Where have all our garden birds gone?

[eastglosmog]

22 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Don't seem to be afraid of the local cats, one of which likes sunning himself in our garden (and leaving smelly deposits)

 

Today's rats seem to be fearless. (and bigger!)

They haven't met Tilly, if they didn't learn to fear her pdq, they would be dead.  Her ancestors were bread to keep vermin down in Maine farms and she has not forgotten the techniques.

[Mallard60022]

6 hours ago, melmerby said:

I think that's our problem.

Two doors away have a totally decked garden (they don't like any wildlife) and it's in that direction the rats disappear to.

 

There is an ultrasonic thing you can get to put in the garden. I use it for keeping cats away. Not 100% effective as some local cats are seemingly deaf or just completely daft. I place mine so that the 'range' covers the feeder area. Because it emits an ultrasonic (if that's the term) electronic whistle sound when it is triggered (infra red beam?) it is supposed to deter rodents as well. Just have a look on the webby. Battery ones are not expensive.

Edited January 9, 2020 by Mallard60022

[eastglosmog]

Beware if you are using those ultrasonic scarer thingies, they have not been proven to work.  They operate at 21-23kHz, which can be heard by some humans (especially young ones) so you may find yourself on the receiving end of a noise abatement order if the noise escapes from your garden.

[PhilJ W]

The answer to a rat problem would be a Jack Russel terrier. They were bred specifically as 'ratters'.

 

[dhjgreen]

Brambling in the garden, a first for us.  Eating the seeds spilt by the goldfinches.

[dhjgreen]

1 hour ago, dhjgreen said:

Brambling in the garden, a first for us.  Eating the seeds spilt by the goldfinches.

Can you see him?  Camera now set up on a tripod in case there is a return

[Ben B]

It seems as if every second house on our estate has at least one cat, and because we're on the end of a street all the cats short cut through our garden, use it as a toilet, and try and catch and eat anything that moves.  I put some bird feeders on a post in the front garden, with anti-cat spikes around it.  There's some bushes with berries on which the birds like, and since doing this, we get about a dozen birds at a time, mostly blue tits and robins and some blackbirds.  There's a couple of pigeons  too which appear randomly, and we get the odd oddity like a pied flycatcher.  But at least three cats like to sit in the bush underneath and pounce up through the greenery at the birds... I feel a bit guilty having the feeders out, it's almost like I'm concentrating the birds into one handy place for these bloody cats to try and eat them...

[88D]

2 minutes ago, Ben B said:

It seems as if every second house on our estate has at least one cat, and because we're on the end of a street all the cats short cut through our garden, use it as a toilet, and try and catch and eat anything that moves.  I put some bird feeders on a post in the front garden, with anti-cat spikes around it.  There's some bushes with berries on which the birds like, and since doing this, we get about a dozen birds at a time, mostly blue tits and robins and some blackbirds.  There's a couple of pigeons  too which appear randomly, and we get the odd oddity like a pied flycatcher.  But at least three cats like to sit in the bush underneath and pounce up through the greenery at the birds... I feel a bit guilty having the feeders out, it's almost like I'm concentrating the birds into one handy place for these bloody cats to try and eat them...

I sympathise. I have had two robins caught this last week by our neighbourhood cats. They just kill them and leave them.

[tigerburnie]

A wren sat still long enough for me to get a shot.

[dhjgreen]

9 minutes ago, Ben B said:

.......a pied flycatcher. 

Wow, just wow!!

[dhjgreen]

10 minutes ago, Ben B said:

.....But at least three cats like to sit in the bush underneath and pounce up through the greenery at the birds... I feel a bit guilty having the feeders out, it's almost like I'm concentrating the birds into one handy place for these bloody cats to try and eat them...

We have the same problem.  Lots of sharp twigs where they like to sit, and one of those squirrel proof domes recommended earlier should deter them.....they do not like the glass of water trick either  , just catch them unaware, they run away sharply if they see me now.

[PhilJ W]

I detered the cats from using a particular area as a latrine by scattering berberris prunings. 

[Mallard60022]

If a cat cr##s in you garden then use pepper where it has performed. I quite like cats, but not their lifestyle outside. As for the Ultrasonic thing, I live on an estate and all the kids have left; it worked.

P 

[NIK]

Hi,

 

I bought an Ultrasonic cat deterrer and next door's cat would put its head right up to the speaker.

