In big news we’re currently looking at moving somewhere a bit more wild, a bit further out in the Lothian region of Scotland. Hopefully on a block of land big enough to attract even more birds, butterflies, bees, badgers, foxes and all the wonderful insects, worms, small mammals as well as having space to grow Feijoas which blackbirds and robins love the plants, Blackbirds are a great pollinator.
Looking back over the garden list, our first year we were lucky to get 10 birds of 5 or 6 species on a daily basis, now there’s at least 50 house sparrows daily and possibly as many 100 birds in the garden most of the time. Although the Chaffinch and Greenfinch sightings are less frequent. I hope to be able to do something similar on a larger scale and help more wildlife in the future.
Jan 1st: I am dealing with a lot of pain and haven’t been able to be outside as much, probably a lot more birds that I didn’t manage to see.
2024 Garden bird watch for Edinburgh, Scotland, list:
Blackbird – Jan 1st – First bird of the year
Blackcap – Jan 16th
Blue Tit – Jan 1st
Bullfinch – Feb 8th
Carrion Crow – Jan 1st
Coal Tit – Jan 2nd
Collared Dove – Jan 2nd
Dunnock – Jan 1st
Feral Pigeon – I prefer Street Pigeon – Jan 1st
Fieldfare – Jan 2nd
Goldfinch – June 11th
Grasshopper Warbler – April 18th – first exact ID for my garden.
Great Tit – Jan 2nd
Grey heron – Jan 16th – FO
Herring Gull – Jan 16th
House Sparrow – Jan 1st
Jackdaw – Jan 1st
Long-tailed Tit – Jan 8th
Magpie – Jan 1st
Robin – Jan 1st
Rook – Feb 3rd
Siskin – April 5th
Sparrowhawk – Jan 5th
Starling – Jan 18th
Stock Dove – Jan 1st
Woodpigeon – Jan 1st
Willow warbler – Sept 30th
Wren – Jan 23rd
Yellowhamer – Jan 16th
2024 Garden Bird Watch Year Total:
11 Species as of January 1st.
15 Species as of January 2nd.
16 Species as of January 5th.
17 Species as of January 8th.
21 Species as of January 16th.
22 Species as of January 18th.
23 Species as of January 23rd.
24 Species as of February 3rd.
25 Species as of February 8th.
26 Species as of April 5th.
27 Species as of April 18th.
28 Species as of June 11th.
29 Species as of September 30th.
Garden Bird behaviour
On 5th of January I was sitting on the couch when there was a sudden bang on the window, there were lots of kids playing around the street and I figured it’s just a stray ball or them throwing apples again, but no it was sadly a Fieldfare hitting the window. On further investigation I noticed a sparrowhawk sitting on one of the feijoa plants in the front garden. The moment it saw me it took off, I checked the fieldfare which was laying in the garden, sadly it was dead. I moved it to a spot where there’s a fox/badger desire line that way the death wouldn’t go to waste.
RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch – sadly I thought I’d saved my list after submitting on the RSPB’s website, but I can’t find it. If I find it later in the year I will add it here.
Like the last few years, I’m pretty much stuck at home. Thankfully the Edinburgh Garden is getting better and better for watching birds, as I plant more and more wildlife friendly plants and gardening organically the soil has started to come to life after 40+ years of the previous owner using weedkillers and pesticides. As the garden gets more wildlife friendly, many birds are visiting, which now include a flock of Yellowhammers almost daily and Lesser Redpolls being at least weekly on top of the 50+ house sparrows that live in the garden.
01/01/2023 – Today has been one of the best starts of the year to the garden bird watch with 20 species. I did miss a few Gulls that were Fly Overs (FO) hopefully spot them in the near future.
2023 Garden bird watch for Edinburgh, Scotland, list:
Blackbird – Jan 1st
Blackcap – Jan 1st
Blue Tit – Jan 1st
Bullfinch – Feb 24th
Carrion Crow – Jan 1st
Chaffinch – Jan 1st
Chiffchaff – March 26th
Coal Tit – Jan 1st
Collared Dove – Jan 1st
Common Buzzard – Jan 2nd – FO
Dunnock – Jan 1st
Feral Pigeon – I prefer Street Pigeon – Jan 1st
Fieldfare – Jan 16th – snow on ground, flock of 50+
Great Tit – Jan 1st
Greenfinch – August 6th
Goldcrest – March 26th
Goldfinch – April 30th – the Goldfinch love the Dandelion seeds as do the sparrows. More on plants for Birds, Bees and Butterflies on here: Plants for attracting wildlife.
