Easy to spot birds of a feather

Re: your articles on wild birds (Birdwatching from the comfort of home, Connexion Online, May 18), we have seen many different species at our feeder this year. We moved to the countryside a couple of years ago and noticed many more than in the more built up area where we used to live.

Hawfinches; blue, coal, great and long-tailed tits; siskins; brambling; greenfinches; chaffinches; goldfinch; hoopoes; sparrowhawk; red kite; buzzards; kestrels; jays; several types of woodpecker. Plus all the ‘normal’ blackbirds, robins, and magpies.

It has been great to sit and watch all the birds coming and going.

The number of birds has now gone down as nesting season arrives and more ‘natural’ food becomes available, but we still get a lot tits feeding and occasional finches.

David Hill, Haute Garonne

During the winter we had regular – three times a day – visits from the following birds: Great tits, blue tits, greenfinches, goldfinches, hawfinches (the very first time here), bramblings and the in-and-out flights of the starlings. The occasional cirl bunting could also be seen. The crows have ousted the magpies.

Now it’s spring we have seen the arrival of hoopoes, swallows, a pair of blackbirds, a couple of pied wagtails and still the starlings arrive.

There are noticeably fewer sparrows in the hedgerows. But our black redstarts are always here, though slightly reduced in number. And we have our little owl in the barn. There’s always a lot going on...

Janina Chapman, Charente