The Garden in June

June is seen as a quiet time for birding (I gather) as all of the spring migrants have arrived and the autumn migrants have yet to leave. The adult birds' colours are fading as the summer progresses, as you can see on this Great Tit:













However some birds retain strong colours even at this time of year, as this Goldfinch shows:




















More interesting for me is the proliferation of young birds in the garden, including this young Goldfinch (note the absence of facial markings):





















The greediest bird on the feeders is without doubt the Greenfinch:















So far in the garden (in six weeks) we have counted 20 species including:

4 Dunnock, including 1 youngster
20+ House Sparrows, of which 10 young birds
2 Swifts flew low - they count!
2 Blue Tits (nesting 2 gardens away)
3 Great Tits, including one youngster
3 Goldfinch, again one youngster
6 Greenfinch
4 Wood Pigeons
4 Collared Dovers
3 Carrion Crows
1 lone male Reed Bunting
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Chaffinch male
4 Robins including 2 youngsters, we think from 2 clutches
30+ starlings, about half are youngsters
4 Magpies
6 Blackbirds
1 Kestrel
1 Bullfinch
1 Wren
1 Feral Pigeon
2 Sand Martins (low passage again)
and a Song Thrush.

We have heard a cuckoo in the garden but scared it off trying to sight it, and also have a nesting pair of Whitethroats in the hedge beyond our garden. There was a green warbler briefly on the fence but the binoculars were outside so I didn't get an ID, probably a Willow Warbler but I can't count it... :(

Last snap today is of a male House Sparrow, he's just filling up before going back into the nest box we put up, to feed the family :)