Herring Gull – Jan 5th
House Sparrow – Jan 1st – First Bird of the Year.
Jackdaw – Jan 1st
Kestrel – Feb 9th
Lesser Redpolls – Jan 1st
Long-tailed Tit – Jan 2nd
Magpie – Jan 1st
Mute Swan – Oct 14th – FO
Robin – Jan 1st
Song Thrush – Nov 25th
Sparrowhawk – Jan 11th
Starling – Jan 1st
Stock Dove – Jan 1st
Swift – July 7th
Tawny Owl – Feb 11th
Woodpigeon – Jan 1st
Wren – Jan 1st
Yellowhammer – Jan 1st – left end of January and started coming back 26/11/2023.
2023 Garden Bird Watch Year Total:
20 Species as of January 1st.
22 Species as of January 2nd.
23 Species as of January 5th.
24 Species as of January 11th.
25 Species as of January 16th.
26 Species as of February 9th.
27 Species as of February 11th.
28 Species as of February 24th.
30 Species as of March 26th.
31 Species as of April 30th.
32 Species as of July 7th.
33 Species as of August 6th.
34 Species as of October 14th.
35 Species as of November 25th.
Yellowhammer in Edinburgh Garden:
Since mid December 2022 the Yellowhammers have been a daily visitor, what’s the bet they don’t show during the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch? They started out with 5 on the 18/12/22 and now have spotted as many as 8 Yellowhammers at one time. One of the better photos I’ve managed to capture so far:
Male Yellowhammer in the garden.
RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2023:
As with every year I look forward to doing the big garden birdwatch. This year it runs from 27th to 29th of January, find out more on: Big Garden Birdwatch | The RSPB.
Between the hours of 11.30 and 13.00 on Saturday 28th of January 2023, the reason the count is listed over a period of 90 minutes: I did 30 minutes out the kitchen window, then went and sat at the back of the garden for 30 minutes to let the birds settle and then started counting again for another 30 minutes to total 1 hour of counting time.
Blackbird – 5
Blackcap – 1
Blue Tit – 2
Carrion Crow – 5
Coal Tit – 2
Collared Dove – 1
Dunnock – 1
Feral Pigeon – 2
Great Tit – 1
Herring Gull – 1
House Sparrow – 50+ (couldn’t get an accurate count)
Jackdaw – 5
Magpie – 7
Robin – 3
Stock Dove – 4
Woodpigeon – 3
Wren – 1
Yellowhammer – 30
What a day! Total of 18 species and 120 birds, the most Yellowhammers I’ve seen in the garden, often getting 20+ most days now.
Welcome to 2022! Hopefully this year will be a great year for birds! Once again injury and recovery from operations including an operation of the heart are taking their toll.
The House Sparrows have really taken up home in the garden, as the garden is transformed from a place where pesticides and weed killers were used for 40+ years into an organic garden and hopefully wildlife wonderland, the number of insects and soil life has increased dramatically. I have been removing the showy plants that had no wildlife value and replacing with plants that benefit bees, butterflies and birds. There’s a list of plants I have put together over here: Plants to help bees, butterflies and birds.
Once again I am using Garden Birds* food due to the great price and excellent service, the most popular in my garden is now the Ultiva® Wheat Free Seed Mix* the basic: Ultiva® Everyday Seed Mix* is also popular with almost every bird that visits the garden especially the house sparrows.
Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) on the back fence.
*
2022 Edinburgh Garden Bird List:
Black-headed gull – July 10th – FO
Blackbird – Jan 1st
Blackcap – Jan 7th
Blue Tit – Jan 1st
Bullfinch – May 5th
Carrion Crow – Jan 1st
Chaffinch – Jan 4th
Chiffchaff – March 3rd – in the wildlife hedge.
