Busy,Busy Busy

Ready. Chris, John & Peter

Chris on hand for advice

Busy Palm House

Superb Sunday at Liverpool's Sefton Park Palm House . 780 happy, inquisitive visitors said hello and got information on next weekend's Big Garden Birdwatch


Birds seen in and over Palm House Gardens.
Robin, nuthatch, song thrush, blackbird, dunnock, goldfinch, blue tit, great tit, coal tit, long tailed tit, gt spotted woodpecker, magpie,crow, Jay, herring gull, black headed gull, lesser black backed gull, common gull, mandarin duck, kingfisher, greylag goose, wood pigeon, feral Pigeon, cormorant.

Kitty, 100 sunflower heart apple feeder.

Team Mohammed 

Volunteers Gill & Anne were swamped with youngsters making apple feeders


https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-kids/games-and-activities/activities/assemble-an-apple-bird-feeder/

Leo & Mia

Volunteer Gill and Will

Simon, Susanne & Elle

And having fun making bird feeders isn't just for kids.

Nice Albatross mask Simon 🤣

Palm House resident Robin entertained us on the stage

RSPB Used Stamp Appeal Closed

The RSPB has been forced to announce that we will no longer be accepting  donations of used postage stamps.

The Stamp appeal has helped us to raise thousands of pounds for the Albatross, a magnificent bird found in the southern oceans. The Albatross task force will still continue to do amazing work but without this source of income.

This follows the statement the charity commission posted in November which highlighted the illegal removal of franking from used stamps and them being sold on auction sites and to the general public for reuse.  It seems the illegal cleaners were purchasing the used stamps collected by charities and intended for sale to foreign stamp collector.  There is no suggestion the charities were aware of this illegal trade.

The RSPB are now focusing on rare and collectable items for auction including stamp collections, first day covers and albums, coins and medals.

Celebrating 40 years of counting garden birds in Merseyside

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is 40! (26-28 January 2019)

·         The RSPB is celebrating 40 years of its’ famous Big Garden Birdwatch.

·        Over 8 million hours have been spent watching garden birds since the Birdwatch began in 1979 with more than 130 million birds counted.

·    To mark the event, the RSPB is asking participants in Merseyside ‘How will you #BigGardenBirdWatch?’ and to share their stories of how they take part.

·         Events are taking place in Merseyside to help celebrate.

The RSPB is eagerly anticipating who will be top of the pecking order for a very special anniversary of its’ world famous Big Garden Birdwatch in January.

Just one hour every year, for the last 40 years, has made the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch the largest garden wildlife citizen science project. During that time, hundreds of thousands of people, including those across Merseyside, have volunteered their time providing the RSPB with over 8 million hours of monitoring garden birds.

To mark the event, the RSPB is encouraging participants in the county to share their Big Garden Birdwatch stories on social media. ‘How will you #BigGardenBirdWatch?’ will showcase some of the best examples of how people take part, from building their own birdwatching den, baking birdseed cakes and dressing up as Batman to see Robin.

This year’s Big Garden Birdwatch takes place on 26, 27 and 28 January 2019. The public is asked to spend just one hour watching and recording the birds in their garden or local green space, then send their results to the RSPB. Close to half-a-million people join in the Birdwatch every year, with over 6,000 across Merseyside taking part in 2018.

To help prepare for Big Garden Birdwatch 2019, there are events on offer across Merseyside this January – from discovering how to attract more wildlife into your garden to gaining tips on how to identify the creatures that live on your doorstep:

‘Get Ready for the Big Garden Birdwatch’ will be held at RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands nature reserve near Neston on Sunday 20 January. Drop-in from 1-3pm to make bird feeders, and the knowledgeable team will also be on hand to assist with garden bird identification to help you prepare for the birdwatch. Cost £2 per feeder, normal entry fees apply to non-members visiting the reserve (RSPB members free), no booking needed.

