Ryde Social Heritage Group research the social history of the citizens of Ryde, Isle of Wight. Documenting their lives, businesses and burial transcriptions.
RYDE SOCIAL HERITAGE GROUP
Based at Ryde Cemetery Heritage & Learning Centre. Preserving, documenting and promoting the social history of Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
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Big Garden Birdwatch 2021

January 2021

As a group we usually take part in the “Big Garden Birdwatch”, but of course this year all is different.  I did go for a couple of lovely walks around the cemeteries with my friend and fellow member, over the “Bird Weekend”.

In Ryde Cemetery our hour began at 11am, Binstead Cemetery at 3.30pm and my friend started at 2.18pm, at Ashey.  We were very encouraged to see a great many birds in Ryde and Binstead, but not so many due to the rain on the Saturday in Ashey Cemetery.

There was a good amount of birds in the West Street, Ryde Cemetery, 68 in all and 18 different species. These included Robins, Crows, a Magpie, Pigeons and Common Gulls, Blue Tits, Sparrows, some daddy Blackbirds, but no mummy ones.  We also saw 5 Greenfinches, Great Tits, Long Tailed Tits, a couple of Wrens and two Dunnocks, as well as a male Black Cap, a Spotted Woodpecker, a Chaffinch and a Pied Wagtail.

In Binstead cemetery we saw a similar amount of birds; in fact we saw 66 birds, but not so many species, 13 in all.  In this cemetery we did see a Jackdaw, many more Pigeons, but still no Starlings.  To our joy we did see a Gold Crest as well as a lot more mummy and daddy Blackbirds and a Great Spotted Woodpecker too.

In Ashey, as it was such an atrocious day weather wise with torrential rain, the birds did not want to come out hardly at all. My friend saw 18 birds in all and 7 species.  This also included a Great Spotted Woodpecker and the odd Robin and Blue Tit.  Anyway it was a great weekend for the count for RSPB and we hope next year we will all be able to take part.
Barbara Hunt