Coal Tit – Jan 1st
Collared Dove – Jan 1st
Common Buzzard – Jan 11th – FO
Dunnock – Jan 1st
Feral Pigeon
Fieldfare – November 12th – FO – landed Dec 11th
Goldcrest – Jan 22nd
Goldfinch – April 21st
Great black-backed gull – July 10th
Great Tit – Jan 1st
Grey Herron – April 8th
Herring Gull – Jan 9th
House Sparrow – Jan 1st – First Bird of the Year.
Jackdaw – Jan 1st
Lesser black-backed gull – July 10th
Lesser Redpolls – December 23rd
Long-tailed Tit – Jan 9th
Magpie – Jan 1st
Mute Swan – November 21st – FO
Oystercatcher – May 12th – Heard at night – FO
Red Kite – July 10 – FO* – first time I’ve seen one, not common in Lothian region.
Redwing – December 22nd.
Robin – Jan 1st
Siskin – May 6th
Sparrowhawk – Jan 4th
Starling – April 14th
Swift – May 13th – FO
Woodpigeon – Jan 1st
Wren – Jan 1st
Yellowhammer – Feb 24th – This is the first Yellowhammer I’ve ever spotted in the garden; it was along the region we planted up called “the wildlife hedge”. December 18th – Also had a flock of yellowhammer in the garden, the weather has been bad, and they must have been able to find food in the garden easier.
* the Red Kite was flying amongst 100s of gulls and swifts as it was an ant day. I was shocked to see it and will admit, let out a yell “KITE” and pointed, such a stunning bird. A few friends have told me they are quite rare around Edinburgh and the Lothians. Sadly the sighting was short and didn’t have a chance to grab a camera. The Black-headed gulls never seem to land but the Lesser black-backed gull, Great black-backed gulls and herring gulls are regular visitors. The Lesser black-backed gulls are the most common in the garden and we have named one Steven Seagull.
Welcome to 2021! After breaking my vertebrae and rupturing a few disks again in 2021 my list will once again be from my Edinburgh garden. The garden gets most of the common garden birds in Scotland and occasionally a great tick such as a Redpoll or a Redstart as in previous years. Winter brings in some fantastic birds to watch and listen to, such as Redwing and Fieldfare – just had both of these in the garden at 1pm on New Years day, didn’t see either in 2020.
This year I have started using Garden Birds* food due to the great price and excellent service, the most popular in my garden is the basic: Ultiva® Everyday Seed Mix*. It’s very popular with almost every bird that visits the garden especially the house sparrows.
I am struggling to stand on most days due to nerves in my back stopping my legs from working due to Generalised Dystonia and the broken vertebrae. It looks like it will be a small list this year.
*
2021 Edinburgh Garden Bird List:
Blackbird – Jan 1st
Black-headed Gull – July 21st – FO – Flying ant day.
Blue Tit – Jan 1st
Bullfinch – Jan 9th
Carrion Crow – Jan 1st
Chiffchaff – July 14th
Coal Tit – Jan 5th
Collared Dove – Unsure on date, honestly thought I’d added it before.
Common Buzzard – March 1st – FO
Dunnock – Jan 1st
Fieldfare – Jan 1st
Garden Warbler – April 4th
Goldfinch – June 30th
Great Tit – Jan 2nd
Greenfich – July 2nd
Grey Heron – Jan 15th – FO
House Sparrow – Jan 1st
Jackdaw – Jan 22nd
Long-tailed Tits – March 5th
Magpie – Jan 1st
Oystercatcher – June 22nd – FO
Redwing – Jan 1st
Robin – Jan 2nd
Rook – Feb 11th – FO
Siskin – April 19th
Song Thrush – Feb 13th
Sparrowhawk – Unsure on date, honestly thought I’d added it before.
Hope everyone had a wildlife filled 2019 and are ready for hopefully a great 2020! As with 2019 – 34 species, 2018 – 36 species, 2017 – 34 species and before I am using RSPB Bird food in my garden. The 2 main seed mixes I use are Table mix bird seed and Feeder mix extra bird seed as well as a lot help from natural resources, more about wildlife gardening and the great increase in bird numbers below the 2020 list.
