Tuesday 5 March 2019

The Irish Garden Bird Survey is over for another winter!

Time flies when you're having fun!

The 2018/19 Irish Garden Bird Survey is now over!




It's been quite a mild winter overall, with no notable stormy or cold spells, so it will be interesting to see how our garden birds fared compared to previous years.

It is, of course, vitally important, that having put the effort into recording your garden birds this winter that you actually send the data in to us!! There are several ways to do it:


  • Email - You can fill out the above sheet and email it to us at gardenbirds@birdwatchireland.ie , rather than posting it. Remember to send both sides of the sheet though!

If you have any questions or any problems at any stage, don't hesitate to get in touch with us by email or through our Facebook or Twitter pages.







We'd also like to take this opportunity to give a big thanks to The Ballymaloe Group, who have sponsored the Irish Garden Bird Survey this year. 

Their support really makes a difference, and means we can really focus our efforts on making the Irish Garden Bird Survey as big as it can be, and analyse the data to tell us what your efforts are telling us about Ireland's wintering garden birds.



As the survey draws to a close Ballymaloe House are offering a very special ‘Bird Lovers’ mid-week unique break this March.  Including walks and talks on the grounds at Ballymaloe House and at the nearby Bird Sanctuary in Ballycotton with BirdWatch Ireland Ornithologists.  

Arrive in the afternoon for tea in the drawing room at Ballymaloe House (option to join tour of Ballycotton wetlands at 3 pm). Make the house your home for the evening before enjoying a three-course Ballymaloe menu and the opportunity to enjoy our award-winning world-famous DessertTrolley too at your leisure.  Meet your guide at 6.30am for a quick coffee and bite to eat before joining him to experience the sights and sounds of the Ballymaloe farm when the birds are waking up. Return to Ballymaloe House to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and make the house your home for the day or enjoy the East Cork area until you meet your guide at the Ballycotton wetlands site for a different bird loving walk and talk experience at 3 pm.

See below some facts that you might not have known about Ireland's garden birds, and do keep in mind that now is a great time to put up a nestbox and ensure your local bird populations are looked after during the summer too!
















Tuesday 26 February 2019

The 2018/19 Irish Garden Bird Survey is nearly over!!

Time flies when you're having fun!

Believe it or not, we're now in the last week of this winters Irish Garden Bird Survey! The survey officially ends this Sunday, 3rd of March. The mornings are a bit brighter, and the evenings a bit longer, so make sure to keep an eye out this week to see if you can add a few more species to your garden total this year. The last few weeks of the survey often produce more birds and more species (including Siskin and Lesser Redpoll) than the early weeks, so its well worth keeping your eyes peeled!

It's been quite a mild winter overall, with no notable stormy or cold spells, so it will be interesting to see how our garden birds fared compared to previous years.

It is, of course, vitally important, that having put the effort into recording your garden birds this winter that you actually send the data in to us!! There are several ways to do it:


  • Email - You can fill out the above sheet and email it to us at gardenbirds@birdwatchireland.ie , rather than posting it. Remember to send both sides of the sheet though!

If you have any questions or any problems at any stage, don't hesitate to get in touch with us by email or through our Facebook or Twitter pages.







We'd also like to take this opportunity to give a big thanks to The Ballymaloe Group, who have sponsored the Irish Garden Bird Survey this year. 

Their support really makes a difference, and means we can really focus our efforts on making the Irish Garden Bird Survey as big as it can be, and analyse the data to tell us what your efforts are telling us about Ireland's wintering garden birds.



As the survey draws to a close Ballymaloe House are offering a very special ‘Bird Lovers’ mid-week unique break this March.  Including walks and talks on the grounds at Ballymaloe House and at the nearby Bird Sanctuary in Ballycotton with BirdWatch Ireland Ornithologists.  

Arrive in the afternoon for tea in the drawing room at Ballymaloe House (option to join tour of Ballycotton wetlands at 3 pm). Make the house your home for the evening before enjoying a three-course Ballymaloe menu and the opportunity to enjoy our award-winning world-famous DessertTrolley too at your leisure.  Meet your guide at 6.30am for a quick coffee and bite to eat before joining him to experience the sights and sounds of the Ballymaloe farm when the birds are waking up. Return to Ballymaloe House to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and make the house your home for the day or enjoy the East Cork area until you meet your guide at the Ballycotton wetlands site for a different bird loving walk and talk experience at 3 pm.


