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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Mar 23, 2010 4:04:46 GMT 1
... the last bad spell of weather? Sitting outside the new workshop on Monday afternoon, and after topping up the feeders, I couldn't help noticing how few small birds there were visiting. Not so long ago, there would be at least half a dozen coal tits tucking in before going to roost for the night, but I only saw one blue tit and a pair of long-tailed tits. A robin appeared, and a blackbird fed under one of the feeding stations as half a dozen starlings - such messy eaters - showered it in bits off one of the flat fat & seed blocks I'd made earlier. Indeed, the blackbird was stuffing well for several minutes, and almost failed to fly over the building's roof when it finally made a move! I thought it wasn't going to make it, it was so full! Both grey and pied wagtails put in an appearance as I watched, and a solitary house sparrow darted around under the nearest feeder, about ten feet from where I was sitting. For a moment, I thought it was a wren, but sadly not, and I have not seen one for a few weeks now. Perhaps they need more cover before venturing out? I also spotted a squirrel down in the field and near the spring, but it didn't venture up onto the car park or onto the roof by the feeders to steal peanuts, as they must be doing when no one is around, judging by the open tops I often see on the nut holders. Perhaps I need to get up earlier and see if those little tits are around in the mornings? Somehow, I don't think so, though. The fat balls are not going down at the rate they once were, and the seed feeders haven't needed topping up for a couple of days.
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Post by Florrie on Mar 23, 2010 9:27:14 GMT 1
No I don't think so, since I have been feeding the birds we have regulars robins, bluetits and blackbirds lots of pigeons! starlings and I have also seen tiny wrens also we have a large Lime tree at the bottom of the garden and there are trees all long the ends of all the gardens so the birds have lots of place to shelter. ps you were up early
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Mar 23, 2010 12:47:41 GMT 1
I couldn't sleep, Sue, and only had a couple of hours in the end last night. Woken by the phone and one of our suppliers seeking a payment that was due from us at the end of last month! At least I could honestly tell him that I had been chasing our own late-paying members! Just managed to settle that account, but still have another big one to sort out... No wonder I have sleepless nights, eh?
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lindsey
Wolf Team Member
Posts: 377
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Post by lindsey on Mar 23, 2010 15:21:19 GMT 1
Our suet/berry blocks are not disappearing very fast this year, although the long tailed tits are back It's all open fields round here so most of our visitors are magpies, crows, pigeons and pheasants (yes, on the bird feeders!) but we do get a few garden birds - oh and I've seen the nuthatch again
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Post by borderfan on Mar 23, 2010 20:48:52 GMT 1
Not at all,still plenty of goldfinches on the niger seed feeder,greenfinches as well.Long tailed tits love the suet block as does the spotted woodpecker.Have a couple of blackcaps as well.My feeders are in the trees in front of my house,I'm tucked away along a footpath,and there's a stream running behind the trees.There's been a Little Egret arrived recently I see most days and I often see a kingfisher perched on a branch over the stream.Certainly makes doing the ironing a lot more enjoyable watching the visitors
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Post by RuthE on Mar 27, 2010 12:30:35 GMT 1
We still have plenty of small birds here, though species are changing. We have lots of robins, great tits and blue tits, and the odd pied wagtail. Yesterday I saw a wren which I've not seen in our garden before. I've not seen any sparrows though, and the finches are rarely here either.
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Post by armargo on Mar 29, 2010 13:05:02 GMT 1
Definite decline here since the cold spell ended and even the horses only have the odd robin to keep an eye on when they are having their ration Funnily enough this morning I woke to the sound of birds singing beautifully outside my window ... thought it was odd being that it is such a horrible wet cold morning
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Mar 29, 2010 23:41:00 GMT 1
I still haven't seen the little wren around, and hardly any coal or blue tits. I am really noticing that the feeders are not going down as fast as they were, too.
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Post by armargo on Apr 2, 2010 0:28:49 GMT 1
The little wrens have given me a great excuse not to do the cladding on the outside walls of the house yet as there are 2 of them nesting there
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Apr 20, 2010 23:59:42 GMT 1
The LT resident robin pair's youngsters have already fledged! It only seems a couple of weeks or so since they were nest building, let alone had eggs. The adults were back and forth all day to the feeders gathering beakfuls to take to their youngsters, who are now on the floor in the neighbour's feed shed! There was also a beautiful pair of chaffinches around a lot today on the feeders, along with a greenfinch or two, as well as the other regulars.
