My Garden

Katherine Birkett · **Posted:** Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:44 pm

Seems as though my garden's having a bit of a rich seam of luck - in the past five days I've had the female Reed Bunting, then a Pied Wagtail the next day and today, a pair of Siskins on the Sunflower Hearts! Another Year Tick!

John T Goy · **Joined:** Tue Dec 28, 2004 11:30 pm **Posts:** 2385

March 15th: Coal Tit - 2
March 16th: Coal tit - 1, LT Tit - 1.
March 18th: Coal Tit - 2, LT Tit - 1.
March 23rd: LT Tit - 1, Red Admiral - 1 [will put in proper section in a mo ].
March 25th: LT TIt & Coal Tit - 1 of each.

Since Tuesday I'm not looking out window as often as I've pulled a muscle in my chest so spending a good time laid down trying to get some comfort. No idea how it happened but it first hurt about the time I saw my first Firecrest

.

Seen several birds collecting nesting material and the number of birds visiting the feeders has certainly dropped except for the House Spugs.

Regards

John

David Morison · **Posted:** Sat Mar 26, 2011 8:17 pm

I normally use sunflower hearts in my feeders and always have a good number of many species (including Sparrowhawk!). Just this week when I went to my normal wholesale supplier for resupply they had run out of hearts. So I bought the nearest thing which has a high proportion of s. hearts with many different seeds and suet pellets. Now the number of birds visiting has dropped by 90% so they obviously don't like it - and I bought 20kg! What are the Sparrowhawks going to do?

David

John T Goy · **Joined:** Tue Dec 28, 2004 11:30 pm **Posts:** 2385

David Morison wrote:

I normally use sunflower hearts in my feeders and always have a good number of many species (including Sparrowhawk!). Just this week when I went to my normal wholesale supplier for resupply they had run out of hearts. So I bought the nearest thing which has a high proportion of s. hearts with many different seeds and suet pellets. Now the number of birds visiting has dropped by 90% so they obviously don't like it - and I bought 20kg! What are the Sparrowhawks going to do?

David

Hi David,

In the past i got them sunflower hearts but a large percentage got wasted, but at that time no pigeons visited. I normally buy 13kg black sunflower and niger. But having been to a large garden centre in town and spotting a 20kg bag of mixed seed which was quite a bit cheaper I got that only to find at first that it was a favourite of the pigeons and spugs, then the Chaffinches took to it followed by most of the others. I have been getting a Robin/Songbird 12 kg bag which has rowan berries in it as well, which attracts the Blackbirds. I was told of another supplier and they are quite a bit cheaper than my regular.

One thing I have noticed is regarding some giant fat balls by a well known firm[ bought in conjunction with the holder] I bought again from a garden centre but out of town this time. I have had them hung in both front and back gardens and virtually every bird that goes to eat from it has one peck and then leaves, the only exception was yesterday when a few Starlings got stuck into them, but even they soon left. The fat balls have sunflower seeds impregnated in them plus other seeds. I wondered if the smell or taste of the fat is putting them off.

The regular fat balls I normally get are the ones the size of a golf ball and they certainly don't last long. Because the giant fat balls are outside the lounge window along with two nut feeders and three seed feeders I get to see all the activity all day.

Regards

John

Katherine Birkett · **Posted:** Tue Mar 29, 2011 1:47 pm

Yesterday, a Starling Squadron set a new record - one whole suet cake gone in two hours!

John T Goy · **Joined:** Tue Dec 28, 2004 11:30 pm **Posts:** 2385

March 26th: Coal Tit - 1 & LT Tit - 2 all seen on the nut feeders.
March 27th: Coal Tit - 1
March 28th: Coal Tit - 1 [pic]
March 29th: Coal Tit - 1
April 1st: Coal Tit - 2
April 2nd: Coal Tit - 1

Since beginning of the week seen all the Chaffinch leave. A few Greenfinch are still here. About six Goldfinch, the usual number of House Spugs, the Feral Pigeons have all but left, only seen four C.Dove and two Wood Pigeon. One of the doves seemed to have one leg that was a mass of feathers, I wondered if it had had a near scrape with the Sprawk. A Robin is seen most days of late and a Dunnock. While under the conifer at end of the rear garden I could hear either a dove of pigeon up above so maybe it was on a nest. In the front garden large conifer spotted two Magpie so maybe they will become residents. Still getting a few Starlings and two pair of Blackbirds.

So although the garden looks deserted compared with a few weeks back considering it's nesting time it's not surprising, it really isn't so bad!

Kind regards

John

John T Goy · **Joined:** Tue Dec 28, 2004 11:30 pm **Posts:** 2385

Had the two Coal Tits on the peanut feeders and managed to get one on video so was pleased.

At 17.00 I just happened to look out the rear lounge window to spot an odd looking bird under the niger feeder but partly hidden by some daffs, at first thought it was some species of Sparrow. Got the camcorder just in case and tried taking some pics but it was moving all the time, so switched to movie mode. Picked bins up to ID the bird and saw it was a male Reed Bunting taking seed, got some video of it but it was going away from me all the time. It went on the bird table and then had a drink, then landed on grass and ten seconds later it was gone. That was a new garden tick :!:

Yippee. It was a cracking bird, I got really excited and was hyper for hours after.