See below some facts that you might not have known about Ireland's garden birds, and do keep in mind that now is a great time to put up a nestbox and ensure your local bird populations are looked after during the summer too!













Friday 25 January 2019

Irish Garden Birds - Rambunctious Redpolls

We're past the halfway point of this winters Irish Garden Bird Survey - this is the time of year when bird numbers and diversity tend to increase in gardens, as the weather gets a bit colder and the natural food sources in the wider countryside are depleted. Remember to keep feeding your garden birds, and water is important too. And lastly, be sure to give your feeders and water dishes a regular clean to ensure your birds stay healthy!

This edition of the blog is a classic 'January' species in the Irish Garden Bird Survey - the Lesser Redpoll!

...............................................................................................................................

Species Profile: Lesser Redpoll

As Gaeilge: ‘DeargĂ©adan’
Irish Garden Bird Survey Ranking 2017/18: 27th place
Conservation status: Green-listed in Ireland and 'secure' at European level.


Lesser Redpoll (Kevin Murphy)

Did You know?

  1. The most common species of Redpoll in Ireland is the Lesser Redpoll - which has only recently been recognised as a seperate species to the Common (or Mealy) Redpoll, which is a bit larger and paler. Common/Mealy Redpolls occur here in small numbers in the winter, and there are also occasional sightings of the even more pale Arctic Redpoll! 
  2. Lesser Redpolls are a small species of finch - only slightly bigger than a Blue Tit. They have tiny beaks that are adapted to feed on very fine seeds. They often associate, or even flock with, other fine-seeding-eating finch species; namely Goldfinches and Siskins. So if you've had a flock of Goldfinches visiting your garden this winter, it's worth keeping an eye on them at this stage of the winter to see if they've brought some of their smaller cousins along with them! 
  3. ID-wise, the red isn't always obvious - particularly on the females, but if you're seeing a small brown streaked finch in your garden then chances are you're looking at a Lesser Redpoll.
  4. In the summer they breed in young conifer plantations and scrubby woodland that you might find down country lanes and boggy areas - keep an ear out for their call as they fly overhead! 
  5. They're a widespread breeder across the country now, but believe it or not breeding in Ireland was only first recorded in Co. Kerry in 1910. 

Lesser Redpolls, Linnets and Goldfinches feeding on Nyger Seed on a snowy winters day. (Shay Connolly)


How long do they live?

The oldest known Lesser Redpoll in Ireland and Britain was 6 years, 10 months and 11 days old.. Their typical lifespan is around 2 years however.

Male Lesser Redpoll. (Shay Connolly)



What do they feed on? 

Lesser Redpolls are small and have very fine bills, which means they're perfectly adapted to hanging from very small branches and eating the seeds and cones of Birch, Alder, Larch and other young conifer trees. As these food sources get depleted over the winter, they'll move into gardens - favouring Nyger Seed whether in a feeder or scattered on a bird table. They will eat from peanut feeders too.


Lesser Redpoll (right) and their cousin the Siskin (left), both enjoying the spoils from a Nyger Seed feeder. (Terry Flanagan)


Irish Garden Bird Survey Trends:

Looking at the last 20 years of Irish Garden Bird Survey results, Lesser Redpolls were only recorded in less than 20% of gardens in the late 1990's and early 2000's, but made significant gains over the last 15 years or so to eventually be recorded in over 40% of gardens in 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2015/16.

Last year they were recorded in 35% of gardens, and on average over the last 20 years they are seen in around 30% of gardens each winter. That means they generally come in the top 30 birds in Irish gardens each year, and occasionally making it into the top 25. Cold winters, poor seed crops in their preferred conifer trees, and good breeding seasons are all causes for their particularly high numbers in gardens in some winters!

Lesser Redpolls in Irish Gardens over the last 20 years.







Movements and Migration:

There is some movement of our Lesser Redpolls between the summer and the winter. First of all, birds flock outside the breeding season so they will roam around the countryside throughout the autumn and winter. Many of our birds stay in Ireland, but some move to the UK in the autumn. Five Lesser Redpoll ringed at our East Coast Nature Reserve in Wicklow in September 2006 were retrapped over the following winter and spring in various parts of the UK, while another turned up in Belgium in 2008! Depending on the severity and the quality of the autumn seed crop they may be forced to move to central Europe during some winters. Similarly, birds from Scandinavia facing the same pressures are occasionally forced down into the UK and Ireland too.

Lesser Redpoll from Britain & Ireland caught elsewhere.


How can I help Lesser Redpolls?

