Where have all our garden birds gone?

[BR traction instructor]

Now that Dawn spends many hours working from home she appreciates any wildlife that can be seen through the office window more. At some point there will be takers for the sunflower hearts in the feeder and the new birdbath that I erected for her yesterday…

 

BeRTIe

[Phil Bullock]

Here’s why fresh water is so important in this hot weather…. A family of long tails have joined the great and blue tits in Churchdown…. 
 

Video here - Long tails and brethren

 

Wonderful! Just needs the green and gold finches around at the same time.

[melmerby]

Birds can be fussy eaters.

In the past I have put out fat balls and they hardly get any attention, usually turning black in the feeder after a while, because of no takers and needing to be dumped.

This year, using a different brand from a local petstore, they are getting eaten about one every half a day. I bought a tub of 50 and they have already gone through ¾ of them.🙂

[Phil Bullock]

4 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Birds can be fussy eaters.

In the past I have put out fat balls and they hardly get any attention, usually turning black in the feeder after a while, because of no takers and needing to be dumped.

This year, using a different brand from a local petstore, they are getting eaten about one every half a day. I bought a tub of 50 and they have already gone through ¾ of them.🙂

The fat blocks I put out have never been popular! Can I ask which ones your birds like? 

[03060]

1 hour ago, Phil Bullock said:

The fat blocks I put out have never been popular! Can I ask which ones your birds like? 

 

I agree, I gave up with the larger rectangular ones and only put out an odd fat ball (usually in winter) when the rain has just about disintergrated the old ones, I had slightly more success with the tubular ones that fit inside the log effect holders but only if I keep cutting the front.

 

I do find that the half coconut style ones attract a bit of attention. A lot depends on what's around, I've only seen one early brood of Starlings this year as opposed to 3 or 4 last year and haven't seen many Blue Tits around me compared with last year. I haven't seen any Coal Tits in my garden for a couple of years when I was getting at least 3 regulars. I'm just trying out a couple of different seed packets to see if it's the reason, although the Sparrows love my current type from B&M (pink topped packets) even if they do tthrow a lot onto the floor !

 

I'll be interested in what others use and find.

 

Regards,

Ian.

[BR traction instructor]

The Wilko coconut halves/fat feeders are just ignored in our garden whereas those from Home Bargains get demolished instantly.

 

BeRTIe

[melmerby]

3 hours ago, Phil Bullock said:

The fat blocks I put out have never been popular! Can I ask which ones your birds like? 

The current ones are "Walter Harrison's Fat Balls" bought from Just For Pets which is a mainly Midlands based chain (owned by Pedigree Petfoods, no less.)

(I had a small pack from Pets at Home but they were much more expensive but still went quickly.

The Peanuts came as a bulk buy from Pets at Home, which is a large national chain

 

The black sunflower seeds came from a pet stall in Birmingham's Rag Market (sold by the kg):

https://goo.gl/maps/T3Fbitev1nbkqFkaA

 

I've also got some sunflower hearts and have noticed that some birds prefer to de-husk the sunflower seeds, whilst other are happy with just the hearts!

Edited July 13, 2022 by melmerby

[Phil Bullock]

2 hours ago, 03060 said:

 

I agree, I gave up with the larger rectangular ones and only put out an odd fat ball (usually in winter) when the rain has just about disintergrated the old ones, I had slightly more success with the tubular ones that fit inside the log effect holders but only if I keep cutting the front.

 

I do find that the half coconut style ones attract a bit of attention. A lot depends on what's around, I've only seen one early brood of Starlings this year as opposed to 3 or 4 last year and haven't seen many Blue Tits around me compared with last year. I haven't seen any Coal Tits in my garden for a couple of years when I was getting at least 3 regulars. I'm just trying out a couple of different seed packets to see if it's the reason, although the Sparrows love my current type from B&M (pink topped packets) even if they do tthrow a lot onto the floor !

 

I'll be interested in what others use and find.

 

Regards,

Ian.

