Has any one ever correlated the number of species and number of birds with
temperature?

My count of ground feeders is high this morning, On the crab apple laden
with fruit, we have had not a bird until last Monday when a pair of
blackbirds started eating the fruit.

This morning, at 0800 and -8.5C, seven blackbirds, two song thrushes, seven
redwings and two fieldfares. Out the back on the feeders, many goldfinch and
greenfinches, also three fielfares under the feeders.

Back OT, between 0800 and 1000hrs, the temp rose from -8.5C to -2C in two
hours. My cumulus graph is almost vertical

JT Dorridge 124m asl

On 04/02/2012 10:24, JT wrote:
Has any one ever correlated the number of species and number of birds
with temperature?

My count of ground feeders is high this morning, On the crab apple laden
with fruit, we have had not a bird until last Monday when a pair of
blackbirds started eating the fruit.

This morning, at 0800 and -8.5C, seven blackbirds, two song thrushes,
seven redwings and two fieldfares. Out the back on the feeders, many
goldfinch and greenfinches, also three fielfares under the feeders.

Back OT, between 0800 and 1000hrs, the temp rose from -8.5C to -2C in
two hours. My cumulus graph is almost vertical

JT Dorridge 124m asl

.... not sure about an answer to the first question: if they have, then
someone like the RSPB, BTO or Woodland Trust might do so. It's ironic
that this weather is encouraging the birds to flock to gardens one week
after the 'Big Garden Bird Watch'.

Can confirm we've noticed the sudden increase in blackbirds fighting it
out for food (and aggressively chasing off other species as well as
other blackbirds). Up to a couple of days ago, if we saw 2 within the
same 'field of view' that was remarkable. Yesterday I saw 5, and this
morning (temperatures well below -5 at the time, min -9, currently -2)
we've had 3.

Martin.


--
West Moors / East Dorset
Lat: 50deg 49.25'N, Long: 01deg 53.05'W
Height (amsl): 17 m (56 feet)
COL category: C1 overall

On 04/02/2012 10:24, JT wrote:
Has any one ever correlated the number of species and number of birds
with temperature?

The number of birds coming into my garden has exploded over the last few
days. Instead of having to fill the feeders once every 4 days or so, I
am having to fill them every day.

Also, the more 'exotic' species are coming into the garden now such as
blackcaps, chiff chaffs, woodpeckers and bullfinches.

The most common bird (by a large margin) this winter is the chaffinch.

--
Nick G
Otter Valley, Devon
20 m amsl
http://www.ottervalley.co.uk

Nick Gardner wrote:
On 04/02/2012 10:24, JT wrote:
Has any one ever correlated the number of species and number of birds
with temperature?

The number of birds coming into my garden has exploded over the last few
days. Instead of having to fill the feeders once every 4 days or so, I
am having to fill them every day.

Also, the more 'exotic' species are coming into the garden now such as
blackcaps, chiff chaffs, woodpeckers and bullfinches.

The most common bird (by a large margin) this winter is the chaffinch.


------------------------------------------
There is a correlation with temperature and food availability. Birds
like Blackbirds will no longer be able to get to worms and other
invertebrates due to the frozen ground and will move to their secondary
food source. The more shy birds like Bullfinches will become more daring
as their food becomes more scarce. Just last weekend with the RSPB
garden bird count my numbers were well down on last year and less
variety of species. The feeders were lasting days. In stark contrast by
the end of this week I've had a Grey Wagtail, lots of Gold Finches and
Long Tailed tits as well as the usual suspects.
Dave
P.S - You get Bullfinches in your garden Nick!! Wow I'm very jealous,
trapsing round the countryside here trying to get a photo of one!

On 04/02/2012 11:34, Dave Cornwell wrote:
P.S - You get Bullfinches in your garden Nick!! Wow I'm very jealous,
trapsing round the countryside here trying to get a photo of one!

Yes, they are frequent visitors. My garden backs onto a copse that runs
alongside the River Otter and open countryside.

Long tailed tits seem more numerous than ever this year. A couple of
years ago they would hardly be seen at the feeders but now they are as
common as the blue tits.

Have yet to spot a sparrow or starling since the cold December of 2010.
--
____________________________
Nick G
Otter Valley, Devon
20 m amsl
http://www.ottervalley.co.uk

in 351258 20120204 115541 Nick Gardner wrote:


Have yet to spot a sparrow or starling since the cold December of 2010.
--

I don't normally see starlings here, but if I fill a feeder with suet pellets it is mobbed by up to 20 starlings
at a time until it is empty. Quite a sight.
We've had quite a few sparrows, blackbirds, bluetits and coaltits.
(South Hants)

On Feb 4, 11:55*am, Nick Gardner
wrote:
On 04/02/2012 11:34, Dave Cornwell wrote:

P.S - You get Bullfinches in your garden Nick!! Wow I'm very jealous,
trapsing round the countryside here trying to get a photo of one!