Because of their very specific breeding habitats, Lesser Redpolls aren't the type of bird that will take to a nestbox in your garden. They are a very small bird however, so putting out food for them in the winter will help increase their survival rates and ensure they make it to the next breeding season alive and well and in good condition! With that in mind, Nyger Seed is the best thing to put out for them - either in feeders, or scattered on a bird table. Keep an eye out for them throughout January, February and even March - if a few birds find your feeders they'll probably bring more and more friends as the weeks go on!








Lastly, a valuable step you can take to protect and conserve Ireland's birds is to become a member of BirdWatch Ireland.  Membership makes an ideal gift for family and friends – one that keeps on giving throughout the year.

With your membership pack you'll get a free gift, posters of Irish Birds, a Greenland White-fronted Goose pin badge, loads of leaflets on how to attract birds to your garden, and our famous Wings magazine will be delivered to your door four times per year. 

Under 18's and family memberships will also receive our 'Bird Detectives' magazine twice a year, filled with fun and educational activities!

Our Membership Magazines - 'Wings' and 'Bird Detectives'


Our membership pack - full of great information about Ireland's birds, including posters and the most recent copy of our 'Wings' membership magazine

I hope you've learned something new about Lesser Redpolls through this species profile - if there's a species you'd like us to cover later in the winter please let us know on facebook or twitter!


And if you're not taking part already, consider taking part in our Garden Bird Survey this winter - and spread the word to friends and family - the more the merrier! 

Monday 7 January 2019

Irish Garden Birds - Humble House Sparrows

We're near the midpoint of this years Irish Garden Bird Survey now. It's been mild until late, but as temperatures drop and food runs out in the wider countryside you can expect greater numbers and diversity of species to be visiting your garden in the coming weeks.


This weeks species profile is the humble House Sparrow! Some people don't get these birds in their garden at all, but if you do they're probably there in good numbers!




..............................................................................................................




Species Profile: House Sparrow

As Gaeilge: ‘Gealbhan binne’
Irish Garden Bird Survey Ranking 2017/18: 9th place
Conservation status: Amber-listed in Ireland due to declines at European level.

Male House Sparrow (B Burke)


Did You know?
  1. The House Sparrow is one of the most widely distributed birds in the world. It is native to Europe and much of Asia, but was introduced by humans to Australia, parts of Africa and the Americas too.
  2. House Sparrows are very social birds. In summer they nest in close association with other pairs. You can buy special 'terraced' nestboxes to accommodate them. In winter they flock together.
  3. House Sparrows are predominantly seed-eaters. Over the centuries they came to realise that there is often seed available around farm buildings and dwellings, leading to a close association with humans and the 'house' in their name. Their association with humans is thought to date back around 10,000 years
  4. Recent research has shown the species has declined drastically in many urban areas - thought to be linked to air pollution and poor diet. See here for more details.
  5. House Sparrows can fly at around 45km per hour.
Female House Sparrow (B Burke)


How long do they live?
The oldest known House Sparrow in Ireland and Britain was a bit over 12 years old, but on average they only live around 3 years - similar to a lot of our garden bird species. 




What do they feed on? 
House Sparrows are predominantly seed-eaters, but will often eat various scraps from the garden, as well as peanuts. During the summer they will eat some insects, particularly when feeding their chicks.


A flock of House Sparrows on a peanut feeder (B Burke)


Irish Garden Bird Survey Trends:
Over the last 20 years of the Irish garden bird survey, House Sparrows have drifted between 7th and 12th place, coming in around 10th place on average. That means that around 82% of Irish gardens have recorded House Sparrows in the last 20 years. They seem to be doing slightly better in recent years, which fits in with their 'moderate increase' status as seen during the summer via the Countryside Bird Survey'.



Numbers don't really vary much over the winter, with gardens getting an average of 6-7 birds each week.





The graph above shows the percentage of gardens in which House Sparrows have been recorded - occurrence has increased slightly in recent years to around 85%.


Movements and Migration:

House Sparrows are largely sedentary and there have been few if any recoveries of House Sparrows ringed in Ireland being recorded abroad, or vice versa. In fact, House Sparrows usually winter within around 20km of where they breed or were born, so those ones in your garden probably aren't from too far away.


For the 15-20% of gardens who don't get House Sparrows in the winter, this is probably because you don't have them nesting nearby. 


How can I help House Sparrows?
The best way you can help House Sparrows is to provide them with additional nesting space via a nestbox. House Sparrows like to nest near each other, so if you have House Sparrows either visiting or already nesting in your garden then you can put out a few nestboxes on the same wall for them. Alternatively, you can buy a 'terraced' nestbox for them from our BirdWatch Ireland shop, which is essentially three nesting compartments in one box. 

