Birds I Met in March

 

We're into the seventh year of Birdy Round Ups, and compared to when I first started these posts, it would seem birding as a hobby in general has greatly increased in popularity. While it always feels a little strange when something I have loved for a long time becomes a 'trend', it's absolutely great that people are noticing and appreciating our beautiful wildlife more and more. They need as much help as they can get, and when people are more aware of who we share the planet with, it raises the chances of them getting that help.

As someone who has been a birder for around 22 years now, I vouch for the joy and peace that our bird kingdom brings. For what we get from them, we must give back. Feed the birds. Provide fresh water sources all year round (keep them topped up in Summer and the ice broken in Winter). Plant native trees, bushes, flowers - look into which are great food sources, shelter, etc. Resist the urge to sanitise your outdoor spaces (for example, leave the leaves, don't over-prune, try to keep things as wild as possible with as little concrete and such as possible). Give them space. Stop pets and children from chasing or scaring them, even more so in Winter when they need to conserve energy and taking flight takes a lot of their energy! Most importantly, just be kind. All species, from gulls and pigeons to birds of prey and 'game birds' like pheasants, are all equal and deserve to live a safe, healthy life.

Anyway! Here are all the beautiful birds I met in March.

2nd March 
Wood Pigeon

4th March
Wood Pigeon
Herring Gull

5th March
Magpie
Rock Dove
Wood Pigeon

6th March
Wood Pigeon

7th March
Rock Dove

9th March
Graylag x Canada Goose (hybrid)
Gadwall
Siskin
Pheasant
Reed Bunting
Bull Finch
Robin
Stock Dove
Mallard
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Mute Swan
Tufted Duck

11th March
Wood Pigeon

12th March
Rock Dove

18th March
Wood Pigeon

19th March
Starling

21st March
Skylark
Meadow Pipit
Rock Dove
Herring Gull
Eider Duck
Wood Pigeon
Carrion Crow

22nd March
Black Headed Gull
Carrion Crow
Treecreeper
Goldcrest
Moor Hen
Coot
Little Grebe
Tufted Duck
Wood Pigeon
Rook
Greenfinch
Wood Pigeon

28th March
Jackdaw
Sparrowhawk

30th March
Wood Pigeon

---

Annual Total
Blackbird
Black-Headed Gull
Blue Tit
Bullfinch
Canada Goose
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Coal Tit
Coot
Cormorant

Dunnock
Eider
Fulmar
Gadwall
Goldcrest
Goldfinch
Great Black-Backed Gull
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Great Tit
Greenfinch

Grey Heron
Grey Wagtail
Herring Gull
House Sparrow
Jackdaw
Kestrel
Little Grebe
Long-Tailed Tit
Magpie
Mallard

Meadow Pipit
Moorhen
Mute Swan
Pheasant
Pied Wagtail
Pink-Footed Goose
Reed Bunting
Robin
Rock Dove
Rook

Shelduck
Siskin
Skylark
Sparrowhawk
Starling
Stock Dove
Treecreeper 
Tufted Duck
Wood Pigeon

[& Greylag x Canada Goose Hybrid]

- 50

Monthly Totals
January - 28 birds
February - 8 birds 
March - 14 birds

I cannot believe that considering everything going on, my mobility, not leaving the house more than thrice, I've managed to hit 50 species in the first quarter of the year! Looking back to the last couple of years at the end of March I was sitting at 46 species in 2025, 59 in 2024, 34 in 2023 and 24 in 2022, 17 in 2021 and 20 in 2020, so I'm doing pretty well. It's funny looking back over the years and seeing a mere 17 in 3 months when I feel like 50 is such a small number. But then that is obviously me comparing myself to the retired blokes with 10 grand cameras who can travel all over the place I suppose...

Here's to many more birdies in the next quarter!