A ‘Big Garden Birdwatch quiz trail’ will also be taking place at Burton Mere Wetlands throughout the month. Families are encouraged to take part in this self-led activity to discover more about garden birds and how to take part in the Birdwatch. Cost £1 per quiz sheet, normal entry fees apply to non-members visiting the reserve (RSPB members free), no booking needed. More details for both can be found at rspb.org.uk/burtonmerewetlands

Meet the RSPB Liverpool Local Group in the Palm House at Sefton Park, Liverpool on Sunday 20 January. Volunteers will be on hand from 12-4pm with information about taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch, assisting with bird identification and advising on how to attract garden wildlife.

Over the last 40 years, 130 million birds have been counted giving the RSPB an astonishing amount of insight into how our wildlife is faring.

For four decades, Big Garden Birdwatch has highlighted the winners and losers in the garden bird world. It was first to alert the RSPB to the decline in song thrush numbers. The song thrush was a firm fixture in the top 10 in 1979. By 2009, its numbers were less than half those recorded in 1979, plummeting to 20^th in the rankings.

Mike Clarke, RSPB Chief Executive, said: “Everyone has a role to play in saving nature and protecting our wildlife. Big Garden Birdwatch participants have made a significant contribution to monitoring garden bird numbers over the past four decades. Those taking part work together as part of a community with thousands of other Big Garden Birdwatchers, to help the RSPB’s work to protect birds, other wildlife and the places they live.

“Reaching 40 years is a huge achievement and shows just how passionate people across the UK are about their wildlife.  The survey started as a winter activity for our youth members. It’s now the largest garden wildlife survey in the world and appeals to both children and adults because it’s an enjoyable, easy, inclusive activity that anyone can do, and a great opportunity to connect with nature.”

The survey has also shown the increases in collared dove and woodpigeon numbers and the alarming declines of the house sparrow and starling. While the overall decline in house sparrow numbers, reported by participants, since the Big Garden Birdwatch began is 57% (1979 – 2018), in the most recent decade (2009-2018) numbers appear to have increased by 17%.

As well as counting birds, the RSPB is once again asking participants to log some of the other wildlife they have seen throughout the year. This year, people are being asked to look out for badgers, foxes, grey squirrels, red squirrels, muntjac deer, roe deer, frogs and toads.

To take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch 2019, watch the birds in your garden or local park for one hour at some point over the three days. Only count the birds that land, not those flying over. Send the RSPB the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time – not the total you see in the hour.

For a FREE 40^th anniversary Big Garden Birdwatch pack, which includes a bird identification chart, plus RSPB shop voucher and advice to help attract wildlife to your garden, text BIRD to 70030 or visit rspb.org.uk/birdwatch  

The parallel event, RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch takes place during the first half of spring term (2 January – 22 February 2019). More than 60,000 schoolchildren, including over 670 in Merseyside, spent an hour in nature counting birds in 2018. Further information can be found at rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch

 Big Garden Birdwatch results: Comparison of what was in the top 10 in 1979 vs 2018.

           Long term trends – % change trends back to 1979 only available for 10 species and    from 1999 to 2018 for 15 species.

3.    While the overall decline in house sparrow numbers, reported by participants, since the BGBW began is 57% (1979 – 2018), in the most recent decade (2009-2018) numbers appear to have increased by 17%. This is reflected in more standardised national monitoring programmes (eg: BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey).

   The top 10 birds in 2018 RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch for Merseyside: 

5.     In 2014, as a new part of Big Garden Birdwatch, the RSPB asked participants to tell us about some of the other animals in their garden. This year we’re asking people to look for: badger, fox, grey squirrel, red squirrel, muntjac deer, roe deer, frog and toad. We’d like to know if any have visited their garden or local park in the last year and, if so, how often.

6.     

An evening with Iolo Williams, in support of Birders Against Wildlife Crime

Iolo  &  Gary

The RSPB Liverpool crew 13 strong took an evening sojourn over the Mersey gateway to support an event close to our hearts.😉 A fabulous evening listening to Iolo Williams Williams in aid of Birders Against Wildlife Crime - thank you to the organiser and our host Gary Jones Wildlife Photography.

Iolo really is a personable ,inspirational speaker, with great humour, slightly toned down this time - for our younger audience! The talk told of the rise and fall of birds in prey; the spread of red kites and marsh harriers, the success of urban peregrines, but also the worrying decline or a once familiar motorway verge forager the little windhover- kestrel.