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Post by worm100 on Apr 22, 2010 7:45:21 GMT 1
I wonder if the robins i saw last week were feeding a baby & not house building as we first thought , every year we had blackbirds in ivy that was all over our shed ,trouble is now next door came along & cut it all down as it began in their garden ..i miss looking after them whenever mr blackbird did his stress call i was out there
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Apr 22, 2010 8:48:14 GMT 1
We also have a pair of blackbirds visiting LT. Those used to nest in the buildings on the adjacent yard, but don't seem to be doing so this year, and I am not sure where they are nesting. The male was sitting on our fence the other evening and singing beautifully.
I had to chuckle last night when I looked at the one feed block that had contained dried mealworms. All of those had been removed from the surface, but their impressions were left on the surface. I suspect the pair of robins had been taking those. Apart from those, they seem to favour the homemade fat balls and feed slabs, though. I mix them using oats, and into a sort of fatty pastry consistency. If in a hurry, I flatten the mixture into the half coconut shells and hang them up, and within minutes they are under attack - often from starlings before anything else. The dunnocks seem to hone in under the feeding stations when the starlings are feeding above, as they drop lots onto the floor as they gorge themselves, and the dunnocks clean up after them.
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Post by RuthE on Apr 22, 2010 15:20:01 GMT 1
Yesterday I saw the first swallow of 2010 - a welcome sight! Earlier this week I saw a swift - the first I've ever seen in our area. We've had a lot of dunnocks lately, they seem to have claimed the niche of the sparrow used to occupy in our area.
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Post by nicki on Apr 23, 2010 21:54:28 GMT 1
We had our first Swallow yesterday too!! Early for us - some years ago it used to be May, but now they arrive in April - this year the daffodils are at their best right now, so Spring really is all over the place.
Ruth, that is very early for a Swift?
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Post by RuthE on Apr 24, 2010 8:17:42 GMT 1
I've no idea if it is early for a swift as it is the first I've ever seen here! Our daffs are pretty much over now, but we have loads of tulips so the garden is still colourful.
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Apr 24, 2010 19:50:48 GMT 1
I still have some of the later flowering daffs out, and muscari, but really looking forward to seeing what the aqueligia do this year. Lots of young plants in that have not flowered yet, so fingers crossed there will be plenty of variety. As for the birds, I THINK I saw a swallow, and have seen several dunnocks, and, like Ruth, think these are taking over from the sparrows. It is ages since I saw a cock sparrow in the garden. The chaffinches are growing tamer, and were feeding only a few yards from where I was sitting having a cuppa. Rehomed Ginger George today... Phew! Must admit that is one bird I am glad to see the back of! Trying to get him into the shed and safe at night has been a nightmare! A couple of times I felt tempted to leave the little devil out to take his chances with the foxes! Tomorrow, I aim to tackle cleaning out the ferrets, so more fun is anticipated trying to recapture them, as they are usually released to have some fun running around in the feed room while they are cleaned out, except that I didn't dare do that when Ginger George was there, else they'd certainly have caught him where I was failing to do so!
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Post by armargo on May 5, 2010 20:23:52 GMT 1
Bird population has nicely increased in our garden over the past few weeks and today I heard lots of chirping sounds coming from the eaves where I've been watching swallows coming and going from The cuckoo was very late arriving this year but is making up for lost time calling
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Post by nicki on May 5, 2010 21:38:49 GMT 1
Hubby heard a Willow Warbler late last week The Blackbird seems to be nesting in the Ash tree as it was taking worms in - so hopefully we will have babies ;D The Swallows have evicted us and the car from the garage so they can build their nest!! oh yes the Cuckoo was late here, only heard one last week but heard it again today
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Post by RuthE on May 22, 2010 9:36:22 GMT 1
Heard a cuckoo this morning, an hour or two after the dawn chorus. Never heard one here before.
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on May 22, 2010 12:51:53 GMT 1
I haven't heard one yet this year, and neither have I seen a wren since before Christmas.
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