 

I couldn't even sit in the garden watching the birds on the feeder as the cat destroyed the joints on my camping chair.

 

I then watched the birds from inside the house and the cat tried to jump up on my shoulders, missed and was left hanging from one claw in one of my arm muscles.

 

 

Regards

 

Nick

 

 

[Mallard60022]

On 10/01/2020 at 17:01, NIK said:

Hi,

 

I bought an Ultrasonic cat deterrer and next door's cat would put its head right up to the speaker.    Try a shotgun, or super soaker if you are a vegan.

 

I couldn't even sit in the garden watching the birds on the feeder as the cat destroyed the joints on my camping chair.  Maybe it is actually a Mountain Lion 

 

I then watched the birds from inside the house and the cat tried to jump up on my shoulders, missed and was left hanging from one claw in one of my arm muscles.     Best to wear armour when watching birds from indoors. 

 

 

Regards

 

Nick

 

 

 

[Jol Wilkinson]

Wondering why few of our regular feathered visitors have been about recently until we found a neighbour's cat hiding under the bush next to the bird feeders. Tenacious b*gg*r keeps returning despite regular invitations to leave the vicinity. It is also ironic that the cat "belongs" to a dreadlock wearing new neighbour who runs a vegan cafe. Clearly he hasn't educated the cat to share his philosophy. 

Edited January 13, 2020 by Jol Wilkinson
Amended text

[Liam]

On 10/01/2020 at 16:29, Mallard60022 said:

If a cat cr##s in you garden then use pepper where it has performed. I quite like cats, but not their lifestyle outside. As for the Ultrasonic thing, I live on an estate and all the kids have left; it worked.

P 

I told you it was worth choosing ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusic’! 

[monkeysarefun]

FIrstly the drought and now the fires are bringing more birds near homes looking for food and water. 2 male King parrots have been paying a daily visit lately, they are very gentle natured compared to the Lorikeets who chase them and all the other birds away from the feeder.

 

 

 

[Mallard60022]

Almost in my garden for the birdwatch weekend, but not quite close enough...….Waxwings. Been in the same place up the road for 3 days now and feeding off just two trees in the area; weird.

P

[Anthony]

On 10/01/2020 at 17:01, NIK said:

Hi,

 

I bought an Ultrasonic cat deterrer and next door's cat would put its head right up to the speaker.

 

I couldn't even sit in the garden watching the birds on the feeder as the cat destroyed the joints on my camping chair.

 

I then watched the birds from inside the house and the cat tried to jump up on my shoulders, missed and was left hanging from one claw in one of my arm muscles.

 

 

Regards

 

Nick

 

 

I have to say, at the risk of teaching many grandmothers how to suck eggs,  that I find the only type that has any real effect is CatWatch as recommended by the RHS and it has to be the mains-powered version - not 100%, but it seems to stop them spending time in the garden.  The other thing to make sure of is the device has a very clear field of vision, and if not (as in my case) get 2 or more, which can be run from one plug.  Also worth moving them around a little from time to time so the wretched animals don't learn how to avoid them.

 

Incidentally, I also find the FoxWatch from the same stable pretty effective, although the urban fox is extremely thick in head and skin.

 

I have quite a lot of experience of people who haven't followed my advice, and so have suffered.............

 

Anthony

[88D]

Nuthatch coming down and treecreeper going up, but they didn’t bash into each other!

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Eleven (all common) species in the hour for the birdwatch count, but not one finch of any plumage. The once frequently seen Dunnocks have disappeared from our garden over the last two years, and we also didn't get a single corvid in this count, closest was a rook that stopped briefly on a neighbour's roof ridge. The entertainment was three definite, possibly one more, blue tits; all busy 'butterflying' and going in and out of the birdbox (when not taking seeds or nuts).

[dhjgreen]

Pair of bullfinch, 4 goldfinch and a dunnock amongst ours, sorry.

[Mallard60022]

As usual, all have migrated today. I shall try again tomorrow.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

My wife's standard complaint over this weekend every year: this year why no Wren, Treecreeper, Woodpeckers, Stock Dove, (prolonged list of regularly seen species) today? But the one hour species count is typically 10-12 - one year a low of eight, and I believe we once peaked at 15 - drawn from the 28 species regularly present during the winter months.