Ah that’s a shame your local population not doing well Ian. Seems like around here they have had a good year…. Currently have juvenile sparrows, dunnocks, starlings and  tits of 4 varieties. Plus gold and greenfinches in addition to the big uns and the usual blackbirds robins and wrens. So pretty happy…

 

Tits and finches prefer the sunflower hearts, sparrows and dunnocks the mixed seed. Starlings and jackdaws occasionally attack the fat block and the long tails were having a go at it too today….

 

 

[steve1]

Was treated to two aerial displays earlier today.

 

A group Red Kites doing circles and floats and later, a bunch of Swifts  performing screaming dives.

 

Very pleasant to watch.

 

steve

[PhilJ W]

I heard a bird call this morning the urgency of which sounded like a warning call. It was a loud and strident chirping that went on for a couple of minutes. There are dozens of juvenile smaller birds around here at the moment, and plenty of predators, foxes, sparrowhawks, magpies and gulls. I've no idea what bird was making the call but it was a chirp-chirp-chirp sound.

[tigerburnie]

On 13/07/2022 at 19:25, PhilJ W said:

I heard a bird call this morning the urgency of which sounded like a warning call. It was a loud and strident chirping that went on for a couple of minutes. There are dozens of juvenile smaller birds around here at the moment, and plenty of predators, foxes, sparrowhawks, magpies and gulls. I've no idea what bird was making the call but it was a chirp-chirp-chirp sound.

There's a lot of young birds coming out of nests this time of year and it's usually the neighbour hood cats that kill most of them sadly.

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, tigerburnie said:

There's a lot of young birds coming out of nests this time of year and it's usually the neighbour hood cats that kill most of them sadly.

Crows, Gulls and the inevitable Buzzard are the main culprits around here.

[03060]

On 13/07/2022 at 16:04, 03060 said:

I do find that the half coconut style ones attract a bit of attention. A lot depends on what's around, I've only seen one early brood of Starlings this year as opposed to 3 or 4 last year

 

Since having written this I've noticed that my next door neighbours have (rather badly) cemented up a couple of spots on their gable end where the Starlings were getting in to nest .... which accounts for why I haven't seen any more broods flocking to my mealworm dish, although whilst looking at their roof I did notice a couple of adults with a couple of juveniles up on top so at least they are managing to nest somewhere.

With the poor workmanship of the cementing .... I reckon that the Starlings will be moving back in next year !! 😆

[BR traction instructor]

The hot dry weather lately suggested that it might be worth trying the wildlife camera again overnight by the small pond. I suppose that a shot of a seagull’s backside at least shows that it works…

 

BeRTIe

 

Edited July 17, 2022 by BR traction instructor

[monkeysarefun]

This juvenile Magpie (Australian - not a Corvid!) often turns up and hangs out  when I'm sitting outside, he seems to be learning his voice and likes to try it out on me. The lame whistling in response is my attempt to copy him, he seems to encourage me at first but in the end just decides I'm a dead loss.

 

I once read a comment on a youtube Magpie clip that reckoned that the magpie singing had been dubbed in and was actually R2D2.

 

 

[Downendian]

We were sat in my daughters large back garden yesterday evening for a BBQ. It backs onto a 7-8 acre lake, unfortunately the banks are quite overgrown and fishing opportunities not possible. However we were enchanted by a pair of kingfishers active in the overhanging branches at the bottom of her garden, she’d never seen a kingfisher before. As she is an excellent photographer she’s promised me some good action shots. I was amazed at how many were there had never seen one before, I instantly recognised their calls, based on my fishing expeditions and multiple sightings.

 

[Nick C]

On 15/07/2022 at 14:34, tigerburnie said:

There's a lot of young birds coming out of nests this time of year and it's usually the neighbour hood cats that kill most of them sadly.