A terraced nestbox like this, with three nest compartments, is available to buy in the BirdWatch Ireland shop. 






In older houses, House Sparrows can nest in the eaves and guttering. If you'd rather they didn't, then block up the hole outside the breeding season (i.e. now!) and put up some nestboxes to give them an easy alternative to nest in! 


House Sparrows often nest in the eaves and behind the guttering of old houses. (B Burke)


When it comes to putting out food for House Sparrows, peanuts and seeds are the way to go!





A male House Sparrow and a Coal Tit enjoying some mixed seed. (B Burke)


Lastly, to help House Sparrows and your other garden birds you can become a member of BirdWatch Ireland. Membership makes an ideal Christmas gift – one that keeps on giving throughout the year.
With your membership pack you'll get a free gift, posters of Irish Birds, loads of information on how to attract birds to your garden, and our famous Wings magazine will be delivered to your door four times per year. 

Under 18's and family memberships will also receive our 'Bird Detectives' magazine twice a year, filled with fun and educational activities!


BirdWatch Ireland membership pack.


I hope you've learned something new about House Sparrows through this species profile - if there's a species you'd like us to cover later in the winter please let us know on facebook or twitter!


And if you're not taking part already, consider taking part in our Garden Bird Survey this winter - and spread the word to friends and family - the more the merrier! 

Tuesday 25 December 2018

Irish Garden Birds - The Christmas Robin


Happy Christmas to all of our members, followers, friends, and most importantly participants in the Irish Garden Bird Survey! We're now in Week 4 of the survey. As the winter continues, temperatures drop and food in the wider countryside is depleted, birds will be more and more reliant on your gardens in the coming weeks - so keep your eyes peeled!

For anyone away from their garden over christmas, don't worry if you miss a week or two of the survey - just continue again when you do get home! 


Given the week that's in it, there was only bird that could be species of the week.... 
..........................................................................................................................................................


Species Profile: Robin

As Gaeilge: 'Spideog' 

Irish Garden Bird Survey Ranking 2017/18: 1st place - recorded in every single garden! 

Conservation status: Green-listed in Ireland, with around 3 million pairs breeding here each summer. 

Not photoshopped! This photo, by Ian Wilson in the UK, is of a Robin with partial leucism - a genetic condition giving it white feathers, that just so happen to resemble a white beard!












Did You know? Robins & Christmas

As we all know, Robins are very strongly associated with Christmas. But do you know why?

  • One of the reasons is that Robins are one of very few species that sing all year round, meaning they really stand out at this time of year.
  • Another is that they're so common and closely linked to gardens and towns. Every single one of the gardens that took part in 10+ weeks of the Irish Garden Bird Survey last year had at least one Robin! They're quite confiding too, so happily come within a few feet of people - unlike other species.
  • Their colour helps too! The splash of red on their breast is very noticeable, especially in the dull winter months. The red berries of Holly have been associated with christmas and winter pagan festivals for the same reason.
  • In Victorian England, where most of our modern Christmas traditions came from, the postmen wore long red coats. As christmas approached, and more and more letters and christmas cards were being sent, people would eagerly look out for the red-clad postmen. At the same time, Robins were very noticeable in the gardens and towns, so people began associating the two and affectionately referring to postmen as the Robins. Over a hundred years later and Robins are still popular on the front of christmas cards and as decorations on wreaths and trees! 
  • Given their colour and winter song, Robins were considered to represent the new year in pagan and pre-christian tradition, and the Wren was thought to represent the past year. This is one of the reasons we have "Wren Day" on St. Stephens Day.


Robin. Photo by B. Burke

Other (non-Christmas) facts about Robins: 

  1. Though we are used to Robins that are quite confident and confiding around humans in the garden, that's only the case in Ireland and the UK. Elsewhere in Europe, Robins are often quite shy and are a true woodland bird.
  2. When it comes to singing, Robins are usually one of the first species to start singing in the morning and one of the last ones to stop. Where there is artificial light from buildings and street lamps, they can be heard singing during the night.
  3. Robins have more than one brood per year, and in some cases the male can be feeding the first brood while the female is incubating the second clutch!
  4. Their latin name is Erithacus rubecula - meaning 'solitary little red one' - very apt! 
  5. Their territoriality really does come down to them 'seeing red' - the red colour of other Robins is largely what triggers their aggression, and they've been known to attack objects like socks and handkerchiefs with a similar red colour during the breeding season. When Robin chicks fledge, they have a speckled brown appearance, but no red yet, which stops them getting into a fight when they wander into an adult's territory! 
Adult and fledgling Robin. Photo by C. Timmons

Robin. Photo by B. Burke


How long do they live?

