General Chat

Hi Norah, have been & had a look at the Bald Eagles. How fantasic, now hooked & will watch untill chicks hatch & have flown. Anybody else interested, go & have a look. Hilary.

Many thanks for the lovely latest batch of replies. I am quite envious. Mea, Can,t tell you too much about your woodpecker/ metal chimney cover. Several obvious reasons maybe - sharpening beak or breaking food open (they do visit bird tables in spring). Would think you might have insects up there - ants possibly; but by far the most likely is that it is some courting ritual - the sound carries for great distances - and I do mean a long way ,many hundred yards. Nice to hear from you. best wishes Happy days

I wondered if any of you birdlovers have had a look at www.Hancockhouse*com * A webcam has been fitted so that it shows close-ups of an eagle sitting on 2 eggs which are due to hatch later on this month. This is on Hornby Island, Canada. There is also a forum to join in. I have found it really enjoyable. Norah

RSPB site is excellent all birds A-Z thanks for your birdie threads Harry its a delight to read everyone's nature trails dropped a pile of niger seed in the week - instead of the usual 3-4 goldfinches on the feeder - now 8-10 on the floor. chaffinches and greenfinches seem to be increasing every year but less and less sparrows. lots of other species too. Spring is definitely in the air. Dorothy ps naughty magpie killed off young collared doves this week - they are already looking to renest tho'

Following this theme can anyone recommend a site with good pictures of birds .............. I had a couple of visitors last year that I just didn't recognise ......... :-))))))))))))))))))))

Well I don't know whats wrong with our area we have 4 crows 2 magpies and a few starlings oh and a couple of pigeons not even a sparrow so whats happened to the thrushes, blackbirds, robins, wrens etc etc moved here 3yr ago from a busy main road in Leeds where we had loads of birds and our bird bath has only be used about twice that I know of! Norah

I've spoken to the birds in my garden and asked them to fertilise my lawn (what I call the patch of grass out the back) but they seem to think my car is more in need of nourishment. Is it that they think red cars are more in need of nutrition? Len p.s. I hate it in the blackberry season - they all get diarrhoea (not many people can spell that.)

Ahh lovely thread :) We were in a garden centre beside Scotch Corner last Tuesday and in the green houses were 2 robins happily feeding and allowing us 'umans' to get very close. They had such beautiful songs...lovely to see. Yesturday there was a female Pheasant in our garden she looked a bit confused and dazed, think she was blown in on the wind Anita xx

Thanks Brian.... I think I need a proper feeder that i can hang as don't like to give CLicquot ammunition even if she is slow these days!! xx

It is essential to keep the bird feeding area clean. If it goes 'sour' then diseases will soon start taking effect. I power-wash once a month or when needed. There should be no food left on a table overnight because the rats will take it. I wouldn't leave food on the ground for the same reason. Brian (i)

Hi. 'Pink'. I use a plastic container and pour the oil over the oats and shake it about to mix. I use just enough to make it a 'dry mix' ie it still pours like dry oats but rather oily, using the cheapest oil from ASDA. The birds appear to thrive on it. As I say they go through some two to three kilos a week. Can be messy in really wet weather if they don't eat it fast enough. Brian (i)

I'm lucky to have loads of birds in the garden, especially as I live near London. Have a bit of trouble with squirrels swiping what bird food they can get, ducks making themselves comfortable on the pond and a marauding sparrowhawk, but all that aside, a pair of great spotted woodpeckers devour the peanuts and green woodpeckers devour the ants! Long tailed tits, great tits, blue tits and greenfinches love the sunflower seeds. Magpies, crows and wood pigeons are a bit of a problem, greedy so and so's that they are! Bev x PS I love your threads Harry!

How does that work Brian? Surely the fat stays liquid? Or am I being daft?

I have a fair number of birds visiting and feeding and to my delight i saw two goldfinch today. I feed them with a mixture of porage oats and vegetable oil in a very dry mix, a kilo lasts two to three days. I got the idea from a question some while ago as to what do you do with the oil from your deep fat fryer and the answer was given to use it for bird food with porage oats. I buy peanuts and bird seed in bulk because it is far cheaper than small packets etc from the shops. The crows keep the magpies at bay but they are nearly as bad for taking the young chicks. I live in Warrington. Brian (i)

Actually Harry this thread reminded me I hadn't fed them today hence none to be seen on my lawn so just chucked some bits out for then!! So thank you for posting it in the first place!! And how's your wallflowers? :O)

My fat-ball had been eaten. Saw a robin on next doors bird table facing where my fat-ball usually is. Just stood and stood there. I put a replacement in and voila he was across in no-time. Sure he (or she) is one of my long-gone relatives. Bit daft that kind of thinking, but it does no harm. Thought this thread had died. Many thanks for the latest batch of replies. XXX PP re below. Very scented in the warm green-house.XXX Happy days

This thread has really made me smile!! We have a nesting pair of magpies in the tree to the right of my garden and loads of other birds come in and play - Clicquot has a bell and isn't that quick on 3 legs so they know they are safe!! I love looking at them and listening to their song!! xx

Thanks Cherrie, we have those as well, never heard them called that before. Will always think of that now. Just seen some other birds in a large puddle outside my window. Don't know what they are yet. Will keep a lookout & find out. Thanks, Hilary.

Oh sorry Hilary. It's a Pied Wagtail . Grey and white bird with a long tail that bobs up and down when they're feeding and drinking, hence the name. Is it just a Sussex expression? Cherryx

Intrigued, what is a Dishwasher. Please. Hilary.