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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Very busy at the bird feeder today! (4 Viewers)

Garden is alive with young birds at the moment. Seem to have had a great year - House Sparrows, Robins, Dunnocks, Blue/Great and Coal Tits. I think we’ve had our first Stock Dove as well.

Rich
 
I’m back! 6 years ago we bought our first house which had a small garden with no trees. I did attract some birds but the mess was too much for a small garden and also I thought it was a bit dodgy with lots of cats about, so stopped feeding the birds.

We have just moved to our new house which lucky for us backs on to woods. Soon got some sunflower seeds out and next day we had a Coal Tit on the feeder. We are now having lots of Blue and Great Tits, The odd Coal Tit, Wrens, Blackbirds, Robins visiting, and Nuthatch yesterday too. Also a Buzzard in the trees last night which is amazing as 20 odd years ago, we’d only see Buzzards on the M5 motorway heading south. Looking forward to establishing our garden on the bird’s guide to finding some good food!
 
very stormy weather first thing this morning, tropical rain, thunder & lightening. At least it was good for garden birds, brought me two garden lifers within 20 minutes of each other.
Firstly a Spotted Flycatcher and then a short while later a low flying Little Egret.
 
My back is in absolute bits at the moment so haven't been able to get out and do any birding. Nice to see a Grey Wagtail in the back garden this morning though.
 

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Not a bird I know but it’s the first time I’ve seen an Elephant Hawkmoth Caterpillar in the garden yesterday. Thanks to Tate for the confirmation.
 

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So i’ve got lots of regular Blue Tits and Great Tits, but no Goldfinches yet. I know they are attracted to yellow so have ordered some yellow bunting, but last week a friend brought us some Sunflowers and they are nearly done, so I thought it would be a good idea to attach some to the birdfeeder!
 

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The sunflowers soon lost their petals so now i’ve added some yellow bunting! Still no Goldfinches but they regularly fly overhead.
 

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The sunflowers soon lost their petals so now i’ve added some yellow bunting! Still no Goldfinches but they regularly fly overhead.

I use white sunflower hearts ( less mess ) and niger seeds. My Goldies love them. You look to have a good location and if they're flying over then you just need to attract them down. Put up some more feeders with a variety of foods, I know it can be expensive but it will show you what your local birds like and what they don't, that way you only put out what they will eat. My local birds don't bother with a mixed seed bag so I don't waste money buying them.

I started a thread a few years ago, https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=185408 I've since moved again ( twice in 2 years ) and now have a garden an acre in size. I have farmland directly behind me leading to a huge park ( over 800 acres ) with some great species. I started feeding late last winter but stopped for the summer, I'm going to put my feeders up by my boundary later, weather permitting, and intend to make a hide to photograph them from.

So far the interesting things my list includes are Common Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Bullfinch, Sparrowhawk and Red Kite spring immediately to mind, but I haven't made a list yet.

Ian
 
I use white sunflower hearts ( less mess ) and niger seeds. My Goldies love them. You look to have a good location and if they're flying over then you just need to attract them down. Put up some more feeders with a variety of foods, I know it can be expensive but it will show you what your local birds like and what they don't, that way you only put out what they will eat. My local birds don't bother with a mixed seed bag so I don't waste money buying them.

I started a thread a few years ago, https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=185408 I've since moved again ( twice in 2 years ) and now have a garden an acre in size. I have farmland directly behind me leading to a huge park ( over 800 acres ) with some great species. I started feeding late last winter but stopped for the summer, I'm going to put my feeders up by my boundary later, weather permitting, and intend to make a hide to photograph them from.

So far the interesting things my list includes are Common Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Bullfinch, Sparrowhawk and Red Kite spring immediately to mind, but I haven't made a list yet.

Ian

Thanks for your reply. I know they will come eventually, and I know that sunflower hearts will definitely be on their favourite food list, it’s just a matter of time. You have a nice list of visitors there. We’ve had Jays, Nuthatch, Coal, Blue, Great and Long Tail Tits. Sparrowhawk at least three times i’ve seen, regular owl at night probably Tawny.

Come on Goldfinches!
 
Got what appears to be a Wood Mouse visiting the feeders at the moment.

Rich

You just reminded me why I stopped feeding last spring - RATS

Like Star Trek, they "boldly went" about my feeders not bothered by my presence at all. As an animal lover I didn't poison them, I stopped their food source. I haven't seen them since.

I had a 25KG bag of Sunflower hearts in the garage which had nibble holes in the side to which I attributed mice. I bought a plastic bin to house all the pet foods in after that.
 

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