2020 Edinburgh Garden Bird List:
Blackbird – Jan 1st
Blue Tit – Jan 1st
Bullfinch – Feb 24th
Carrion Crow – Jan 1st
Coal Tit – Jan 1st
Collared Dove – May 12th
Common Buzzard – Apr 10th – FO
Dunnock – Jan 1st
Feral Pigeon – Jan 1st
Goldcrest – 29th November
Goldfinch – March 13th
Great Tit – Jan 5th
Grey Heron – Apr 10th – FO
Herring Gull – Jan 1st – Flyover
House Sparrow – Jan 1st
Kestrel – May 18th
Long-tailed Tit – Jan 31st
Magpie – Jan 3rd
Oystercatcher – Oct 11th – FO
Redpoll^ – Dec 30th
Rook – Sept 21st – FO
Sparrowhawk – Jan 5th
Starling – Feb 28th
Stock Dove – June 16th
Swallow – June 17th
Swift – June 30th
Woodpigeon – Jan 1st
Willow Warbler – July 31st
Wren – Jan 1st – First bird of the year, very excited!
What a difference gardening for wildlife can make.
I put this list up with a few photos on Instagram you can see the post here: 3 foxes and a robin.
Garden Bird List for October 22nd 2013:
Roughly 1 year 4
months after moving in:
1. Blackbird x 2
2. House Sparrow x 1
3. Robin x 1
4. Woodpigeon x 1
Total: 5 birds
Species: 4
After moving in I had noticed a few Robins that looked to have died from poisoning, possibly from the use of pesticides and herbicides by the previous owners. I have a feeling their use was so high the amount had built up and in the few insects and worms left in the garden were full of pesticides, sadly the build up was too much for the birds that did try and feed in the garden.
Garden Bird List for October 22nd 2019:
Roughly 7 years 4
months after moving in:
1. Blackbird x 1
2. Blue Tit x 3
3. Carrion Crow x 1
4. Coal Tit x 2
5. Dunnock x 3
6. Great Tit x 1
7. House Sparrows x 50+
8. Jackdaw x 2
9. Long-tailed Tit x 6
10. Magpie x 3
11. Robin x 3
12. Woodpigeon x 3
13. Wren x 1
Total: 80+ birds
Species: 13
RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2020
Blackbird x 11
Blue tit x 2
Carrion Crow x 1
Coal tit x 2
Dunnock x 3
Great tit x 2
House Sparrow 47 (probably more but best I could count)
Robin x 3
Woodpigeon x 3
What is with the * on certain links? This * means there’s an affiliate link where I get a small portion of any sales from the website. More about affiliate content and ethical online selling on the website Ethi.net – Ethical Affiliate Marketing. The website as of 24/01/2020 is currently a work in progress to try and give internet users clarity and more information about how the affiliate advertising market.
2018 was a very quiet year; Due to dystonia spasms which caused a few broken vertebrae, foot, ribs and torn oblique muscles sadly stopped me from changing my career from finance to horticulture / gardening as had been the plan for 2018 (started planning it in 2014!).
I didn’t manage many trips to the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and was mainly stuck within a 600 meter radius of my house located in Corstorphine, Edinburgh West. Sadly the local green space is just too far out of my reach and with how many potholes in Edinburgh roads I couldn’t travel in a car for pain in the vertebrae.
Due to pain from Dystonia related injuries 2019 looks like it will be mainly garden only list.
2019 Edinburgh Garden Bird List
Blackbird – Jan 1st – first bird of the year
Blackcap – Dec 20th
Blue Tit – Jan 1st
Bullfinch – Feb 28th
Carrion Crow – Jan 1st
Chaffinch – Jan 4th
Chiffchaff – Aug 9th
Coal Tit – Jan 2nd
Collared dove – May 16th
Common Buzzards – Feb 21st – FO
Dunnock – Jan 1st
Feral Pigeon – Jan 5th
Fieldfare – Jan 31st
Goldfinch – April 12th
Great Tit – Jan 4th
Greenfinch – Jan 18th
Grey Heron – Feb 11th – FO
Herring Gull – May 12th
House Sparrow – Jan 1st
Jackdaw – Jan 21st
Long-tailed Tit – Jan 6th
Magpie – Jan 1st
Redpoll – Feb 16th – first time ever, around 50 of them.
