First I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year and hope 2024 is a good Birding year. I hope you had a lovely Christmas, I certainly did and can’t believe it’s over for another year.
At the beginning of December we had a bit of snow so I thought it was the perfect time to put up Frosty The Christmas Feeder Snowman. He has been a hit with the birds but they never ever empty him it’s only been his head they’ve emptied but after I put the feeder up I watched a Robin feed out of him then fly to a plant pot.
A few days later I opened the curtains to find The Mistle Thrush on my neighbours roof before it flew down to the front hedge as usual enjoying the berries. I think the berries have all finished now because I haven’t seen the bird since.
I had my last Birding outing of the year at Cammo Estate Nature Reserve my local patch and I had a great morning the highlight for me was seeing my first ever Jay which was very exciting and surprising that I’ve been Birding for 22 years and never seen one in Edinburgh, also saw the Nuthatch again sadly didn’t get a picture same with the Jay but had a great morning. Other birds I saw were Blue Tits and Bullfinches.
On the 21st it was National Robin Day and I did my National Robin Day Birdwatch which I did 3 years ago. It’s very similar to The Big Garden Birdwatch you look at the birds in the garden but you hope a Robin turns up and a few did turn up which I was pleased about. My Birdwatch started off slowly because it was a very windy day but the birds did turn up and within a hour I saw 7 different species.
On Hogmanay I spotted my last bird of 2023 just before it got dark and that bird was a Crow and on New Year’s Day my first bird of 2024 was a Woodpigeon. I’m looking forward to what 2024 holds and looking forward to my Birding in January.
The Edinburgh Birdwatcher 