Christmas gift

PokeHerKing · 10-11-2020 9:35am #1

Hi folks

My wife has gotten fierce into the birds ever since the pandemic and onset of wfh. I'm looking to get her something bird related as a stocking filler.

She uses binoculars we have for sky gazing so I'm thinking some sort of bird identifier or something?

I've no idea really, hoping the pros on here could offer some advice/ideas please?

Tiercel Dave · 10-11-2020 11:08am

Have you got the space to put up a couple of Bird Feeders or the like, they help draw hungry birds in rather than waiting on them to accidently pass by?
Or a couple of Bird Boxes, January being the ideal month to get them palced in situ.....

Mickeroo · 10-11-2020 11:41am

Bird feeders and boxes are a good idea as mentioned above. Another idea might be a wildlife camera of some kind to go along with them.

For bird identification you can't go wrong with a book, there's plenty of books on Irish garden birds if you go googling.

OpenYourEyes · 10-11-2020 1:25pm

The BirdWatch Ireland shop has a variety of bird books, feeders, nestboxes, giftware etc. etc. and you'll be supporting BWI as a charity by buying from them: https://birdwatchireland.ie/shop/

Also there's the option of BirdWatch Ireland membership, so you'd get some bird ID posters and info as part of your welcome pack, as well as the latest (winter) issue of Wings magazine, and three (or maybe 4 actually...) more copies of the magazine throughout the year (spring, summer, autumn): https://birdwatchireland.ie/get-involved/join-us-become-a-member/

(note that I do work for BWI, so I am biased, but it's Ireland's largest wildlife charity!)

PokeHerKing · 10-11-2020 3:48pm

Thanks for the ideas folks. Will defo look at that website and maybe get a book and membership for her.

Yes we've put up bird feeders front and back and we live beside a park so get plenty of visitors.

hirondelle · 11-11-2020 2:26pm

Camera nestboxes are a bit of an investment, but they are absolutely brilliant- we get great tits in ours every year. You mount the box somewhere on or near the house with it's 25m cable, can be "pinched" through a closed window, link it to a little monitor somewhere handy in the house and leave it on (you can also route the footage through to your telly as an auxillary source). Also has IR so you see everything at night too. A few weeks of excitement ensue with nest preparation, egglaying and then hatching etc. We have even been able a number of years to be able to run outside as the chicks fledge for the first time- simple but priceless nature experience. Later in the summer, I take down the cable etc. (nestbox is cleaned but stays in situ- fascinating even to see the materials used in the nest) and just store the camera away until the following spring.

My wife has really come to know and love nature etc. in the last few years and this camera nestbox was a big reason for it.

Dibble · 11-11-2020 2:41pm

I'd recommend this book:
https://www.kennys.ie/results/?q=9781848893030

Juliet799 · 14-11-2020 1:50pm

You should consider bird feeders, try to entice them with their common food sources such as acorns, seeds, and peanuts. You can also catch their attention with the use of small fruits such as cherries or berries on a platform or tray feeder. But no matter what your feeder is, make sure the food is accessible and installed in a spot where they can comfortably eat and perch on.

Zak Flaps · 06-03-2021 10:39pm

hirondelle wrote: »

Camera nestboxes are a bit of an investment, but they are absolutely brilliant- we get great tits in ours every year. You mount the box somewhere on or near the house with it's 25m cable, can be "pinched" through a closed window, link it to a little monitor somewhere handy in the house and leave it on (you can also route the footage through to your telly as an auxillary source). Also has IR so you see everything at night too. A few weeks of excitement ensue with nest preparation, egglaying and then hatching etc. We have even been able a number of years to be able to run outside as the chicks fledge for the first time- simple but priceless nature experience. Later in the summer, I take down the cable etc. (nestbox is cleaned but stays in situ- fascinating even to see the materials used in the nest) and just store the camera away until the following spring.

My wife has really come to know and love nature etc. in the last few years and this camera nestbox was a big reason for it.

Is it too late to set one of these up? I'd love to get one and have a bird lay some eggs and rear a little family!!

Del.Monte · 07-03-2021 8:53am

Zak Flaps wrote: »

Is it too late to set one of these up? I'd love to get one and have a bird lay some eggs and rear a little family!!

It's not too late and here's some information that you may find useful about nestboxes in general: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/nestboxes/nestboxes-for-small-birds/making-and-placing-a-bird-box/

Zak Flaps · 07-03-2021 2:34pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

It's not too late and here's some information that you may find useful about nestboxes in general: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/nestboxes/nestboxes-for-small-birds/making-and-placing-a-bird-box/

Great, thanks.

hirondelle · 09-03-2021 1:38pm

Zak Flaps wrote: »

Great, thanks.

I set ours up last week and we have a great tit roosting in it every evening. She hasn't started bringing in any nest materials yet, so there is still time- but try to get it set up asap to give prospective tenants time to check it out.

Zak Flaps · 09-03-2021 5:45pm

hirondelle wrote: »

I set ours up last week and we have a great tit roosting in it every evening. She hasn't started bringing in any nest materials yet, so there is still time- but try to get it set up asap to give prospective tenants time to check it out.

Great, thanks a million.

Christmas gift

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