What has happened to my birds ?

[shaneystar2]

I normally have a garden full of 'em and they go through the food at a rate of knots.Shortly before Christmas I filled all their peanuts and fatballs up and even bought them meal worms and dried insects And they have not been touched Have they found a better gourmet garden somewhere else ? They all seem to have disappeared completely .
Even the blackbirds and the Lone Ranger robin are conspicuous by their abscence .
Any ideas ?

[Cetti]

Hi shaney...missed you from A + N.

Well, things must be serious in the birdy world if you don't have many in Norfolk - the county of plenty!

I honestly don't know the reason, but this time of year the birds are usually coming into gardens more and more as the berries and seeds are about finished now in the wild. Dec/Jan is a plateau period and the real activity will begin in February - although there are always exceptions. Probably the mild winter has kept everyone relatively well fed, so the need for our five star bistros is not there - yet!

[amsterdammer]

What part of the country are youliving in Shaney?
Here on the Devon/ Somerset borders we have our usual winter visitors, Blue & Great Tits, Finches, Robins etc.
I too loaded up the trees with fat balls, nuts & loads of seed on the lawn. When I came back from Holland 11 days later it had all vanished, had to re-stock yesterday, costing a fortune, but well worth it of course!!!

[Robinia]

I'll put some of mine on the bus & send them across to you shaney, I've got more than ever! It must be this food I'm buying, the local pet shop's started selling the seed with added aniseed (good for birds in winter apparently) it smells lovely!
I've now got 7 blackies queueing for raisins as well & they had been tolerating each other but have become really territorial...are we in for an early spring maybe?
The snowdrops are coming up!

[shaneystar2]

Hi all and a Happy new year ....
Well they have packed their bags here in Norfolk that's for sure or at least in my garden . I have had a couple of cats who keep coming into the garden.Now we no longer have Shaney they think they have carte blanche .He used to chase them off but I can't run as fast as he used to. However he has been gone six months and I have had plenty of birds around in spite of said cats . So it's a mystery .Ungrateful little b's !
I spent ages a couple of days ago grinding up brown bread which I mixed with oats ,seed and raisins to tempt them to no avail.
However I did read this on the RSPB site so perhaps I'm no longer on their bus route !

[shaneystar2]

Ooh I say amsterdammer ..just reread your post ..are you actually from Amsterdam ? .We used to live in that part of the world ....Krimpen aan den IJssel to be precise .

[amsterdammer]

Shaney
Not actually from Amsterdam, but my daughter is married to a Dutchman & has lived in the netherlands for the past 20 years.
A town named Almere, which is a 35 min. drive from Amsterdam, or 20mins on the train.My wife & I visit 3 times a year & love it over there, especially in the Summer when we can cycle for miles its so lovely & flat!
I dont recall Krimpen but expect Ive been there some time or other.
PS Sorry so late in replying just got back from a country walk, working up an appetite for our evening meal & dont despair, those birds will soon be back, sounds as those like me you really enjoy them!!!

[Robinia]

erm was I hallucinating or was Cetti on this thread earlier?...surely she hasn't been whizzed off to the dungeon?...not Cetti....

[shaneystar2]

Thanks for your replies ..and I did wonder what had happened to our Cetti Robinia ....I hope she isn't in the dungeon

Amsterdammer ..Krimpen is not far from Rotterdam .I loved it there ..long time ago now though . We lived there in the seventies early eighties. Used to do a lot of cycling there. Best way of getting about and all geared up for cyclists . I remember having a lovely bike with panniers on each side
.Happy days...these days I only seem to do recycling !
Even here in flat old Norfolk you take your life in your hands on a bicycle.

[Cetti]

Am I back girls?

Ooooh, I've just seen things a Cetti should never see ....!!!!!

[Cetti]

Am I back girls?

This is not funny......I have seen things down there a Cetti should never see.......

[Cetti]

See what it's done to my poor brain....

[VINNY100_2]

Ive heard the birds singing every morning Shaney.Its lovely when the alarm goes of at 5:30 and there all singing away.
I stayed in a small town called bosum or was it spelt Bussum .about 20 minutes from Amsterdam.lovely place..(:O)

[shaneystar2]

Only you could stay in a place called bosom Vinny :))
No birds again today and no singing whatsoever .
They are sorely missed ..I think I'll put some flyers up .....Has anyone seen my sparrows :))

[amsterdammer]

Hi Shaney & Vinny
Your quite right it is Bussum, & its a very short drive to where my son-in-laws paents live, in Blaricum.And yes Vinny your quite right, its a very nice town!

[amsterdammer]

PS Ive just seen a Sparrowhawk in my garden, which explains the lack of Sparrows today!!!

[shaneystar2]

It seems you are back Cetti you are back ..back ....back ..it's soul destroying really ..I don't even venture into the realms of worsa site ...and neither do my birds !!

[Cetti]

Hi shaney! Can you really see me or am I just a ghostly figure.......drifting....in....and....out? It's really crazy down here, first here...then gone...