Redwing – Jan 23rd
Robin – Jan 1st
Rook – Sept 16th – FO
Siskin – May 12th
Song Thrush – Dec 9th
Sparrowhawk – Jan 4th
Starling – Feb 3rd
Swallow – July 31st – FO
Swift – June 27th – FO
Woodpigeon – Jan 1st
Wren – Jan 4th
8 Species as of January 1st 2019.
9 Species as of January 2nd 2019.
13 Species as of January 4th 2019.
14 Species as of January 5th 2019.
15 Species as of January 6th 2019.
16 Species as of January 18th 2019.
17 Species as of January 21st 2019.
18 Species as of January 23rd 2019.
19 Species as of January 31st 2019.
20 Species as of February 3rd 2019.
21 Species as of February 11th 2019.
22 Species as of February 16th 2019.
23 Species as of February 21st 2019.
24 Species as of February 28th 2019.
25 Species as of April 12th 2019.
27 Species as of May 12th 2019.
28 Species as of May 16th 2019.
29 Species as of June 27th 2019.
30 Species as of July 31st 2019.
31 Species as of August 9th 2019.
32 Species as of September 16th 2019.
33 Species as of December 9th 2019.
34 Species as of December 20th 2019.
RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch 2019 results:
Blackbird x 3
Blue Tit x 3
Coal tit x 1
Collared Doves x
Dunnock x 1
Great tit x 1
House Sparrow x 47
Magpie x 2
Robin x 1
Woodpigeon x 7
Leith Meadow Pipits and Sand Martins.
Just wanted to mention 2 birds I’d never seen before, managed to see Meadow Pipit and Sand Martins on a walk between Ocean Terminal and Water of Leith just north of Edinburgh.
Someone or the council look to be planting a few of the grass verges with meadow seeds along the roads near Ocean Terminal and that’s where the meadow pipit was. The Sand Martins were flying over the water and the small meadows, I gather collecting insects which were in decent numbers for the very small bank of flowers.
2019 UK Feijoa Farm
This year I managed to start a very small UK Feijoa farm, as far as I know it’s the first of its kind in the UK. The plants have been very popular with birds especially, robins, dunnocks, blue, coal, great and long-tailed tits hopping through the plants.
Feijoas the tastiest fruit in the world. If you are a fan of the feijoa fruit that have been described by Gardeners’ Question Time presenter Bob Flowerdew as “The tastiest fruit in the world” head over to Feijoas UK where you can buy feijoas when in season. They taste a lot better if you get them in season than the imported fruits. The imported fruits are picked too early so they don’t get damaged whilst being transported. When in season the feijoa fruit is amazing!
There are plans to increase the feijoa farm size and try and create a lot more wildlife friendly places as feijoas and wildlife are my passions.
It’s time now for the start of my 2018 Garden bird list 2017 showed most of the common British garden birds with a total of 34 birds, unlike 2016 where I had a few more unusual birds for a city garden and a total of 40.
Sadly Dystonia will mainly have me stuck at home again, update August 2018 I was studying horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh to learn more about making my garden wildlife friendly sadly I broke my ribs and tore my oblique muscles in February and then broke a couple of vertebrae in May it means my studies are on hold again. I may try and do a separate RBGE bird list as the gardens have a great diversity of bird species there and are fantastic to watch.
Kestrel – Feb 22nd – FOx2, only second time I’ve seen Kestrels over the garden.
Lesser black-backed gull – March 4th
Long-tailed Tit – Jan 2nd
Magpie – Jan 2nd
Oystercatcher – Jan 19th – FO
Redwing – March 3rd – snow on the ground.
Robin – Jan 1st
Rook – April 21st
Song Thrush – March 4th – snow still on ground.
