Early in the year i found a dead chaffinch in my garden. I removed it's ring and contacted the number on the ring .It was a contact number for the B T O . On the topic of where have they gone?... The lady i talked to asked if there was any swelling around the birds throat. I replied no and asked why ? She said that there had been a disease present in finches,, i think this , and the rediculously low temperatures that dropped upto 70% of the population last year are to blame this year.
i to have noticed a decline in bird numbers finches in particular apart from goldfinches,when i first moved to greenfield 5 years ago and started feeding the birds i would get around 15 -20 siskins daily but nowadays only one or two every now and then ,on a plus note blackbird and redpolls have become more numerous
Generally the number of species has remained the same in my garden, but numbers of certain species have dropped i.e Goldfinch and Chaffinch. I find that certain weather conditions affect appearance, mist.heavy rain etc. I am also of the opinion that when the weather gets really harsh people that don't normally feed the birds start doing it out of sympathy, so that the birds may not have to travel as far. I get sparrowhawks regularly but I don't think this makes a great deal of differance. My biggest disappointment is that I have not seen a Greenfinch in the garden for at least three months and they always visited when there was snow about and the weeds and such were covered. It's possible that the current disease may be taking a heavy toll.
Mike
-- Edited by Mike hirst on Tuesday 18th of January 2011 11:03:10 AM
Thats a good point ,more people in some areas feeding in harsh weather,can mean the birds spread more thinly,where i live in central warrington,there is as far as i can see only me feeding hence,plenty birds
Generally the number of species has remained the same in my garden, but numbers of certain species have dropped i.e Goldfinch and Chaffinch. I find that certain weather conditions affect appearance, mist.heavy rain etc. I am also of the opinion that when the weather gets really harsh people that don't normally feed the birds start doing it out of sympathy, so that the birds may not have to travel as far. I get sparrowhawks regularly but I don't think this makes a great deal of differance. My biggest disappointment is that I have not seen a Greenfinch in the garden for at least three months and they always visited when there was snow about and the weeds and such were covered. It's possible that the current disease may be taking a heavy toll.
Mike
-- Edited by Mike hirst on Tuesday 18th of January 2011 11:03:10 AM
The drop in numbers in my garden generally appeared to coincide with the end of the harsh weather. Is it possible that the numbers in gardens were then artificially high and now we are seeing much more normal levels? I agree that some birds will undoubtedly have died during the cold spell. But another point I would make, from my own general observations, is that birds start much earlier than we may think to prepare for the breeding season. We all assume the breeding season is weeks away yet but from my own observations then as soon as the weather changed there has been a noticeable increase in signs that birds minds are turning towards other activities. I heard the first strong Blackbird song in my garden yesterday (17/1). At the height of the cold spell I was regularly getting between 25 and 30 Blackbirds in my small back garden. Now this male Blackbird will undoubtedly try and deter other Blackbirds as it tries to establish a territory here and unless there is a sudden severe change in the weather, then those amazing numbers of Blackbirds will not re-appear again until next winter. Likewise I only ever get Mistle Thrush and Song Thrush in my garden in the toughest weather. As soon as the weather changed - neither were seen again - although I heard my first Song Thrush Song locally on 14/1 and Mistle Thrushes have been singing since the latter end of last year. There has to be, I would guess a balance between survival and also "continuing the family line". In any area there will be some better breeding territories than others for most species. If the fittest and strongest birds dont try and occupy and establish and defend these best territories as early as they can, then they will presumably just be left with a pick of many sub-prime locations. Possibly another reason why birds have already abandoned gardens and are already turning their minds to other matters? I have had 1 Robin in the garden all winter. The other day there were 2 but it was hard to tell if they were a definite pair. Yesterday, there were 3 and from observations there were both courtship and territorial activities going on. 4 Dunnocks in the garden in the last week seem equally concerned about feeding as they do in their courtship larking about and establishing a "saucy foursome"! Collared Doves are already on eggs locally and Woodpigeons are singing and displaying. Whilst agreeing that bird numbers have dropped in gardens, probably in part due to mortality but I'm also suggesting that birds are already re-distributing themselves more widely and evenly, for the most important part of their life-cycle - the breeding season. Finally, to me it would seem unlikely that those birds that have been well-fed (possibly even over fed!) in some gardens this winter have suddenly all gone, they can't all have died - surely there must be some other reason why numbers in gardens have decreased recently?
My own opinions on Sparrowhawks in gardens is that whilst the Sparrowhawk gets to know where a potential source of its food is, then the smaller birds also learn that there is a permanent risk to their lives and amend there feeding patterns accordingly or maybe even abandon the garden altogether until the level of threat lessens. Throughout the harsh spell I was able to spread food out all across the back garden and it was all taken. But as the Sparrowhawk became a more frequent visitor, then the small birds would only take the food from around the edges of the garden, where they could more easily get back into cover.
The breeding season has already started - best part of the birding year in my opinion! It's the last year for our local GM Breeding Birds Atlas project too - more to follow on that particular forum as the year progresses.
I have had in the last 4 weeks the most I have ever had in my garden in warrington.normally im lucky to get one or two blue tits,but ive had regular long tailed tits ,up to 10 ,coal tit,plenty blue tits.great tits,chaffinches etc and the feeding station at penny was bursting with birds at the weekend,but strangely a friend who has a feeding station on a farm said his had been quietobviously a lot have perished in the poor weather ,but still plenty in my garden
Similar tale from my garden. Suflower hearts all over the place, fat balls, fat slabs, fruit and bread are almost deserted attracting just a handful of residents: 3 House Sparrows, 2 Dunnocks and a Robin.
I used to get good numbers Blue, Great, and LT Tits, plus a few Chaffinches and Greenfinches but with Goldfinches in abundance. Even Blackbirds, Thrushes, Starlings, Collared Doves and Wood Pigeons are absent. I assume large numbers of passerines died in the cold spell.
This is the 4th week now that my feeders have had a lack of birds... In fact none! I have spotted both M/F Sparrowhawk but surely these would not stop all of them.. I have changed the old food for new [same brand] but still nothing. Any thoughts anybody...?
in the garden all winter. The other day there were 2 
Collared Doves are already on eggs locally and Woodpigeons are singing and displaying. Whilst agreeing that bird numbers have dropped in gardens, probably in part due to mortality but I'm also suggesting that birds are already re-distributing themselves more widely and evenly, for the most important part of their life-cycle - the breeding season. Finally, to me it would seem unlikely that those birds that have been well-fed (possibly even over fed!)
in some gardens this winter have suddenly all gone, they can't all have died - surely there must be some other reason why numbers in gardens have decreased recently? 
It's the last year for our local GM Breeding Birds Atlas project too - more to follow on that particular forum as the year progresses.