He regaled us with tales of his RSPB days, entombed in an unsavoury, undergrowth hide for a long weekend whilst on a nest watch, checking chicks under the hard stare of a huge female goshawk at her nest -scary 😮; then the horrible recounting of the recovery of a tragic buzzard from a primary school yard, no feet - left behind in an illegal pole trap, traumatised children, quite sickening.😥😡

Which bring us to the main reason we were there, to raise awareness of wildlife crime, to ask us to watch out for these traps and any suspicious behaviour whilst out on our countryside walks. 👀👍

Follow the Birders Against Wildlife Crime guidelines 

RECOGNISE : RECORD : REPORT http://birdersagainst.org/rrr/

An remember your first action is to ring the RSPB Love Nature hotline, take pictures for evidence if possible, and without staying stay safe

RSPB Investigations Section on 01767 680551 (for Scotland: 0131 3174100), or email crime@rspb.org.uk. 

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-w…/…/how-to-report-crimes/

The talk ended with an auction and raffle and Gary was pleased to announce that it looked like the event had raised just short of £500 for BAWC. Terrific.

Reflections of the year - what were your special moments?

Happy New year to all our readers.

So here we are again, 2018 is bowing out and we look forward to whatever 2019 may bring. We've all been reflecting on our best moments of the year and here's a few.

I've had quite a few special moments home and abroad this year myself, here's a few I'll share. 

Spring saw me in Chilly Scotland with Jeff Clarke's group staying at the birders hotel The Grant arms. I dipped the Capercaillie😒 but loved the Loons

Black throated diver

Loch Mallachie

and the landscapes.

Not long after I was in the 30 degree heat of Extremadura staying on a farmhouse/ranch with Jeff's group again.

Casa Rural Las Canteras - Casa Rural en Trujillo

 Every morning I woke up to the sound of hundreds of sparrows in the hedge, hoopoes calling and storks clacking fabulous.So many great birds, butterflies, mammals. Nightjar on the road was a highlight ..sorry no pic.

Gt spotted Cuckoo

Queen of Spain fritillary

Read all about it here - http://www.jeffclarkeecology.co.uk/blog/extremadura-may-2018

Make no bones about it I had a busy and fortunate year.

September, and I was in Bulgaria with the RSPB group. Corncrakes under foot, stone curlews, head turning Wrynecks and a fabulous Bluethroat.

Bluethroat

Wryneck - Chris Daniels who was on the same trip also named this as one of her  highlights too

Team Liverpool with Iolo Williams

Back at home I was on the march in London -  the People's walk for nature, and standing up for nature at the Parkgate Hen Harrier day. WE WILL WIN

Team Liverpool

Laura Bimson

Enough about me....

Chris Tynan has been doing the patchwork challenge at one of the local parks http://patchworkchallenge.com/

Hawfinch Stadt moers -I Igglesden

I never thought of being able to find hawfinches 5 minutes from my house but the 2017 hawfinch invasion meant that I found a single bird 7th January and by Febuary there was two

At the end February the beast from East brought snowstorms and gales to the UK and  a very unexpected bonus, when some friends were saying that they were finding lots of displaced golden plover.

Golden Plover

So I called in to the park after work and couldn't believe it when I counted eight birds, three birds were still there in the morning but dog walks flushed them and witnessed fly high and away.








Phil & Sue Heery

My best birding experience of 2018, was a trip at the start of the year to Parkgate on 3rd January 2018. The RSPB had advertised the event. Almost as soon as we arrived, we watched a merlin crossing the marsh, glimpsed a peregrine taking a snipe and saw hen and marsh harriers hunting.

Water rails at wall  R Blythe

Then later, as we walked coastwards the high tide seemed to surge. The marsh swelled with rivulets of saltwater driving the tide towards us. Looking up there were suddenly 12 short-eared owls that really seemed to come out of nowhere; some hunting, some perched scanning for the scurrying voles and waders.

