Garden Bird Appeal

[Sybille Weber]

Reading the news about the adverse winter weather conditions in the papers or watching the news on TV I never read or hear a word about how this weather affects wildlife and our birds in particular. They can hardly find any food in these weather conditions and many of them rely on human assistance if they want to survive the winter, yet, at least over here, I can see hardly anyone feeding the birds. We only have a balcony, and that is packed with birds already. All day is spent preparing new bird feed and clearing the balcony off the snow which is so difficult with all this wind. The trees around are dotted over and over with black spots which are blackbirds and starlings. They all seem to come to our place for food as those who have the space in their gardens just do not feed the birds. Some people may have put up one or the other fatball for titmice in a tree but that doesn't help other species, especially those which used to migrate and are now increasingly staying over here for the winter as winters had become milder. They are not used to these conditions and require help. Various species of birds also require different bird feed which many people just don't seem to know, or they feed the birds just occasionally when it is essential to feed them regularly. Birds can stay without food for 16 hours at the most, less in adverse weather, so if they have come a long way to a feeding place that has not been replenished they have lost a lot of energy for nothing, and this could be fatal.
Apart from that I find that some birds, especially the small ones, are too shy to come so close to humans or feed where all the other bigger birds are crowding the place, so if there was a bird table at the far end of the garden these birds could also be helped.

I think in Britain bird feeding is more widespread than it is over here, but I thought I'd still post this here as it might induce some more of you to support our dear birds.
As to what bird feed is suitable I think this RSPB link might be helpful:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/feeding/whatfood/index.aspx

A big thank you to everyone out there feeding our feathered friends in these difficult conditions.

[Linda]

Whole hearted support Sybille...we feed our birds every day with fat balls, seeds, peanuts, and anything fat wise left over from cooking mixed with seeds. We are now buying mixed poultry grain and feeding that so the bigger birds can get something too. One of the consequences of this hard winter will be fewer wildlife as it tries to survive and fails....something we are not really thinking about at this time but will notice come Spring and Sunmmer.
Please everyone feed the birds at least we give them a chance.

[jane jackson]

How do you manage to feed the birds safely with all your cats Linda? We have a small garden and really have nowhere safe to feed them where the cats couldn't get to as well. I do make sure there is water available outside in the hope they could use that without being ther too long as in feeding.

[Liz]

We're fortunate with our two cats as neither seems to be interested in birds - mice are another matter altogether!

Our birds are getting through so much food at the moment, its like paying out to feed another pet! I don't begrudge them though as they give us so much pleasure. I am always amazed at how wonderful they all look through field glasses, so much colour. I was watching a fieldfare this morning which form a distance looked very ordinary but through the glasses - WOW!

[Linda]

We feed the birds over by the stable and in the garden area...with high up feeding points, ie stable roof which the cats cannot get onto and some high hanging feeders...it is a problem at times as some cats wait in the bushes and then run over when one of the birds drop to the ground...but the odds are in birds favour and if we lose some which we absolutely hate...then at least many others are being fed and escaping. All those that are brought into the house are not necessarily dead so they get rescued and released (like the mice...I spend hours rescuing!...little boxes for them all to recover in before being released again)..last night for example at 10pm a blackbird was brought in to the lounge and we rescued that ...unharmed.....
You just have to weigh up losses verus gains...we didnt have any birds here when we came and now we have dozens upon dozens...yes some get killed but many more live.

We have two real hunters and they are currently sleeping so the birds are making the most of it...you should have heard the birdsong this morning.

[adesmith]

Funnily enough we bought some food for the birds this afternoon. We did try and feed them with a hanging feeder last year but we werent terribly successful and this may be down to the presence of Verity who does seem to like hunting. The neighbour has a 'feeding station' and I think I may invest in one of those or a good old fashioned bird table costs about the same. Anyway I put some nuts in the feeder and some fat balls around. I also put some tepid water in a bowl and a small plate of grated cheese, apple and cornflakes on a little plate. Had to put this on the table outside but Verity is in most of the time at the moment so I thought that the birds may have a go. Better than nothing I guess. The lady next door and the lady over the back put lots of food out so they may not bother with ours.

[jane jackson]

We feed the birds over by the stable and in the garden area...with high up feeding points, ie stable roof which the cats cannot get onto and some high hanging feeders...it is a problem at times as some cats wait in the bushes and then run over when one of the birds drop to the ground...but the odds are in birds favour and if we lose some which we absolutely hate...then at least many others are being fed and escaping. All those that are brought into the house are not necessarily dead so they get rescued and released (like the mice...I spend hours rescuing!...little boxes for them all to recover in before being released again)..last night for example at 10pm a blackbird was brought in to the lounge and we rescued that ...unharmed.....
You just have to weigh up losses verus gains...we didnt have any birds here when we came and now we have dozens upon dozens...yes some get killed but many more live.

We have two real hunters and they are currently sleeping so the birds are making the most of it...you should have heard the birdsong this morning.

That's a good point you make there Linda, I hadn't thought about the fact there could be more gains than losses.

[Janet Swan]

It does take a few days for birds to find a new "feeding station" area, so hopefully they will find Adrian's tempting offerings before too long. I've been putting out food and water twice a day, but the water freezes over so quickly. As well as fat balls and nuts, I keep a pot in the kitchen and throw all crumbs from bread and cake, chopped apple cores, leftover cat food and anything else suitable into it, then mash it up a bit with a little water - looks revolting but the birds do love it! Fortunately my cat won't venture outdoors at all this weather, although neighbours' cats come and go, but the birds still manage to feed too.

Janet

[Sybille Weber]

Great to hear what everyone is doing for the birds. It seems bird feeding is generally more widespread in Britain than it is over here. As you say, Adrian, many of your neighbours are also feeding the birds. That's unfortunately not the case over here. Infact there doesn't seem to be anyone here at all in our neighbourhood who puts out bird feed. Some do have bird feeders but they seem to be just decoration, and are always empty. So the birds are coming to us in huge numbers. Unfortunately this also attracts one or the other bird of prey, but this is the same situation as with Linda's cats, and after all these birds have to live on something, too.
Don't want to act as a teacher, and I hope you don't mind me saying this, but there's one little thing I would like to mention just for the sake of the birds. Some of you said you were putting out water. Although this is normally very good, in winter this can be fatal as birds may take a bath in it and their plumage will freeze. So if it's done at all it should be tiny bowls so that they will only get their beaks in. If there's snow there's usually no need to put out water as the birds can eat that, and it will melt in the body.

[adesmith]

I was very excited that the grated cheese that I put out last night was eaten along with the portion that I put out this morning. The apple and cornflakes were untouched but I thought it might be Robins because apparently they like cheese. Anyway I just excitedly asked Rachel to grate me some more cheese for the birds and she pointed out that it might be Verity eating it :(

[Kath Mulligan]

If you really want to thrill your robins, Adrian, next time you go to your local garden centre, look out for their tubs of dried meal worms. Our birds go mad for them. Afraid I have stopped putting out the amounts of seed that I used to do because we were warned that it could be attracting the rats. I don't want to give them any encouragement at all, so restrict myself to the fat balls and meal worms now, plus bits of leftover uncooked pastry, apple cores etc.

To support what Sybille was saying about putting out water for the birds, I stood at our window watching a blackbird the other morning having a good peck around in the snow, so he was probably using that as a drink. Didn't think of it at the time, I was just thinking he was wasting his time trying to dig down for worms and grubs through a 6" layer of snow!

Kath

[Linda]

we have a cat , Minnie, who eat the cornflakes..she eats the cornflakes in our duck and goose feed we put out...and the poor geese can't get near until she's finished...see album..she's tiny !!

[tarn]

Up to now my cats have never caught a bird whilst they are feeding. I have only one bird catcher: Minnie and she wears a bell. If the cats so much as wander near the feeders the birds know about it and wait until they go. the feeders were empty the other day and the Blackbirds kept flying at my window and looking in to remind me!

[Sybille Weber]

.......... the feeders were empty the other day and the Blackbirds kept flying at my window and looking in to remind me!

That's what the birds are doing over here, especially the collared doves, while the titmice keep knocking on the window pane, although at present, with these bad weather conditions we keep a constant eye on their needs so that they won't have to remind us.

[nashie]

We solve the problem of our cats and feeding the birds by having a bird feeder that sticks to the bedroom window by suction pads, so the birds can get to it direct from the trees and we get a wonderful view of the birds feeding from inside the house. Mim's the cat person in our house - I know this is probably the ultimate heresy on this forum, but although I love our cats as individuals, I'm afraid I'm not too keen on keeping cats because of the damage they do to wildlife. We've had at least 30 pet cats though, so it's pretty obvious who gets the last word around here!
Sybille's observation about feeding the birds being a bit of British thing is interesting because there was recently a study that showed continental bird populations were actually changing their inherited migration habits over recent years and coming to the UK in winter. It was thought this was because of the increased availability of winter food as a result of bird feeding in British gardens.

[jane jackson]

With all of you cat folk managing to feed the wild birds more or less safely while keeping cats, I'm going to have a look around our garden and sort out a suitable place. Absolutely pouring and windy this morning but at least it's green out there instead of white.

[gloria townsin]

Have to say Jane, your weather report cheers me a bit as it might mean the builders can get down the Lizard in safety. Apparently someone went skiddadling down our road into a wall sometime over the snow and ice period.

I don't seem to have much success feeding birds......we bought a bird station last year which they didn't use very much - I put some fat food in the little cage in a small tree and they didn't take that very often, I've put out some Christmas pudding and that hasn't met expectations, so try as I might I'm not terribly good at what they would like to eat it seems.

There is a cottage on the road out of Falmouth towards Truro where there are usually bird tables, boxes, dove-cots, rabbit hutches and the like for sale. He had some really sturdy looking bird tables for sale in December for £15 which I thought was a bargain. He sold out of the dove- cots before Christmas but will have them again later in Jan. Wish I'd got a bird table now.......they might have liked it better.

[Kath Mulligan]

I was looking at BBC Cornwall website a little while ago and noticed a travel alert saying that Trewoon Rd in Mullion was closed because of ice, maybe the closure happened following the car accident.

Our blue tits seem to be ignoring the fat balls on the bird table at the moment, and I am wondering if they are too frozen for their beaks to cope with. They are attacking the peanut holder with great gusto though. Have just been out there with a slice of melon which has gone a bit mushy for us to eat, but thought the birds might enjoy it and get some liquid from it too.

Kath

[jane jackson]

:hungry::clock::rain:The nearest smilie I could find to a bird was the cuckoo clock! I think I should get a metal feeding station as the cats wouldn't be able to climb it. Both of them shin up the wooden uprights of the trellis planters very quickly. Considering they're in their teens now they're still very agile.

Do hope your builders get under way again soon Gloria.

[gloria townsin]

It probably was due to the accident Kath........I think Eddie said they had to get a fire-engine to cut the driver out. Sounds horrendous. Obviously it wasn't our Cornish hedge that was crashed into or the builder would have said. There are quite a few though further down the road, even the old cottages that stand directly on the road.

I did spy a blackbird sitting near the Christmas pudding........there was nothing to stop it eating what I'd put out so maybe they are well fed locally. I did read crushing peanuts is good before you put them out so will have a try with those. The melon sounds a good and tasty treat Kath.

Also read in today's paper that lots of people are complaining about rats in their homes due to the weather........not too happy about Bryher.....hope their teeth aren't strong enough to chew through tarpaulin.

[Liz]

Gloria said:
[I did spy a blackbird sitting near the Christmas pudding........there was nothing to stop it eating what I'd put out so maybe they are well fed locally. I did read crushing peanuts is good before you put them out so will have a try with those. The melon sounds a good and tasty treat Kath.]



I've always found that sunflower hearts and peanuts are totally irresistible to the birds around here Gloria so they might be worth a try.

At the moment we've got 15 different species regularly feeding from the garden, using a table, a peanut holder and a seed holder - the birds are all obviously pretty desperate for food at the moment. The blackbirds have just about finished of all the malus fruits on the tree I use as a feeding station so it will have to be left over, somewhat dried up apples from the autumn harvest from now on.

I seem to have messed up the quote this time - sorry Gloria!

[Linda]

another Blackbird rescued tonight when we came in...feathers everywhere so I searched for thh remains...and found a cat watching the dishwasher where a little feathered person was hiding at the side of it! Caught it with a pond net and released....phew!!

[adesmith]

Well the cornflakes and the cheese have been eaten and some of the apple as well. Verity hadnt been out so it wasnt her eating the cheese and our neighbour said that she had seen birds going to our table. I am very pleased even if I havent seen the birds. I went out to check when I got home from school but I havent replenished the food because its snowing too much and the plate was covered. If it eases off I might put some out before bed, ready for them to eat in the morning.

Gloria do you think the blackbird might have expected brandy butter as well?

[Sybille Weber]

...........Sybille's observation about feeding the birds being a bit of British thing is interesting because there was recently a study that showed continental bird populations were actually changing their inherited migration habits over recent years and coming to the UK in winter. It was thought this was because of the increased availability of winter food as a result of bird feeding in British gardens.

