Buntings photographed on the finish of April
A cock Home Sparrow
Home Sparrows (above) deserve a point out, for at my final home these had been rarities, however right here, residing in a village, they’re much extra frequent guests. They normally come to feed in small flocks, normally not more than a dozen birds, however in winter there is likely to be 30 or extra. My most rely is 49 – I couldn’t discover a fiftieth.
A cock Gray Partridge on a mole hill in my orchard. The mole is an unwelcome customer
Considered one of my finest backyard information is a Quail, heard from the kitchen, however calling from a barley subject simply over my hedge. I recurrently see Gray Partridges on the fields past the backyard, and infrequently they enterprise into the backyard. The luxurious cock (above) was one other hen photographed from my examine window, this time on a boring January day.
On one other event a covey of six spent a while foraging within the backyard (above). Pheasants are widespread domestically, however solely sometimes come into the backyard. The hen in my {photograph} (under) was a daily customer for a number of weeks earlier this 12 months. Curiously, I’ve by no means seen a hen Pheasant within the backyard.
Backyard birding is enjoyable, as you by no means know what would possibly flip up. I document my birds for the British Belief for Ornithology’s Backyard BirdWatch, a long-running examine with a number of thousand individuals submitting weekly counts of the birds they document. It’s a basic instance of citizen science, as the info it produces permits the BTO to observe how our backyard birds are faring.
(Photographer’s notice: all the images illustrating this piece had been taken in my backyard. Most had been taken via double-glazed home windows, which does detract from their high quality.)
Autor David T