Short eared owl

 A gull, buffeted in the wind, dropped and knocked and then grabbed a water rail about 20 feet from us, lifting it clear in to the air. The wind was strong though, and the rail broke free, and found refuge in a hole in the old quay. This, in itself, was a revelation; that water rails may find sanctuary in a wall - not where you would expect to find one.
Thanks, happy new year and best of luck for 2019!!!

Azure tit    R Lewis

Rob Lewis

My highlight was an azure tit at Baltoji Voke in Lithuania, which was the 5th record for the country. Picture made it on Tarsiger and birding Lithuania fb pages. Loads of other highlights as I was abroad eleven times in 2018.




Jen Brown
My best part of 2018 was my trip to Canada and America with the highlight being seeing a hummingbird, not once,twice but 3 times. What an amazing bird!! Sorry don't have pics!


Sean O'Hara

Snowy Owl    I Igglesden

  

S O'Hara

In July an exceptional day. Sean caught up with the Snowy owl on Anglesey and his first grandson was born on the same day!











Ann Thomson

Lambs   A Thomson

Feeding the orphaned lambs, North Ronaldsay Observatory was one of the highlights for me!

Sanday

Sanday, Orkney Isles, nice place to stop for lunch.

Grey Phalarope   N Gordon

Neil Gordon

Highlight either this grey phalarope that landed at my feet at new Brighton or watching Austin run in the rain for the worst common rosefinch you'll ever see 🤪







Damian & Austin


Highlight of the year for me I think has to be the Red Billed Tropicbirds me, Patrick, Austin and Gary saw in Fuerteventura.

Austin & gang

Tropicbird   A Morley

 When we booked to go we new they were there and had very ropey directions (which proved to be wrong) but I don't think any of us really thought we'd see them. But we eventually found them and got the most incredible views too. Literally at touching distance. Unbelievably fantastic birds seen with a great group of fellas. This is one of Austins pictures and there's a full write up of our trip on his blog if anyone hasn't read it. https://austinmorley.blogspot.com/p/fuerteventura-april-2018.html?m=1


Ian Igglesden

Pitta   I Igglesden

Had this Male Blue Pitta with a Female also 2 Coral-Billed Ground Cuckoos,Siberian Blue Robin and a White-Rumped Sharma all within touching distant while I was hid practically inside a bush.

Ground cuckoo   I Iggleseden

Had to stay totally silent and not move.I watched them on my own on and off for two hours. Didn't think life could get any better till........White rumped swift at Hornsea 🤓


Jackie Binks

Tree sparrow   J Binks

 I was made up to see the grey phalarope but I’ve got to be honest and say watching the barn owl and tree sparrows has been my highlight.

Barn Owl   J Binks

John Doragh

Smew

Lots of highlights this year but I'll go for the drake Smew at a snowy Scotsman's Flash back in February





Jenny Jones

No pics, but I'd say capercaillie in flight in Scotland was mega for me, but the Golden & White tailed eagles in Findhorn valley came close second.

Team Ronaldsay

Lengths gone to when birding on North Ronaldsay 2018

 Paul Kurs

Goshawk over my head at Hale on Vizmig was a special highlight I won’t forget. Another would be going to Spurn and Kilnsea Wetlands with Tyno, Rev and Shaun O. Grand total of 80!!  Sooty Shearwater, Arctic Skua and the Sabine’s gull I believe I may have located myself although I’m open to opinion.



Thanks to all contributors

Celebrating 40 years of the Big Garden Birdwatch

Fieldfare

Did you know that the Big Garden Birdwatch started out as an event for children? Back in 1979, the RSPB joined forces with BBC's Blue Peter and called on children to let us know what birds they saw in their garden. Hundreds took up the call, and in those pre-digital days, dutifully posted in their findings. The early signs of success were there, with the RSPB team faced with an impressive 34 mail bags full of post to sort.

Our very own Ian Barthorpe, now a Visitor Experience Office at RSPB Minsmere, is one of those children who took part in the very first Birdwatch. He remembers it fondly:

"I was seven years old and watching Blue Peter. Peter Holden from the RSPB was on, and inspired me to take part. I was already a member of the Young Ornithologist's Club (the RSPB's then youth club) and this was an exciting opportunity to do something that I'd seen on the telly."

