A question- for someone with expertise! (1 Viewer)

I think I initially posted this in the wrong forum... so am reposting here.

Help! Have I opened up a can of worms? Or, more appropriately, a tub of raisins!!

I have been feeding the blackbird family in my garden raisins every day, the male and female are both pretty tame and know to expect them from me. They reared FIVE fledglings from the first nest, and I started feeding those too recently, as poor Dad was getting mobbed every time he landed on the garden, he couldn't even get any raisins for himself as all five fledglings would clamour around him begging for morsels! So I thought, well since they are here and I am here, I will feed the fledglings some raisins, then maybe he'll get a bit of a rest (his mate has been egg sitting). Well, now everytime I go outside, at least one and most often two or three fledglings are following me! They sit at the back door a lot, and if they are up the top of the garden and see me come into the kitchen, they RUN down the garden and cheep at me! Now, it is all very cute and endearing, but the next batch of chicks have just hatched, and the parent birds keep trying to chase the fledglings away- but they just fight back and won't leave! I feel like I am encouraging them to stay with all these easy food offerings, but it's hard to ignore them when they follow me around the garden for food! They have been foraging for themselves too, and I have hidden raisins in various spots all over the garden to encourage them to seek them out for themselves, but whenever I go out, they follow me around or sit at my feed looking expectant. I don't want to be making them dependent on me, so should I stop feeding them?
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A clasic tale of imprinting.
If I were you, I would stop putting out food during the daylight hours, when the birds are active, but spread the food you intend to put out around your
garden when the birds are roosting. Break the direct bond of you, feed and the young blackies. They have to learn to fend for themselves.

Regards

Malky

Laura, as Malky say's you must break that bond with the youngsters! as hard as it seems. its the kindest way. We had the same problem, with feeding sultanas, dad chased of the youngsters, and used to come and sit on our doorstep each morning!! Still doe's but the young can now fend for themselves. He's just having a rest, oh yeh.
bert.

OK, thank you, I will do this as I want what's best for the birds! Instead of feeding them directly I will leave food out for them to find for themselves like you say. I guess I will have to invest in lots of raisins, as we have at least 4 tresspassing blackbirds who come into the garden to find them (that's why I started feeding the birds myself so I could be sure 'my' birds were getting the food, lol) starlings who come and pinch them too, and also 5 fledglings and the resident parent blackies!

But I don't mind, I like to think I am helping the birds I just don't want to hinder them by making them too reliant on me/my garden for food!

I think the young birds are fending for themselves as well as begging me for food though as I have seen them catch little bugs and toss leaves around in the undergrowth looking for grubs and things, so I think everything should be all right... they still get their food they just have to learn to find it and fend off other birds- just like it is naturally!

So, I am hoping for some more dull days coz it's so hard not to feed them when I'm out in the garden and they run up to me! Must be strong...

Cheers.

Laura

its the blackbirds nicking my raisins - I hope the Song Thrush will take some though!!

pduxon said:

Laura

its the blackbirds nicking my raisins - I hope the Song Thrush will take some though!!

Click to expand...

Yeah that would be nice- we had a young song thrush visit a couple of times but the blackies chased him off! I still get excited to see thrushes on the garden coz I don't see them half as much as when I was a kid!