Hobbies and Crafts

It could be Venus, Ann. BC XX

Hi All,
Just been reading this interesting thread. I to have a bird feeder which I keep topped up with wild bird seed, bought from hardware store & scraps/extra feed on the lawn. Used to have a peanut feeder as well. But the two local squirrels have vanalised that (2nd one).
Ann/Jude, I'm green with envy with the large variety of birds you have visiting you. Was half expecting a partridge in a pear tree at the end of your list Jude.
I get sparrows, a few blackbirds, 3 or 4 blue tits, couple of great tits, pair of collared doves, odd pidgeon & magpie visiting.
The thread has given me ideas to provide more variety, esp the fat balls.

B.C your right it is Venus. Don't recall seeing it that bright before!! Maybe due to being such a clear night.

Steve

I would love to feed the local birds, but after seeing my cat take a bird off the pine tree, well he actually leapt at the branch and caught the bird in mid jump, I think I'd better give it a miss..

Thank you Stephen:-))

This morning we had three goldfinches, a couple of long tailed tits and a pied wagtail as well as our everyday robin, blackbirds, greenfinches and ring necked doves.

A couple of days ago there were two robins feeding very close to each other and I thought that they only put up with other robins in the breeding season. Perhaps they are so cold and hungry that they've called a truce.

There was a very still and almost dead rat in the drive a couple of nights ago. Husband went out and dealt with it.

Sue
x

I have been feeding the birds for the last 6yrs since moving into this house it makes a nice change from old house where all we had was pidgeons.

Have noticed the same as most of you that they are emptying the feeders much quicker than usual have 3 feeders and a bird table and having to fill up every other day.

We have our resident robins and blue tits that nest in garden each year, we have a pond so we get a great variety including, wagtails, great tits, magpies (noisy sods) doves, wood pidgeons ( posher than town pidgeons) just before christmas we had a pheasant in the garden.

both our cats have bells on their collars which they hate and can't work out why they can't catch any birds, so to get me back they bring in frogs and mice, still alive that they then release in my kitchen!

We also have albino squirrels and a family of foxes at the bottom of the garden.

When we first moved in a kid across the road came over with a cardboard box with 6 little ducklings in they had been walking or waddling up the road towards my house apparently the mother had brought them up to my house regularly to swim in the pond when the house was vacant, i didn't know what to do with these poor things and the cats where licking their lips, phoned the RSPCA and they said just leave them in garden and let nature take it course, but i couldn't so took them round the corner where there is large pond and let them go they swam straight over to who i presume was their mother, well if it wasn't she now has an adopted family.

why she kept bringing them to my pond i don't know maybe she wanted some peace and quiet she had obviously gone back to the large pond and forgotten her kids.Bit like my Nan when she left my brother outside the co-op in his pram didn't realise till she got home , she remembered the dog though!!

Lorraine Lol at your name forgetting your brother but remembering the dog. we had a thread on here once about people who'd left babies outside shops. (In the days when prams were parked outside shops).

We had a pied wagtail feeding in the garden this afternoon, have seen them out in the cul de sac but never in the back garden before. He/she didn't seem fazed by all the starlings grubbing around either.

Starlings are strange, we have a large flock that visits and feeds together, then we have one lone starling that eats alone or with the blackbird, never with the other starlings (well I assume it is the same one). I wonder if he was hand reared or something and not accepted by the others in the flock.

hanks for info re the 'star', I saw on another thread it was probably venus.

ann
Glos

Its 23f outside now minus 4.7 blinky cold.
Did you see the Lidl leaflet today - they have some Robin and Bluetit nest boxes, l think for £4.99,l think they are due in next week but check with your own branch as they may vary!! l've thrown the leafletaway now but can find it if anyone wants the price checked! l might get some but we have'nt got many suitable places to put them.

Stephen - we've had a pheasant before aswell, green woodpecker and a wren which we seldom see cause they are so quick and shy. Also a sparrow hawk, he frightened the birds so much a collared dove flew into our window. He sat very still for a few minutes and thenflew off, either to make sure the hawk had gone or to pretend that was the reason when really he was embarrassed!! lol
At the bottom of our garden we have fur tree's about 80-100ft high in neighbours garden, then a road, then a river and fields the otherside so quite picturesque and perfect for birds:o))
Couple of years ago a swan landed in the road, it was summer and the road must have looked wet with that heat shimmer.Fortunately a driver stopped and put him in a garden that leads to the river, we can only assume he was ok! bless him!

Ann - Vic said he saw venus earlier,wellhe thought thats what it was...lol
jude :o)

Jude - I don't have a thermometer outside, just had a couple of bevies in the pub. B****y cold on way there & back. Just checked ceefax, London -5, Ipswcih -7. As I'm half way between the two I reckon -6.
I've seen a sparrow hawk twice in the garden. The 2nd time was this summer (think it was a sparrowhawk). So quick, I was in the garden when it arrowed passed me, brownish with swept back wings. Across the garden & through the top of the brambles, next door. Moments later a blue tit in just about the very same position scolded out its dissaproval (I fear it took its mate).
But the 1st & most memorable time was in summer 2007. I was looking out from the bathroom, when I saw it perched on the fence. It did flew into the bay tree opposite missing its target.
Sparrows flew out in a frenzy to escape. But at least one returned, too afraid to venture across open ground. The sparrow hawk returned to its perch on the fence, visibly targeting something in the bush. It attacked again. This time taking one of the sparrows, landing with it on the earth next door & made its kill.
I was both horrified for the sparrow & amazed at the spectacle of nature. I was then further amazed for it to look up to me, as if it knew I'd been watching all the time before flying away.

