Garden birding...

The one thing I miss living in a flat in the centre of Birmingham is access to a garden. So when I return back to beautiful Suffolk to see the family in the holidays, I love looking out at the feeders in the garden to see what decides to pay us a visit.

The garden is actually amazing when you look at all the species that have paid us a visit. Today saw the arrival of another new species which we haven't recorded before which really made me smile. We were watching a Song Thrush (a bird which itself was a delight to see) when a bird flew across the field of view showing a very clear white patch on the rump. To quote Rolf Harris, "Can you guess what it is yet?".

Yes, that's right, it was a stunning male Bullfinch which was followed by a second. So happy to see them in the garden!

This follows a text I received from my Dad just over a week ago informing me that there was a Waxwing in the garden - couldn't believe I was still in Birmingham!

Think that brings our garden list to 43, though I may be forgetting something. You can see the complete list below:

• Great Tit
• Blue Tit
• Coal Tit
• Long-Tailed Tit
• Song Thrush
• Redwing
• Fieldfare
• Blackbird
• Mistle Thrush
• Waxwing
• Chaffinch
• Goldfinch
• Greenfinch
• Bullfinch
• Lesser Redpoll
• Mealy (Common) Redpoll
• Brambling
• Wren
• Dunnock
• Robin
• Goldcrest
• Treecreeper
• Blackcap
• Chiffchaff
• Willow Warbler
• Whitethroat
• Green Woodpecker
• Collared Dove
• Woodpigeon
• Carrion Crow
• Rook
• Jay
• Jackdaw (over)
• House Martin
• Lesser Black-Backed Gull
• Herring Gull (over)
• Black Headed Gull
• Pheasant
• Starling
• Sparrowhawk
• Kestrel
• Swift (over)
• Swallow (over)

(edit) Knew I would forget one, and what an obvious one to forget.

• House Sparrow

(edit)(edit) And then of course there was this one.

• Grey Heron

That must be it now, so 45 species then.