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Bye Bye Birdie
This year I was unable to carry out the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch in my own backyard as I was visiting my brand new and beautiful niece (I’m biased, but she IS beautiful) in Suffolk. This may have actually been a blessing in disguise as this year, in my garden, I’ve noticed a total lack of birds. It’s not normally a rich ornithological treat by any stretch of the imagination, a few blackbirds, my gardening buddy robin, and wood pigeons as far as the eye can see. In the winter, blackbird numbers swell and they are joined by thrushes, occasional redwings and last year, waxwings, in the crab apple tree next door. But, in the winter of 2011/12, it’s been a relative desert of bird life.
In the pre-snow period, a pair of robins snack at my parents picnic table
There are a number of reasons why this may be, the largest being that, until now, this winter has been relatively mild. With non-freezing temperatures, many of the delectable insect snacks relied upon by birds have simply not died down in number, allowing birds to stay in the wilder areas and avoid gardens altogether. I live in an area where there is wooded habitat at the end of my road, and with enormous amounts of berries and insects on offer, I’m not surprised that feathered friends haven’t wanted to enter an area of concrete and cats.
A blackbird flies in to join the meal
I was indulged as a child, living in the remote Suffolk countryside with almost an acre of garden. This meant that I could sit in the living room and look out to the bird table where sights of greenfinches and chaffinches were daily occurrences. The usual ensemble of blackbirds and robins would also show their presence, accompanied by starlings, blue tits, great tits, long-tailed tits, owls, sparrowhawks and, on the rare moment, bullfinches. Now, in East London, I’m thrilled if I see a pair of sparrows.
Of course, as I type this, I’ve seen one robin at the bird feeder and a sole blue tit searching frosty foliage for an easy meal. There’s also been an enormous flock of redwings stripping every last berry of Mary’s holly. But this year, even now the cold has descended, there’s been a distinct lack of birds. Have you noticed it? Same as normal? Or are you, like me, desperately waiting for the birds to return?
7 Responses to Bye Bye Birdie
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