Feeding The Birds

[LadyCG]

Do you put food out for the birds?

Or hedgehogs and other critters for that matter?

I've just found some florentine mince pies and mini stollen I forgot I had and some OOD Brioche buns that little G wasn't keen on and I've just thrown the lot out with some crusts of bread.

I like looking after the birdies :-)

[Gill1941]

I have fed them for over 60 years (not the same ones!) as did my parents before me.
Goldfinches, greenfinches, black caps, tits.
Cost a fortune in sunflower hearts but well worth it.
We must help the wildlife all we can. Used to have hedgehogs but not see for a few years.

[LadyCG]

Absolutely, Gill. We should all take responsibility for our lovely wildlife.

I love the cat in your avatar - absolutely beautiful.

[Barmaid]

We have feeders out the back and get a wide variety of birds. I'd never seen woodpeckers much until we moved here and now they are a daily visitor (at least two breeding pairs) of greater spotted. Regularly see yaffles (green woodpeckers) too. We are also very spoilt with birds of prey and owls. Tawnys roost in the garden, but we have seen barnies, little owls and short eared.

We get deer in the garden (normally only muntjack and Chinese Water deer) but regularly see roe, red and fallow within a few yards of the house.

But it is very very rural out here. A good dollop of snow or really heavy rain and we can't get out to civilisation. And civilisation cannot get in to us!

At the old house, we kept a list of all the birds we had seen either in or from the garden. I think we got up to about 50 different species.

[LadyCG]

BM that sounds idyllic, especially with the deer too. The sights you see must be amazing. :)

[Togo]

Smashing thread. I missed it earlier after a sleep in. Dreadful sore throat and the sniffles but will recover. We feed the birds every year and get immense joy from doing it. Multi species but still no Waxwings. :(( It is a tad expensive, more so than ever what with inflation and all that, but we don't care. We have made it even more so after finding that the birds love Granola. We now buy a 1kg bag of Honey Nut Granola a week. They seem to like Morrisons own the best and I go there once or twice a month to get it in. I don't waste the trip solely on the birdies though as they do a rather good bottle of Malbec(which the birds don't like at all) for my trouble. Don't forget that this month sees the Annual RSPB Garden Birdwatch survey. I do it every year it is only an hour on one day from the 27th to the 29th January. You can fill in the survey result online and there is an identification chart if you need it on the website below. Great fun if you have young children or grandchildren(are you listening LadyCG) :))

https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/?sourcecode=BWMNAM0178&;utm_source=notes_on_nature_20221217&utm_medium=email&utm_term=notes_on_nature&utm_content=4&utm_campaign=notes_on_nature

[LadyCG]

Awesome, Togo, and thanks for the tip about the Granola. I go to Morrisons mostly for the mussels for my paella, but I'll remember that next time I'm heading there.

I've had a few magpies touch down on my lawn since the rain stopped.

[Canary42]

I do the RSPB Garden Watch every year. Usually get sparrows, starlings, wood pigeons, blackbirds, tits and finches.

[sandyRoe]

There used to be a mouse climbed up a tree and then down a branch to a bird feeder. Now it, and others, have invaded my home.
How to get rid of them?

[LadyCG]

If anyone has any photos of our feathered friends or any other wildlife in their gardens, I would be delighted to see them, as would everyone I imagine.

[Xeronema]

Here you go LadyCG :)

https://i.lowrex.com/i/BQcii.jpg

I've not spotted Beaky the 2nd for a week or so, so this photo is from then.

[LadyCG]

Oh wow, Diz, what a majestic bird :))

[Xeronema]

Yeah, I agree. I really wanted to see Beaky with his (or her) feathers out, but he/she never had them out full span. I think the cheeky *** lets himself/herself out of the sanctuary when they want, lol. I know the local council dog warden tried to catch them. I know it's selfish to say this, but I'm glad that they couldn't catch Beaky, I like them being around, honking :p

[Xeronema]

Apologies for the poor picture quality, it was taken from one of our CCTV cameras.

[Canary42]

LadyCG: Here are one or two from my collection. I have a short video clip of the third one but am unable to link it.

Bird on my telephone wire https://ibb.co/3StTV02

Fox yawning after nap on my “lawn” https://ibb.co/FzsDWVR

Bird in the garden seeking seeds https://ibb.co/f9DmzmX

[LadyCG]

Diz, the quality is just fine. He's a regal looking chap.

Thanks for those, Canary. They're just lovely ❤️

[Barmaid]

Those are goldfinches. Lovely birds. They squabble on our feeders, they are funny little things.

[LadyCG]

My birdies are loving their granola :-))