I've had some good birds over the last two years and not doing bad this year, what with Yellowhammer, L Redpoll, GSW, Coal Tits, LT Tits, Siskin...

Kind regards

John

Katherine Birkett · **Posted:** Sun Apr 03, 2011 6:31 pm

Greater Spotted Woodpecker has just visited my peanut feeder and birdbath!!!!

John T Goy · **Joined:** Tue Dec 28, 2004 11:30 pm **Posts:** 2385

April 4th: Coal Tit - 1
April 6th: Coal Tit - 1
April 8th/9th: Coal Tit - 1
Plus supporting cast. Only seen two Chaffinches each day.
A pair of Blackies have made a nest on the platform of the old bird table which is mostly hidden by Ivy. Seen the female sat on it and so has the cat [-o<

. I can easily see the nest from the rear lounge window. Earlier in week found a dead juv Blackie at end of garden, I believe a nest was in the privet having seen a pair going in and out.

Regards

John

John T Goy · **Joined:** Tue Dec 28, 2004 11:30 pm **Posts:** 2385

April 11th - 16th:

The Coal Tits have been seen every day, mostly on the nut feeders but on odd occasions on the black sunflower seed feeders. They have been coming nearly sixteen weeks, and I'm over the moon at seeing them :!:

Also had two Robins visiting a few days, may get to see young ones.

Spotted the male Blackie taking food to the nest the last two days and I've seen the female sat on the nest every day.

Had a single Dunnock last two days.

Regards

John

John T Goy · **Joined:** Tue Dec 28, 2004 11:30 pm **Posts:** 2385

April 17th - 18th: Coal Tit seen on nuts both days.
April 20th: a pair of Collared Dove building a nest [ more like a very flimsy platform ] in tree directly opposite back bedroom window.
April 24th: Coal Tit seen on nuts.

One of my mates e-mailed to say an Osprey flew east high over his house at weekend, jammy sod =P~

Last couple of days [April 23rd...] been watching both Blackbird parents feeding young, the nest is situated outside the lounge window on the old bird table covered in ivy.

First thing yesterday morning spotted a juv flutter into the tree not sure what it was looked to be Dunnock size, never saw it again. But did see two adult Blue Tits in same tree so...

Kind regards

John

Chris Grimshaw · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:05 pm

During the last few days I have had a blackcap singing and occasionally I do catch a glimpse of it in the trees

John T Goy · **Joined:** Tue Dec 28, 2004 11:30 pm **Posts:** 2385

May 1st:

Spotted a juv House Sparrow with adult in tree next to front window in afternoon. First youngster of year. The pair of Blackies are feeding their young which are still in the nest, cannot see how many. The Collared Dove is still sitting on the nest.

John

David Morison · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2011 8:19 pm

John T Goy wrote:

David Morison wrote:

I normally use sunflower hearts in my feeders and always have a good number of many species (including Sparrowhawk!). Just this week when I went to my normal wholesale supplier for resupply they had run out of hearts. So I bought the nearest thing which has a high proportion of s. hearts with many different seeds and suet pellets. Now the number of birds visiting has dropped by 90% so they obviously don't like it - and I bought 20kg! What are the Sparrowhawks going to do?

David

Hi David,

In the past i got them sunflower hearts but a large percentage got wasted, but at that time no pigeons visited. I normally buy 13kg black sunflower and niger. But having been to a large garden centre in town and spotting a 20kg bag of mixed seed which was quite a bit cheaper I got that only to find at first that it was a favourite of the pigeons and spugs, then the Chaffinches took to it followed by most of the others. I have been getting a Robin/Songbird 12 kg bag which has rowan berries in it as well, which attracts the Blackbirds. I was told of another supplier and they are quite a bit cheaper than my regular.

One thing I have noticed is regarding some giant fat balls by a well known firm[ bought in conjunction with the holder] I bought again from a garden centre but out of town this time. I have had them hung in both front and back gardens and virtually every bird that goes to eat from it has one peck and then leaves, the only exception was yesterday when a few Starlings got stuck into them, but even they soon left. The fat balls have sunflower seeds impregnated in them plus other seeds. I wondered if the smell or taste of the fat is putting them off.

The regular fat balls I normally get are the ones the size of a golf ball and they certainly don't last long. Because the giant fat balls are outside the lounge window along with two nut feeders and three seed feeders I get to see all the activity all day.

Regards

John

Well I soon replaced the existing stock (my grandson is using it to feed the ducks) with sunflower hearts, but alas the majority of birds have not yet returned. Lesson learned, "if it aint broke don't fix it" only in this case it wasn't entirely my fault but I should have gone elsewhere to source the hearts.

David

John T Goy · **Joined:** Tue Dec 28, 2004 11:30 pm **Posts:** 2385

April 26th: Coal Tit - 2 on the nut feeders.
May 5th: Coal Tit - 1 on the black sunflower seeds along with the House Spugs and Greenfinches.

The Collared Dove is still on the nest but I can clearly see there are no eggs. But can clearly see three beaks of the juv Blackies popping up each time an adult brings food.

Of the birds that are seen every day these are Wood Pigeons, C. Dove, the above, feral Pigeons, Starlings and Robin.

I'm now a convert to Haith's songbird mix 20 kilos bag for £9.00, I can certainly recommend it, it has loads of sunflower seeds etc. Far better value than my previous make.

Kind regards

John

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