Garden Birds chat 2011

Connacht

Folks, I notice over the last week or two that the most common bird feeding at my nyjers are now Coal Tits, rather than Goldfinches.

Amalgam

Mothman wrote: »

I don't usually feed during late Spring/Summer, but this year I emptied bag a few weeks back, and most of nuts are still there.

Same situation, very very fertile and overgrown garden, seed\nuts just sits there, at the moment. There are some odd quirks. A small pyramid of used\old Semola was put out on a neglected garden table, shoved near a bush and to the side of a garden shed, A Dunnock has set up his deck chair, along with two Robins, they love it. Gingerly pecking, all day.

Had to stop early this year, start of April, as Wood Pigeons were stripping the garden bare, nipping at foliage, anything put out to grow would be shaved to the ground.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Always provide feed and water right through the year. At this point you can probably get away with 1/3 of the volume provided through Winter. Summer feeding is an important extra source of protein for busy adult birds.

Rainbowsend

Connacht wrote: »

Folks, I notice over the last week or two that the most common bird feeding at my nyjers are now Coal Tits, rather than Goldfinches.

I have a feeling Goldfinches foresake their flock instincts in the breeding season, I remember "my" goldfinches disappeared completely during the breeding season but returned in the late summer early autumn, the same seems to have happened this year with only the odd one coming to the feeders.

whyulittle

Redpoll and Goldfinch in the garden today for the first time in ages.

I have a flock of Greenfinch in every day taking sunflower seed. There were a couple of Great Tits coming in for that as well, but they have disappeared.

CorkNest

mealworms arrived yesterday in the post, having been delayed by the queen is seems.

all 7 great tit chicks are doing well, fledging expected from now on, live video stream running during the day.

the male seems to have dissapeared so the mealworms will help.

Also have blue tits, 7, should fledge in about a week.

thebishop

First young Goldfinches of the year at the feeders today.

Alun

thebishop wrote: »

First young Goldfinches of the year at the feeders today.

Same here, it's been very quiet at my feeders for ages and haven't seen many goldfinches at all in recent weeks, but had a couple of young ones today. A few greenfinches and bullfinches making a reappearance too.

ppink

today for the first time EVER I saw a bullfinch in the flesh.......in my garden:D

Bsal

I had A female Chaffinch and a male Greenfinch back in the garden today, first time they have been back since March.

trebor28

birds that i know are nesting around me.

Rooks
Wren
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Swallow
Robin
Blackbird
Mistle Thrush
Song Thrush
House Sparrow
Wood Pigeon
Jackdaw
Starling
Collared Dove

Birds that i presume are nesting around me, from seeing or hearing them around.
Blackcap
Goldcrest
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
Spotted Flycatcher
Chaffinch
Greenfinch

cjf

Hope to get some advice hedges in my garden were trimmed and now there is an exposed nest. There I've seen a chicks head sticking out of it and the mammy bird is black with a yellow/orange beak. Wondering if I should try to cover the nest worried about other birds/cats and also the wind and rain. If o try to cover it over with branches or create a little shelter around it is there a chance the mammy bird will adondon it? Couldn't believe it when I saw the hedge trimmed and the little nest just sitting right out at the edge of the hedge! Any advice much appreciated.

doctor evil

It sounds like a Blackbird, males are black while females tend to be brown. Who cut the hedge? Do the chicks look very young.

Maybe stick in some bushes branches above/over the nest from a distance?

cjf

My partner trimmed back one small part of the hedge after the bad weather that section was hanging down and he just cut the branch that was falling and then there it was just in behind the part that was separated from the rest of the hedge. Iv seen a brown head sticking out so maybe that's the mammy bird not a chick. Don't know what age or how big chicks are at this time of year Havin gotten close in case I scare them off so havnt had a good look. It's exposed on one side so mayb il tie the old branch that was trimmed off with string and try to hang it over the part that's exposed. It's close to my back door so when am in kitchen can just see a little brown head sticking out watching me. Like I said just afraid of cats and and the rain and wind destroying it. How close can you get without danger if birds abandoning it?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Cutting a garden hedge in those circumstances is allowed and understandable but I would point out that you should not disturb any nesting birds. The storms this week did more damage to nests than cutting your hedge ever will.
Just leave them alone and avoid the area as much as possible. If you do pass the spot regularly please show no interest in the nest whatsoever.
Sticking anything in the hedge to cover the spot is just more interference and should be avoided.

trebor28

have what i think is a Sparrowhawk knocking around here.
have seen it on 3 separate occasions in the last week. its been quite successful too.
from the glimpses i have got of it it seems very brown though.

kincsem

Just a short while ago I saw three or four juvenile long-tailed tits on the bush at the end of my garden in Stillorgan. This is my first sighting of this bird. I was watching my pole feeder (four feeders) and my ground cage feeder to see what was about. They didn't come to the feeders.