Sparrowhawk – Jan 13th
Starlings – Jan 7th
Swift – June 12th
Woodpigeon – Jan 1st
Wren – Jan 10th
8 Species as of January 1st 2018. 12 Species as of January 2nd 2018. 14 Species as of January 3rd 2018. 15 Species as of January 7th 2018. 16 Species as of January 8th 2018. 17 Species as of January 10th 2018. 19 Species as of January 13th 2018. 20 Species as of January 16th 2018. 21 Species as of January 18th 2018. 22 Species as of January 19th 2018. 23 Species as of January 25th 2018. 24 Species as of February 3rd 2018. 25 Species as of February 22nd 2018. 26 Species as of March 2nd 2018. 28 Species as of March 3rd 2018. 31 Species as of March 4th 2018. 32 Species as of March 7th 2018. 33 Species as of April 21st 2018. 34 Species as of June 12th 2018. 35 Species as of August 30th 2018. 36 Species as of September 8th 2018.
Green Woodpecker Edinburgh. Not in my garden but I had to mention a life first and that is seeing a European green woodpecker Picus viridis in Corstorphine Edinburgh, Lothians, Scotland on 28th of December 2018.
I’m currently working on a gardening website that will hopefully be up and running later in 2018, it will obviously have a fair bit about wildlife, and the book Sammy The Shrew for sale which is raising money for charities.
2018 RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch results, Saturday 27th of January. A very windy day, grey and over cast, yet warm. The first crocus of the year started showing today.
Blackbird x 7
Blue Tit x 1
Coal tit x 2
Collared Doves x 2
Dunnock x 1
Great tit x 3
House Sparrow x 17
Woodpigeon x 1
Chiffchaff
Chiffchaff due to being able to see emargination on the sixth primary
I know this site is dedicated to birds but one of the important things for birds is their food and a great way to help wildlife and hopefully attract more birds in to your garden is by increasing the number of insects. The fantastic people at Butterfly Conservation (savebutterflies on twitter) have put together a brilliant list of plants that are nectar rich and perfect for insects many not just for butterflies but bees, moths and some berry producing ones great for many birds.
Plants for attracting butterflies, bees and birds.
I’ve searched the internet for places that sell plants or seeds recommended by Butterfly Conservation, for those that I couldn’t I’ve linked to suggested searches on ebay. I will be trying to grow many of these to attract as much wildlife to the garden as possible to help the wildlife and in the hope of being able to photograph birds, mammals and insects from home while I’m not able to walk very well.
Painted Lady on Sunflower Vanessa cardui on Helianthus
Sadly I lost all the links to where you could buy the plants, I hope to fix this once my new gardening website is up and running.
Mini Meadow
Mini wildflower meadow Empathy mini wildflower meadow – I’m going to be trying this one in my garden
Buddleia / Buddleja
butterfly bush Buddleja ‘Lochinch’
butterfly bush Buddleja davidii ‘White Profusion’
butterfly bush Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’ – I really like this one
Butterfly Bush Buddleja davidii ‘Royal Red’ – RHS Perfect for Pollinators
Buddleia Nanho Purple 1 Plant 3 litre | Buy Plants, Shrubs and Trees Online | Shrubs
Mint
alpine mint bush Prostanthera cuneata – alpine mint bush
peppermint seeds Mentha piperita – peppermint
herb collection – mint, rosemary, thyme, parsley & sage or lavender Herb Collection ‘(6 Mixed Herbs)’ – mixed herbs
Tasty Herb Collection 12 Jumbo Ready Plants | Garden Vegetables | Jersey Plants Direct – mixed herbs
Black eyed Susan
black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia ‘Little Gold Star’
black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Early Bird Gold (PBR)’
black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Early Bird Gold (PBR)’
Honeysuckle
mandarine honeysuckle Lonicera ‘Mandarin’
early Dutch honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum ‘Belgica’
English wild honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum ‘Heaven Scent’
Daisy
shasta daisy Leucanthemum × superbum ‘Snowcap’
shasta daisy Leucanthemum × superbum ‘Phyllis Smith’
fleabane Erigeron ‘Sommerneuschnee’
black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia ‘Little Gold Star’
coneflower Echinacea purpurea ‘Kim’s Knee High (PBR)’
coneflower Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’
coneflower Echinacea purpurea
coneflower Echinacea purpurea ‘Vintage Wine (PBR)’
New England Aster Aster novae-angliae ‘Violetta’ – I really like this one.
