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Busy in the garden again (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter maxfoto2003
- Start date
Elizabeth Bigg
Addicted member
I feed the birds all the year round, though it has been fairly quiet in the garden until a week or so ago.
If you like bluetits, you might find our website interesting - the life stories of two bluetit families. We have already had a bluetit investigating one of our boxes, but it hasn't visited for a few days now.
If you like bluetits, you might find our website interesting - the life stories of two bluetit families. We have already had a bluetit investigating one of our boxes, but it hasn't visited for a few days now.
maxfoto2003
Well-known member
that is really lovely, your site. I only looked at the latest added pics yet, but I will be looking into your site further!! great!
I made a series of 'my' blue tit nest at http://www.mydigishots.com/vogels/bluetit/ last year.
but what you have with the camera inside is really great! I hope there will be another nest soon!
may I ask you: how did you clean out the nest box?
I made a series of 'my' blue tit nest at http://www.mydigishots.com/vogels/bluetit/ last year.
but what you have with the camera inside is really great! I hope there will be another nest soon!
may I ask you: how did you clean out the nest box?
Elizabeth Bigg
Addicted member
maxfoto2003 said:
We emptied out the nest, swept around inside the box, then poured boiling water into it. When it was quite dry, we put the box back. This is what is recommended by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust - you can read full details in the entry for Jan 1 2003.
It's getting to be very busy around here on the other side of the world as well. I've been feeding chickadees, rb nuthatches, evening grosbeaks, pine grosbeaks, one female rose breasted grosbeak, song sparrows, one American tree sparrow, common redpolls, snow buntings, whiskey jacks (gray jays), hairy woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, ruffed grouse...
Winter has barely started (although this week is forecasted freezing rain and 10 cm of snow by Wednesday night!) I have very few pine grosbeaks just yet but I'm sure they'll be here in full force soon.
Winter has barely started (although this week is forecasted freezing rain and 10 cm of snow by Wednesday night!) I have very few pine grosbeaks just yet but I'm sure they'll be here in full force soon.
Fuchsia
Bug Babe
I've got a lot of blue and great tits (and a pair of marsh) currently clinging to the feeders in the wind and rain - poor little things!
Mariette and Elizabeth - Great web sites. I'd love to put some nest boxes up - do you have any advice on positioning? I've read they should be away from the feeding area. The birds are very tame but how close to the house is advisable?
Best wishes
Jen
Mariette and Elizabeth - Great web sites. I'd love to put some nest boxes up - do you have any advice on positioning? I've read they should be away from the feeding area. The birds are very tame but how close to the house is advisable?
Best wishes
Jen
pauco
Старлин&
nice to see other gardens busy.checked my records for the last 2 years and October seems to
have been unusually busy? any thoughts, the
number of blackbirds is well up. other gardens
reporting an increase in siskins. our robin is still
freaking out if any other birds try to feed, more so
the blue-coal tits, but he is giving the greenfinches a hard time still it makes good viewing!! house sparrows this morning in strong
winds and heavy rain still hold 30+ nice to see.
bert.
have been unusually busy? any thoughts, the
number of blackbirds is well up. other gardens
reporting an increase in siskins. our robin is still
freaking out if any other birds try to feed, more so
the blue-coal tits, but he is giving the greenfinches a hard time still it makes good viewing!! house sparrows this morning in strong
winds and heavy rain still hold 30+ nice to see.
bert.
steve_nova
Well-known member
Black Sunflower seeds! The birds just love them. They are going down in the feeders faster than anything else at the moment.
I have just purchesed a 25kg bag for £5.......that should last me a while.
I have just purchesed a 25kg bag for £5.......that should last me a while.
Elizabeth Bigg
Addicted member
steve_nova said:
Steve - that price is amazing, I have to pay £11 for 15kg in a local pet shop, and this is far cheaper than a mail order supplier, my only other source.
steve_nova said:
My Greenfinches loved them too. Used to get about a dozen of them fighting over the two feeders. But when I switched to sunflower hearts I started getting Goldfinches as well - a bird that had hardly ever visited before. Admittedly I also added another feeder and changed their location, but now I've got about 15 Greenfinches and 20 Goldfinches visiting regularly (but no more than about 4 Chaffinches for some reason).