There were sparrows in the ground cage feeder. A raven, collared doves, and magpie tried to stick their heads in to get some of the feed (not at the same time obv.) so I went out and threw some extra feed on the ground for them. A mother and juvenile blackbird appeared on the garden wall with the juvenile taking some of the powdered peanuts (use my blender to chop it very finely) at the caged-in peanut pole feeder. Later a raven clung on to it and took the overspill. The usual coat tit made his quick grab from the sunflower seed feeder.

I was pleased to see the long-tailed tits are they are not too common.

Edit
Just now I saw another first time visitor, a pair of bullfinches, mail and female, fed from the seed inside the ground cage. Although I had thrown some of the same seed outside the cage for the collared doves and magpies, the bullfinches went straight into the cage. They must feel safer.

Edit
Nearly an ex male bullfinch. He was singing on the bush at the end of the garden, then he dropped into the garden and hopped over the freshly dug ground, and started eating the dropped seed below the four feeder hanging feeders. Next door's cat got to within a foot before he took off.

cjf

Thea Yummy Backstop wrote: »

Cutting a garden hedge in those circumstances is allowed and understandable but I would point out that you should not disturb any nesting birds. The storms this week did more damage to nests than cutting your hedge ever will.
Just leave them alone and avoid the area as much as possible. If you do pass the spot regularly please show no interest in the nest whatsoever.
Sticking anything in the hedge to cover the spot is just more interference and should be avoided.

Thanks for advice. Just kills me seein her little head stickin out of nest watching me in the kitchen and looking out every morning to see if they still there and ok saw cat wandering up and down hedge yesterday so been trying to let my dogs into the garden as much as possible to keep cat away! Saw the male bringing her back worms earlier amazing to watch them! Hope they will be ok!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Sounds like they are doing fine.:)

doctor evil

A well aimed hose should sort the cat out.

I used a pestle and mortar to grind some left over peanuts. The last I saw of 'my' Long Tailed Tits was at the start of Spring when they were house hunting. They are gas birds.

cjf

Haha thanks! Couldn't do that thou unfortunately my love of animals is inclusive so would be worried bout the cat catching a cold or something!!!! now have binoculars by the back door ... Little but invested in these guys now!! There is chicks!! Saw the male with another batch of worms and next thing could just see 2 little beaks pop up!! My Doberman is now sitting under the nest by the hedge and growling and barking at crow and magpies who are sitting on the roof or landing on our wall! He has never bothered with birds before it's like he is guarding the nest!!

kincsem

This is the ground cage I'm using (sorry don't know how to post photos)
http://www.haiths.com/Products/Ground-Feeding-Haven-WBAC01024/

It lay idle for a week but now the place is rocking. And I can identify the birds more easily with my binoculars. Today female greenfinches joined the house sparrows.

I'm in South Dublin and my garden is 95% bare earth as I dug it in the last month. I saw a bird down the back of the garden that didn't come near the feeders and through the binoculars I thought it might be a fieldfare, but surely not in this area at this time of year. It seemed more interested in the dug ground near the small bit of undug ground. I had my bird book with me. It might have been a female blackbird but looked a bit different.

Obviously not a fieldfare.

doctor evil

Don't worry about the cat catching a cold, they have good coats on them and they are quick learners. I am a cat owner myself but I am well aware of the damage cats do. It sounds like the Doberman is doing sterling work!

siledee

A cat will get over a cold....chicks won't get over being dead.

You will probably only have to do it once!

cjf

Will keep An eye out for him so! Always know if cat has been in garden dogs run round sniffing and snorting! Is there any good websites where I can read up on the timeline for nesting will I just come out one day and they will be gone? Counted 3 little beaks this morning havnt seen anything else just beaks and only when the adults come back with worms!

Flo with a view

doctor evil wrote: »

Don't worry about the cat catching a cold, they have good coats on them and they are quick learners. I am a cat owner myself but I am well aware of the damage cats do. It sounds like the Doberman is doing sterling work!

One of my cats was so interested in trying to catch the goldfish in our pond that she fell in - twice! But each time, she clambered out, shook herself, and within half an hour had licked herself entirely dry. The water never got far enough into her coat to make her feel the cold.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

cjf wrote: »

Is there any good websites where I can read up on the timeline for nesting will I just come out one day and they will be gone?

This is a good straightforward site for most Garden Birds. It gives the incubation periods and fledging times.

http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birdindex.htm

cjf

Thanks a mil been googling away am now in state of panic bout when they fall out of nest and spend bout 10 days on the ground til they can fly! While my dog seems to like them in the nest not sure he would resist if he found them on the ground!! Considering fencing a little area Off for them on the ground under the nest so they will be safe. God this chick thing is stressful! Now seeing 4 Greyish heads with like a Mohawk of fur on top sticking out at feeding time! I would be devastated if they dont make it or if they hoppin round the garden and dogs get them!!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

When they fledge they will fly to a safe spot. Relax:)

Cardynal

Just had my regular Sparrowhawk run through the Garden , absolute panic among all the young birds , but no sucess this time.