coneflower Rudbeckia hirta ‘Autumn Shades’
pot marigold Calendula officinalis
feverfew – organic seeds Tanacetum parthenium
shasta daisy Leucanthemum ‘Banana Cream’
shasta daisy Leucanthemum ‘× superbum Sunny Side Up’
shasta daisy Leucanthemum ‘Sante’
Teasel
teasel Dipsacus fullonum – be very good to get goldfinches in the garden!
sea holly (syn. Blue Dwarf) Eryngium planum ‘Blauer Zwerg’
Nyjer / Thistle seed – Nyjer / Thistle seed
Sneezewort
sneezewort Achillea ptarmica ‘(The Pearl Group) The Pearl (clonal)’
Onions – I’ve chosen ornamental onions, but obviously there are great benefits from standard onions – like being able to eat them!
giant ornamental onion Allium giganteum
ornamental onion Allium schubertii
Virginia stock
virginia stock seeds
Petunia – make sure they’re single flowered as often the double aren’t great for wildlife.
40 plus 20 FREE large plug plants Petunia ‘Fantasia Mixed’
Petunia Surfina Classic (Trailing) Red 24 Jumbo Ready Plants | Ready Plants
Cotoneaster – these are great for birds too, I had a few small plants in my old garden and a fieldfare came and devoured all the fruit in one day. Was happy to see it!
cotoneaster Cotoneaster frigidus ‘Cornubia’
cotoneaster Cotoneaster dammeri
Buttercup – 4000 seeds can cost around £5:
buttercup seeds
Eranthis hyemalis – winter aconite
winter aconite – In The Green Eranthis hyemalis Buddleia is by far the best nectar plant and is first favourite with 18 species: Brimstone, Comma, Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Large Skipper, Large White, Meadow Brown, Painted Lady, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Copper, Small Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, Speckled Wood and Wall Brown.
Check ebay for more great wild flower and meadow plants & seeds:
wildflower
Like 2016 I sadly won’t be getting to do a lot of walking and birding away from my house, as I’m stuck at home most days I’ve been increasing the amount of wildlife friendly plants (I’d do this anyway even if I wasn’t housebound) in the garden and hoping that over time this will attract and help more birds.
I had a good garden bird list for 2016 – 2016 Edinburgh Garden Bird List – with the addition of the first Redstart I’ve ever seen, great to have a lifer in my garden! All up for 2016 there were 40 bird species I managed to identify. There were geese that flew over that I didn’t manage to ID and a few warblers in the garden very briefly that I also couldn’t ID, I will be training up on warblers to see if I can get them for 2017.
To attract birds to my garden, as well as gardening for wildlife when I can, I use RSPB food and feeders, find great products at their website, also great for gifts for nature lovers. I am a member of the RSPB and SOC as they do great work for UK and World birds.
2017 Garden Bird List, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK:
Blackbird – Jan 1st
Black-headed gull – Jan 1st
Blue Tit – Jan 1st
Bullfinch – Jan 4th
Carrion Crow – Jan 1st
Chaffinch – July 25th
Chiffchaff – August 13th
Coal Tit – Jan 1st
Collared Dove – Jan 13th
Common Buzzard – Feb 19th
Dunnock – Jan 1st
Fieldfare – Dec 29th
Goldcrest – Jan 7th
Goldfinch – February 19th
Great Tit – Jan 1st
Greenfinch – Jan 1st
Grey Heron – April 13th – FO
House Sparrow – Jan 1st
Jackdaw – Jan 3rd
Kestrel – May 31st – FO – think this is the first I’ve seen over my garden.
Long-tailed tit – October 14th
Magpie – Jan 2nd
Oystercatcher – July 13th – FO
Redwing – Jan 30th
Robin – Jan 1st
Rook – March 23rd
Siskin – April 28th
Song Thrush – Jan 4th
Sparrowhawk – Jan 7th
Starling – Jan 1st
Stock Dove – Jan 5th
Swift – June 18th – 3 days later than last year, I haven’t seen a single swallow this year.
