Wild Bird feeding forum?

Capercaille

Dug out 0.5 kg of "muck" from the composter. Full of worms/grubs. Spread it out on the composter lid. The garden robin enjoyed himself.Blackbird also tucked in.

TopTec

As I walk down my narrow lane I try to scuff up the leaf debris and dirt that collect in the edges. I only need walk 20 metres away before blackbirds, robins and pied-wagtails are chomping on the insects and worms that are exposed.

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TT

magicbastarder

a robin or two has started following the hens around the garden when we let them out. though i've not been keeping too close an eye on how many worms they turn up in the last couple of weeks, given the weather.

Mech1

Mod note: I'm sure this was a joke, but let's try and avoid these kinds of jokes just so that nobody gets the wrong idea about anything!

Mech1

Sorry joke in bad taste I hope everyone understands.

Mech1

Removed

vistafinder

Is it sacks of nuts or seeds or what because I paid 48 euro for a 25kg bag of nyjer seed for the winter and with the amount of Goldfinches here its not going to last long.

magicbastarder

ah, nyjer is much more expensive than sacks of general bird seed.

gzoladz

To be fair to the magpies...everytime we get visitors from non magpie countries, they love the bird, the colors, etc. I appreciate they are not very popular, but people who have not seen the before love them.

junospider

what countries dont have magpies?

Capercaille

junospider wrote: »

what countries dont have magpies?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_magpie
European Magpie found across Europe, parts of North Africa and across Asia.

dogmatix

I'm having problems with rooks and jackdaws mobbing my bird feeder also. The feeder is long metal pole with three arms at the top from which two feeders and a suet ball thingy are suspended. First I discovered the rooks where lifting the feeders up over the hooks and dropping them onto the ground. I had to admire their ingenuity! I then stuck a couple of squeaky dog toy balls over the ends of each arm which solved the 'removal' problem but now the jackdaws are working in cahoots with the rooks by flying up against the feeder, shaking it so that the seeds drop down and away they feed. Between them, the two groups can empty an entire feeder in an hour. It's amusing to watch their problem solving and how two species can work together but i'd be happier if the smaller birds could get a look in.

I rather like the elastic band idea mentioned earlier - might try it out in the coming week.

Alun

Mack Clean Wall wrote: »

Another tip to deter larger birds is to attach the feeders by strong elastic bands. They don't like how the feeder moves when they try to alight on them.

I've only just seen this post, sounds like a great idea. My nyjer seed feeder of all things gets a lot of attention from a pair of doves that frequent our garden, and it often gets knocked to the ground. I'll give that a try!

Gran Hermano

I'm not seeing many black caps this year. They seem to have peaked in number around 2010-2012. I've only spotted the one single female visiting.


Have they abandoned Ireland and gone back to their traditional migratory routes or is the decline I'm witnessing just local to me?

Pleny if finches and tits visiting daily. Am particularly noticing an increase in goldfinches over last few years. Serious decline in the common house sparrow numbers.

Witnessed a flock of long tailed tits last year. Probably my favourite visitor to date. Highly amusing to watch their cheeky and comical behaviour. Anyone got any tips on how to encourage them?

You can't underestimate the attraction fresh water provides for all species.

Alun

I nearly always see a pair of blackcaps on my feeder, but this year have only seen the male. Apart from the usual flock of goldfinches and 'my' robin, I've not seen much activity on the feeders this year at all. In previous years I've had plenty of redpolls and siskin, greenfinches and bullfinches but no sign of them at all this year so far.

magicbastarder

we had blackcaps in winter 2012/2013 but none the last two winters. had a rook on our bird feeder earlier, a fairly unusual sight for us.

Alun

Just had a massive flock of starlings come in and hoover up everything off the ground and ground feeder, and also the tray feeder. Never seen that here before!

Mech1

Pied Wagtails here today for the first time ever in the 5 years ive been feeding!!!

One seems to want to live here, spent a few hours here today just standing about. Well able to fly, if the other one that came with him arrives he chases it off.

fryup

Mech1 wrote: »

Pied Wagtails here today for the first time ever in the 5 years ive been feeding!!!

5 years :eek: but willywagtails are very common i would have thought

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Yes pied wagtails are common but they visit urban gardens more than rural. I have weekly records for over 30 years in this rural garden and, while pid wagtails are common along the road verges locally, I oinky get one in the garden about 10 to 12 times a year. They are not a typical bird table bird.

fryup

well i live in a rural area i see them in the back garden everyday

gzoladz

I don't see them often in Dublin, but we went to Mayo a few months ago and they where everywhere.

I like the grey wagtail better. Also as they are usually around water they are more fun to watch to me.

Woodville56

Disappointed not to have had any Redpoll or Siskin at the feeders this winter so far - had them most other years, usually from January right through to late March, mostly on the Nyger seed feeders,

TopTec

Had my first Siskin arrive on Friday to munch on the peanuts. Joined this morning by a small female. This time last year I had a dozen squabbling around the feeders.

TT

Aerohead

I have a number of Blue Tits coming into my nut feeder at present, I put up a bird house for them and they were coming and going looking at it, when would they start nest building as I would love to see them in the house, they are beautiful birds.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Aerohead wrote: »

I have a number of Blue Tits coming into my nut feeder at present, I put up a bird house for them and they were coming and going looking at it, when would they start nest building as I would love to see them in the house, they are beautiful birds.

They can nest by late February if the weather is right. Its a good sign if they are investigating the nest box now.

vistafinder

There must have been over 70 Goldfinches & Chaffinch here this morning in the snow.

No way could I count them and the singing from the Goldfinches was incredible.

We were all happy together until a Sparrowhawk came bombing in. I dont know if got anything.

Mech1

I made a bird pie for this morming,

almost out of date flan base,

last nights leftover mash and cauliflower, 2 pork chops leftover bones removed, one boiled egg, one raw egg, a good mugfull of black sunflower seeds, another mugfull of mixed bird seed all well run through the blender.

It turned into a stodgy paste type thing that i filled the flan base with in a kind of large volcano shape. (it wouldnt all fit in otherwise). I made this last night about 10pm and covered in room temp until this morning at 7.30 when I put it out on the ground.

All totally gone by 2pm im told.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Mech1 wrote: »

I made a bird pie for this morming,

almost out of date flan base,

last nights leftover mash and cauliflower, 2 pork chops leftover bones removed, one boiled egg, one raw egg, a good mugfull of black sunflower seeds, another mugfull of mixed bird seed all well run through the blender.

It turned into a stodgy paste type thing that i filled the flan base with in a kind of large volcano shape. (it wouldnt all fit in otherwise). I made this last night about 10pm and covered in room temp until this morning at 7.30 when I put it out on the ground.

All totally gone by 2pm im told.

To be honest some of those ingredients are pure Rat attractors.

Mech1

Mack Clean Wall wrote: »

To be honest some of those ingredients are pure Rat attractors.

Im sure they are, but im told all taken away or eaten at scene by the birds. I was at work so didnt witness it myself.