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Post by Louise on May 20, 2011 5:51:14 GMT
The back garden is becoming a host for more birds now. I have that many feeders here that you'd go goggle-eyed looking and, just as the front garden does - it's attracting more and more birds  The top quarter of the obelisk's now nicely matted with Clematis balearica and it's a nice secure place for the birds to dive into - as are all the shrubs back there as they now all reach about 7' tall. I have a 'tree' (that's the name/style that the manufacturers call it) bird feeder that accommodates about 10 feeders aswell as feeders placed individually around so there's one in all parts of the garden - always close to the protection of plants. Noticing the level of seed reducing over the last couple of weeks made me realise the pace was being picked up out here, i've seen linnets and the blue and great tits out there so was sure more would come too. Yesterday, i saw at one point, 6 linnets out there, aswell as 2 bluetits all enjoying various feeders and shrubs The black and white, damn nuisance, fluffy cat doesn't appear to be around much during the day plus - whilst i'm out my own cats are in the house so the birds can have some peace and quiet out there for a lot of the day ..... and it seems to be working It's mostly a pair, male and female that visit and yesterday i wondered if 2 of the others were their young juveniles because they aren't as adept yet at gliding onto the feeders and bushes - they flap and flutter a lot and i'm hoping that their noise doesn't attract you know what  When the Rowan tree (in the front) gets too crowded or there's a distraction over there, some of the linnets come into the back - i hope because they feel it's safer/quieter - i'm chuffed to bits that my patience and offerings are being taken advantage of At least they now know it's there and as and when they feel comfortable enough to visit they can have a guaranteed feast. I've always thought that urban feeding wouldn't be particularly successful but it just goes to show that it can be - offer species-specific foods, in species specific feeders (or try as you might you'll just not get what you might want) and you'll get pretty much what you're after - yes i do it for me but, i've always loved helping nature along .......... win win 
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Post by Lou78W on May 20, 2011 6:24:24 GMT
A lovely post Louise. You have certainly painted a lovely picture; a haven for birds. Magic ;D |
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Post by Louise on May 20, 2011 6:45:26 GMT
Thank you Lou |
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Post by wildlifefriendly on May 20, 2011 7:26:16 GMT
It doesn't take them long to find food. I love feeding the birds, they are definitely worth the expense of the food.
You get very different birds up there than I do, I find that fascinating as you are not that far away.
I have now got my food about spot on for the birds I get in the garden. Very little of it gets left to germinate which saves a lot of weeding.
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Post by grindle on May 20, 2011 7:37:48 GMT
I would love to have that amount of birds in the garden but there's just too many  cats around here |
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Post by Cherry on May 20, 2011 7:39:30 GMT
Urban feeding is proving very important as more birds than we think are being fed and protected in this environment.
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Post by wildlifefriendly on May 20, 2011 8:29:58 GMT
It is a great feeling when your efforts pay off and you have the thought that there may be a few more birds because you supplement their feeding. Your birds may find the back garden safer if the horrible cat does not use it so much. I read an article about birds needing a 'staircase' to get to the feeders, your shrubs at 7" will be Ideal. Is your new cherry tree in the Back? Do you get Goldfinches Louise? I ask because I grow Cosmos and leave the last flower heads for the birds, it is lovely watching them eat the seed. I normally have 4-6 Goldfinches but when the Cosmos is producing seed there can be flocks of a dozen or more. I have never been able to tempt the Goldfinches to the table, not even with Niger seed. Your Linnets will find them just as tasty I would have thought. Have you thought about nesting boxes? It would be great to get your linnets to breed in your garden. Each year I promise myself a bird box with a camera in it, I bet that is fascinating, I haven't quite managed it yet though  |
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Post by sweetpea on May 20, 2011 9:55:10 GMT
seems like your birds are being spoilt rotten. way to go i believe.
our wildlife pond has been getting used a lot by the local blackbird for its bath. yesterday it was joined by a sparrow. Mixed bathing ok here.
we only have 4 feeding stations for the birds but it certainly makes inroads to the cash flow.
i think it is worth it though.
OH took a damaged bird to vet yesterday. They have contacts with wildlife sanctuaries so hopefully it will recover. a thrush I think it was.
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Post by floydie on May 20, 2011 10:59:37 GMT
We have lots of Sparrows coming down from the roofs of neighbors with there young, its madness in a morning watching the parents get food from our feeders to take back to the impatient fledgling's chirping away on top of the feeder/washing line. Its lovely to stand and watch with your morning brew ;D.