Vic was right it is Venus & it'll be there tomorrow night (clear skies allowing) from 5pm. Look to south east, can't miss it.

Steve.

*sneaks back while no-one's looking*

Jude, you mentioning a pheasant reminds me that, late Sunday afternoon, we were making our way along dark country roads, to see some friends, when on the other side of the road we noticed a bird flapping its wings on the ground. We stopped and went back to it; it was a pheasant, that had been hit by a car and its little neck was broken. The poor thing was beyond help, so hubby did what he had to do.

This posting is of absolutely no consequence lol, but it just reminded me.

Hope all "our" birds are OK this morning.
x

Just had a chuckle. We have a water feature that is a jug pouring water into a wide bowl, I may have said before that the blackbirds and sparrow bath in it and drink from it. Well the water in the bowl is frozen this morning but not the rest in the system. We have turned the pump on to help melt the water in the bowl so water is coming out of the jug. blackbird walks on the ice to drink the water from the jug and literally 'skates' across the surface, he looked so funny.

l hope he can't see you Ann, how insensative to laugh at him!! lol

Well our garden is quite busy this morning, we have 4 male blackbirds and a couple of females. The males are so bossy, no one is allowed in each territory!
The sparrows and chaffinch's just busy themselves with the job in hand. The robin is busy in his little corner under the nuts and smallbird table.
One jackdaw has ventured onto the little wall but is so jumpy. Water is frozen will sort it in a mo,need to sort me out first:o)) lol

jude :o) xx

PS .... morning Glenys, your post is quite relivant and good to see your pc ok now:o)
x

Have you noticed the different ways the birds feed? e.g. The Greenfinches sit on the feeder and continuously eat the seeds. The Blue tits take a seed and fly into a tree and eat that one seed then come back for another one.
Made the fat ball mixture yesterday, just put it out and waiting to see if the birds will eat it, they don't like anything different at first do they?
Ann
Glos

I've noticed the same feeding behaviour with the blue tits.
The robin hasn't mastered hanging onto the mouth of the feeder. He/she takes from it on the wing, flying in from the nearest branch.
The sparrows often fight for the pecking order to feed & spill half of it on the ground when feeding. Looks wasteful but the ground feeders such as the balckbirds don't complain.

Just about to take a cooked spud out and fresh water, l have'nt seen them drink from this container though, as you say they take a while to get used to some things. The bird bath is frozen solid, l made it so l don't want to smash it just yet!!

Yes Ann l've noticed the different feeding habits. l don't think the robin has fed from nut feeder. The wood pigeons are out there now, they just dive in anywhere...lol they get abit stroppy with the collared doves though.

Ok off to take spuds out:o)

jude :o) x

I was holding my breath earlier, there were two wood pigeons hanging onto the seed feeder, sitting in the saucer that is screwed underneath it! I thought it would break as it was swinging madly from side to side, but it seems to have survived.

ann
glos

Morning........loads of birds were in garden this morning waiting for Vic & dog (dog always assists unless its too wet...lol) to feed them. 4 male blackbirds and a female, various tits (c.b.g.) 2 robins, 4 jackdaws, couple of sparrows and 3 or 4 woodpigeons. How do you tell the difference between male & female W/pigeons?
Jacket spuds in the oven, we tried a couple of shops for suet on wednesday,sold out!! will try againtoday
Ann........Did it make any difference taking in the fat balls?? we have'nt put any out yet, keepforgetting to get any.

We have what a l think is a female blackbird with a slighty speckly chest, she's a rich brown on chest and the usual brown on back.....perhaps its a youngster.

Did you see Breakfast TV this morning about the Cuckoo, amazing birds.Never seen one:o(

jude:o)

Hi Jude, they are still ignoring the shop fat balls while eating the one I made. Very strange. Not so many birds around this morning. Robin just had a bath in the water feature though, never seen that before it is usually the blackbirds and sparrows in that one.

We have a pair of wood pigeons that visit, I haven't a clue how to tell male from female. Maybe there is somebody more knowledgeable on here. The fog has come down which is maybe why the birds are missing.

Ann xx

Hi everyone, thought it'd be nice to nudge this thread up.

Lorraine, I had to laugh at what you described, as I did reading Ann's.

Like Ann, I was surprised to see the birds eating my first lot of suet cakes and leaving the shop-bought one. I felt quite chuffed, too!

Thanks Jude, yes it's behaving itself now (don't tell anyone, but I think it was something I did incorrectly; keep it a secret, won't you).

Bless 'em, they finished off the last of Tuesday's cottage pie today. We had our second helping of it yesterday, but there was still loads left over, so we invited the birds to dine on it.
Cap'n Jack and his family were out in force today, although those yobs the starlings scoffed most of the food on the tray.
x
Who's next? .............

I've been getting most despondent reading about all the birds in your gardens as I haven't seen a single bird in my garden for days...........but today the " gang" of Long Tailed Tits put in an appearance , along with a few Blue tits in tow ............so I feel must happier now : ))