Birds and garden visitors...

[rich p]

Even though we have space, we use bird feeder poles...

Bloody foreigners, coming over here stealing our women, taking our jobs, feeding our birds.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I saw a woodie on the ground this morning, the closest I have ever seen one. It was one of the green ones with a red head - is that a green woodpecker or something like that? It stood out very well against the snow, it can't have been more than 6 or 7 feet away.

Yes, that's a green woodpecker. They do quite a lot of ground feeding so they're probably having a hard time of it with the ground being frozen.

There's a pied wagtail around here that seems to have completely conquered its fear of people - it's made itself at home in Deptford market in the High Street. I last saw it standing outside the pound shop on market day like he was the proud shopkeeper.

 

[Aperitif]

Got any photographs of birds in your garden Rich?

 

[pubrunner]

15 long tailed tits on a fat ball feeder all at one time this week.

That's a lot, the most we've seen is only 3.

Out of interest, regarding fat balls (no smutty remarks please ), I've noticed that they vary considerably in price. In the local thrift shop they are 49p for 6; in the local pet shop they are £1.30 for 6.

The pet store owner tells me that the cheaper fat balls are 'bulked out' with sawdust, does anyone know if that is true ?

 

[rich p]

Got any photographs of birds in your garden Rich?

Just for you Ape (and snorri) and at risk of being Greedo-ed

Mods and womenfolk of this parish - 'teef made me do it!!!

 

[mr Mag00]

plenty of fieldfares eating neighbours windfall, never seen a waxwing, im not a great birder but will keep an eye out. all the usual suspects though.

 

[Aperitif]

Among the more exotic species, Rich, I notice that you have something common in your garden (apart from the manky water butt) I fear this photo was taken a bit too early to glimpse a pear...although I would imagine your plums were taking shape nicely.

Good work keeping the birds well nourished, everyone!

 

[summerdays]

In the last few days a fieldfare has appeared in the garden, am wondering if it is the same one that visited last year. It's a feisty bugger! It keeps chasing the blackbirds away, but suppose it must be hungry after flying all the way from Scandiwegian parts.

Have also seen a lesser spotted woodpecker dangling off the fat peckers.

Am just pondering the blurb on bird seed that says "attract species x by putting y in the garden". If you've never, ever had a particular variety of bird in your garden is it really likely they're going to spot whatever it is you've put out, and start visiting?

I saw loads of goldfinches feeding on the niger seed feeder at Westonbirt early this year ... but no-one seems to have told them about the new place in town for a good meal here. So no I'm not sure it does work.

We have several cats around the neighbour hood, but I still feed the birds ... I've got about 4 nut feeders, 4 fat things, 3 sunflower hearts, and 2 feeders with seed in it ... that's their favourite one but I've found it difficult finding feeders that it doesn't just run out of. I do have one feeder on the ground for the black bird - since they prefer ground feeding. I've only ever seen one bird caught by next door's cat and that was in summertime ... and I ran out shouting so she dropped the bird and it flew off.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

We have niger feed up and one (yes one) regular goldfinch visitor.
I have seen two on it at the same time though. There are 6 perches!

For the interesting.... we had a dead bird in the garden just under 3 weeks ago (sparrow). A bit odd as we don't have cats and the garden is pretty fenced off and we'd never seen a cat (or anything else aside from birds) in the garden - and something had eaten most of it. We do have red kites about, but I didn't think they normally caught live birds....

Then, two weeks back, sadly we discovered a dead merlin (?) - nothing noticeably wrong with it, so I presume it made another dash for the birdfeeder and flew into something in its excitement (or perhaps just died of cold - but there was a feather in one talon...).

This is in our VERY SMALL rear garden

 

[guitarpete247]

Went to the GF's son's yesterday and as we drove up the farm track a curlew took off. When we parked up we went to see where it had gone. It was in a bit of waste land at the side of his neighbours house and flew off around us into nearby fields. Cannot see what it could be feeding on as everything is frozen solid. Water trough for cows has at least 4" of ice on it (cows now inside).

It could be getting something from the opened sillage clamp I suppose as there are quite a few other birds hanging around it .

 

[mr Mag00]

i went to see the great bustards on salisbury plain friday that was quite interesting but none in my garden!! althiough have been recorded in dorset

 

[biggs682]

just had a flock ie 6 long tailed tits flown in stopped for grub then flew off again

 

[Yellow Fang]

Not in the garden, but I'm sure I saw a jay a week or so ago.

 

[Kirstie]

We had a long tailed tit on our fat balls today (so to speak)

 

[XmisterIS]

I have a fox who uses my garden as a thoroughfare. I open the window sometimes and talk to him/her - he/she just stands there and looks at me like a hooligan! Not even remotely scared.