A window into our wildlife - It's an impressive amount of data, and the great thing about 40 years of the Big Garden Birdwatch is that we now have four decades of comparative results. The findings provide an important insight into how our wildlife is faring.

The Big Garden Birdwatch alerted us to the decline in song thrush numbers. Back in 1979 song thrushes comfortably occupied the number ten spot, but numbers in gardens have declined by around 70% over the last 40 years, and they have dropped to 27th in the rankings.

It's a change that Ian recognises in his own experiences of the Birdwatch: "I always enjoy seeing a song thrush and love listening their song. They were always in the top ten seen during Big Garden Birdwatch but more recently they have dropped out, and we don't see so many."

Winners and losers - The Birdwatch has also shone a light on the declines of house sparrows and starlings. These birds have dropped by an alarming 57 and 80 per cent respectively in gardens across the UK since the Birdwatch began.

As RSPB Chief Executive Mike Clarke acknowledges: "Big Garden Birdwatch participants have made a significant contribution to monitoring garden bird numbers over the past four decades. Those taking part work together as part of a community with thousands of other Big Garden Birdwatchers to help the RSPB's work to protect birds, other wildlife and the places they live."

It's also true that there have been increases in some species. In 2016 long-tailed tits flew into the Big Garden Birdwatch top 10, after the average number seen visiting gardens across the UK increased by 44 per cent.

RSPB Minsmere's Ian has also seen some changes in his own garden over the years: "Back when I started, I wouldn't expect goldfinches and long tailed tits. It was sparrows, dunnocks, chaffinches, robins, song thrushes and blue tits. Now there seems to be a much bigger variety of birds: goldfinches, long tailed tits and even siskins are much more common."

Changes in the climate would also seem to be having an impact. Over recent decades blackcaps have also seen increasingly in gardens in winter. Although these birds are primarily summer visitors to the UK, some are spending the milder winters in the UK rather than migrating further south in Europe.

Wild and wonderful - The Birdwatch is also not without its oddities and sometimes some very unusual visitors turn up, including an American robin in Putney, a black-throated thrush on the Isle of Bute, and a common rosefinch in Yorkshire. In 2014, a yellow-rumped warbler, which usually spends winter in South America, turned up in a garden in Durham.

Less unusual but no less thrilling was the explosion of waxwings visiting gardens in 2017. Usually found feasting on berries in Scandinavia, these winter visitors come to the UK when there is a lack of food in their native countries. In 2017, waxwings were seen in around 11 times more gardens compared with the last couple of years.

More than a bird survey- In recent years the Big Garden Birdwatch has expanded beyond birds. Since 2014 we've asked people about other wildlife that visits their garden. Through this, we now know that only 25% of people see hedgehogs in their garden at let one a month. This year we're asking people to tell us about their sightings of badgers, foxes, grey squirrels, red squirrels, muntjac deer, roe deer, frogs and toads.

The joy of taking part - Despite any differences across the years, it's clear that what unites the Big Garden Birdwatch across time and among those taking part is the pure sense of excitement and joy that the Birdwatch brings, as well as the involvement in citizen science. Asked why people should take part, Ian explains: "It's great fun and it's incredibly valuable - a source of great year-on-year data about our garden birds. And it's a great way to take time out, come together and enjoy wildlife."

It's a view echoed by many of Big Garden Birdwatchers that we've spoken to, including TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham. Describing his love for the Birdwatch, Chris Packham explains: "There's no doubt in my mind that the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch is one of the greatest pieces of citizen science that's done anywhere on earth - so to play a tiny role in that is always a privilege."

https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/

We'll be at the Palm house again on Sunday 20th January 12 noon - 4pm

Join us at Sefton Park's Palm House for our Big Garden Birdwatch event, deliberately held a week early to get you all prepared for the following weekend.

Big Garden Birdwatch enters its 40th year we need more people to take part and here is a chance to enthuse non birders to take part, so we will be in Sefton Park's Palm House showing people birds and nature. We need members' support to promote this citizen science survey.