I hope they're decent quality. A year or so ago a chap over on uk.rec.birdwatching found Greenfinch after Greenfinch dying in his garden. The trouble was eventually traced to dodgy sunflower seeds. Can't remember the precise details, but no doubt it's all archived on Google.
Jason
Nina P
Nina
I have many robins throughout the garden, and they have distinct boundaries, but with at least four pairs in the garden I have to spread the food into several zones, I bought coconuts filled with seed and fat which seem to be very popular, and have already half emptied all four of them. the mealworms are also very well liked, and they go so fast, gobbled up by the first comers and the bravest, Blackbirds, nuthatches, robins, sparrows, wrens and tits. the greenfinches don't seem to want them though, so that is a bit of good neews, as they scoff most things faster than I can put them out. I have thought of putting suet out, but I don't know if that is safe or not. I find dried fruit popular too, and if I have some fresh fruit tha is going soft I chop that up for the birds, and the Blackbirds, Thrushes and starlings go mad for those. Nina.
Elizabeth Bigg
Addicted member
Bluetail said:
Thanks Jason, exactly what I was wondering. I know the problems with aflotoxins in peanuts, which is why I always buy them from a guaranteed "Safe Nuts" supplier. I suppose you "pays your money................".
Hi Nina
I guess you've got a large garden with that many Robins. Presumably when you mention pairs you're referring to spring- and summer-time? They'll all be holding (or fighting over) individual territories at this time of year. No pairing; no holds barred either!
Jason
I guess you've got a large garden with that many Robins. Presumably when you mention pairs you're referring to spring- and summer-time? They'll all be holding (or fighting over) individual territories at this time of year. No pairing; no holds barred either!
Jason
steve_nova
Well-known member
Hi Jason, quite worrying that detail about poor quality seed. I think this supplier is pretty reputable, Walter Harrison & sons.
Elizabeth, I don't know if you have come across this brand before or even if that size is readily available but I will have a look on t'internet and see if they do that size for general retail.
Elizabeth, I don't know if you have come across this brand before or even if that size is readily available but I will have a look on t'internet and see if they do that size for general retail.
Hi Steve
I don't know Walter Harrison and Sons, or anything about the economics of the birdseed trade either, so I'm certainly not casting aspersions. I was just raising awareness of an issue that seems worth checking out.
Nina
Thanks for that. You can tell bird lifestyles isn't my forte, can't you? At least it made me go and check. You learn something every day. I suppose I ought to spend less time walking and more watching and waiting. My garden is too small to sport breeding Robins, but I always get a pair fighting their boundaries in winter. They usually end up diving the garden more or less in half, each territory including a neighbour's garden as well. This year I've only one bird, probably because one of our neighbour's gardens has disappeared under stone chippings and paving slabs.
Jason
I don't know Walter Harrison and Sons, or anything about the economics of the birdseed trade either, so I'm certainly not casting aspersions. I was just raising awareness of an issue that seems worth checking out.
Nina
Thanks for that. You can tell bird lifestyles isn't my forte, can't you? At least it made me go and check. You learn something every day. I suppose I ought to spend less time walking and more watching and waiting. My garden is too small to sport breeding Robins, but I always get a pair fighting their boundaries in winter. They usually end up diving the garden more or less in half, each territory including a neighbour's garden as well. This year I've only one bird, probably because one of our neighbour's gardens has disappeared under stone chippings and paving slabs.
Jason
Nina P
Nina
How sad Bluetail, I am very fortunate to have a large open garden, and three bird tables, and feeders dotted around the garden from top to bottom, and the front garden is well sheltered by the trees, but you can see the back garden in the Dorset news thread, and see if you can guess the zones for the robins, if you want to!
I was hoping to get a yeigh or neigh over the suet, but so far no news!
I was hoping to get a yeigh or neigh over the suet, but so far no news!
