Birds feeding on my lavender plants

billyhead

Hi,

I have Lavender plants in my back garden and every monring I notice that these small to mdeium sized birds. I think they are kestrels. They have fairly long beaks are feedning on my lavender plants or pecking at them. They must be feeding on the buds that are trying to grow. I suppose there is nothing I can do about this. I am worried thatt hey may kill the plants.

kylith

I doubt if they're kestrels; they're birds of prey. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kestrel

Maybe some kind of scarecrow would scare them off.

billyhead

Thanks

They are actaully black in colour with long yellow beaks. There not magpies. They would be about 3/4 the size of a magpie. I think a scaregrow is not an option as the garden is small enough as it is.

billyhead

Actually they are black birds. I just googled them:D.
I don't mind them feeding on the seeds of the plants but I hope the lavender plants don't die.

tricky D

Sounds like blackbirds. You could use some bird of prey decoy or silhouette to deter them.

wildlifeboy

you can buy a cat sillouete that looks quite real near the plant and i see these working the whole time.

amerden

I would say they are probably Starlings and not (Male) Blackbirds, Blackbirds feed mainly on insects and earthworms on the ground, now unless the plants/leaves are close to the ground where a bird could reach, if so they could be Blackbirds doing you a big favour and taking bugs off the leaves, check next time to see if they have spots, if so most likely Starlings, they will feed on most things.