That's interesting, John. I hadn't heard of this study before, although I read somewhere on the RSPB's website that approximately half of the British population fed the birds, and most of my friends in England also feed the birds from which I concluded it was much easier for birds to survive in Britain than in Germany. I only knew that starlings often migrated to Britain for the winter as usually winters are a little milder in Britain than on the continent. Maybe the reason why they migrate is actually the availability of food rather than the climate. We do actually have starlings here in winter though. Must be at least 50 that are coming to our balcony, but then we feed them, so there's probably no need for them to fly away for the winter.

Lovely to read about everyone's bird feeding experiences, and, Linda, so good you managed to rescue the poor little blackbird.

[Mary Young]

Apart from the usual bird seed, peanuts and fat balls our garden birds seem to love raisins and currants etc. We have also been giving them dried mealworms yuk! but some birds love them especially starlings and also wagtails which are surprise visiters to the garden, can't remember seeing them in winter in our garden before.
We also have two cats but no feathered casulties so far, they seem to prefer watching them from inside by the window keeping warm. Think the birds know they can't get them from there.
We still have snow on the ground but melting gradually today although more snow showers possible in next two days

[jane jackson]

When we were on Exmoor and had the chickens we had lots of young starlings going inside the hen house and roosting along with the hens ~ they were enjoying the chicken feed too.

[jane jackson]

Also read in today's paper that lots of people are complaining about rats in their homes due to the weather........not too happy about Bryher.....hope their teeth aren't strong enough to chew through tarpaulin.[/QUOTE]

They probably are Gloria but if there's nobody living there and no food around perhaps they wouldn't be interested.

[jane jackson]

Gloria said:
[I did spy a blackbird sitting near the Christmas pudding........there was nothing to stop it eating what I'd put out so maybe they are well fed locally. I did read crushing peanuts is good before you put them out so will have a try with those. The melon sounds a good and tasty treat Kath.]



I've always found that sunflower hearts and peanuts are totally irresistible to the birds around here Gloria so they might be worth a try.

At the moment we've got 15 different species regularly feeding from the garden, using a table, a peanut holder and a seed holder - the birds are all obviously pretty desperate for food at the moment. The blackbirds have just about finished of all the malus fruits on the tree I use as a feeding station so it will have to be left over, somewhat dried up apples from the autumn harvest from now on.

I seem to have messed up the quote this time - sorry Gloria!

Re your last sentence re the Quote Liz, I'm finding if I try to delete part of the post and just leave the small bit I want, then it doesn't go into a white box. If I let the whole thing be quoted then it does. So saying I hope it works this time!

[gloria townsin]

I have a sunflower head from last years crop so will put that out Liz, thanks for jogging my memory and I will have a go with some cheese as well.
Adrian you could be right about the brandy butter, I still have some home made BB in the fridge.......so if the birds start flying upside down I'll let you know!
Re the rat situation.......I know they can't get to any food as there isn't any but they will eat anything. I seem to remember reading some time that even the tiniest bit of sustenance i.e. a little bit of food that might be left in an opened tin, will feed a mouse very well......I always wash all our re-cycling things out very well so that there's nothing left. But rats will chew anything and survive. When I kept our horses at my friend's farm we had the food in a barn which had no light. If you had to feed once daylight had gone you could hear them scuttling around in the odds and ends stored there. It was a nightmare taking the lids off the feed bins.........but there was nowhere you could mix the feed earlier and store it without them getting into it and I worried about them contaminating the feed. The barns were lovely but there was a downside to them even the J.R. couldn't keep up with killing them.

[Liz]

Re your last sentence re the Quote Liz, I'm finding if I try to delete part of the post and just leave the small bit I want, then it doesn't go into a white box. If I let the whole thing be quoted then it does. So saying I hope it works this time!

Hi Jane - once I've pressed the 'Reply with Quote' button, I delete the part of the post I don't need but making sure that I leave [ QUOTE= etc at the beginning and the end - that seems to do the trick - concentration sometimes slips tho, as it did when I replyed to Gloria!

[jane jackson]

Hi Jane - once I've pressed the 'Reply with Quote' button, I delete the part of the post I don't need but making sure that I leave [ QUOTE= etc at the beginning and the end - that seems to do the trick - !

Trying again Liz ~ thanks!

[adesmith]

Something is definitely eating the food and there are some lovely birds flying around the garden. As well as the next door neighbour the lady over the back (whose garden is higher than ours because we are on a hill) hangs lots of feeders just above our back hedge. You can see them from Rupert's room and there are lots of red and yellow/gold birds feeding there. Tiny like Blue Tits but obiously a different colour.

Went out and put some food out there this morning and slipped down the steps. I was able to hold on to the handrail which stopped me fally completely but Rupert laughed and said 'you have messed up our snow!'.

[Liz]

You can see them from Rupert's room and there are lots of red and yellow/gold birds feeding there. Tiny like Blue Tits but obiously a different colour.



Sounds like you've been watching goldfinches Adrian - beautiful birds

[Kath Mulligan]

Has anyone else watched Snowwatch on BBC2 tonight with the Autumnwatch team? It was fascinating to see Simon following and explaining all the animal and bird tracks in the snow in his paddock. Interesting too to hear a completely different viewpoint about putting out water for birds to bathe in as well as to drink. I was thinking about Sybille's remark about the dangers of the bird's feathers freezing if they bathed but the comments in tonight's programme said that wouldn't be a problem.

Elizabeth and I were having a giggle at the end of the programme when there was a short clip showing two foxes mating. She remarked that she wondered how many parents were now having to hurriedly explain to their children what they were doing! We came up with playing leap frog as a reasonable answer!!

Oh, those poor little lambs, how on earth can something so tiny and frail-looking survive these bitter conditions. Loved the section of Kate at Slimbridge too with those two swans. How tame and trusting were they? I just loved that shot of the adult swan leaning her head against the warden's knee while he stroked her neck.

Kath

[Linda]

would agree that they sound like Goldfinches...beautiful birds.so regal looking

[adesmith]

Just off to bed with my bird book so I am going to look up Goldfinches - will let you know if that is what we have seen.

[gloria townsin]

Yes I saw Snow watch..........and I agree it was an entirely different view on how animals and birds survive the winter, very interesting. It's amazing how quickly baby lambs are standing and running round the field after birth. Very neccessary.

Adrian you've had quite a day.......falling down the steps and burnt hair!!

[jane jackson]

Oh, I missed Snow watch ~ had seen a trailer but forgot. In fact I was in bed by 10pm even before Bryan which is virtually unheard of as I seem to have caught his cold/cough which meant I didn't feel too good. We'd been watching the recording of the New Years Day Concert from Vienna.

My friend Penny in Berkhamsted is going on a walk tomorrow learning about trackings birds and animals so she's hoping the snow stays!

[Liz]

I missed it too Jane - just caught the last three minutes - hopefully they'll repeat it?

[jane jackson]

I've just watched it on bbc i player Liz so you could do that. Thanks Kath for mentioning it, it was really good. The Live Lambing programme in March looks interesting too ~ I can have the joy without the responsibilty! Having ewes and lambs inside and bottle feeding triplets with the snow falling ~ wonderful!

[gloria townsin]

Heavy rain in the night has taken quite a bit of snow with it - the bin men cometh and now the road is a sea of heavy slush!! Hope there is enough snow in Berko for your friend's tracking.

[Liz]

I've just watched it on bbc i player Liz so you could do that.

Thanks for the reminder Jane - just watched it - wonderful, I do like the presenters on there. I was quite worried when Bill left last year and thought the prog couldn't possibly be as good but I've been proved wrong. And Kate - she's just lovely!

They all had a very positive approach to the snow which was good to see and here.

[Kath Mulligan]

Glad you managed to catch up with Snow Watch on iplayer, Jane and Liz, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love the presenters too, have always liked Kate and used to feel a bit sorry for her when she was with Bill Oddie if he was in one of his grumpier moods, but she and Chris Packham make an excellent presenting team, and as for Simon King - well, I could watch him with animals for hours on end. His knowledge, passion and sheer love of his job never fails to lift my spirits.

Gloria, glad your bin men have binneth, ours have yet to put in an appearance. There was an apology from the Council in our local paper today asking people to be patient, but it is getting a bit silly now. Our cardboard bin is full to overflowing after six weeks, and there is lots more waiting to go in there that we just can't squash in, and our black general waste bin is now rather full too after three weeks unemptied. They can't use the excuse that the men have been used on snow gritting and ploughing duties, since they have contracted out the bin collections to a private company.

Kath

[Janet Swan]

I watched 'Snow Watch' too - such a lovely programme, quite beautiful in parts. I still find it hard to accept that, according to Chris Packham, it is almost OK for so many birds to die in severe weather, because those remaining will breed and numbers will recover eventually. Being a softy, I see all creatures as individuals and feel great sorrow to think of each and everyone suffering before they die.

On a cheerier note (!), Bill Oddie was on TV yesterday on 'The Alan Titchmarsh Show'. He was there to give advice about feeding birds in Winter and also about putting up nesting boxes as shelter for them. He did seem rather nervous and kept rubbing his face, and I sensed that Alan was gently guiding him along, but it was good to see him again after his long illness.

Janet

[Sybille Weber]

Has anyone else watched Snowwatch on BBC2 tonight with the Autumnwatch team? It was fascinating to see Simon following and explaining all the animal and bird tracks in the snow in his paddock. Interesting too to hear a completely different viewpoint about putting out water for birds to bathe in as well as to drink. I was thinking about Sybille's remark about the dangers of the bird's feathers freezing if they bathed but the comments in tonight's programme said that wouldn't be a problem...........Kath

This is interesting, Kath. Over here people are usually asked not to put out water for birds when it's freezing, but then this doesn't seem the only difference as far as the opinions of British and German nature protection societies are concerned. Over here it is for instance generally assumed to be wrong to feed the birds all year round, and I think even our NABU (Society for the Protection of Nature) think so, while the RSPB says it has been found that bird populations are much healthier where they are fed all year round and that birds that were threatened from extinction have increased in number again due to year round feeding. So what are we to do?
People here say it's not natural to feed birds all year as birds would prefer the easy way and forget how to find their own food, yet from my experience I can't say that. We provide food for the birds all year round. So if they really went for the easy way we would have large numbers of birds coming to feed here all year round. Yet the difference between summer and winter is considerable. We have a far smaller number of birds coming in summer but in winter they are coming in their hundreds and are gone again once they can find enough food in nature again, food which obviously tastes better, and it may be in the birds' genes, too, to know what they require. To me it does seem birds only go to the feeding tables when they really need to, and these are two main periods in the year, namely the cold winter months and when they have their young ones, and there also tend to be a few more birds coming here during bad weather conditions in all seasons, at least that's what we have observed here.
The idea behind not feeding the birds all year round probably is that nature will support them, but with man depriving birds more and more of their natural habitat this is not always possible anymore. So I think it's also our responsibility to care for them in the ever changing surroundings. I therefore tend to support the RSPB's point of view.
Maybe it's the same with the water, and the viewpoint of our nature protection societies is an old-fashioned one. Perhaps I will try to put out a few tiny bowls to start with, but with all that snow still around and a lot of it melting away, too, it won't be necessary at the moment I suppose.

[Sybille Weber]

............... I still find it hard to accept that, according to Chris Packham, it is almost OK for so many birds to die in severe weather, because those remaining will breed and numbers will recover eventually. Being a softy, I see all creatures as individuals and feel great sorrow to think of each and everyone suffering before they die.......Janet

I certainly know how you feel, Janet as I'm just like that.

[gloria townsin]

Gloria, glad your bin men have binneth

Kath

;););)
They emptied the green bins which are our general rubbish..........and left the brown bins which is the peelings/food/greenstuff re-cycling as it wasn't their week any longer, we hadn't got the re-cycle boxes out thinking, hoping, they would empty the brown ones but no!! So now our brown bin will have four weeks of waste by the time it's emptied next week and our boxes have another two weeks to go .... hey ho!! The postman arrived today and the amount of post he stuffed through the door told me that it wasn't all one day's post.

As far as feeding the birds all year, if, as you've noticed Sybille, they don't hang around once the weather improves then I don't see how you can be doing the wrong thing. As you say a lot of their natural habitat has been taken from them so until proved otherwise - carry on feeding them throughout, I'd say. I think natural loss is hard to take but that's because we put a human aspect on it, in the animal/bird world it is perfectly natural. There has been a lot of debate recently about culling puppies, i.e. if there are a large number in a litter or sick pups. For me I would find this completely unnaceptable........don't breed if you aren't prepared to look after them once they are born. I have bred very few litters and on a couple of occasions have had a sick puppy among them. I've nursed these pups and had veterinary treatment and if in the end the puppy has died I could at least feel I had done my best. To cull healthy puppies though I just couldn't do, but that is often what happened in the old days - perhaps it's why breeds stayed healthier, certainly it helped fix breed points. Not something I could or would do though. Better not to breed in the first place than to face such a problem.

[Kath Mulligan]

I usually only feed our birds during the winter months unless there is an exceptionally cold Spring. I certainly don't put out peanuts once the birds are raising their young since I have read that parent birds can choke their chicks to death by feeding them nuts. With having a pretty overgrown and wild henpen just over the hedge at the bottom of our garden, there is usually plenty of natural food in the form of grubs and insects available, so they don't need my help then.

