Spring is in the air!
In this newsletter:
My results from the Big Garden Birdwatch
Exciting news from my garden
A new casual birder in Albania?
Tip of the week - feeder cleanliness
Recommendation: Birding Tools podcast
Upcoming event: The Great Backyard Bird Count
Suzy’s Bird Notes
RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch - Results!
I completed my Big Garden Birdwatch on 31st January. It was pretty cold and started snowing soon after my count finished.
Did you take part?
What bird were you most excited to see?
You can hear my results in the following video:
Spring is definitely in the air!
After reporting last week how I had noticed the birds calling out much more (especially a persistent Blue Tit) I was really excited on Wednesday to discover that a (European) Robin is starting to build a nest in my garden!
This is the first time I have been aware of a Robin choosing my garden for raising young, so fingers crossed that they successfully raise a brood.
I am hoping to have some landscaping done in my garden this year, so I will have to ignore that half of the garden to avoid disturbing them. We can develop that area when Autumn comes.
A new Casual Birder?
Steph Fuccio, Producer and Host of the Geopats Podcast Network, is currently living in Tirana, Albania.
On her daily walks in Grand Park she started noticing the birds that were around. Steph explained that she was a complete novice when it came to birds, apart from knowing how to identify ducks and geese.
Never one to pass up the opportunity to provide encouragement to a new casual birder, and because I was also interested in finding out what birds are local to Tirana, I offered to help Steph to identify the birds she sees.
It can be a little bewildering to know where to start in identifying birds.
The key elements to look for are:
size,
plumage colour,
behaviour and
habitat
I used eBird to find a recent checklist of birds seen in Grand Park.
I created a table for Steph that listed these birds and gave simple identifiers for the key elements, including links back to those birds in eBird, so Steph could explore the descriptions and photographs.
I gave Steph a challenge list of a few birds to start with that should be relatively easy to find. The first 6 birds on the list are Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen, European Robin, House Sparrow, and Hooded Crow, and Steph has spotted two of them already!
You can hear more about Steph's progress in future episodes of The Casual Birder Podcast, and follow along on her Instagram account
Tip of the week
Keeping feeders clean is really important this time of the year, when constant rain can clog up the feeders and encourage mould to grow. Feeders should be cleaned regularly, and urgently if you start to notice any build up of uneaten food. Take them apart, thoroughly clean them with soapy water, rinse with a 5% disinfectant solution and air dry before refilling them with seed.
You can find more information here:
Recommendation - Birding Tools podcast
Have you heard Birding Tools podcast yet?
Host Christa provides help and advice for you to get the best out of your birdwatching, no matter your experience level.
Alongside her fab podcast, Christa has produced courses and workshops to help you get started in identifying birds by sight and sound!
Check out her website for more details.
Upcoming: The Great Backyard Bird Count
Taking place on the weekend of 12 - 15th February 2021, people around the world can take part in this event.
Being mindful of your local COVID-19 restrictions, spend 15 minutes or more, as many times as you wish, watching birds and noting the species, before sharing your counts via eBird or the Merlin ID app.
For further details, click the link below:
The Casual Birder Podcast
Listen to the latest episode:
Visit my website for photos, blogs, and episode transcripts
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