Thursday 9 January 2014

citizen science ..?

One of my resolutions for this year is to be more organised in my recording of the wildlife around me.

So, Jill off to work (bless that girl) and me waiting for the dawn to take part in the British Trust for Ornithology Early Bird Survey.

The task is to record the species and first time of visit of the first ten species.

Visited Paul and Viv's on New Years day. They've got a solitary ordinary peanut feeder that is literally swarming with birds. The birds drip off their peanut feeder like melting wax.

the thinnest gruel..
I've got every manner of squirrel proof feeders: peanut; feed balls; black and white sunflower; black sunflower; nyger seed; and finch seed. I've also got a squirrel proof bird table with peanuts and mealworms. And a bird bath!! Its a flocking bird banquet out there! It's costing a fortune.

And I get the thinnest gruel compared to the bird feast at P and V's. Seven species in over an hour!

And, of course, the squirrels are laughing at me. Sneering. They can't get into my feeders BUT THEIR BABIES CAN!! I've got a squirrel creche where there should be birds!! Three at one point, stuffing their chops.

And while the squirrelikins are chowing down like courtiers of Henry VIII in a food fight, my hens are going boogaloo beneath, mopping up everything the mini-guzzlers up above are discarding. No wonder the hens look so well. Look at the variety of their diet!! And I can't even record hens on the form! Hens are non-birds are they??

So, that's it done. So much for citizen science. I bet the boffins at the BTO are chuckling over their custard creams as they look at my entry.




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