Garden birds

[Scylax]

When are the birds going to come back to my garden ? Heaven knows, I put out enough food for them. I used to have about 40 resident sparrows. Come back, all is forgiven.

[LoftyLottie]

Have you got plenty of bird friendly plants, shrubs, trees so that birds can also find natural food and have plenty of roosting, nesting, hiding areas. Once you have established a bird friendly garden they stay, as do their families for generations. Putting down bird food is fine, but it doesn't mean they will stay with you.

Has a neighbour aquired a hungry feline perhaps or have you a resident sparrowhawk?

[gingejbee]

We have this problem and it's caused by magpies moving in - not only are they noisy but they frighten off all the smaller birds.

[paddywak]

Also at the moment there's still plenty of food to be found in the wild, don't worry they'll be back when things start getting a harder

[TTG]

Don't forget a bowl of water...even in Winter. This can be hard to come by in a dry spell. As it's been mentioned, there is a mild spell at the moment and plenty of food but once the real cold weather starts, the birds will return.

[LoftyLottie]

'My birds' never leave, summer and winter. I think they must be too lazy!! They cost me a fortune.

[daftgrandad]

Good afternoon Lottie,hope you,re very well.
How,s Tt,has it been busy ?
I have the same problem,in my garden,the birds stay,but so do the blooming squirrels.
A 3kg bag of peanuts,in two feeders,last approx. 3 days !

[Scylax]

Thank you all for your reassurance.
Yes, fully half my garden is reserved as a wild bird sanctuary, ie. untended, and yes, my next door neighbour has acquired 2 moggies, and magpies were in profusion. Still the sparrows avoided the hazards. I shall add a second bowl of water near the birdbath as
an incentive. Roll on winter, eh?

[LoftyLottie]

Hi DG. Tt is fine, but I am like a wet weekend. I have one hell of a cold/throat/sinus you name it bug!!! Have been trying to just carry on regardless, but today I have totally given up!!

How are you?

It always quiet in Tt!!! Particularly now the sheep have all gone. The owner found them too much to manage. They were a hobby flock!! As you know we are all Sugar beet and other crops round here. Lots of muddy roads at the moment. The huge field behind us is being harvested. There was a shoot this afternoon, which I don't appreciate :o(

I am spending loads on niger seeds for goldfinches. They have brought their relations along from miles around.

Nice to 'see' you.

Love Lottie
xx

[daftgrandad]

Sorry to hear you,re poorly Lottie,hope it soon goes.
I like your description "a hobby flock",they did,nt seem to do much when we were there !
We have had lots of different species of birds this year,including red legged partridge,
a buzzard and two red kites,but luckily the small birds still come.
You take care and all the best,
dg
xx

[LoftyLottie]

DG - My husband's term for a group of partridge is

'An Asbo of Partridges'

It's very appropriate, they crash about all over our roof and have such attitude!!
Buzzard was over the garden at the weekend. Aren't they beautiful?

[rowanwitch]

know what you mean re cost...last top up at pet store two sacks of seed, tub of fat balls pack of fat 'logs' 5kg peanuts, 2kg niger, 5kg hulled sunflower, two tubs dried mealworms, and theres the apples and other fruit that gets chopped up for the blackbirds and the dogfood for the corvids

[LoftyLottie]

Bit of a quandary at the moment with all our fallen apples Rowan. The blackbirds love them, but so do the rats. We have had loads of apples this year, more than I can ever remember. I am not really a great lover of apples either.

Just realised I am chatting on someones thread. Ed will be after me.

Sorry Syclax.

[pusskin]

hi scylax, we have what we call our bird bush, where all the sparrows hide when they feel the need to make a quick escape. Big wide, 6 ft high , long prickly bush and the birds love it in there. We can hear them chattering and their the first to get fed and watered every day. (never mind about us) We've had occasions when they all disappear for a while, but they do return when their ready.
Starlings, magpies are a flaming nuisance really , but they have also got the right to be here I suppose. Long live the lovely sparrows !!!

[LoftyLottie]

Where you have plenty of birds you will always get predators as well. It's a sign of a healthy balance of birds and you know you are helping the environment. I don't like to see the predators taking the birds, but live with it.

Yes, big prickly bushes and hedges are a great asset to gardens and shrubs with loads of lovely berries are great. The blackbirds have just started to strip the berries off the pyracantha on the front of our house - a week or so and there won't be a berry in site.

[RATTER15]

Whilst none of us particularly want rats living in our garden, if we can see them as just a part of our wildlife, they are actually magnificent animals to watch at play and at work.

Amazing and much maligned creatures!

Yes I have probably killed many thousands of them but I also have a great fondness for them. When the human race is eventually wiped out for whatever reason, guess who will reign supreme? probably the most hated creature in the world, The Humble Rat!!! :-)

[LoftyLottie]

Ratter, I don't hate them and accept them in the garden as long as they stay away from me, and yes they are very intelligent. I actually find them quite pretty too (!!).

I do respect them, but unfortunately, they love climbing up our old flint walled house and getting in the loft, so we have to control them.

Very shortly they will be coming off the fields to visit us and spend their winters somewhere warm and cozy.

The dog will be enjoying herself (JR cross)!!

[LoftyLottie]

I also must admit also that they unnerve me when they scuttle past me in the pitch black in the garden at night on my way to the wheelie bin (which is a fair way away).
Mr LL shoots them. He hates killing them, but at least it is quick!

[pusskin]

our big bush is a firethorn! its still has masses of berries on the bottom half, as the birds have eaten all on the top half. lol. Talking of bird food --I have been to my local pet shop and cannot get hold any dried meal worm, so must find out where to buy some.
Robins really love meal worm ? Birds get every single morsel of leftovers from my kitchen --I cannot throw anything away--rice--potato--sultanas-- so many to chose from.

[gen2]

Scylax, It is not just feeding stations and sanctuaries from cats that these birds need.
They need suitable roosting at night and come spring, they will all need nesting space, otherwise thay will move on.

There is a limit to how much you can do in your own garden to cater for 40 sparrows. They need a much larger territory ranging over many gardens.

So what are your neighbours up to? Have they all been weather-proofing their eaves and replacing missing tiles to deny them access to their loftspace. Do your neighbours neatly prune, strim and tidy their gardens?

We too have around 40 sparrows (and many other small birds but fortunately no magpies) but we do have (or rather our birds have) a big advantage in that our street gardens back onto the gardens behind the High Street shops and most of them have been left to degenerate into scrub.

[LoftyLottie]

Pusskin I have loads of firethorn (pyracantha) in the garden and all over the f ront of the house. A brilliant shrub I think, everygreen, prickly, lovely flowers in May, wonderful berries and amazing bird food!!

We spoil those birds, don't we.