We have loads of healthy Green finches at the moment, it is a joy watching them, hope they do not get this horrible virus.

I hope that we have got the worst outbreak. It would be too dreadful if it proved to be nationwide.

Today's garden bird count is THREE.

One hedgesparrow (dunnock).

One chaffinch (which looked healthy enough)

One young goldfinch (which looked far from healthy) and I have never known an odd one to visit the garden, they usually arrive in a small flock and chatter away to one another.

I don't like pigeons. Rats with wings. However they have as much right to exist as any other animal. No doubt they would not flourish as much without all the food left lying about for them.

In Brid, folk are getting very distressed, because the seagulls are attacking and eating the pigeons. Makes you wonder what's going on.............

The birds seem to have increased today Friday, and up to now all seem healthy.
we have only been getting goldfinches for about two years before that maybe an odd one,about 18 months ago we found a book shop outside Buxton and its garden is full of feeders and the place was alive with birds, lots of goldfinches, they use them in their adverts now,they also sell bird food we bought some thistle seed and a feeder the goldfinches have gone mad for it and this is the first year we have had fledgling goldfinches.
The information on the rspb web site is better than on the bto site

I wonder if this is linked

Web Page Name

All our birds still seem healthy, but I am keeping a good watch on them, it will be devastating if it gets really bad considering winter is on it's way and we are told it could be a bad one.
A naughty kestral keeps sitting on our shed and waiting for little sparrows as they go to feed on our peanuts, not managed to get a photo yet. I take the batteries out and by the time I get them in it has vanished. Talking about the Kestral, we were sat having a drink early in the morning, a pigeon flew past the window the kestral hit it right in the middle of the road, pigeon escaped but lost quite alot of feathers. What a sight, could not have caught that on my camera, happened too quick.

We have gone from having dozens of birds in the garden practically all day long to having just the odd one or two...... and I'm really missing them.

There are absolutely no greenfinches now and the count yesterday was

2 goldfinches - together (one young, one adult)
1 hedgesparrow
1 chaffinch
1 house sparrow

The blackbirds aren't coming, but they are around on the front garden at dusk.

The sparrowhawk has made a kill this morning behind the shed. We don't recognise the feathers ... only that it was a small bird and possibly a coal-tit.

I have also been on the look-out for birds and up to now have only seen pigeons and collared doves, strange this as I usually have blackbirds and thrush's, my gold finches have not seen for ages, the rooks are still flying over.

Lots of healthy birds in our garden this morning
dejavou the rspb link says the disease started in doves.
dita I think your Kestrel sounds more like a sparrow hawk we had one that behaved like that.

Not big enough for a Sparrow hawk, it is a kestral for sure, it is very cheeky and does not fear much. There is 2 of them around and have been known to fight in the street, we are isolated here and surrounded by fields and trees. We very rarely see Sparrow Hawks, but we do have Tawny Owl & Barn Owls around too. It is good living here if you like birds.

sounds a nice place to live dita apart for lots of small birds in the garden we get herons ,sparrowhawks ever now and then and tawny owl which we hear more than see.
My treat is when the leaves have fallen I will be able to see the Kingfisher fishing on the pond

It's only taken a few, short weeks for this horrible disease to see off most of the birds which used to visit our garden.

Nowadays, we have no gold finches, no greenfinches and only a couple of chaffinches which only come once in a while.

We have three blackbirds, one robin and two dunnocks and absolutely loads of unused bird foodstuffs.

This area of East Notts is noticeably devoid of any finches and, one of our sons who lives north of the county has also noticed a great decline.

Is everything OK where you are?

dejavou wrote:Flying S**thouses, my dad used to call pigeons

lol Dej... I call 'em skyrats meself...

(Goes back to read rest of thred.... )

I am pleased to say all our birds seem healthy at the moment but we do know its in the area.

Aaaaah, Barbara ...... that's good news.

I hope that yours have been able to build up some immunity.

I really miss them