What do your garden birds enjoy eating?

[Accy cyclist]

But I dont want pigeons and gulls in my garden

I do! In yours i mean.

 

[Archie_tect]

We have a fantastic family group of jackdaws [there's about 16 of them] who scour the gardens in a systematic and methodical way.

There are two that scout ahead, while the rest forage in one garden while 2 keep watch on the house roofs for danger, then they all move on to the next garden and then the next up the street. They discovered our hanging containers with fat balls in last year- one hacks away at them until they shatter and fall to the ground while the rest eat the shards on the ground. They only come every other day so there's plenty left in the containers and on the ground for the little birds and other ground feeders like blackbirds.

 

[BoldonLad]

Yes, the problem is (as I see it) you want to feed them but you dont want everything gone in a day.
We used to get flocks of Goldfinches but the odd one now if we are lucky. TBH I think the last bag of niger seed was poor. Maybe I should try again.

That is interesting.

Same here. We used to get flocks of 20-30 Goldfinches, arriving to devour the Niger Seed, but, this year, we have had only the odd solitary Goldfinch, and, the Niger seed feeders have been virtually untouched.

The number of other finches (Yellow, Green, and Chaffinch) have not changed, nor has the number and variety, of Tits (blue, coal, great). We did have a couple of Bullfinches, but, at least one of them has fallen foul of neighbourhood cats.

I have pondered various reasons for this, from, as you say, duff Niger seed, to possible disruption of their nearby habitat, by major roadworks.

 

[BoldonLad]

We used to "baby sit" one of our grandsons, one day per week.

Whenever possible, I used to get him outside, and away from screens of various types.

I had noticed that we had a family of voles (well, I think they were voles, I am no expert) living at the base of a hedge, in the garden.

One day, I took the grandson, into the garden, to watch the voles running about and feeding at the base of the hedge.

As we watched, a Magpie swooped down, and, promptly devoured one of the voles.

Nature can be cruel

 

[mudsticks]

Do any of you who live near the seaside feed the gulls? if so you must remember to give them proper seagull food,not stuff which is bad for them! Their staple diet is choc ices,pies,chips,butties of all kinds,ice cream cones,crisps, toffee apples etc. Please don't give them anything that's bad for them!

I try not to feed them my chips, but sometimes they have other ideas.

You will often see them swooping down and making off with folks unprotected ice creams

There are signs up everywhere saying

'Please don't feed the gulls, it's bad for them'

but literacy amongst the seabird population appears to be at an all time low, and the healthy eating message is lost on these cheeky blighters.

 

[mudsticks]

We have a fantastic family group of jackdaws [there's about 16 of them] who scour the gardens in a systematic and methodical way.

There are two that scout ahead, while the rest forage in one garden while 2 keep watch on the house roofs for danger, then they all move on to the next garden and then the next up the street. They discovered our hanging containers with fat balls in last year- one hacks away at them until they shatter and fall to the ground while the rest eat the shards on the ground. They only come every other day so there's plenty left in the containers and on the ground for the little birds and other ground feeders like blackbirds.

I have a bunch of jackdaws that will miraculously appear whenever I start the tractor.
If I'm cultivating they'll follow me, and then swap the ends of work, in a fly past .

Then I might get the odd embaressed looking buzzard coming to join them, to fossick for worms - almost like they're lowering themselves to be seen in such boisterous company.
They're a bit ungainly moving across lumpy ground cos they walk rather than hop, like the corvids.

I had a mini wildlife drama, where a vole was running ahead of the front wheels, only to be 'saved' by a kestrel snatching it up from a couple of yards in front of me.

 

[Archie_tect]

I have a bunch of jackdaws that will miraculously appear whenever I start the tractor.
If I'm cultivating they'll follow me, and then swap the ends of work, in a fly past .

Then I might get the odd embaressed looking buzzard coming to join them, to fossick for worms - almost like they're lowering themselves to be seen in such boisterous company.

'Our' [I feel like they've adopted us now] group have a magpie in tow who clearly thinks he's one of them which they tolerate in a good natured way.

 

[Levo-Lon]

That is interesting.

Same here. We used to get flocks of 20-30 Goldfinches, arriving to devour the Niger Seed, but, this year, we have had only the odd solitary Goldfinch, and, the Niger seed feeders have been virtually untouched.

The number of other finches (Yellow, Green, and Chaffinch) have not changed, nor has the number and variety, of Tits (blue, coal, great). We did have a couple of Bullfinches, but, at least one of them has fallen foul of neighbourhood cats.

I have pondered various reasons for this, from, as you say, duff Niger seed, to possible disruption of their nearby habitat, by major roadworks.

Same here, goldfinch numbers are low in my garden this yr.
That said they are chomping on sunflower hearts.

Niger seed hasn't been touched

 

[mudsticks]

Same here, goldfinch numbers are low in my garden this yr.
That said they are chomping on sunflower hearts.

Niger seed hasn't been touched

Maybe I've lured them all down to my neck of the woods with my abundance of sunflowers.. Words got round.

Sadly I think the numbers drop is more likely down to habitat loss, and lack of natural foreageable foods

 

[Levo-Lon]

Maybe I've lured them all down to my neck of the woods with my abundance of sunflowers.. Words got round.

Sadly I think the numbers drop is more likely down to habitat loss, and lack of natural foreageable foods

It's noticeable, but it seems to fluctuate..
I can have masses of long tailed tits then nothing..

However one thing that is sadly very noticeable is huge numbers of Magpies..

I suspect these are thinning out small bird numbers.

 

[Dave7]

Do any of you who live near the seaside feed the gulls? if so you must remember to give them proper seagull food,not stuff which is bad for them! Their staple diet is choc ices,pies,chips,butties of all kinds,ice cream cones,crisps, toffee apples etc. Please don't give them anything that's bad for them!

I recall my grandson when aged about 8. Took the first lick of his ice cream and woosh......it was gone. The look on his face was priceless (thats the grandsons face).
I also saw a group of tourists in Cornwall, maybe 10 of them. All stood in a group eating pasties when a gull dived into them, stole a full pasty and was off. They are fearless.

 

[Dave7]

I read an article saying house sparrow numbers are declining. No, they are not. They are all in our garden

 

[presta]

Judging by the leftovers on my lawn, something around these parts enjoys eating pidgeons, but I'm not sure whether it's a hawk or a cat.

 

[Dave7]

Judging by the leftovers on my lawn, something around these parts enjoys eating pidgeons, but I'm not sure whether it's a hawk or a cat.

Something had some of next doors hens last night......feathers everywhere.
We assume its a fox as we do sometimes see them.
I wish them no illwill but I hope its one of those bl**dy cockerels.

 

[raleighnut]

I read an article saying house sparrow numbers are declining. No, they are not. They are all in our garden

Apart from the 40-50 that live in the Ivy up the side of our house,