Yes, they are frequent visitors. My garden backs onto a copse that runs
alongside the River Otter and open countryside.

Long tailed tits seem more numerous than ever this year. A couple of
years ago they would hardly be seen at the feeders but now they are as
common as the blue tits.

Have yet to spot a sparrow or starling since the cold December of 2010.
--
____________________________
Nick G
Otter Valley, Devon
20 m amslhttp://www.ottervalley.co.uk

The strange thing at my new house is that there are always 6 to 8
house sparrows on feeders out the front yet none at the back

On Feb 4, 12:51*pm, Scott W wrote:
On Feb 4, 11:55*am, Nick Gardner
wrote:





On 04/02/2012 11:34, Dave Cornwell wrote:

P.S - You get Bullfinches in your garden Nick!! Wow I'm very jealous,
trapsing round the countryside here trying to get a photo of one!

Yes, they are frequent visitors. My garden backs onto a copse that runs
alongside the River Otter and open countryside.

Long tailed tits seem more numerous than ever this year. A couple of
years ago they would hardly be seen at the feeders but now they are as
common as the blue tits.

Have yet to spot a sparrow or starling since the cold December of 2010.
--
____________________________
Nick G
Otter Valley, Devon
20 m amslhttp://www.ottervalley.co.uk

The strange thing at my new house is that there are always 6 to 8
house sparrows on feeders out the front yet none at the back- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I bought a large pack of RSPB seed-mainly niger seed, I think-about 2
months ago and started feeding straightaway. The last half of the
packet has disappeared this last week. Great, blue, and coal tits,
nuthatches, wrens, blackbirds, dunnocks, thrushes and blackcaps, a
solitary chaffinch- and two thug robins that are either knocking six
bells out of each other or trying to keep the grub for themseves, even
guarding the squirrel-proof feeder that they can't get into. Never
seen a house sparrow in Bristol in 30 years. I agree about the GGB.
Two minutes after it finished the nuthatches and wrens appeared-they
do this out sheer spite, of course.

"JT" wrote in message ...

Has any one ever correlated the number of species and number of birds with
temperature?

My count of ground feeders is high this morning, On the crab apple laden
with fruit, we have had not a bird until last Monday when a pair of
blackbirds started eating the fruit.

This morning, at 0800 and -8.5C, seven blackbirds, two song thrushes, seven
redwings and two fieldfares. Out the back on the feeders, many goldfinch and
greenfinches, also three fielfares under the feeders.

Back OT, between 0800 and 1000hrs, the temp rose from -8.5C to -2C in two
hours. My cumulus graph is almost vertical

JT Dorridge 124m asl

Lucky you. Gulls, crows and pigeons just about sums it up here at present.
We used to get Treecreepers but I haven't seen one for over 2 years
(decimated by the cold winters?). In spring the Pied Wagtails will come
back from wherever they go during the winter; they probably migrate down the
west coast away from the snow.

One thing puzzles me: the songbirds here don't sing properly! For example,
the Robin has a beautiful song and you hear it in all its glory in southern
England in the autumn. Here, it just produces a few unmusical squawks, and
it's the same with the other songbirds, more or less. Very disappointing.

Ian Bingham,
Inchmarlo, Aberdeenshire.
80m asl.

On Sat, 4 Feb 2012 10:24:14 -0000, JT wrote:

Has any one ever correlated the number of species and number of birds with
temperature?

My count of ground feeders is high this morning, On the crab apple laden
with fruit, we have had not a bird until last Monday when a pair of
blackbirds started eating the fruit.

This morning, at 0800 and -8.5C, seven blackbirds, two song thrushes, seven
redwings and two fieldfares. Out the back on the feeders, many goldfinch and
greenfinches, also three fielfares under the feeders.

Back OT, between 0800 and 1000hrs, the temp rose from -8.5C to -2C in two
hours. My cumulus graph is almost vertical

JT Dorridge 124m asl

Song Thrush was in full song this morning with a temperature of -8C; a sure
sign of healthy fat deposits I would think. Feeders not particualrly active
with fewer Goldfinches around, there may be more feeds active than was the
case when it was less cold.


Alan Gardiner
Chiswell Green, St Albans
101m ASL
04/02/2012 12:34:57
https://sites.google.com/site/alangardinersinfo/