Saturday 6 August 2011
We get a lot of birds in the garden, but they are usually common species; robin, sparrow, blackbird, goldfinch, starling etc. Since we moved in I've also seen less common birds including a single Great Spotted Woodpecker and a flock of Fieldfares. Last Sunday though we increased the number of birds we have seen in the garden, which also appear on the RSPB's red list, to three.Unfortunately a host of factors conspired against me getting a good photo. It was late in the evening and the light was poor, I took the photo through a window that needs cleaning, and the white balance setting on the camera was accidentally set for florescent lighting. Anyway after playing with the photo a bit I'm happy enough with it as proof that we did indeed have a Linnet sitting in the apple tree for a few minutes.
I've had the camera setup on a tripod ready all week in case it comes back but so far nothing. Maybe it was just passing through, but hopefully it will be back and I'll be ready for it this time.
As I read the Redlist the Starling is on it!! Can that really be the case?
Bizarrely it would seem so. In fact the House Sparrow is also on the red list and looking at our garden right now neither are particularly vulnerable. In fact with those two species as well we've now had five birds from the list in the garden: starling, house sparrow, linnet, fieldfare, and song thrush.
I think part of the problem is that if the number of breeding pairs has fallen by over 50% during the last 25 years then a species will be included on the red list. Whilst there may still be lots of starlings and house sparrows I'm guessing there isn't anywhere near as many as there were 25 years ago.
I can't recall seeing a linnet.
I know this is being starlingist but as far as I'm concerned less starlings = A Good Thing. I'm not suggesting annihilation you understand, just natural reduction!
GB, given the racket the young starlings have been making in the garden for the past couple of weeks, I'm in complete agreement!
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