Very occasionally, your garden might entertain a rare guest. It might be a cage bird that has fled, like a Budgerigar or Canary; however, these are not likely to survive the British climate for an extremely long period of time. Tougher species might form a booming feral population, just in case certain species, such as the ring net Parakeet, turn out to be an agricultural nuisance.

Scarcer guests might arrive in frequently too. If you spot a rare bird in your garden, contact the RSPB or the Bird Information Service; they will be able to tell you if it’s as scare as the Yellow-rumped Warbler which dropped in on a Devon bird table one winter. This was the first time that this North American bird was ever spotted in Europe.

The Ring-necked Parakeet’s origin is Asia, and they were freed by cage bird sellers in the 1960’s and 1970’s. From that time they have created flourishing populations in various locations of southeast England, and are regular guests to residential gardens. They are particularly eager on fruit trees in these gardens. Their bright green feathers, elongated tail, and distinguishing screaming call are instantly recognisable.

Each autumn, scarce nomads from Siberia appear in tiny numbers on the eastern coast, hundreds and hundreds of miles away from their planned journeys end point. The majority die very early, and a small number travel centrally, where they occasionally arrive in gardens. Moderate temperatures might let birds similar to this Yellow-browed Warbler to continue to exist in the winter, particularly in the more sheltered areas of southwest England.

Hoopoes are scarce although they frequently visit the British Isles, and might be spotted on garden lawns infrequently, particularly in southern England. They are roughly the size of a Mistle Thrush, although they have a bright pinkish feather, black and white wings and a visible crest. Be careful of not confusing it with the Jay, which could look very pink when spotted on the grounds, however, its beak is a lot shorter and it does not have a crest.