Where have all our garden birds gone?

[Donw]

Over the years I have come to the conclusion that the ready availability of food attracts sick birds so the problem is not the cleanliness of our feeder and the soil, rather the fact that many of these sick birds are already ill when they arrive.

Don

[Mallard60022]

No sign of the sick RB bird this a.m. However just had 6 Reed Buntings feeding. I do hope this is a sign of more visits. Not cold today either so they must like my seed mix?

P

[ParkeNd]

We have no reduction in the number of birds feeding in the garden. But we do live in the country and have mature shrubs and trees to afford them protection from predators as opposed to having the new kind of concrete, brick, patio/deck, and no vegetation type garden.

[jonny777]

Decking is good for certain "wildlife". Rats seem to find it ideal for living underneath.

[PhilJ W]

Decking is good for certain "wildlife". Rats seem to find it ideal for living underneath.

Not if the foxes get in there, which they do quite often. There is an enormous number of foxes around here but one advantage is very few rats, they seem to like a rat or three in their diet.

Edited January 12, 2015 by PhilJ W

[The Lurker]

Not if the foxes get in there, which they do quite often. There is an enormous number of foxes around here but one advantage is very few rats, they seem to like a rat or three in their diet.

We had foxes denning under the decking one summer. It was a pretty nasty smell, and their very boldness meant that at one stage the female was between my wife and our then 2 1/2 year old. It was then we decided that denning was not acceptable and every time there are signs of the foxes digging under the decking we take corrective action (bleach in the digging, sticks over any holes, and if not disturbed, filling the holes in.

[Phil Bullock]

Toads do well under our decking!

 

Phil

[DDolfelin]

Decking is good for certain "wildlife". Rats seem to find it ideal for living underneath.

 

During one removal we took a temporary house which was raised from ground level by the piles in sandy ground.

A frantic 'phone call one day took me back to the house.

The mother of all rats was eating her way through the 1" thick plank floor with loud munching and splintering noises and SWMBO and friend were sitting on the table!

[jonny777]

On the subject of foxes, I was watching a neighbours cat one afternoon as it was obviously stalking something in the garden behind mine, which at the time was partly overgrown with waist-high grass and brambles.

 

I was curious to discover what the cat (who was doing the usual cat-creep along the garden path - one foot slowly at a time) had found, when suddenly a fox shot out of the undergrowth and tried to attack the cat.

 

I have never seen a cat run so fast in my life. It had so much momentum, it virtually leapt a 6 foot high fence at the opposite end of that garden with only a brief touch on the top, and was gone.

Edited January 12, 2015 by jonny777

[coachmann]

Seagulls should not interest me apart from wishing they would stay by the sea, but the ones nesting on the roof opposite from us are intriguing. Two chicks turned out to be mottled seagulls while their 'parents' were the usual white gulls and soon grew bigger than their mum, although I suspect the third perished. She was kept busy feeding them but the tide turned in the autumn and she shooed them off the roof whenever they appeared. Recently there has been much activity as if she is on heat or something and she is actually bringing food again for her two big and very hungry 'chicks'. Fascinating.

Edited January 12, 2015 by coachmann

[petethemole]

I worked on dig in a large  garden that was up for sale redevelopment. The house was still occupied and had a cat. A young fox made an earth in our spoil heap, but not for long, I had the pleasure of watching the cat see it off in no uncertain manner.

[Mallard60022]

Seagulls should not interest me apart from wishing they would stay by the sea, but the ones nesting on the roof opposite from us are intriguing. Two chicks turned out to be mottled seagulls while their 'parents' were the usual white gulls and soon grew bigger than their mum, although I suspect the third perished. She was kept busy feeding them but the tide turned in the autumn and she shooed them off the roof whenever they appeared. Recently there has been much activity as if she is on heat or something and she is actually bringing food again for her two big and very hungry 'chicks'. Fascinating.

Immature gulls often take two or three years to develop their true colour. The latter behaviour is interesting as you say.

P

[Budgie]

On the subject of foxes, I was watching a neighbours cat one afternoon as it was obviously stalking something in the garden behind mine, which at the time was partly overgrown with waist-high grass and brambles.

 

I was curious to discover what the cat (who was doing the usual cat-creep along the garden path - one foot slowly at a time) had found, when suddenly a fox shot out of the undergrowth and tried to attack the cat.

 

I have never seen a cat run so fast in my life. It had so much momentum, it virtually leapt a 6 foot high fence at the opposite end of that garden with only a brief touch on the top, and was gone.

It's a shame you didn't have a video camera with you at the time. The video would probably have gone viral by now.

[Budgie]

Decking is good for certain "wildlife". Rats seem to find it ideal for living underneath.

One of my next-door neighbours has a cairn terrier called Teddie. Teddie catches and kills an average of one rat per week out in their back garden.

[PhilJ W]

One of my next-door neighbours has a cairn terrier called Teddie. Teddie catches and kills an average of one rat per week out in their back garden.

There was a program a few years ago about rat catchers, the undoubted star of the show was a Jack Russell terrier.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Any shortage of flying tree-rat (feral pigeon) noticed this summer will be down to the Buzzard perched in the Oak tree behind our shack. I found remains at the back of the garden on Monday morning, and there are currently discarded pieces falling down as he - I think - makes short work of another. This only got noticed because I had been following a pair of tree creepers around with the bins, and was wondering about the occasional grey blur dropping through the field of view.

 

There's a good size flock of assorted titmice operating - at least a couple of full strength squadrons - in our area. I expect that two consecutive good summers have brought the numbers right up. The regular nest sites, both boxes and those they find for themselves, are already being inspected with a good deal of squabbling.

[Mallard60022]

Blimey, I had to Google Titmice. What a good looking bird.

P

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

They are rather lovely. The long-tailed - which aren't strictly titmice apparently but go around with the blue, great and coal - my particular favourite for their swoopy flight. They are also most prone of all garden birds to come and perch on you in my experience. And are they ever small when seen that close.

[Phil Bullock]

Henry Williamson penned a story - The Bottle Birds, its in The Peregrine's saga and other Country Tales - about long tailed tits. Captures the life of these charming little birds perfectly. Williamson - author of Tarka the Otter - is an under-publicised author IMHO - his Salar the Salmon has been with me as a favourite book since I was at primary school.

 

Cheers

 

Phil

[Cornish Triang Paul]

Heard my first Blackbird singing this evening. Nice and relaxing.

[Downendian]

Ahh that'll be the balmy South West for you Paul. In the local village of Brixton the Daffs have been out since before the end of December.

Neil

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Aft'noon all,

 

Good to see that the Lesser Redpolls have returned again....noticed the first one yesterday. They usually vanish mid-summer and return around Christmas....this year a little later than last.

 

Dave

[Downendian]

The local Sparrow hawk has been hanging around my Devon garden - I caught it in my big Bay tree early Monday morning. Keeping a watchful eye on my feeding bird population, but I have unfortunately witnessed a Sparrowhawk strike on them in the last year. Sad to see but I'm afraid that's what life is about in the great British countryside.

Neil

[chris p bacon]

Family of Long tail tits passing through this morning, Blackbirds getting amorous, half a dozen Jackdaws, sparrows, Robins and Mistle Thrush.

 

Must be getting ready foe Big Garden Bird Watch this weekend.

[PhilJ W]

The local Sparrow hawk has been hanging around my Devon garden - I caught it in my big Bay tree early Monday morning. Keeping a watchful eye on my feeding bird population, but I have unfortunately witnessed a Sparrowhawk strike on them in the last year. Sad to see but I'm afraid that's what life is about in the great British countryside.

Neil

Mother nature, red in tooth and claw.