Hobbies and Crafts

Morning....we're still filling feeders everyday and have flurries of birds. The jackdaws were in abundence yesterdat, chaffinches are always about, the w/pigeons come and go as do the blackbirds, but they are getting bossier, one was having ago at a chaffinch earlier who was'nt at all bothered, just flew up and came back down behind him....lol

Hopefuly the bit of rain we've had will bring up some wormies:o)

jude :o)

Great to hear that Dormouse is home:o)

A lot more birds back here today, filled a suet feeder up yesterday and the starlings emptied it this morning. Goldfinches, chaffinches and green finches eating the seed like mad. Blackbirds eating some crushed suet balls I put on the ground yesterday. Wood pigeon eating next doors seeds and fat balls. No sign of the doves lately.

Ann
Glos

Hi All
An amazing sight here yesterday afternoon when I walked to school collecting a child for her dinner.

There was a red Kite, seen them before as close as Iver Heath Buckinghamshire and Twyford in Berkshire, but this was a first for local to my home. A magnificent sight.

Tomorrow I will be filling all feeders and putting out extra fat balls as I shall not be around for the next 10 days. Hope it doesn't get too bad as they won't remeber to put feed out for the birds..................... surprised they can feed themselves !!!!

Linda :o)

As it appears it is going to get cold again more food for birds tips from a leaflet i picked up by the RSPB.

A wide variety of fats are suitable but not all are suitable for warm weather.
hard fats from cuts of meat (unsalted, uncured) can be put out in large pieces, make sure they are well anchored so that larger birds don't carry them off. Only use this in winter.
Home made fat balls or bird cake is only suitable for winter feeding since they will soften in summer and may smear the birds' feathers.
Polyunsaturated fats are unsuitable for birds.

Peanuts, never place out loose nuts but offer them in a feeder from which birds are only able to extract small pieces, or finely chopped in a seed mix.

Bread, - all types but it only acts as an empty filler as it doesn't contain the necessary fats, proteins, vitamins or minerals.
Moist bread is better than dry and brown is better than white. During the breeding season crumble the bread into tiny pieces so that it is only eaten by adult birds and only small amounts at a time.

Milk... Never give milk as birds can't digest it.
birds can digest fermented dairy foods such as cheese.

Fresh coconut is OK in a shell. rinse out coconut milk first. never give dessicated coconut.

meat in small quantities so that it is eaten before it dries out or goes off. Cut fresh meat into narrow short strips to represent worms, or chop finely to make it easier for birds to manipulate and eat. Chopped, fresh unsalted bacon can be given. Tinned meaty dog or cat food will be useful to some birds.

Rice: Cooked rice, brown or white without salt is beneficial and readily accepted. Uncooked rice may be eaten by pigeons and doves and pheasants but is less likely to attract other species.

Never put out salted food or add salt to bird baths to preventfreezing.

Breakfast cereals are good for birds. Offer crushed and dry in small quantities with water available. Porridge oats straight from the packet are fine, never give cooked porridge it is too glutinouse.

Safe foods in the breeding season.
any wild bird seed mixes but make sure there are no peanuts bigger than granule size.
Sunflower seeds
Sunflower hearts
mild grated cheese
sultanas, raisins, currants (soaked overnight)
Pinhead oatmeal
Apples, pears, plums, grapes and other soft fruit
Mealworms and waxworms.

Ann
Glos

Thanks for that Ann...:~)

jude :o)

Ahhh at last...a thread I can relate to! lol Thanks for that information Ann...my few birds have been very busy today...but havent seen the lone dunnock :(- Goodnight all....XX BC

Frosty this morning and it looks as though the feeders need re-filling again. Birds have all been busy.

I meant to have said Linda, how lovely to see a Red Kite, magnificent birds, only ever seen one.



Ann
Glos

Morning:o))

We had a slight frost earlier, it was gone now!