Not according to the RSPB, who are, after all, the experts on the subject: RSPB

 

Quote

 There is evidence that cats tend to take weak or sickly birds. ... It is likely that most of the birds killed by cats would have died anyway from other causes before the next breeding season, so cats are unlikely to have a major impact on populations

 

[boxbrownie]

I was going to mention, our neighbours cat is a real mouser, I have watched him just sitting in the long grass dead still and than a huge pounce in the air and into the grass to come up with a mouth full of mouse……then I have seen him just gobble the whole mouse down in one go, never seen a cat do that before……play with them and tease them, but he does it for food.

 

Which I suppose is how it should be.

 

He is sh1t scared of Phil the pheasant and of course the Gulls! 😱

[Downendian]

Well our cat has a bell on her collar, she’s not returned with one single bird. However her predecessor did, and I was horrified when he returned with a swift (!), song thrush and robin within a few months, but that was 20 years ago now. A collar bell sorted that issue out.

However yesterday a good news/bad news story. I was up at 630am getting my standard cappuccino ready, and a large bird flew away from our back lawn, at a very rapid rate of knots. This was what was left behind, goldfinch feathers sadly. So it appears we still have a sparrow hawk hunting here in Bristol, they were common in Devon, but I’ve not seen one here for at least a decade.

Neil

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, Downendian said:

Well our cat has a bell on her collar, she’s not returned with one single bird. However her predecessor did, and I was horrified when he returned with a swift (!), song thrush and robin within a few months, but that was 20 years ago now. A collar bell sorted that issue out.

However yesterday a good news/bad news story. I was up at 630am getting my standard cappuccino ready, and a large bird flew away from our back lawn, at a very rapid rate of knots. This was what was left behind, goldfinch feathers sadly. So it appears we still have a sparrow hawk hunting here in Bristol, they were common in Devon, but I’ve not seen one here for at least a decade.

Neil

Mother nature, red in tooth and claw. If you are a wildlife enthusiast you come to accept that some wildlife kills other wildlife in order to survive. 

[Downendian]

Indeed I do - had feathers on our lawn last month too- had assumed a cat but it’s a local sparrow hawk. They’re wonderful looking birds and glad that we have them locally. 

[hmrspaul]

Some strange changes here, in the urban area close to York station. We have always had many many Wood pigeons and a few Collared doves but Feral Pigeons have been rare - very much a central York bird. But a few weeks ago one very noticeable one started feeding in the garden (has a white back) Now more of its friends have arrived and upto 5 are regularly feeding in the backgarden. 

 

And mid morning when walking along the Cinder Lane towards the bridge over the "avoider" was a Buzzard flying around. On the ground was a bird (Pigeon probably) torn apart - could have been a car park kill, but I don't think so. Photos not good enough to put on here, but certainly to identify clearly. I've seen Buzzard within York outer ring road before, but never so close to the station and city center. The population of Buzzards has soared in England in recent years - from the BTO website

 

 

Paul

[melmerby]

11 hours ago, Downendian said:

a large bird flew away from our back lawn, at a very rapid rate of knots. This was what was left behind, goldfinch feathers sadly. So it appears we still have a sparrow hawk hunting here in Bristol

I wouldn't call Sparrowhawks large,

Often slightly smaller than a feral pigeon.

Here's one in our garden with a juvenile Starling, which escaped:

 

 

 

 

Ours tend often take the much larger Wood Pigeon.

[monkeysarefun]

Cockatoos  are noisy birds. Times like this its like a bunch of teens has suddenly arrived on your back deck yelling and screaming and eating everything in sight before all  taking off and leaving the place quiet again.

 

Edited August 6, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[03060]

10 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Cockatoos  are noisy birds. Times like this its like a bunch of teens has suddenly arrived on your back deck yelling and screaming and eating everything in sight before all  taking off and leaving the place quiet again.

 

 

Just had a similar issue with a family of Starlings, who decided to 'protest' and wreck the Sparrows seed station at the front of the house just because I hadn't yet provided their Mealworm breakfast in the side garden feeder dish ! The poor Sparrows are still sat back and being wary now 10 mins after I broke up the 'teenage riot.' 😆