Have seen a pair of blue tits going in and out of the nestbox outside the kitchen over the past couple of weeks. Since it is obviously too early for them to be thinking of nesting and laying, they must be using it as shelter from the weather which I am very pleased about. Hope they decide it is a des. res. and go on to raise a family there later in the year.

Kath

[adesmith]

Looked in my book last night and they were Goldfinches.

My Dad bought Rachel and I some garden vouchers for Christmas and I was wondering whether to put them towards one of those feeding stations. We have a big window in the sitting room with a flower bed just outside (across a strip of concrete path) and I thought we could stick it in the flower bed there and watch the birds from the sofa. If it didnt work there we could move it to the back garden but you cant see as well from the back of the house. You dont have to spend gardening vouchers just on plants do you?

[Sybille Weber]

........... I certainly don't put out peanuts once the birds are raising their young since I have read that parent birds can choke their chicks to death by feeding them nuts.........Kath

That's what I have read, too, Kath, although my mother used to refill the peanut feeders also when the birds were raising their young, and our observation then was that the parent birds which brought their young ones to our balcony had nuts themselves but fed the soft rolled oats in fat to their young ones. So they do seem to be quite clever. Still I think it's better not to run a risk and do away with the peanuts at that time of year.

[Liz]

Looked in my book last night and they were Goldfinches.

My Dad bought Rachel and I some garden vouchers for Christmas and I was wondering whether to put them towards one of those feeding stations. We have a big window in the sitting room with a flower bed just outside (across a strip of concrete path) and I thought we could stick it in the flower bed there and watch the birds from the sofa. If it didnt work there we could move it to the back garden but you cant see as well from the back of the house. You dont have to spend gardening vouchers just on plants do you?

I think that would be a wonderful way to spend your vouchers Adrian - not only helping the birds but also providing a source of endless pleasure for the family, Rupert will love it and will learn the names of the different species in no time.

I often think its more interesting than watching television !

[Gill Bilcliffe]

I don't feed the birds either in Spring for fear of the babies being feed large pieces of foods that they cannot digest. My bird table is still quite full after yesterday's quota of food was supplied so I guess the birds are finding their own sources now there isn't any snow. Even the wood pidgeons who have permanent residence in the trees have abandoned the table after claiming it as their own throughout the snowy weather.

I do know of a sheltered housing association who has requested recently the residents not to feed the wildlife as to do so will encourage rats. I presume this regards throwing food out onto the earth and not hanging feeders ~ I hope so.
A rat is considered to be vermin but he still to eat too!

Regards & belated Happy New Year to all
Gilly

[jane jackson]

I should think it's mainly to do with feeding on the ground Gilly as regards rats. On TV recently they said not to continue feeding on the ground continuously after the snow and ice has gone as the rats might become used to the food being there. I don't imagine a rat could climb up on to even a wooden bird table. Rats don't climb trees do they otherwise we'd surely see them like squirrels?

Kath, have you got your rodent problem sorted yet?

[gloria townsin]

Our local birds must be very well fed as they haven't touched what I put out for them. My reasons for not feeding on the ground are mainly vermin and also because I have two little girls who would delight in eating what they shouldn't in preference to what they should!!

[Kath Mulligan]

I am cautiously optimistic that we may just have cracked our rat problem, Jane. Last night, for the first time, we didn't hear any signs of activity from them, so fingers crossed they have finally found the bait and had their feast. If they have I am really, really hoping they have gone outside somewhere to die! Don't fancy having to deal with smelly corpses.

The pest control people told us last time to stop putting seed on the ground for the birds as that would attract the rats, so I now only put out fat balls on the bird table and some mealworms, plus peanuts in the hanging feeders. I would prefer to be able to put some on the ground as well for the robin, but much as I love the little chap, I don't want to do anything to further encourage the rats to seek shelter in my house!!

Last year the squirrels were a bit of a pest, stealing almost everything I put out on the table, but this year I have not seen them in the garden at all - someone else's table must have better offerings than mine!

Kath

[Liz]

Last year the squirrels were a bit of a pest, stealing almost everything I put out on the table, but this year I have not seen them in the garden at all - someone else's table must have better offerings than mine!

Kath


Strange about the squirrels Kath, we haven't seen them around for quite some time, last year they were real pests on the bird table.

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that there was a virus around that was affecting grey squirrels, so maybe that's why we haven't seen any.

Our local pub - which has an excellent reputation for food - put grey squirrel on the menu a couple of years ago, apparently it was quite delicious, braised slowly in wine with wild mushrooms............ I wasn't tempted. :bad:

[jane jackson]

Nor would I be Liz!

I've put some food down on the grass for the birds behind some sheep hurdles which we're using to cordon off a muddy area so our dogs can't get to it. The pair of magpies have been down pecking but the smaller birds might not wish to land so low.

[jane jackson]

I am cautiously optimistic that we may just have cracked our rat problem, Jane.,

Kath

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you Kath.

[Gill Bilcliffe]

A friend thought what he spotted sitting on his bird station to be a squirrel. On closer inspection it was a rat! How did the rat manage to climb to the top shimming up a metal pole to get to the bird food? A case of where there is a will there's a way!


Be kind ~ everyone you meet
is fighting a hard battle
John Watson

[Liz]

A few years back some friends (fresh from the city) bought a cottage to renovate - we were helping them. There was a very old chicken run in the garden. They excitedly told us one morning that they had been feeding some grey squirrels which were in the hawthorn trees outside. John and I went to look - you've guessed, large rats!

They must have been rather hungry after the last occupants left, taking their chickens and feed with them , and had been reduced to foraging for berries! When we pointed out to our friends that these fury creatures had thin, skinny tails rather than grey bushy ones they were horrified - their first taste of country living. :)

It seems that rats will eat a diverse range of food, pretty well anything that's edible and are clever enough to work out how to find it, even if it means climbing trees - hence their success.

[Kath Mulligan]

It's not that there is a shortage of grey squirrels around us, Liz, there are lots of them in the park just down the road, but they don't seem to have been in our garden recently. Maybe I upset them when I had it all stripped out last summer!

I have never seen squirrel on a menu and wouldn't be sampling it if I had. There is a wholesale butcher near here who used to advertise some of their specialities as kangaroo and edible dormice! My brother tried a taster of kangaroo and said it was tough and like eating shoe leather! Neither of us could be tempted by the dormice. At the local Farmers' Market in Buxton there is a butcher who breeds and sells the meat from water buffalo, supposed to taste like venison, but have never tried it.

Kath

[gloria townsin]

That is one of the problems with rats they will eat anything.......furniture, wood, wallpaper .... anything!! They are great at surviving. Having said that I do hope your's have gone on their way to the ratty heaven Kath.
I haven't seen that many squirrels either come to think of it, we used to always be seeing them in our last garden. I hope the birdies have survived at Bryher and the sparrow hawk hasn't benefitted from weary little birds, remembering the dove in the summer.

[adesmith]

Liz your story about the squirrels that turned out to be rats sent a shiver down my spine! I am sure that we must have lots of rats living as close as we do to the river but i would rather not think about it.

Well we had a little outing to the garden centre and bought a feeding station for the birds. There were lots to choose from but there was one lot which for some reason were only half price so we got it for £12.50! Its got 3 feeding arms, a bird bath and a mesh feeding tray. Included with it was a peanut feeder and a seed feader. We bought a fat ball feeder for the extra arm. Rupert and I have put it together and it is now in front of the sitting room window. If it is a success there the flowers etc should grow up around it. There are no shrubs close enough or tall enough that would bare the weight of a cat. Cant wait to see if the birds find it and what kind it may attract.

[gloria townsin]

That's a good price Adrian, hope you have lots of visitors of the feathered variety.

[Kath Mulligan]

Good luck with your feeder Adrian, it will be a great nature lesson for Rupert once the birds get used to it.

Kath

[Liz]

Pleased you found a feeder Adrian - watching all the visitors will be source of pleasure for you all.

Have you thought about a nest box? A blue tit box is probably the best to go for, you'll have hours of fun watching them. If you decide to get one now is the time to do it as blue tits start to look for a nest site from February, also there'll probably be one in the sales at the local garden centre at the moment.

We've had a box on the side of John's office for the last 5 years and its been occupied every year. The best year's count of fledglings was 9 but one year there were only 3. I am very tempted to get a camera to go inside, linked to John's computer so we could see what was going on - although I suspect that the price might be somewhat of a put off, must check ebay...

I also wonder if John would ever get any work done and if we'd spend sleepless nights worrying because one of the little bundles of feathers looked a bit sick ..... :(

[jane jackson]

That sounds great Adrian, hope you all enjoy watching the birds.

I've had to log in again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sybille Weber]

Hope your feeder will be a success, Adrian. I look forward to your bird watching reports!

Jane, sorry to hear about your log in problems. Hope Jeff can sort this out for you soon.

[Sybille Weber]

.........I also wonder if John would ever get any work done and if we'd spend sleepless nights worrying because one of the little bundles of feathers looked a bit sick ..... :(

A camera would really be a great idea, although I'm sure I would worry at the slightest hint that something might be wrong.
Rolf and my parents only know this too well, as I always seem to worry about one or the other of our feathered visitors if they look a bit sick or keep sitting in a tree longer than usual which might be a sign that they are unwell. Everyone keeps telling me I'm worrying far too much about animals. I guess I'm hopeless there.

[Janet Swan]

Everyone keeps telling me I'm worrying far too much about animals. I guess I'm hopeless there.

You are not alone in this, Sybille, I'm hopeless too!

Janet

[jane jackson]

Jane, sorry to hear about your log in problems. Hope Jeff can sort this out for you soon.

All sorted now thank you Sybille ~ Jeff has waved his magic wand. Hope Gloria can get her laptop sorted too and anyone else who had a problem.

[Linda]

A camera would really be a great idea, although I'm sure I would worry at the slightest hint that something might be wrong.
Rolf and my parents only know this too well, as I always seem to worry about one or the other of our feathered visitors if they look a bit sick or keep sitting in a tree longer than usual which might be a sign that they are unwell. Everyone keeps telling me I'm worrying far too much about animals. I guess I'm hopeless there.

Oh! Sybille, you are definitely not alone..I am always been told I feel too deeply about the animals and whether they are well or not.

[adesmith]

I think a camera would be a great idea Liz but I think I would worry too. I am bad enough with my plants let alone animals! I think I will look out for a nesting box though.

No luck with spotting birds feeding on the feeding station yet. I guess that it might take a couple of days. We do see birds in the front garden but it might take them a little while to find it.

[gloria townsin]

Had a Jay in the garden eating some Christmas Cake crumbs, marzipan and icing included. Robin yesterday and still the same Blackbird, but that's all not lots of birds.

[jane jackson]

This morning we fixed up our brand new bird feeding station so hopefully we'll see a few visitors attracted to it. Also hopefully the cats wont hang around too near it. Adrian, are your garden birds feeding from your feeders regularly? At least the Herring Gulls will be too heavy and haven't got the right sort of feet to attach themselves.

[adesmith]

No Jane we havent hadnt any birds that we have seen yet and none of the fresh food has been taken.

:( :( :(

I did read somewhere on the Internet that it can take a few weeks for the birds to find the food so I dont know how long to leave the feeding station where it is (it will be 2 weeks on Saturday). I dont really want to move it to the back garden because I am not sure where I would be able to dig it into the ground and we wouldnt be able to see it as well.

Hope that you have some luck with your new feeding station.

I wonder if anyone can suggest a possible identity for some birds that live on or around the river opposite. They fly in a flock and sweep around low over the water, darting around at some speed. They are quite small. I know its a bit vague but I dont know where to start looking in the bird book. I guess they could be coastal birds or river birds because the river is tidal. I think they are more likely to be sea/estuary birds though.

Another bird question/observation. I always thought that herons were pretty much solitary birds but for a few months now there has been a group of them living on the far river bank (at least hanging around on the far river bank). There was at one point about five of them but now there are regularly three. I usually see them at the weekend because it tends to be dark when I get home from work.

[jane jackson]

Could they be Sanderlings Adrian? Theyare supposed to like the sandy beaches according to my book but we see them at Long Rock and Porth Kidney where they do sweep low over the sea but also on the sand they run very fast. They don't land on the sea like the gulls which is why I don't like the dogs chasing them.

[gloria townsin]

There's a garden bird watch this weekend I read, organised by the RSPB. You can either tell them about birds in your garden or in a local park.

I've had similar problems feeding the birds Adrian, not sure why they seem to take little interest in food I put out, I think just keep trying.

[adesmith]

I think that I might leave the feeding station for a bit longer in the front garden. There are birds out the front because we both see them and hear them. May be I will give it another week or so.

I think that these birds are a bit small for Sanderlings Jane. We have seen them at Marazion. I am going to have to have a walk down to the river and see if they are around. I will have a flick through my bird book.

[adesmith]

I opened the curtains this morning and it was high tide on the river, right up to the top. Two of the herons were there and then sure enough the mystery birds flew up, darting and dipping down low. I wasnt quite quick enough with my binoculars but I did notice that they are sort of dark on top and white underneath. I tried to look on the RSPB website to see if they have an identification tool but it wouldnt open - I think as Gloria said there is a national bird watch so maybe it is too busy.