Woodpigeon – Jan 1st
Wren – Jan 24th
12 Species as of January 1st 2017.
13 Species as of January 2nd 2017.
14 Species as of January 3rd 2017.
16 Species as of January 4th 2017.
17 Species as of January 5th 2017.
19 Species as of January 7th 2017.
20 Species as of January 13th 2017.
21 Species as of January 24th 2017.
22 Species as of January 30th 2017.
24 Species as of February 19th 2017.
25 Species as of March 23rd 2017.
26 Species as of April 13th 2017.
27 Species as of April 28th 2017.
28 Species as of May 31st 2017.
29 Species as of June 18th 2017.
30 Species as of July 13th 2017.
31 Species as of July 25th 2017.
32 Species as of August 13th 2017.
33 Species as of October 14th 2017.
34 Species as of December 29th 2017.
RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 30th of January 2017:
This year a few of the sparrows showed up, unlike in 2016: 2016 bird list and RSPB Big garden bird watch but of course more showed up just after I finished my hour. The highlight was the Redwing and the 17 Magpies. First Redwing of the year.
Blackbird x 4
Blue Tit x 2
Dunnock x 3
Great Tit x 2
Greenfinch x 1
House Sparrow x 3
Magpie x 17
Redwing x 1
Robin x 2
Woodpigeon x 2
Frost on the ground, count done between 10.20am and 11.20am.
I was in for an operation on 30th of December 2015 and I probably won’t get to leave my house much again during 2016 (except doctor appointments). My generalised dystonia is getting worse and causing many more injuries. This year I figure I’ll just have a garden bird list, birds in the garden & above and only update this one post.
To attract birds to my garden, as well as gardening for wildlife when I can, I use RSPB food and feeders, find great products at their website, also great for gifts for nature lovers.
2016 Garden Bird List, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK:
Blackbird
Blackcap
Black-headed gull – first 100% ID February 18th – was mobbing a sparrowhawk.
Blue Tit
Bullfinch
Carrion crow
Chaffinch – first sighting 28th of January – haven’t seen one in the garden since 2014.
Chiffchaff – 14th of August 2016.
Coal Tit
Collared Dove
Common Buzzard – FO March 7th.
Cormorant – FO June 19th.
Dunnock
Feral Pigeon
Fieldfare
Goldcrest
Goldfinch
Great Tit
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Greenfinch
Grey Heron – Flying over February 19th.
Herring Gull – managed ID April 29th, landed to get the food waste bin opened by council workers.
House Sparrow
Jackdaw
Lesser black-backed gull – managed ID April 29th, landed to get the food waste bin opened by council workers.
Long-tailed Tits
Magpie
Oystercatcher – FO February 23rd.
Redstart – 1 male – first I’ve ever seen – April 20th.
Redwing – 24th of December – what a great bird for Christmas Eve!
Robin
Rook – April 30th.
Siskin – 2 females on feeders, first time I’ve seen them in the garden for 3 years, March 21st.
Song Thrush
Sparrowhawk
Starling
Swallow – FO – 15th of May.
Swift – FO – 15th of June.
Woodpigeon
Wren
22 (2 little ducks) bird species by the 18th of January.
23 birds as 28/01/16
24 birds as 30/01/16
26 birds as 08/02/16
27 birds as 18/02/16
28 birds as 19/02/16
29 birds as 23/02/16 – there have also been flocks of geese flying over at night and during the day, very high, not sure what type.
30 birds as 07/03/16
31 birds as 21/03/16
32 birds as 20/04/16
34 birds as 29/04/16
35 birds as 30/04/16
36 birds as 15/05/16
37 birds as 15/06/16
38 birds as 19/06/16
39 birds as 14/08/16
40 birds as 24/12/16
RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 30th of January 2016:
Blackbird x 9
Blue Tit x 3
Bullfinch x 1
Carrion crow x 1
Coal Tit x 2
Dunnock x 1
Greenfinch x 6
Robin x 1
Song Thrush x 1
Sparrowhawk x1
Woodpigeon x 1
Snow on the ground and occasional showers of snow. 10.20am until 11.20am.
Odd that the usual flock of house sparrows wasn’t to be seen, there’s normally up to 30 most days, any time of day.
The Sparrowhawk was after the song thrush!
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