** ARCHIVED NEWS ITEM **
The results are in from our RSPB BIG Garden Birdwatch surveys, which were carried out over three days (25th – 27th January 2020).
Did the Blue Tit, Chaffinch & Long-tailed Tit keep their top spot (for Vinters Valley Nature Reserve)?
Let’s find out……
Feeding Station 1
Last Years (2019) Top Species: Long-tailed Tit
2020 Results:
| Species | Number recorded in 2020 | 2020 vs 2019 |
 Blackbird | 3 | No Change |
 Blue Tit | 2 | -1 3 were recorded in 2019 |
 Goldcrest | 1 | New record for 2020 |
 Great Spotted Woodpecker | 1 | No Change |
 Great Tit | 3 | No Change |
 Long-tailed Tit | 8 | +4 from 2019 |
 Magpie | 1 | No Change |
 Robin | 1 | +2 from 2019 |
Differences this year were sadly no Chaffinch, Jay, Nuthatch or Wood Pigeon were recorded. For the first time a Goldcrest was recorded.
The top species at this feeding station was: Long-tailed Tit (keeping its number one spot)
The Lodge Bird Feeding Station
Last year (2019) we had to close this feeding station, and so no survey was carried out during the 2019 BIG Garden Bird Watch. Below is the results for this year (2020):
| Species | Number recorded in 2020 |
| Blackbird | 3 |
| Blue Tit | 4 |
 Chaffinch | 4 |
 Coal Tit | 1 |
 Dunnock | 3 |
| Great Tit | 2 |
| Long-tailed Tit | 8 |
 Nuthatch | 2 |
| Robin | 2 |
 Wren | 1 |
At this station six Grey Squirrel were recorded and also a Wood Mouse.
In 2018 the top species was the Chaffinch. This year the Long-tailed Tit took the top spot!
Netley Meadow Feeding Station
Last Years (2019) Top Species: Blue Tit
2020 Results:
| Species | Number recorded in 2020 | 2020 vs 2019 |
| Blackbird | 1 | -2 3 were recorded in 2019 |
| Blue Tit | 4 | –2 6 were recorded in 2019 |
| Coal Tit | 1 | No Change |
| Dunnock | 1 | No Change |
| Great Tit | 2 | -2 4 were recorded in 2019 |
| Long-tailed Tit | 2 | -1 3 were recorded in 2019 |
| Robin | 2 | +1 from 2019 |
The top species at this feeding station was Blue Tit (keeping its number one spot)
Differences this year were sadly no Chaffinch, Nuthatch or Wren were recorded.
Whilst carrying out the surveys it was noticed some species were spending more time feeding on Fats and Seeds than Peanuts. Also the weather, over the three days was different and may count towards the survey results.
The results have been submitted to the RSPB and entered into the reserves database.
We will be taking part again in 2021!