Anyway I was just talking and playing with Rupert in his room and I caught sight of a beautiful big Robin in the ladies garden behind ours. I wish he would fly into our front garden. May be the gadern is too open and they like the trees and bushes in the back gardens?

[jane jackson]

We had a Herring Gull taking the bread from the tray on our feeder ~ not what we want!!!!!!! At least it wont be able to get the seeds and nuts but am not sure if it would put off the smaller birds, we'll have to wait and see. Perhaps I should stop putting bread out.

[Sybille Weber]

..........and then sure enough the mystery birds flew up, darting and dipping down low. I wasnt quite quick enough with my binoculars but I did notice that they are sort of dark on top and white underneath.........

...... and I caught sight of a beautiful big Robin in the ladies garden behind ours. I wish he would fly into our front garden. May be the gadern is too open and they like the trees and bushes in the back gardens?

Adrian, this reminds me of our holiday last autumn when we were watching birds in the mud flats by the Northsea coast in Germany. They looked as you describe them above but probably somewhat bigger, and they appeared in flights of huge numbers. One moment they would fly high up above the water, next moment they would fly deep down below just above water level. It was really wonderful to watch the display as the whole flight of birds would one moment appear all black, then the next it would be all white, depending on their movements. It was really amazing that all birds seemed to make exactly the same movements at the same time so that either the black side was visible or the white side. They were too far out in the mud flats though to recognize what exactly they were. Immediately on the shore there were avocets and oyster catchers walking about, but I don't think it would have been any of those. Your observations sound very interesting. Would be lovely if you found out what kind of birds they were.

As to the robin - yes, You may be right. I have noticed in the garden and on our balcony over here that smaller birds generally prefer the safety of trees and bushes, probably to protect them from any bird of prey that might be around. On the balcony we have a little tree in a pot, and the birds prefer to feed under that tree rather than somewhere else on the balcony, although they don't like to take their food under the adjacent table which is plasced immediately next to a wall giving the impression of a closed room on one side.
It probably has to be something protected from above but open on all sides to guarantee safety from above and at the same time a quick escape in each direction if need be. - At least, that's my impression.

[Janet Swan]

Two thoughts about Adrian's mysterious birds - could they actually be Dippers (I've only seen them in Derbyshire) or Turnstone (seen in St Ives waiting for the tide to come in)?

I'm not doing the RSPB Bird Watch this year, 'cause in previous years I've seen almost nothing in my garden during the hour I chose, but lots of different varieties the day before or the day after! The temptation to cheat was great!

Janet

[adesmith]

Thanks both. The way that you described the birds that you saw Sybille, black then white when flying sounds familiar. Janet I did the RSPB identifyer thingy and Turnstones came up. I am not certain that they are what we have been seeing but on the webpage it had a 'similar bird' suggestion which is a Ringed Plover. It looks like what we have seen and it also says that they live inland now. we are a few miles up the Usk from the Severn Estuary. I really am going to have to have a wander down and have a look with my binoculars. Only takes 10 minutes or so to walk around on the footpath (you cant walk straight down from our house - you have to walk along and then back on yourself) but its just finding a bit of time during daylight hours to do it. Anyway thanks for your help.

I will have to have a think about the feeding station and if nothing happens soon I will see about moving it to the back.

[nashie]

Adrian - from the the flight patterns of your mystery birds, they sound like Dunlin to me. I've seen quite large flocks of them at Marazion. There are also large numbers of Knot around, which are a bit bigger than Dunlin, but also feed in very large groups.

[gloria townsin]

From yesterday you can go to the RSPB site and download the bird watch form, so might be a good idea if you get plenty of birds in the garden. Eddie saw the Jay again yesterday, but on the whole we have two blackbirds, a couple of pigeons and the Robin.

[adesmith]

Thanks John, I shall have to look Dunlin up. I still havent made it down to the river but maybe at the weekend I will get a chance. It was a very high tide yesterday and the river went over the top and flooded the fields. Its the first time that we have seen that since we have lived in this house. Made us think how precarious it is for the posh houses built down on the flood plain. If a tide like that coincided with wet weather!

[jane jackson]

Any more luck Adrian with your bird feeding? I haven't seen any activity on ours yet. This morning one of our jackdaws snapped off a twig from the dead elm tree and flew off with it so perhaps nest building is in progress. It's back on the branch now but just cawing a lot!

[adesmith]

No nothing. Its three weeks now and so we are considering going to buy a stand for the feeding station so that we can put it in the back garden. They are quite expensive though but we are going to go and have a look this afternoon. In an hour or two the whole of Wales will fall silent, the roads will be deserted and the shops empty. Not being a rugby (or even sport generally) fan its a great time to go shopping so its going to be Blooms Garden Centre and then IKEA. Will let you know if we move it and if we have any success.

[Linda]

Adrian , Have i missed something here...why will the whole of Wales fall silent? says this bear of little brain :confused:...

[Kath Mulligan]

Think Wales and England are playing each other at rugby this afternoon, Linda, suspect that might be the reason!

Kath

[Linda]

aarh!.......should have realised! :)
Thanks Kath

[jane jackson]

Our main telly has been taken over by Bryan watching Rugby back to back with another match tomorrow and for the nest 5 weekends!

[gloria townsin]

If Ikea is empty then I will be amazed!! The store Eddie hates to visit.........our branch is just outside London and on our one and only trip to it we had to park so far away it was a good job we came out empty handed having fought our way round. The Milton Keynes branch is a lot easier for parking and wandering round in, but he still isn't keen on it. Think they arranged a coach trip to Ikea from Mullion last year.........

[Gill Bilcliffe]

IKEA! My favourite store how I love a visit there. Unfortunately the biggest drawback in moving to Norwich for me is being hundred miles away from my nearest Ikea. An unwilling husband to accompany me doesn't help either but deposit him in the cafe and he soon cheers up.

One must be sure of their purchases though as I bought a rug which was very nice but not right for our room. This resulted in us having to drive back the next day ~ another 200 miles in total for a refund! Now I why I don't get to Ikea much these days.

To go to Ikea when the store is empty is bliss which I believe happened on one of our visits!!

Gilly

[adesmith]

Sorry Linda but yes it is rugby. You have to be here to believe it and it still surprises me after living here for over 15 years. We left a little early so the garden centre and IKEA was a bit busy when we arrived. As we left at IKEA at 4.15pm (kick off was at 5pm) there was no one in front of us in the queue and our car was one of about 4 in the outside bit of the carpark. The motorway was pretty empty as well. The nation (as in Wales) really does come to a stand still for the rugby and even more so if they are playing England. It does sometimes become a little unpleasant because as someone told me at work yesterday that for that hour and a half he is racist and hates the English. I just think its a good time to go shopping!

Anyway back to the feeding station. The only stand that they had at Blooms was one for a different make. The sales assistant said that he thought it would be okay but I have just tried it and it isnt secure enough, its too wobbly. The assistant said that we could take it back if we needed to. However where I was planning on standing it there is a couple of inches strip of earth (covered with stones) against a trellis and the end of the patio. I have pushed the feeding station in there and it went in perfectly. My only concern is that cats could creep along the trellis but I have moved everything to the top of the pole and I think they could be high enough. The other good thing is that you can see it from the dining room and Rupert's bedroom window. We will return the stand and see how we get on with it pushed into the ground where it is. Hoping to see a few birds now. What a saga!

[adesmith]

A trip to IKEA used to be a real treat for us Gilly. We used to have to go to the one in Bristol which actually is no further than the one in Cardiff but we had to cross the bridge which made it feel like it was a long way away! Now there is the one in Cardiff we take it for granted and just call in to get tea lights and candles etc whenever we feel like it. Its actually really close to where I work. When we are dashing round picking up what we want you are always aware of people that have obviously travelled along way to get there (the different varieties of Welsh accent give it away).

[Linda]

Now thats interesting Adrian as you dont always think there will be a different accent and yet as in England there are numerous. I found that the further north I go in Scotland the accent becomes softer whereas here in Ayrshire its more guttural and harder on my soft English ear. Having lived in Wales from the age of 4 to 10 I love the Welsh accent and guess thats because it was my 'most formative years'.

As to Ikea etc I really enjoy going round ours in Glasgow and the car park is just huge!!! I must admit we are lucky living here for after a ferry trip of an hour its actually only a half hour drive to Glasgow and then we have every shop conceivable..IKea, Costco,Makro, huge Tesco's open 24 hours, several shopping centres with all the usual stores. All within the Glasgow area so no real distance to travel.

Ikea does shopping on line and yes I know we all rpefer to 'see' the items but have you thought of doing that? You could then return it as easily?? I do like textiles from Ikea they are very hard wearing and value for money. I am not so keen on the furniture as I find it a bit 'throw away'...not well made.Although I do like the look of some of it.

[adesmith]

Yes there are lots of different Welsh accents and at school the other day a Welsh teacher was telling me that there are different Welsh words in different parts of Wales. I cant place all of the accents but even in the fairly small area of South East Wales there are several accents, Cardiff, Newport and of course the valleys.

As to IKEA again you are right about the furniture. We have quite a lot of it and I certainly dont think it is the kind of stuff you pass on through the family! Affordable but as you say a bit throw away. I did say to Rachel the other day that it would be nice to collect together a few items of older and more solid furniture.

[jane jackson]

I've never been to Ikea!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Adrian, have fun with your" racist" colleague on monday 'cos ENGLAND WON ! The match was still going while we were having our dinner which is why I saw it.

Again back to the birds ~ Bryan thought he saw a greenfinch trying out the bird feeder a few days ago, then late this afternoon I caught a glimpse of a bird perching very briefly on the seed holder ~ very briefly indeed so I'm not certain what is was but could have been a greenfinch. Hopefully it may return if it becomes more courageous or perhaps just hungry. Good luck with the new position of your feeder Adrian.

[Sybille Weber]

We used to have an IKEA shop in a shopping precinct outside a small town about 45 minutes' drive north of Essen, and we always enjoyed going there, especially as there was some nice countryside around there with castles and gardens, so it was always a nice day out. This IKEA shop was, however, closed about ten years ago when they opened a new and bigger one here at Essen, just 10 minutes' drive away. We like to go there, too, but although it's almost 'round the corner we haven't been as often as when IKEA was still out in the country. We do have most of our furniture from there though as we just prefer the look of them to most other more expensive furniture. My sister Anette and her husband Gregor who moved to a bigger flat recently bought most of their new furniture from IKEA, too, and they are very pleased with everything so far. However, they also bought a cupboard for their sitting-room in another rather expensive shop. Anette had seen it advertized and liked it so much that she and Gregor decided to invest the rather high amount. When it was at last delivered after four months, they found it was poor quality and damaged so that it had to be returned. After several weeks of waiting the replacement has now arrived with even more damaged spots! But, no problems at all with all the IKEA furniture. (If I come to think of it - perhaps FOMS should by now ask IKEA for an advertizing commission. :haha: )

Adrian, I do hope birds will soon discover your feeding station. We rather have the problem that too many birds are coming, although now that it is getting a little milder, the number of birds coming to our balcony is also decreasing. They obviously prefer what nature provides for them wherever possible.

[Gill Bilcliffe]

From my own experience of Ikea furniture I always been pleased with the items purchased. We bought bedroom furniture of which six years on is still as good as new and sturdy. Having spent many years with old pine furniture and appreciating the qualities and individuality of the items it is nice to have a complete change over to Ikea.

I have considered buying online from Ikea but it does seem quite expensive for delivery if an item is just over a certain weight. But to me part of the joy is a day out at the Ikea experience. You are so lucky Adrian to have an Ikea around the corner. But then others may consider I am lucky to be within walking distance of John Lewis.

Back to garden birds. The bird table we introduced a month ago is refilled at least twice a day! When when the pigeons arrive they soon clear it! I have seen a jay hanging on a peanut feeder and he managed to feed despite his size. There are blackbirds robins sparrows great & blue tits and others that I need to study more carefully. Thankfully Katy does not attempt to catch or chase the birds and I presume that is why they are feeding in my garden. Well done Kate!

[Linda]

We have several feeding stations around the garden with a variety of peanuts or seeds including sunflower seeds...which is fun to watch as the birds pick out all the seeds to get to the sunflowers! We are filling the feeders every couple of days at present and Jeff has started a new feeding station on top of the stable as this a place where the brids can feed safely without threat from the cats. Although having said that they are now in competition with the crows that sit in an Ash tree about fifty feet away.

Re Ikea furniture..OH dear I did put my foot in ..well both actually! Sorry to everyone!....I said that though because we bought several pieces about seven years ago and each piece has fallen apart, backs have come off, drawers fronts have split....
...........yet having said this! we are actually contemplating buying the wardrobe cases in order to try and make some wardrobes in our bedroom and then Jeff can make the fronts in whatever design we like and from real wood.

