Our resident wildlife expert and Assistant Curator of Natural Sciences, Stuart Ogilvy, has been helping residents spot more than the usual feathered friends in Museum Gardens.

Despite the weather being grey, drizzly and not particularly inspiring the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch event still went ahead in the museum Gardens. Alison Pringle (Head Gardener), Sarah King (Curator of Natural Sciences) and I were all on hand to assist with three walks round the gardens. A total of 18 species were spotted. A good effort given the conditions. Highlights were Goldcrests and a Coal Tit. The Coal Tits are a particularly rare and pleasing visitor to the gardens.

It was great to see York Residents out to see wildlife as part of a weekend of culture and history for York Residents Festival. Many people who had been visiting the Yorkshire Museum also braved the weather!

Altogether, over a hundred people visited the BGBW table to enquire about the event and to view the figures for birds seen. It seems nearly everybody has a love of, and an interest in, our feathered friends. Unfortunately, the elegant nuthatches which have been a regular feature in the gardens recently did not make an appearance  but have been seen since.

The list of birds spotted on our walk will be submitted to the RSPB to add to the totals! It’s great to be able to have so much fun learning and add to real science at the same time.

• Goldfinch  –  5
• Chaffinch  –  2
• Blue Tit  –  3
• Woodpigeon  –  7
• Magpie  –  1
• Long-tailed Tit  –  2
• Great Tit  –  2
• Carrion Crow  –  1
• Blackbird  –  10
• Feral Pigeon  –  18
• Goldcrest  –  2
• Robin  –  1
• Dunnock  –  1
• Greenfinch  – 2
• Coal Tit  –  1
• Wren  –  1

(This was from the 12:00 walk)

It was also great to see from Twitter, that other York residents had been busy spotting!