Garden Birds

[warpig3]

can anyone give me a link to identify garden birds. Am not a twitcher but there are loads of birds in our garden and I would just lik to know what they are, especially since they are nest building.

thanks
warpig

[spudqueen]

Hi warpig, this is a great time of year isn't it? All the little birdies are busy in my garden collecting nesting material, it is wonderful to watch. It depends on where you live in the country, but some birds you may see in your garden are house sparrow, blue tit, great tit, chaffinch, greenfinch, robin, blackbird, wren and starling. This website http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/ could be a good starting place for identification, also the RSPB website. http://www.rspb.org.uk/gardens/ Enjoy watching those birds!

[warpig3]

Thank you for the link spudqueen, yes, it is fantastic time of year ,all re-birth, all around. think it is a female black bird, she is building a nest right by our kitchen window and I see her flying back and forth with 'bedding' etc, is there anything I can do to make life easier for her in respect of food, dont want to interfer with nature but any suggestions as is fantastic to watch.

Thanks
warpig

[warpig3]

Oops, meant to add, am in Scotland, just by Edinburgh, if that makes any difference.

[Thunderbird+]

Hi warpig3, The experts recomend that any bird feeding should be kept well away from where birds are nesting otherwise it could cause birds to abandon their nests if there is a lot of unwelcome activity going on close to the nest site.
Birds seem to need more high protein foods at this time of year and I suppliment my feeding station with much more with things like fat balls and fat-bird cake containing meal worms and insects ( Just what they need with young chicks to feed !) Good Luck Tbird+

[warpig3]

Thank youtbird, the garden is not very big and there is a lot of crows around, can I put out a fat ball at the end of the garden, away from the nest? dont want to scare off blackbirds if other bigger bigger birds are around (crows or rooks, not too sure but big and black), kinda catch 22 situation, if you get my drift.

Thabks
warpig

[Jules001]

just to add here that blackbirds are mainly ground feeders, they only rarely come to my bird table. I have allsorts of food out in my garden, the fat balls and suet blocks are mainly eaten by the starlings, the peanuts are taken by the blue tits, lucky enough to have seen a greater spotted woodpecker feeding on them a couple of weeks ago. The seed is generally left untouched, but I have found that the caviar of bird food seems to be sunflower seed hearts, I have since putting these out attracted greenfinches & goldfinches which previously never came into my garden. I put out food scraps too, I cooked too much macaroni the other day which was eagerly taken by blackbirds, pigeons and starlings.

[warpig3]

Thank you Jules, will invest in some bird food as is class to watch

[Thunderbird+]

Hi again Warpig, Jules has answered your 10:51 question well. re fat balls and other hanging feeders etc, yes I'm sure the other end of the garden will be fine. In my gdn the black birds, robins and other ground feeders seem happy to eat the crumbs as they fall from the hangers.
The RSPB recomend that pea nuts should be offered to birds only through mesh feeders, otherwise young chicks could choke on whole nuts. Happy spotting. Tbird+

[bensmum]

I have to agree that sunflower hearts are very good for attracting birds - they love them! I have also found that the smaller finches like niger seeds - you need a particular type of feeder for these but it's worth it. If you have a small garden one of those set ups with several arms on which to hang feeders is a great idea. I put out all sorts but they like crumbed-up scones ( I buy the cheap ones especially for them!) and chopped up dried fruit is also popular. Enjoy the birds - they are great fun

[Cetti]

Just to add to all the lovely food above warpig mine also love Digestive and Rich Tea (economy, of course!) crumbled up, although the Jackdaws and Magpies use the dunking technique for the larger bits - always makes me smile.

Fat balls are fine, but please remove the green or red mesh nets as birds get their feet and bills tangled up and cannot get free again.