[Linda]

re advertising...its actually not a bad idea although I know we dont want to become commerically orientated on the website etc....it would if we had enough hits and people clicking on the adverts be able to make a few pennies or more for FOMS.... :)

[gloria townsin]

I'm a real John Lewis fan - don't know what I'll do without it once in Cornwall, will have to order via the net I guess. J.L. and M&S are my stores of choice and that's not good on the pocket!! But over the years I've discovered that clothing or whatever from M&S lasts and lasts in the end you throw it out or send to charity. When the boys were little I passed down their clothes gradually making them play-clothes and still they didn't wear out, stretch, shrink, fade etc. And J.L. will always oblige with price comparisons which I've used a few times and they always do as they say and refund any difference even web prices. The only probs. I've ever had with them is in their curtain making....we had an enormous room in our last house, way too much for me to make the curtains and we went back to J.L. because there were few places to go, even though the previous curtains they made didn't come up to expectations and sad to say the same happened again. But in over 40 years that's all they have let us down on.
Personally I like Ikea.......love the browsing and the kitchen paraphenalia and our bookcases here are Ikea and they work well. Jeff has some Ikea he bought with Nina and they are fans - I think you have to pick and choose what you buy. Eddie's dislike of the Wembley one is due to the parking problems and the amount of people jostling around......

[Janet Swan]

[QUOTE=jane jackson;50812]I've never been to Ikea!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Adrian, have fun with your" racist" colleague on monday 'cos ENGLAND WON ! QUOTE]

Not only have I never been to Ikea, I never watch rugby either - I feel quite left out now!

Janet

[Kath Mulligan]

[QUOTE=jane jackson;50812]I've never been to Ikea!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Adrian, have fun with your" racist" colleague on monday 'cos ENGLAND WON ! QUOTE]

Not only have I never been to Ikea, I never watch rugby either - I feel quite left out now!

Janet

That makes two of us, Janet. I don't watch rugby if I can help it, and have never set foot inside an Ikea.

Kath

[Linda]

Gloria
I love John Lewis..a trip to the store in Glasgow is just an amazing experience. You are treated so well and they are just so helpful both in store and online. Even Jeff agrees with this and he is definitely not a shopper! They are also not always as expensive as one would think...in fact I have often found items that are better quality and cheaper and as you say they will honour price comparisons. Sorry this about birds not shopping...stop me please!

Today we saw, sparrows, coal tit, chaffinch, siskins, goldfinch, greenfinch, blackbird, robin, wrens...

[gloria townsin]

The Jay popped onto the fence today and the Robin stayed for a bit as well. We see far more birds at Bryher though, think it must be our small and rather sheltered garden here.

No Rugby fan me either.....but oddly I've had an e-mail from my friend in Spain to say that at 4pm in Watford (so only about 5 mins from me) her 9 year old grandson was walking out on pitch with the Saracens who were playing Watford today. It's supposed to be on Sky TV which we don't have so hope it all went well for Morgan.

We do wander don't we? But I love the conversational feel it gives, I'm a real conversational butterfly, usually end up miles from where I started!!

[adesmith]

Success!!! When we got back from church we noticed that some of the cheese, apple and raisins had been eaten from the feeding station. There was also some seeds from the feeder on the floor which suggests that something was having a peck around (unless the wind caught it). So we have yet to see any birds take food but at least they have found it.

We went for a walk down to the river as well. It was very muddy after the river went over the top earlier in the week and there was lots of debris. I went armed with my binoculars but there was no sign of the mystery birds. However we saw the Heron family. One of them was on his/her own at the waters edge and then further along on the opposite bank there were four standing in the field - at least they were until Rupert arrived! What I did enjoy was watching some Cormorants (about 3 of them) splashing around and diving under the water. One of them came up with an eel and was wrestling with it until it slipped down its beak in one!

Janet and Kath, I cannot recommend the rugby. Although its one of the few sports I could watch, I am not really interested and thats why we take the opportunity for some more peaceful shopping! Trouble is in Wales you cant avoid it. I can recommend IKEA though (and to you Jane) as it is quite an experience when you first go. Be careful though. We took my dad and step-mother a few months ago and my step-mother got lost! We searched the store but she had made her way back to the car. She was a bit cross when we found her almost an hour later! Linda you didnt put your foot/feet in it! I know exactly what you mean. Some of the stuff that they sell is very flimsy and we have had things that havent been great. I made the observation to Rachel once that it seemed the more expensive the furniture is in IKEA the worse the quality! We had a sofa from there once that had to be returned five times! As for John Lewis well we quite like it in there as well! As with IKEA, Bristol was the only local John Lewis the one at Cribbs Causeway. Now though we also have it in the new St Davids 2 shopping centre in Cardiff. We have called in a couple of times but we dont tend to shop a lot in Cardiff city centre.

[adesmith]

Where is the nearest IKEA to Cornwall? The apartment that we stayed in last February was furnished with IKEA items.

[Linda]

It was the Leksvik range, seven drawer chest and TV cabinet. We got bedside table which are fine. The bookcase is fine too I just dont like the joins you can see at the front edges which I didnt notice in the store. I think Gloria is right guess you need to look carefully at what you get. I have several rugs which I love and they are doing so well given we have all the mud, cats and previously dog running over...a set of white duvet covers and pillow cases which I adore, so hardwearing , have stayed lovely and white and easy to put on too! See now what a twit I am! Such a throw away comment and now as I think about it...so no Adrian I did put both feet it and 'mouth' was not in gear!! :) The nearest Ikea seems to be Bristol for Cornwall. After that it looks like Cardiff, Birmingham, Southampton....

What i forgot to post here on Wednesday was that I was in Lamlash for a meeting and as parked the car and walked across the car park at the High School I heard this squalking. I looked round and then up into some very very tall trees in a wooded area near the school. There right in the tops were two pairs of Herons!! with their nests! What a fantastic sight it was. They were arguing it seemed about something...You could clearly see which was male and female, the males were much more striking in their markings than the females and they were the ones doing all the squalking! I stood for several moments just to enjoy this fantastic spectacle.

[Barbara]

Hi all,
Talking about putting together furniture. I recently bought a flat pack containing a small filing cabinet (I seem to be under the novel impression that It is where I'll put all my paperwork instead of distributing it in various hidey-holes all through the house) Anyway, I sat down late one night while Lachlan was tucked up in bed and tackled the construction of said article - armed with one trusty screwdriver - and it only took me three and a half hours!
Things seemed to be going along all right, but then I realised I'd put the slidey rails in the wrong way - there are four slidey rails - and I managed to screw them in upside down, back -to-front, and just generally wrong several times before they worked. I then realised that the internal shelf was facing the wrong way, so I took it out (while gently holding together the outside walls so that the whole thing didn't collapse) - then I attached the top which had a most complicated array of bits and pieces to attach it. When I was fiished, I only had one piece left over, which I referred to as the "foldy bit" - which I realized at this juncture was the back of the cabinet. So in one last feat of human endurance I disassembled the top and inserted the back, then put the top on again.
I have quite a few screws left over - but I'm assuming they must have supplied spares - hee hee!
http://friendsofminack.org.uk/forum/images/icons/icon7.gif

[Kath Mulligan]

Congratulations Barbara, that sounds like quite a feat, you should be proud of yourself. Elizabeth is the queen of the flat pack furniture in our household. Even my other half used to hand over the screwdriver and instruction leaflet to her! As for me, if it doesn't come already put together, then I am snookered!!!:redface:

Kath

[jane jackson]

Well done Barbara indeed, flat pack isn't my favourite thing especially when the instructions aren't clear or it ends up all wobbly. You sound as though you were very thorough and didn't give up like I might have done.

[gloria townsin]

Sounds like an evening of fun Barbara.......my patience wouldn't have lasted past the third re-assembly I'm afraid. I hope you are now well organised with the filing away of all the odds that usually have a problem finding a home.....my filing cabinet has so many odds, ends and general 'things' I'm not sure how I would do without it.

[jane jackson]

Success!!! When we got back from church we noticed that some of the cheese, apple and raisins had been eaten from the feeding station. There was also some seeds from the feeder on the floor which suggests that something was having a peck around (unless the wind caught it). So we have yet to see any birds take food but at least they have found it.


.

Success for us too Adrian! This morning I saw 2 smallish black/grey birds (could they be coal tits?) feeding from the peanuts but very briefly, then came a great tit which had a feed form the seeds before flying off to the apple tree branches. Next minute there was a wren who perched on the tray but there was nothing in that as I'd put bread there previously which brought down the herring gulls. I've now put some seed on the tray in the hope that the wren will return and the gulls not notice it. The wren moved to the other side of the house and landed on the balustrade there. These were all extremely brief visits but at least there's been some activity so getting quite excited now. Hope your birds are getting braver too Adrian.

There're plenty of gulls on roofs around here at the moment and the sun is breaking through ~ hooray. It's quite chilly outside.

[jane jackson]

We've had our local robin visit the feeder at lunchtime, on the tray section ~ this is really good

[adesmith]

Thats good Jane! I checked when I got in from work and most of the apple and cheese on the tray bit is gone. Rachel said that she noticed lots of birds around our neighbours feeding station but none by ours. We just need to spot a bird actually taking some food. They may be more inclined now that the weather is turning cold again. I am glad that the cottage we are renting in Cornwall has a log burning stove!!!

[Linda]

Can any of you capture the birds feeding and post here? It would be fun to compare and interesting to note...

[Linda]

Kath, I dont just have a problem with typos I have a whole problem of words put together!!

I didn't mean capture the birds and post them here!!! I meant photos!!
:confused::hang2::cray::rolleyes::tape2:
:):)

[Kath Mulligan]

Kath, I dont just have a problem with typos I have a whole problem of words put together!!

I didn't mean capture the birds and post them here!!! I meant photos!!
:confused::hang2::cray::rolleyes::tape2:
:):)

You know, until you posted your correction on here, I hadn't read that as meaning anything other than photos!!! Just goes to show that you read what you expect to see, doesn't it?

Will see if I can catch any of ours, although I haven't been feeding them much recently since our rat infestation (now hopefully over). We have had a bird singing ever so sweetly for the last few evenings just as it was going dusk, but I haven't managed to spot it yet so don't know what it is. It doesn't sound like the blackbird and it only seems to sing just as the light is fading.

Kath

[adesmith]

Phew!!! I was just about to climb into the loft to get Rupert's fishing net! Mind you I think it is going to be just as difficult getting a picture of them. Maybe in half term (after Cornwall) I might get chance to sit and watch out of the window for a while.

What do people feed the birds in the warmer weather? I think it was on here that you should only feed high energy and fatty food stuffs in the winter. I am guessing that bird seeds are good and fruit I would imagine.

[jane jackson]

I was like Kath, Linda, and read what I expected to see but when I read your bold type I just laughed out loud at the thought! It may be quite a while before I manage to "capture" any birds feeding as they're very cautious and don't hang around very long so far. My friend thinks my coal tits may be blackcaps which is a name I'd forgotten and having looked in my bird book she may well be right.

You'll need your log burner Adrian, it's a bit chilly here tonight although 3c outside at present.

[Kath Mulligan]

What do people feed the birds in the warmer weather? I think it was on here that you should only feed high energy and fatty food stuffs in the winter. I am guessing that bird seeds are good and fruit I would imagine.

I never feed the birds in summer, Adrian because there are plenty of grubs and insects around for them to feed their youngsters.

Kath

[jane jackson]

The robin, wren and great tit came back to the feeders today as did the pair who I can't identify. I had a better look today with the binoculars and the top of the head was white with a black area on both sides below that which met at the back of the head. They have long tails and were on the peanuts. Could they be long tailed tits? I saw this pair (probably same ones) last summer flying in and out of some shrubs and wasn't sure then but I had a closer look today.

[adesmith]

Its great that your visitors are becoming regulars Jane. Most of the food was taken off the tray on our feeder when I got home tonight so something has been taking it. Wish we could catch them at it! I am afraid that I am no good at identifying birds (as you have probably guessed with my mystery river birds) so I cant help you out with the possible Long Tailed Tits.

[Gill Bilcliffe]

The bird you describe Jane has the same markings as one I saw on a feeder in the garden today. Looking through my bird book I guessed it was a Long tailed Tit also. The long tail clinched it for me such a pretty bird. In my bird book it states "The long tailed tit does not eat many seeds preferring to eat insects. They are busy little birds always on the move seemily searching for food. Family groups join together in the Autumn and Winter and the large feeding parties trill they way through gardens and woods."

I shall be peering through the binoculars tomorrow in the hope of seeing the Long tails again. I will be peering at the sky tonight in an attempt to view the stars. I have no knowledge of stargazing so this will be a first attempt with an old telescope!

Regards
Gilly

[Linda]

Adrian we feed our birds all year so as not to deprive them of food by stopping, they still go off and eat fruit, insects etc...bearing in mind we live in 'midge country'...!.....guess thats why we have such a large population and variety of birds now....there was a view once that you shouldnt feed them in Summer etc and then RSPB said you could so we do...and have done for eight years now..there were no birds near when we moved here...now there is birdsong all year...
...could that bird you heard Kath be a Mistlethrush??

[Gill Bilcliffe]

I too have heard the birds can be feed all year round obviously avoiding bread in the Springtime as it is too heavy for the babies to digest. Although I wonder if the food we provide for the birds in the summer months acts as a supplement to their diet of fruits insects etc or if they still regard our provisions as their main source?