We do have other birds come down to feed also but the sparrows are making the most of it ATM.
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Post by peony on May 20, 2011 11:24:30 GMT
You're so lucky to have sparrows Floydie, I used to love watching their antics at our old house but we don't get them here, although we get plenty of blackbirds, thrushes, blue tits, great tits, starlings, nuthatch and the wretched pigeons. Over the past few days I've had young rooks coming to the bird table and they are so messy and greedy, they demolished one of the fat balls in a morning  They don't usually come near the feeders but I think because the ground is so dry and hard they are having trouble finding worms and grubs. |
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Post by Rosie on May 20, 2011 11:44:43 GMT
We get blackbirds,great,blue and coal tits, crows, pigeons and we keep hearing curlews, also oyster catchers. I saw a young blackcap yesterday hanging onto the door frame, it was so agile ;D
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Post by Louise on May 20, 2011 12:22:02 GMT
It is a great feeling when your efforts pay off and you have the thought that there may be a few more birds because you supplement their feeding. Your birds may find the back garden safer if the horrible cat does not use it so much. I read an article about birds needing a 'staircase' to get to the feeders, your shrubs at 7" will be Ideal. Is your new cherry tree in the Back? Do you get Goldfinches Louise? I ask because I grow Cosmos and leave the last flower heads for the birds, it is lovely watching them eat the seed. I normally have 4-6 Goldfinches but when the Cosmos is producing seed there can be flocks of a dozen or more. I have never been able to tempt the Goldfinches to the table, not even with Niger seed. Your Linnets will find them just as tasty I would have thought. Have you thought about nesting boxes? It would be great to get your linnets to breed in your garden. Each year I promise myself a bird box with a camera in it, I bet that is fascinating, I haven't quite managed it yet though Yes, large numbers of them, WF. Aswell as large numbers of Greenfinches, Chaffinches, the Linnets. Great tits, Coal tits, Blue tits and Long Tailed tits. Blackcaps. Dunnocks. Plus the Blackbirds. We don't get Starlings nor Sparrows here. Wood Pidgeons. Collared Doves. The birds i've just mentioned there are always in the front garden - in the Rowan tree, and in the herbaceous borders. It's just the linnets and bluetits who've started using the back. I have nesting boxes but they're in the front - halfway up the house-front wall. It's too 'busy' though and they've not been used, i didn't expect them to be really. There isn't anywhere suitable to site them in the back though, sadly. |
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Post by floydie on May 20, 2011 13:08:21 GMT
It may be down to all the old roofs here. The houses are 1940s and many of the roofs are original to the houses (as was ours) crumbly old slate so plenty of spaces for them to nest. Now most of the houses have been pulled down behind us though they must have less places to nest and alot of people have/are having there roofs replaced or fixed. Still theres lots coming into my garden . |
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Post by sweetpea on May 20, 2011 14:44:46 GMT
we have just found a swallow or maybe a house martin (not sure which) setting up home in what we call the games room. Where the pool table is.
The cats are very interested watching it fly in and out. Oddly enough it doesn't seem to mind humans.
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Post by Louise on May 20, 2011 18:21:34 GMT
It is a great feeling when your efforts pay off and you have the thought that there may be a few more birds because you supplement their feeding. Your birds may find the back garden safer if the horrible cat does not use it so much. I read an article about birds needing a 'staircase' to get to the feeders, your shrubs at 7" will be Ideal. Is your new cherry tree in the Back? Do you get Goldfinches Louise? I ask because I grow Cosmos and leave the last flower heads for the birds, it is lovely watching them eat the seed. I normally have 4-6 Goldfinches but when the Cosmos is producing seed there can be flocks of a dozen or more. I have never been able to tempt the Goldfinches to the table, not even with Niger seed. Your Linnets will find them just as tasty I would have thought. Have you thought about nesting boxes? It would be great to get your linnets to breed in your garden. Each year I promise myself a bird box with a camera in it, I bet that is fascinating, I haven't quite managed it yet though I forgot to answer this bit  Yes, both the cherry trees are back there and the birds started using them immediately ;D I have one on either side of the garden, where the boundaries are |
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cats around here
They don't usually come near the feeders but I think because the ground is so dry and hard they are having trouble finding worms and grubs.
