Strangely after last month’s increase in activity it seems to have been very quiet around the patch in October. There has been no large scale influx of winter birds, most likely due to the continuing warm weather which has meant that even those that have returned are not forced to seek food around gardens. The numbers of Ring-necked Parakeets have been variable and parties in the garden have remained below 8 birds. The Little Grebe and Grey Wagtail continue to be present but there is little evidence for other water birds moving in as the algal bloom continues to persist.
There were 26 species of bird seen on the patch this month. The months highlight was undoubtedly the female House Sparrow which appeared in the garden on the 21st. This was the first patch sighting of this once common species for over 12 years. It hasn’t been seen since but maybe this is a sign that the expansion of this species that I have noticed returning to adjacent areas is continuing and that the bird will become established on my patch in the future. It is ironic that a species which many regarded as a ‘feeder pest’ when I was small should become a rarity that is only just begining to show signs of recovery. It just shows that we can be complacent when looking at trends in bird populations or take for granted even those species which see common
House Sparrow
Photo by Michael Day (https://www.flickr.com/photos/13706945@N00/)
This brings the patch total to 48 species for 2014.
Pete's Favourite Things 