Gilly

[Sybille Weber]

......We have had a bird singing ever so sweetly for the last few evenings just as it was going dusk, but I haven't managed to spot it yet so don't know what it is. It doesn't sound like the blackbird and it only seems to sing just as the light is fading. Kath

I wonder whether it might have been a robin. I have noticed that robins usually sing at dusk or after dark, and they sound very sweet and soft.
I read somewhere that their somewhat soft voice is the reason why they sing after dark when it's generally more quiet outside. We often hear our robins after dark when all the other birds have fallen silent (not now though as we are back into winter with temperatures between -5 and -10 and quite a bit of snow again).

[Sybille Weber]

Thats good Jane! I checked when I got in from work and most of the apple and cheese on the tray bit is gone. Rachel said that she noticed lots of birds around our neighbours feeding station but none by ours. We just need to spot a bird actually taking some food. They may be more inclined now that the weather is turning cold again. I am glad that the cottage we are renting in Cornwall has a log burning stove!!!

I wonder whether you could attract more birds to your garden by offering a larger variety of bird feed and/or different food. We usually feed oat flakes in oil (pour the oat flakes into a pan with hot oil and stir, then let them cool before you feed them) and peanuts, also some seeds and raisins. This covers the demands of most species of birds we get here.
Hope you will soon get to see some of your winter visitors.

[Sybille Weber]

....What do people feed the birds in the warmer weather? I think it was on here that you should only feed high energy and fatty food stuffs in the winter. I am guessing that bird seeds are good and fruit I would imagine.

We usually feed the same food in summer, however, we add less oil to the oat flakes. Nuts should also be avoided as young birds cannot yet digest them and may suffocate. However, when we didn't know about that and fed nuts all year round, we noticed that at least our titmice seemed to be very wise as we have seen them eating nuts themselves but feeding oat flakes to their young ones. So they seem to know what is good for them and what isn't.

[Sybille Weber]

I too have heard the birds can be feed all year round obviously avoiding bread in the Springtime as it is too heavy for the babies to digest. Although I wonder if the food we provide for the birds in the summer months acts as a supplement to their diet of fruits insects etc or if they still regard our provisions as their main source?

Gilly

From our observations it seems that birds rather feed on what nature provides for them and only come to us if need be. They usually arrive in large numbers when we have frost and snow but only very few come as soon as conditions improve, and we can reduce our supplies of bird feed considerably. Then there is another peak when they have their young ones, but as soon as they are grown up, it becomes rather quiet again, so this looks as if birds do not take the easiest way out if it comes to feeding but rather search for their food themselves as long as it is available.
Titmice seem to be a bit of an exception though as they come and go all the time all year round with just a little less often in summer.

[Sybille Weber]

The robin, wren and great tit came back to the feeders today as did the pair who I can't identify. I had a better look today with the binoculars and the top of the head was white with a black area on both sides below that which met at the back of the head. They have long tails and were on the peanuts. Could they be long tailed tits? I saw this pair (probably same ones) last summer flying in and out of some shrubs and wasn't sure then but I had a closer look today.

I immediately thought of long tailed tits when I read your description, Jane. They are lovely birds. We usually have four of them coming to our balcony.
Two new species have arrived here this winter which we didn't have before: We have two tree creepers and one cirl bunting. The cirl bunting must have got lost as these birds are usually never found that far north. I think the farthest north they can be found is the south of Germany, and they can also be found in the south of England.

[Kath Mulligan]

I wonder whether it might have been a robin. I have noticed that robins usually sing at dusk or after dark, and they sound very sweet and soft.
I read somewhere that their somewhat soft voice is the reason why they sing after dark when it's generally more quiet outside. We often hear our robins after dark when all the other birds have fallen silent (not now though as we are back into winter with temperatures between -5 and -10 and quite a bit of snow again).

You could well be right about it being a robin, Sybille. We do have a resident one who is usually somewhere around the garden and it was a very sweet sound. Unlikely to be a mistlethrush, Linda, they seem to be extinct in our area, haven't had a thrush in the garden for several years now which is very sad. Even the starlings which used to be such a pest have gone missing too. Apart from the blackbird family and the robin, it is mostly the wrens and tits that we get nowadays, along with the rooks and jackdaws that nest in the trees in the park just down the road.

Kath

[jane jackson]

When I spent 3 months at Porlock, Somerset, in 1977 at the Equestrian Centre there were chaffinches galore, just like the house sparrows I was used to in Berkhamsted. They were so pretty after the brown of the sparrows but we didn't have very many of them on Exmoor when we lived there from 1993 - 2006 ~ hardly any sparrows either. I've rarely seen either chaffinches or sparrows here in PZ. We do see pied wagtails in the summer which we had in Herts. I've only seen one thrush since being in PZ.

Have been visited by our robin, great tit and the long tailed tits again~ hooray

[Janet Swan]

I've rarely seen either chaffinches or sparrows here in PZ. We do see pied wagtails in the summer which we had in Herts. I've only seen one thrush since being in PZ.

I do hope chaffinches eventually find you, Jane. They are so pretty with their little pink chests. There were lots of them at Dorminack in the 90s, so hopefully they are still around, particularly if Jane (who lives there now) puts out food for them. Here in North Herts. we have plenty of starlings, small flocks of sparrows, a few blackbirds, occasional blue tits - and once in a while I've seen a robin, woodpecker, wagtail (?), thrush and a goldfinch, but it's always sad to see just the one. This morning, while waiting for the bus, I counted 11 seagulls sat on the roof of a house, with several others on top of street lamps. They are smaller than the ones in West Cornwall. I'm always bemused to see them, because we are rather a long way from the sea!

Last night on BBC2 there was a lovely programme about wildlife in Essex. The presenter was a very quiet, thoughtful man, and I found it so interesting - did anyone else see it?

Janet

[jane jackson]

No Janet I missed that programme! When I lived in Berkhamsted we used to get lots of gulls following the plough and we always said it must have been bad weather at sea but that might have been a myth. We used to get a woodpeckers on Exmoor and they were wonderful to hear ~ heard them more often than saw them.
I've now discovered we have a pair of chaffinches in the garden but haven't seen them at the feeders yet. I think I'm noticing the birds more as I'm looking out at the feeders and catching the flutter of wings in the apple tree as they come and go. I've also put the small binoculars handy. At the moment I'm watching Heirhunters on BBC1 from 9.15am to 10am as we've not been walking the dogs and even though we've restarted we're going later as it's so cold early on. This programme doesn't need you to be actually looking at the TV all the time so I'm listening while watching the feeders which has proved very interesting.

Thank you Linda for the encouragement by saying,the gains are probably higher than the losses, of feeding birds while owning cats. Like your cat Janet, our 2 are inside a lot in this cold weather ~ lovely and sunny but a chilly wind.

Adrian, I think I'm actually seeing the birds feeding due to being retired and having the time to just sit quietly and watch while you and Rachel are busy working ~ sorry about that!

[jane jackson]

Forgot to say, have a wonderful time in Cornwall Adrian, Rachel and Rupert.

[gloria townsin]

My friend in Spain e-mailed to say Monty Don is doing something on Alpacas tonight........must watch that there are lots kept in Cornwall, we pass Calamankey Farm on the Falmouth to Helston Road and they usually have their herd out in the front paddock. I always think Calamankey sounds like an Enid Blyton name, could easily have popped up in one of her Famouse Five stories.
We have little wag-tails around but I didn't see the programme you mention Janet I wonder if it's because we are further West we don't get the E. Anglian programmes.
Missed Heir Hunters today, but I do occasionally watch. How's Jessie's lameness Jane?

[jane jackson]

Jessie is fine now thank you Gloria but only finished her course of tablets last sunday so I'm still not counting my chickens just in case the effects of the tablets haven't worn off and she has a relapse! Only short walks on leads at the moment as being careful. Very chilly wind even though beautiful sunshine but the Minehead area seems to have it much colder according to 3 sets of friends.

We called at Calamankey Farm about a year ago in the pouring rain to look at a caravan for sale for our friend ~ what a place! I know we saw it in bad conditions but it was pretty dire. That's not to say that the Alpapcas weren't absolutely fine, they were quite a distance away so couldn't really tell. We were supposed to be meeting a student who was selling the caravan on site but he didn't turn up. We knocked on the farmer's door but he was uncommunicative and left us on the doorstep getting soaked and frozen, just suggested it wouldn't be the place for our friend as he was in his 70s and the community there were students. We had to walk up a steepish hill in a muddy field beside an electric fence to reach the caravans which all looked very scruffy. We got the feeling that perhaps he wasn't licensed for all year round caravans as the sign only said "holiday". Sorry if I've upset your Enid Blyton image Gloria. Maybe it looks much better in the spring and summer sunshine.

[adesmith]

Adrian, I think I'm actually seeing the birds feeding due to being retired and having the time to just sit quietly and watch while you and Rachel are busy working ~ sorry about that!

I think that you are right Jane and that it is just a case of sitting and having the time to watch. I have put some food out tonight but when we get back from Cornwall I will try and find some time to keep an eye on the feeding station. I have a pile of marking to do and that usually results in me staring out of the window!

[gloria townsin]

Actually Jane, I had a feeling it might be a bit....erm....not the kind of place I'd like to stay. I have felt sorry for the Alpacas from time to time, they hate the rain and I have seen them out in it. From the road you can see how the ground rises up to where the caravans are. The name is the Enid Blyton bit it seems.
Glad Jessie is o.k. and hope it continues. Can't believe the change in Faith since my vet gave her injections of meds only licensed for farm animals, pigs in particular. Her coat has all grown back and there's no more itching, before treatment we were getting close to having to put her to sleep as she was so distressed and life was beginning to be unbearable for her, her feet were so sore she could barely walk. The meds had to be used in very small proportions and were administered over 13 weeks, she is now checked fortnightly. Faith will be 13 in July and has gone through the mill over the last two years but she acts like a puppy and it's wonderful to see her play and jump around again.

[Kath Mulligan]

Wonderful news about Faith, Gloria. What will you do about a vet when you move to Bryher? I know how well you get on with the vet you have now in Herts, so will you stay with her, or try to find a good local one?

Kath

[gloria townsin]

I'll have to have a local one for emergencies but Jackie will always be the vet I'd go to for choice so hopefully I will be able to sort something out to keep things pretty much the way they are with her. She's not like any vet you could imagine......I rarely leave without a cup of coffee freshly brewed and a cake and plenty of horsey chat which keeps me in touch with the Equestrian world. Her horses compete in top class dressage and she has bred eventers that have been part of the German team, that is going back a long way but non the less something of an achievement. One of her riders yesterday took a lovely photo of her last cow looking over the fence.....it was a simple photo but it was really beautiful.

[Janet Swan]

The very gentle and quite touching wildlife programme I watched was 'Natural World - The landscape and wildlife of Essex' on BBC2 on Wednesday, 10 February at 8.00 p.m. It didn't say that it was a regional programme, but I see it is on iPlayer. It was described as "a charming and illuminating film ... a year of searching for lingering remnants of natural beauty".

But, oh, what about Simon King's Shetland programme last night? To see him cry when he heard about the rescued otter dying was so moving (and probably for the best, poor creature), and his little girl is just so cute. I was quite glad that they moved from the isolated cottage which could only be accessed by driving along a beach!!! There have been some real gems on TV this week.

Janet

[Janet Swan]

Oh, dear, posted above in wrong section - Kath has said similar in the correct place!!!

Janet

[gloria townsin]

Simon King's daughter is pure magic!! What a chatter box she would have me in fits of laughter at her sweet funny little ways. He looks like a besotted Dad and well he might be ........ she's a little stunner!!

[jane jackson]

I'm so pleased we got the bird feeders, I've now seen a coal tit which I've never ever seen before along with the long tailed tits which are so pretty. I've got the small binoculars and my bird book beside the settee so I don't have to move when the birds arrive! I've noticed too that they perch in the apple tree and seem to be nibbling on the lichen ~ would that be right?

[gloria townsin]

I tried the iplayer and all seemed to be going along o.k. then suddenly it stopped mid-stream and I couldn't get it going again. Does anyone else have the problem that when they are watching a player on the computer it keeps stopping and starting again, in a most annoying way.

[Kath Mulligan]

I've not experienced the problem with iplayer, but it does sometimes happen if I am trying to watch something on youtube. It will load a few seconds worth of video, then pause and reload another few seconds etc, which I agree does get very irritating.

Kath

[Janet Swan]

I've had the same problem as you, Gloria, when catching up with a TV programme on my p.c. The best example was when I tried to watch some of Dancing on Ice - most peculiar as the skaters became twitching robot-like figures who stopped and started! I then gave up. Might be worth trying again another time?

Janet

[Jeff]

That is known as re-buffering. What happens is that when you ask to watch a video or listen to music, there are two ways to do it, download or streaming. If you are downloading the video etc. there will be a delay before you can watch it, how long a delay depends on how big the file is but once downloaded, you can view/listen without stutters. Services like Iplayer and YouTube are streaming services that gradually send the data to you so you can start watching/listening straight away. This is fine as long as they can send the data fast enough to stay in front of your connections ability to download. As the data comes down it goes into a "buffer", hopefully there willalways be more data in the buffer than you can use but once the buffer ia all used up, the video/music will stop until the buffer is filled again and your video/music can start again. When this happens, you will sometime see "rebuffering" or "buffering" in the video window. I agree it's very frustrating and the only cure is a faster internet connection.