The oldest known Robin in Ireland and Britain was 8 years, 4 months and 30 days old, but their typical lifespan is only 2 years - much shorter than people think. Incredibly, the oldest Robin in Europe was over 19 years old, ringed in the Czech Republic and killed in Poland.


What do they feed on? 

As a traditional woodland bird their preference is for insects to feed on, but they will readily come to bird feeders with seeds, peanuts, fruit and fat ballsMealworms are a good food to give them, and some people have managed to 'train' their garden Robin to take mealworms from their hand!




Irish Garden Bird Survey Trends:


Robins have been in 1st place in 17 of the last 20 winters of the Irish Garden Bird Survey. Two of those years they shared first-place with the Blackbird. In the other 3 years they came a very close 2nd, behind the Blackbird. On average over the last 20 years Robins have been recorded in over 99% of Irish gardens! 



Robin. Photo by D. Owens

They're common in gardens throughout the full 13 weeks of the garden bird survey (i.e. Dec-Feb), with a slight increase as the weeks go on. It's likely that by the latter weeks of the Garden Bird Survey many Robins have paired up and are thinking of breeding, so that's another reason why you're probably only seeing one Robin in your garden at the start of the survey but are regularly seeing two by February.



This graph shows the average number of Robins per garden during each year of the Irish garden bird survey – a pretty stable trend down through the years, with occasional spikes in numbers after a good season (they can be pretty prolific breeders when the weather allows!)







Movements and Migration:

In Ireland, Robins are largely resident. In general the males will stay put all year round to hold their territory, and many females will leave the breeding areas in the autumn and return in spring. The females don't usually travel very far, but will seek out an area with higher survival chances (i.e. good food supply, warmer temperatures etc) but that maybe wasn't suitable during the summer as they lacked sites for nesting. A very small minority of Robins, largely female, may also move abroad for the winter.

We also get a small number of Robins from northern Europe; some moving through in autumn on their way further south in Europe, and others staying put for the winter. This occurs more so in colder winters.

Robins from Britain & Ireland caught elsewhere.


How can I help Robins?

It's worth remembering that this is actually a good time of year to put out nestboxes in advance of next year! Robins use a specific type of nextbox with an open-front, ideally 1-2m off the ground and placed in a dense shrub or somewhere else that provides shelter from weather and predators - amongst thick ivy or creeping plants should also work. Wrens and Pied Wagtails might also decide to use this type of nestbox, or Blackbirds if the nestbox is big enough.

You can find designs to build your own nestbox on the BirdWatch Ireland website here, or alternatively we sell a number of different types of nestboxes in our shop that are sure to suit your garden – see our selection here.


Robin. Photo by K. Murphy
Given their dominance at the top of the Irish Garden Bird Survey charts every year, it's no surprise that Robins are more than happy to avail of a variety of foods supplied in gardens - mealworms, peanuts, seeds, fruit and fatballs. 






Singing Robin Soft Toy







This year we also have the very popular singing Robin soft toy! They're soft and cuddly and play a Robin call when you squeeze them! Get them at our shop at the link below, while stocks last.






Call into our shop in Wicklow or get in touch at info@birdwatchireland.ie to see if we have your favourite species in stock!




Lastly, to help Robins and your other garden birds you can become a member of BirdWatch Ireland. Membership makes an ideal Christmas gift – one that keeps on giving throughout the year.
With your membership pack you'll get a free gift, a poster of Irish Garden Birds, a poster of Irish Sea Birds, a pin badge, loads of information on how to attract birds to your garden, and our famous Wings magazine will be delivered to your door four times per year. 

Under 18's and family memberships will also receive our 'Bird Detectives' activity magazine twice a year, filled with fun and educational activities!










I hope you've learned something new about Robins through this species profile - if there's a species you'd like us to cover later in the winter please let us know on facebook or twitter!


And if you're not taking part already, consider taking part in our Garden Bird Survey this winter - and spread the word to friends and family - the more the merrier! 

The Irish Garden Bird Survey is over for another winter!

Time flies when you're having fun! The 2018/19 Irish Garden Bird Survey is now over! It's been quite a mild winter overall...