Scaring the birds

This weekend we did our count for the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. For once we had reasonable numbers although some species were much scarcer than in former years including blackbird, wood pigeon and chaffinch. The birds were rather jumpy, probably because this red kite kept flying over the garden on the lookout for carrion. We didn't include it on our list as it was only flying over, though last week, when we put out the remains of  chicken carcass, it swooped down into the garden and carried part of the chicken away in its talons, in much the same manner as an osprey. So exciting! The other highlight was the inclusion of a blackcap, which first appeared last Friday and has now become a regular on the suet cake.

So, for the record, this is our list for 2019 (in order of counting):

Dunnock 4
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Carrion Crow 2
Blue Tit 3
Wren 1
Feral Pigeon 17
Blackbird 4
Jackdaw 2
Collared Dove 7
Goldfinch 7
Wood Pigeon 1
Magpie 2
Chaffinch 6
Greenfinch 2
Great Tit 2
Robin 1
Coal Tit 1
Blackcap 1
Starling 2
Long-tailed Tit 1