[jane jackson]

That was interesting Jeff. I've only come across the problem at my German Group when they're trying to show something on the Centre's laptop (probably YouTube) and it is frustrating.

[gloria townsin]

Right, that explains a lot then Jeff. I thought my internet connection was quite fast but maybe not. I just get fed up when it keeps stuttering along and in the end switch off. At least others have had the same thing. The bbci player just stopped mid-stream and wait as I might it just wouldn't start again, I was pretty miffed.
It is more Youtube that it happens.

[Sybille Weber]

I'm so pleased we got the bird feeders, I've now seen a coal tit which I've never ever seen before along with the long tailed tits which are so pretty. I've got the small binoculars and my bird book beside the settee so I don't have to move when the birds arrive! I've noticed too that they perch in the apple tree and seem to be nibbling on the lichen ~ would that be right?

That's great, Jane. We used to have coal tits, too, but haven't seen many lately. We call them fir tits, and what you call great tit is called a coal tit in Germany. We have a lot of great tits and blue tits coming to our balcony and our neighbour's garden below. We also have a pair of long-tailed tits, quite a number of chaffinches, a few greenfinches, bullfinches and goldfinches, and of course plenty of blackbirds, starlings, collared doves and wood pigeons, also two jays, two magpies, two robins, and in cold winters several field fares and a redwing, and what's new this year: two tree creepers, a brambling and a goldcrest. Haven't seen the nuthatch and the woodpecker for a while though except for the green one. No sparrows at all though. I, too, have a bird book and binoculars at hand all the time. It's so lovely to watch the birds. Would like to take a few pictures as Linda suggested, but would need a very strong telelens, as I can't get too close without frightening the birds.
Don't know about the lichen, Jane, but I see many of our birds doing similar things. Guess they find something edible there. Although the birds come here in great numbers they do seem to prefer natural food, so now that the snow has melted the number of birds coming to our balcony has decreased considerably which seems to prove that they really only come if they can't find enough on their own.

[adesmith]

Never had trouble with watching Youtube or IPlayer until the last week or so and now suddenly it is really playing up! Very frustrating. My computer still needs upgrading so maybe its something that we can look into.

Anyway back to birds. Jane you are doing really well! I didnt get my day doing my marking by the dining room window in the end because it was snowing so much! (I did get all my marking done though) :) Just put some fresh food out now so will keep an eye out in the morning. On Gardeners Question Time today one of the topical tips was to keep feeding the birds. I think they are mating/finding mates and nest building so still need a good supply of food. The man did say that they need less fatty foods (peanuts included) and more high protein food now.

[gloria townsin]

Lots of birds enjoying the sun today, they were so busy it was a joy to see them.

[nashie]

We don't have a bird table as I'm worried that our cats will regard it as their personal breakfast bar, but we have a clear plastic feeder which is stuck to the bedroom window. We can watch the birds feeding in safety there, and from only a few feet away. We've only had the usual garden birds, but enjoyable to watch them just the same. I did put up a snipe in the garden yesterday - there's often quite a few in the field behind us, but I've never seen one actually come right into the garden before. The best birdwatching recently has been to see our resident buzzards displaying in flight and coming down quite low directly above my studio. Lots of lapwings, redwings and fieldfares in the fields and some big flocks of starlings in the evenings coming in to roost in the Lamorna valley.

[Sybille Weber]

Interesting to hear about your birds, John. We only get to see redwings and fieldfares here in the neighbourhood in extremely long and cold winters.
It has gone very quiet at present with not many birds coming. The milder weather doesn't seem to be the only reason though. Our sparrowhawk is very active again. Saw him today just a few yards away as it was feeding on a bird it had caught. It certainly wasn't a nice sight, and I couldn't watch for long, but it was a beautiful bird all the same. A few years ago we had a sparrowhawk coming to our balcony, where it caught one of our resident collared doves. We couldn't bare to see it and went out on the balcony trying to save the dove. The sparrowhawk didn't fly away until we reached out our hands to free the dove which then managed to free itself as the sparrowhawk was distracted by our arrival. We were so pleased to have saved the dove but at the same time felt so sorry for the sparrowhawk.

[Janet Swan]

Just glanced out of the window (sleety snow falling in North Hertfordshire at the moment) and was thrilled to see a small flock of 8 or 9 goldfinches feeding on the seedheads I left on lavender and sedum plants in the hope they would find them. Such beautiful little birds. Amazingly rapid wing movements, like mini windmills! So pleased I saw them, particularly as they only stay a few minutes.

Janet

[jane jackson]

How wonderful Janet especially to see so many! I used to see goldfinches in Herts and my friend in Stafford said recently that she gets them plus bullfinches
in her garden. She's used those seeds, niger is it? Think I must invest in some now I've got going with the bird watching.

[gloria townsin]

Same weather here Janet - however no birdies in the garden.

[Gill Bilcliffe]

What a lovely sighting this afternoon of blue great & longtailed tits all fluttering about in the same bush and waiting for their turn on the feeders. One little blue tit is very brave landing on the bird table to collect a peanut which he takes back to the bush to eat. Have seen this happen a few times now on and on different occasions and I like to think it is the same little bird.

Been shopping yet again today for supplies of bird feeds. My lot seem to be either very hungry or just plain greedy!

[adesmith]

I love Goldfinches Janet! I think I said before that the lady in the garden behind ours has a feeder and there is often a group of them feeding there (I dont know why they are particularly attracted to her feeder). Thats very good leaving seedheads for them to feed off. I am afraid that trimmed all my Lavenders and Sedum but maybe next year I will leave them a bit longer.

John, we watched the starlings flying around St Michaels Mount and Marazion Marsh on one of our trips to Cornwall. They are amazing they way that they fly in that huge group! I sometimes see a flock of them on the way to work in the morning over the M4. Always the same spot near Tredegar House which has a big park around it. We also saw a massive flock of them when we went to the RSPB Wetlands Reserve by the estuary in Newport, before Christmas. I could watch them for hours. If they landed in your garden they would certainly empty your feeder!

I bet it is the same Blue Tit, Gilly. Maybe his bravery will encourage the others to be a bit more daring!

[Janet Swan]

Adrian, goldfinches do love niger (?) seeds, as Jane says, although I don't have a feeder of those out. They seemed quite happy with lavender seeds. It is quite OK to leave lavender until well into Spring, then cut it back as then you can see where the new growth is coming. I have lots of ancient lavender bushes and cut some of it back end of August (where it grows over my neighbour's path) but leave it alone in other parts of my garden until Spring. I hope one day I will see one of those huge flocks of starlings swooping down to roost for the night - as shown on TV particularly in the Somerset Levels. "My" starlings don't do much swooping and, to date, I've only seen a small flock doing so while travelling in a coach along the M4 last December!

Janet

[adesmith]

I have seen Niger seeds in the shops. Maybe I should get some and see if I can attract a few Goldfinches to our garden. I dont want to poach them from the lasy over the back though! I always tend to do my lavender trimming once the flowers have passed in the autumn. Up until this last autumn I would trim and tidy anything that had died back but I read in some books that the dead flower heads and foliage gives winter protection to the plant and can also give some 'structure' to the garden. So I left somethings unpruned, but not the lavender!

Yes the starlings really are amazing. When we watched them at the RSPB wetlands place in December it was dusk and there were thousands. We sat in the cafe watching and the staff turned off all the lights and passed binoculars around. I dont know if they are a regular feature but the staff were very interested.

[Liz]

I was really excited earlier today as a pair of blue tits were looking over the bird box we have - it was fun imagining the conversation......

Him

[gloria townsin]

Possibly went something like 'what do you think of that for our new pad?'

[Liz]

Sorry - problems with computer and editing posts - will try again later!

[jane jackson]

Bryan said he saw a blue tit sitting at the edge of our nesting box so will keep my fingers crossed. The box was here when we bought the place and is very high up by the TV aeriel so I tend to forget about it.

[Kath Mulligan]

Our blue tits were using our nest box outside the kitchen window during the very cold snowy weather in December/January but haven't noticed them around it for the past couple of weeks. Am still hoping that they will be back to nest and raise a brood in it soon. They may, of course, still be popping in and out of it and I just haven't been looking out of the window at the right time.

Kath

[adesmith]

I never got around to buying a nest box but we did get a little roosting pouch thingy (from Trengwainton) which I have put up in the tall bushes at the back of the garden. Not quite sure what I am expecting to happen with it and to be honest I would just like a bit more success with the feeder. You never know though, there may suddenly be a family of something in there!

[Gill Bilcliffe]

We are hoping due to the bird activity in the garden the blue tits will use one of our nesting boxes this year as so far no joy. This will be the third year of redundant boxes. I do suspect Adrian that it is the same little blue tit that takes a nut from the bird table to the bush to eat it. He was back again yesterday only this time to pinch as many sunflower seeds as he could manage in one sitting!

Gilly

[jane jackson]

We had 4 long tailed tits on the peanuts at the same time yesterday around 5.30pm ~ magical. They and the coal tit I only see at that time of day whereas the robins and great and blue tits are around in the morning as well. Adrian I'm sure I'm seeing them more than you because I have the time to just sit quietly on the settee looking out the window which I wouldn't have done before retirement. It's amazing how many birds must have been flying around our garden that I hadn't noticed before we got the feeders.

[jane jackson]

I've now bought niger seeds and feeder for the goldfinches but I have no idea if there are any in the area at all to attract ~ will await results. Have now discovered from the packaging that niger is a posh word for thistle so hope we don't end up with loads of thistles growing in the garden! If we don't get any goldfinches I'll give the seed and feeder to my friend from Stafford who has lots in her garden as she's coming to visit in September.

[Sybille Weber]

Would be great if a few goldfinches found their way to your feeder. Didn't know niger was another word for thistle either, but did you know that the German word for goldfinches is 'Distelfinken' which, literally translated, would be 'thistle finches'?

[jane jackson]

Vielen Dank Sybille. Ich habe noch einWort fur meinen Wortshatz.

[Sybille Weber]

Vielen Dank Sybille. Ich habe noch einWort fur meinen Wortshatz.

Your German is brilliant, Jane! :clap2:

[jane jackson]

Thank you Sybille but I can't speak it in a conversation very well as I need time always to think and by then the conversation has moved on! I keep the dictionary handy which is cheating really.

[gloria townsin]

My friend in Spain has found the conversation part harder than learning Spanish and writing it. She joined a couple of Spanish conversation clubs, but finds it heavy going. She certainly understands what is said in shops and the like as she interpreted everything to me when I was there. Her biggest trouble in trying to perfect her conversation is everyone speaks English so she will converse in Spanish and be answered in English. She says her accent and speech must be bad or they would answer in Spanish!!

I have to say Jane I was impressed with the reply you made to Sybille's post.......very good.

[adesmith]

My step-mother is a German teacher (almost about to retire) but I never learnt any German. We had to learn French at school and at the age I was when my Dad and step-mother married I never went on any of their trips to Germany. They used to visit Biedfeld (sp?) a lot because my step-mother had lived there. We had a steady stream of German visitors as well. Wish that I had taken languages more seriously when I was younger because its much harder to pick them up now. I have been trying to learn a bit of Welsh at school and this helps me with Rupert because he learns a small amount a playgroup. Its hard though because he comes home and we havent a clue what he is saying!

Nos da.

[gloria townsin]

Adrian Beilefeld (sp?) is where Nina's parents and sister live, and where she grew up. When my friend who lives in Spain was a child she went there on holiday with her mother. Very small world and lots of Wavelength.

I learnt French at school and actually passed spoken French but I couldn't converse for long now, if at all, in French.

[gloria townsin]

Our local Tesco stands right beside the Grand Union Canal so we have lots of narrow boats moored there and lots of birds. Today I saw a huge flock of black headed gulls flying round and round with the odd plain not black headed. I have never seen so many here at one time. Also from the bungalow window a couple of days ago I saw two Geese flying towards the canal at Croxley itself. So far my latest foodie offerings to the garden birds is being ignored.

[adesmith]

Isnt that a coincidence Gloria. We are seeing my Dad and Step Mother on Saturday and I will try and remember to ask her about Beilefeld. I have a feeling that she may have gone to university there.

The fatballs in our feeder are getting smaller so I think that the starlings are visiting still. Havent seen them myself again though. The cheese that I put out always disappears but I am still not 100% certain that Verity cant jump up there!

[Kath Mulligan]

I loved languages when I was at school and did Latin to O Level, and French and German to A Level, then I did French and Spanish, along with Business Studies for 2 years at college. (on the down side, I was useless at Maths and Physics). I have forgotten much of what I learnt now unfortunately but if we go abroad on holiday I do try to converse in the language as much as possible, even if it is a bit pidgin and stuttering! I can understand much more that I can speak these days, so when Elizabeth and I were in Switzerland a few years ago and going off on trips on our own during our second week I found it quite easy to read signposts and directions. I got a bit cross when I was determinedly trying to buy rail tickets in German and the ticket inspector took pity on me and replied in almost perfect English! I felt quite frustrated that he wouldn't let me have a go (although perhaps it was so painful to his ears that he couldn't stand it any longer!).

