Hobbies and Crafts

Yes lots of activity particularly from Blue and great tits and a few goldfinches. Plus one Robin who seems to like just sitting in the apple tree. He/she has also been eating out of the seed feeders which I haven't seen before.

Jays are beautiful Rose aren't they?

Jays are beautiful looking birds, but can devastate your apple tree before you realise they are about ..beware !

I've had it done :-(

Deter them from the tree known to work by hanging old CDs / Dvd's from the branches..they look pretty in the sun ( when we get it ) and Jay's don't like them.

SparklingSandie. Jay's also eat nestlings of other birds and small mammals
:-( :-( :-(

Ann
I just had a look to see when you started this thread as all the berries in my garden have been eaten and I thought maybe it was an annual thing.
Obviously not as you started this one January.
OH had a big shock when going to fetch another bunch of grapes the other day to discover that the whole lot had gone :-0 :-0 :-0 :-0 :-0
It's either the birds or the pesky squirrel. :-S :-S
Take care
Von

Apparently squirrels are very hungry this year because there are very few nuts for them. But I think the birds think it is January as it has turned so cold so early.

Yes that's probably right Ann.
It was freezing in London last night .
Take care
Von

I put the following on the welsh thread, but just in case anyone doesn't read that thread:

I have a friend who lives in the forest of Dean, she had several bird feeders in her garden which were getting destroyed. Now she has a cock pheasant that has taken up residence in her garden and he feeds from the bird feeders but she had watched him feed and he only took seeds one at a time. Her neighbour told her to watch the feeders at night and she saw a tawny owl land on the feeder and wreck it to get at the seed. So now she takes the feeders in at night. :-D

Hello All
It is fairly quiet in my garden at the moment as I have run out of bird food :-S.I will have to stock up again when I have my car.My son is using it every day to get to work.
The squirrels ate all our Hazelnuts again this year.We have never actually been able to have any ourselves :-| :-|
I had a little companion with me all afternoon as I cleared tons of leaves.One of Robins.I think as I was scraping with the rake I must have been disturbing bugs and flies, so it was having a little feast lol

It must be Pheasant shooting time.My friend lives down the lane opposite me and after visiting him this afternoon I followed a wagon of Men with guns and the 'Beaters'.
I did have a little chuckle to myself as there is a house up a long drive down the lane and `i spotted a whole bunch of Pheasants running around the lawn.They must have run there from the field for refuge :-D :-D :-D.They must be thanking their lucky stars today lol

Jane it is pheasant shooting season (October 1st to February 1st) what you saw today happens in my garden through the winter I call it my pheasants sanctuary and I find it funny :-D it doesn't amuse my OH though as he's normally one of the guns on the wagon/trailer :-(

Had to chuckle, imagining the pheasants passing the message along."psst, shooting is starting, follow me" as they all scoot off to a friendly garden. :-D

Morning all :-D

I'm not a pheasant plucker..........
enough of that lol

I have a new regular visitor - a jay, or two alternating as I have spotted two in the oak tree, is making frequent trips to my balcony. It polished off a tray of peanuts in a couple of days so I have replenished as I'm determined to get a photo.

It was quite shy a first and would fly off if I blinked. However.....it is getting a bit cheeky now and as I type it just squawked and jumped down onto the balcony floor. I shan't be leaving the door open unattended!
Photo to Jude when and if I have success. :-D

Look forward to that Island.

My friend who has the pheasant in her garden came down one morning to find him in the kitchen, cats and dogs were a bit puzzled. the door was open, he seems quite tame so I wonder if her was raised by somebody not in the wild.

Hello Everybody.
Don't know if any of you have had the same problem but I bought a big bag of wild bird food in October and there's so much waist , my birds will not eat the kibbled maze or the wheat that's in the mix.
So I have made my own mix for a test and the birds go mad over it.
It consisted of porridge oats , currents ,sunflower hearts, kibbled peanuts and some lard. I melted the lard then added the rest ,put in a container until set then put out on the feeding station, like I said they went mad over it. So I'm going to get a load more of the ingredients and make a load of puddings for them.
Must go.
Hope you are all okay.
Shaun

had a visit from Woody Woodpecker today. The green variety . A welcome visitor nevertheless
Shaun - Good plan. Will look to doing same when my present bird food runs out.
Take care everyone
Von

I had the Green Woodpecker yesterday.It was having a great feast from the lawn for a good half an hour or so :-D.And i think I spotted a Gt Spotted one on the side of one of the big trees down the bottom of the garden.But sadly no visits from the squirrels.OH is very pleased about that :-| :-|

I agree with your OH Jane. I've stopped putting food out for the birds now because -

1. The squirrels get it
2. The wood pigeons get it
3. The mice get it (and probably rats)
4. The birds give up and go elsewhere :-(

Still, there are plenty of seeds for them to feed on in my garden at the moment :-D

We had a visit from a flock of long tailed tits this afternoon. Although they didn't stay long, at least we know they are around.

We have had a black cap visiting us the past few days and the blue and great tits are busy stocking up, as well as one starling that comes for the coconut and a couple of goldfinches, one chaffinch and one greenfinch. Now, this morning we have had a few blackbirds as well. Not as many sparrows as usual.Just a few. Oh and of course woody and a couple of collard doves and a magpie after the scraps. Just been to stock up on bird seed as it is 10% day for pensioners at the local garden centre.

Its bath time in my garden,they,re having a great time,sitting in order waiting their turn (Think its called Pecking Order)have to fill the baths at least twice a day and refill seed containers and replenish the Fat Balls, Got a delivery tomm=orrow of Wild Bird Food and Fat balls (Cheaper if you buy in bulk) and its pleasant to watch as I,m on the putor looking through the window.**M**. :-D :-D