Kath

[gloria townsin]

Success!! I have seen a lot of birds pecking at the seed bag and the fat block today........amazing how long you can find yourself watching and waiting. Hope it helps to build them up for raising their babies in a little while.

[jane jackson]

Great! It's so lovely when you see the birds come. I haven't had so much time just to sit and watch this week but the seed is going down so they must still be coming.

[jane jackson]

I've just looked back over this thread to find out when we put up our bird feeding station ~ 28th January. Around 5pm today a pair of goldfinches came and fed for quite a while from the thistle seed feeder. Our very first goldfinches, I'm so excited! It's only taken them 4 months to find it.................Funnily enough this morning Bryan had said he'd seen a very colourful bird he hadn't noticed before (he's always up by 5.30pm and the birds are coming earlier now so I've not seen them so much) and I'd noticed the water bowl had thistle seeds in and there were some stuck to the base of the feeder where it was damp. Long may they continue to come.

[Sybille Weber]

How lovely about the goldfinches, Jane. We had a woodpecker here today on the balcony, and one of the titmice now brings their young ones along, too - a whole family of tits with the young ones being fed here on the balcony. They are so cute.
It seems at this time of year when the birds have their young ones they are as desperate for food as in winter. We have hardly put out new bird feed and gone it is. If we don't refill the plates quickly enough blackbirds will come in through the often open balcony door and search our sitting-room for food. Yesterday we had bird droppings on Mum's piano chair.

[adesmith]

Thats great news about the goldfinches Jane. How wonderful! We dont have many birds on our feeding station but they do come and the food on the tray disappears (and the level of the 'summer seed mix' is dropping). There are two Blue Tits that come along and one of them is very small and always looks bedraggled!

I have a bird question which isnt related to our feeder. Yesterday we had a picnic on the Kymin near Monmouth. As we were driving up the hill we saw a bird which had very vivid orange colouring. Its breast was orange and then there was some black and white on its top. Any ideas what it might be? I looked in my bird book but couldnt spot anything that looked quite as orange.

[jane jackson]

No ideas I'm afraid Adrian, sounds very exotic. Hope someone can identify it for you.

[adesmith]

The closest on the RSPB bird identifier is a Hawfinch. Apparently one of the best places to see them is the Welsh Borders, so it is the right area. I am not convinced though as it was more black, white and orange. The Hawfinch seems to have more brown in it.

[pauline]

Have looked up my bird book and the Hawfinch is illustrated as buff underparts, large chestnut head, brown back and white tipped tail. Would it be a Bullfinch? You dont say the size, small like a finch, smaller or larger. I'm sure someone will help to identify it.

[adesmith]

No, it wasnt small like a finch. I would say it was getting on to Starling size. It did say on the RSPB website that Hawfinches were the biggest of the finch family. It really was a very vivid orange and the picture on the website didnt look orange enough to me. Its a bit of a mystery! I will have a look at Bullfinches now.

[adesmith]

Thanks Pauline, that is much more like it and so I think it must have been a Bullfinch. It really was very beautiful and we spotted it as we were driving up the lane from some distance.

[jane jackson]

I thought bullfinches were pink, not that I've seen one for many years, not since visiting a friend regularly on the Beds /Bucks borders in an orchard where they tried to net the trees to stop the bullfinches destroying the fruit.

[adesmith]

Some pictures on the Internet were pinker than others. I wonder if the season has anything to do with it? Like I said the bird we saw was vivid orange and it was quite a rich colour. We spotted it through the trees, thats how bright the colour was. I will have to have a look at a few more pictures.

[Linda]

others to consider maybe Stonechat, Linnet, Redpoll.....

[Janet Swan]

Whilst on the subject of birds, isn't it just delightful to see parent birds feeding their (almost as big as them) youngsters? It just stops me in my tracks - absolutely have to stand and watch. Recently had a male blackbird feeding two youngsters in my back garden. They love my chopped apple, but also doughnut crumbs left by my neighbours' grandchildren in their garden next door! Then today I watched two little sparrows being fed by their Mum. Such a joy to see.

Janet

[gloria townsin]

Janet no such luck for me to see baby birds being fed but a big thrill the other day when Eddie and I were in the front garden at Bryher and I suddenly noticed a little bird fly into the bird box Jane left.....we had never seen it in use before so thought it was no good for nesting, although couldn't see the reason why......it was rather exciting seeing the little one pop in and out, and it happened again, so must be in use.

[gloria townsin]

Oh and the doves are back in fact several, so my sadness at last years apparent loss has been resolved.

[jane jackson]

I have a bird question which isnt related to our feeder. Yesterday we had a picnic on the Kymin near Monmouth. As we were driving up the hill we saw a bird which had very vivid orange colouring. Its breast was orange and then there was some black and white on its top. Any ideas what it might be? I looked in my bird book but couldnt spot anything that looked quite as orange.

On visiting Cornwall Farmers today I saw a garden bird book and flicked through. It showed a Brambling which has an orange breast (male bird) so maybe that was your bird Adrian. Our goldfinches are coming regularly now which is so lovely. They seem to like perching on the washing line which is fairly close to the feeders. In fact the washing line is getting a bit too close to lots of shrubs now that they're growing well which is causing a problem with hanging out something as large as a sheet. Nowhere else to put it though unless we go down the route on a whirligig but that would have to keep beng removed as wouldn't like to have it on show all the time. At our previous home we had a whirligig up all the time but it was out of the way and not in general sight.

[adesmith]

Maybe, I will have alook on the Internet. Never did resolve what type of bird it was! I am sure that we will be going for a picnic on The Kymin again soon and you never know, we may see it again.

Good news about the Goldfinches. I did see one on the roof of the house opposite the other day and thought that its not far from our feeder. The lady over the back has lots visiting her feeder but I had never seen any at the front of the house until now (as you know, our feeder is in the front by the sitting room window). I did notice the other day that there were 3 or 4 Blue Tits visiting the feeder which was rather nice. The lady next door was complaining that the birds dont eat her peanuts but I told her that they do eat ours. She has loads of birds at her feeder so its about time she shared some!

We have got one of those Whirligig washing lines and I really dont like it. We take it down when we are in the garden but the 'thingy' isnt in the ground properly so I need to look at that. Not much choice for our garden because it really isnt very big but they are so unsightly!

[gloria townsin]

We had a Finch perching on things at the allotment last week, don't know what variety though. Today the fattest Pidgeon landed on the little flowering tree, it's a wonder it didn't snap the branches, it looked ridiculous sat there.

[adesmith]

Couldnt find it on the Internet, Jane, because I was looking up Bramble! Just looked in my book and realised that you said Brambling and yes, it could well have been. Its difficult to tell size from the book but certainly the colours are right. You may have solved the mystery!

[jane jackson]

That would be good, it was just sheer luck that the page of that book fell open at the Brambling as it's not a bird that comes to mind easily. Our goldfinches are coming quite regularly, it's wonderful, they're so pretty.

[adesmith]

Never got chance to say but before we went on holiday our bird feeder which as you know had not been terribly popular was suddenly inundated with birds. Mostly sparrows but blue tits as well. They were emptying the feeder of seeds in two days! We were absolutely delighted but obviously couldnt top it up when we were away. Ther has been nothing for a day or two and I felt a bit sad about it. However whilst Rupert and I were having lunch, 6 or 8 sparrows flew down and started feeding. Hopefully they will make it a regular event! According to the Gardeners World magazine, it is reall important to feed the birds now as they struggle to feed their young and get ready for the winter.

[Sybille Weber]

Great to hear about the sparrows coming to your home. Although we have all kinds of birds coming to our balcony we hardly ever see a sparrow here, when years ago they used to be the most common bird.
We also feed the birds now, but unfortunately here in Germany the general opinion still is that birds should only be fed in winter and only if there is snow, especially our neighbours downstairs think so, and are quite cross with us for feeding all year round because of the bird droppings. Can understand them in some way, but what is a bit of cleaning work compared to the wellbeing of birds?

[jane jackson]

Rupert will be pleased to see the birds on the feeder, have fun watching them

[adesmith]

Funny you should say that Sybille, I read that sparrows are becoming quite rare here to. The neighbour called them House Sparrows and I am really going to have to look them up. I dont think feeding the birds in summer is widely accepted here but it seems to be catching on. The seed mix that I put out is actually a 'summer mix'. Not sure what the difference is, maybe it goes well with Pimms?

I am trying to encourage Rupert to sit still when he sees the birds, Jane. He jumps up and down when he sees them and startles them. Still is not a word that can be used to describe Rupert at all at the moment!

[gloria townsin]

Mmmm......Pimms.........most things go well with that!!

[Kath Mulligan]

I think I've probably mentioned before that we hardly ever see sparrows around here nowadays, yet they used to be the most common bird in the garden.

Must remember to pack my little bird book that Janet sent me for my birthday a couple of years ago when I go to Norfolk then I can tell Elizabeth what she can expect to see if she goes on the photography course down there.

Kath

[Gill Bilcliffe]

I am dragging out this thread again to mention the greedy little blue tits that visit non stop all day pecking through the peanuts and fatballs as soon as they are put in the feeders! They are being fed almost every two days!! To be fair to the blue tits it is just just them that call for lunch but they are certainly in the majority! The feeders are in a high secure hidden spot maybe that is why the feed goes so quickly as the little birds are confident despite the usual daily walk through the garden of at least four neighbouring cats. Katy takes no notice of the birds at all too used to them being there each day or maybe she has a kind heart. :decision:

Gill

[pauline]

I am dragging out this thread again to mention the greedy little blue tits that visit non stop all day pecking through the peanuts and fatballs as soon as they are put in the feeders! They are being fed almost every two days!! To be fair to the blue tits it is just just them that call for lunch but they are certainly in the majority! The feeders are in a high secure hidden spot maybe that is why the feed goes so quickly as the little birds are confident despite the usual daily walk through the garden of at least four neighbouring cats. Katy takes no notice of the birds at all too used to them being there each day or maybe she has a kind heart. :decision:

Gill

Reading about feeders, I used to stop feeding them in the summer as was told the seeds were not suitable for the young ones but now put out seeds all year as the parents are often very hungry using so much energy to find suitable insects for their babies. I would think most of the young have now fled the nests so the adults are now fattening up for harsher times. The sunflower hearts I put out seem to go in days and are favoured above everything else because they have fat/oil in them. Nice to see them.

[Sybille Weber]

I am dragging out this thread again to mention the greedy little blue tits that visit non stop all day pecking through the peanuts and fatballs as soon as they are put in the feeders! They are being fed almost every two days!!.................. Gill

Every two days? We have so many tits here, also a few pigeons, magpies and jays that we have to fill up the bowls with nuts every few hours! - plus the rolled oats in oil for all the other garden birds that don't take nuts. :rolleyes:
Rolf says if I continue to feed like that we'll go bankrupt sooner or later. :mmph:

[gloria townsin]

I think they know there is food on tap for them with you Sybille.......they must tell all their friends where the best place to eat is.

[adesmith]

Havent seen many birds over the last couple of days but the seeds are being eaten! I dont want them to run out after the birds deserted us when we were on holiday! I guess a good feed now gives them a good start in the winter.

[gloria townsin]

Can't tell you how our fish are eating.......we have put them in a pond block until we are back there to feed them with pellets. The four of them have really grown this year. Nothing to do with birds - but will be thinking about their feeding habits soon I guess.

[pauline]

Do birds know when the seasons change? I'm sure they do. In the wood, across the ploughed field behind our house, the pigeons have come back to roost. They deserted in the spring, no doubt to pair up and breed, and not one returned but now the sight is truly remarkable. Since the beginning of this month at around 6.30pm many hundreds of them fly in and after circling once or twice down they all go into the tree tops. Makes you wonder where they all meet up. I have seen this performance with starlings which is a wonderful sight and the same goes for the pigeons.
Must say I have only seen 2 sparrows during the whole of the summer and understand that this seems to be the case across the country; sadly they seem to be in decline.

[Gill Bilcliffe]

Surely birds will know when the seasons change as they change their habits throughout the year. Although the pigeons and doves in our garden are here all through the year. They are more visible sitting in the trees when the leaves have gone but they are still there all through the summer. They sit and wait for me to feed them maybe that is why they stay? The pretty little doves show no fear thankfully and Katy doesn't chase them either.

There have been sparrows in the garden too which is a relieve as it is hopeful for them.

The black swan is still at Whitlingham lake swimming around with the white swans and the assortment of ducks. He was out of the water the other day and walked close by. What a lovely creature he is.

Gill

[Kath Mulligan]

We rarely see any sparrows in our garden these days but the blue tits are still going mad chasing about the garden and inspecting the nest box so I don't know if they are planning for it to be their winter quarters. Their behaviour seems a bit odd since the other day one of them, after flying wildly all around for a few minutes, suddenly hurled itself right at the living room window. It flopped down into the window box and I stood watching for a while until it recovered its composure, then off it went again on another mad dash around the place. I don't know if they have found the bird equivalent of magic mushrooms, but something seems to have made them as high as a kite!! And when the birds stop whizzing around, the bats take over! The regular pair are very active again around dusk, or maybe I am just noticing them more now as it gets dark so much earlier.

Kath