Sorry Linda l also forgot to say something about the Red Kite....they are magnificent are'nt they:o) l have never seen them near to home but have seen hundreds at a Red Kite feeding station in S.Wales, an amazing sight when they are all hovering waiting for the farmer to arrive with the tractor and then dish out the food......as he starts to drive away they start to land and feed along with some crows and a few buzzards:o))

Now l must tell you about Vics sighting in the garden this morning......feeding on the nyger seed....yehhhh a Goldfinch...Ist one here as far as we know....thanks to those who said about the nyger feeders:o)
Vic was'nt too sure about getting one, so l just bought one, it took a couple of weeks to persuade him its a good idea....welll now he thinks its abrilliant idea:o))

As Vic walked away from the feeders this morning the blackbirds and many chaffinches were there feeding, no time waisting this morning!!

jude :o)

Hope Dormouse is feeling abit stronger this morning:o) x

Linda in all the years I lived in Iver Heath I never saw a red kit but then I dont thhink I would know what I was looking at, but I would now.

Good to see that Dormouse is home,

Jude I have sent you a couple more pics.
Woodie has been here today for the first time in ages.
We have had snow sunshine rain and frost today. just a tipicle day here.

Thanks Bell :o)

just going to take alook now:o)

jude xx

Aww found this thread lost along way away:o(((

BC......Just got back from a weekend away, we stayed in Bromley and guess what we saw a .....green parokeet in my nephews back garden,also a jay, beautiful birds:o))

Anyone seen anything of interest??

It was trying to snow on way home this evening, so cold too. This afternoon it absolutely chucked it down,fortunately we were indoors having a meal at Wisely (sp) the Royal Horticultural gardens,what an amazing place:o))

jude:o)

Hallo all,
Well I too love watching the birds, especially at this time of the year. We have 3 sets of pigeons who keep flying to the large trees opposite us and picking the insects from the branches. They have obviously paired off - maybe last year already.
Lots of blackbirds and bluetits come to my balcony. I have a nesting box but they only use it for picking the insects from inside and outside. I am still hoping they will use it to lay eggs in one day. My neighbours on the 2nd floor have a nesting box and they have blue tits every year in their box. It's not fair!
It has been raining today again and still cold. The outlook for the rest of the week is not very promising either.
I did see a heron at the side of the water yesterday. They often dive into one of the neighbour's fish ponds for their dinner!
See you again soon.Sylvia xxx

The birds were very queit today, Just three goldfinches and a cuple of chaffinches. Don't know where they all were. Sheltering from the rain maybe.

Sylvia we have several boxes around, not had a nest in them yet. One year the blackbird built a nest on top of a bird house though.

ann
glos

Hello all, nothing of interest to say as I have been busy with the new flat, just popped in to say hello. I haven't seen many birds, or should I say watched them, but they have been round in abundance last few days looking at the feeders. It's really wild here this morning so they usually hide away, just when I am having the day off to rest.
We have a lot of Goldfinches but no nyger seed, beautiful birds.
When my Cockatiel is playing on the window sill we have a robin that lands on outside window sill come to visit him. We used to have a sparrow that did the same but I haven't seen her for a while now.
Has your Dunnock been back BC?, we have loads here, a lovely little bird, very shy.

Caz xx

Morning:o)

Lovely day here:o)

Sylvia.......We don't have any nesting boxes, l tell a lie we do have one but its never been used, its in the wrong place!!!

Blackbird has been for his morning dip in the bath, a jackdaw was trying to pirch on the edge of the smaller bird tabels, very ungainly!! but not much else happening, very quiet.

Y/Caz....how cool is that (as my daughter would say), to have another bird come and sit on your window ledge and talk to your cockatiel:o)). l used to have a cockertiel and other birds in an aviary, but he was'nt very friendly. l also took in peoples birds whilst they went away (bird sitter!!). Would'nt mind doing that again, don't think we have enough space though!!

jude :o)

Caz, what do your goldfinches eat if you dont have nyjer seed? I thought that was what attracted them.

Ann
Glos

Hi Folks,
How are we all, we are going through all seasons at once up here, but at the moment its very windy but the sun is shining.
A wee tip that I have been given is that if you have your nest boxes facing north the birds will use them. moved all ours so that they are north facing and all have lodgers. Also they dont like feeders to close to the boxes.
Waiting for OH to repair bird table the wind sent it flying and its in need of a bit of repair work.
Just come back along the A76 and the traffic was quite fast and a Red squirrel was playing knock down ginger with the traffic.

I don't know Ann, we get our wild bird seed from the local pet shop where they mix and bag it up themselves. It may have nyger seed in it but I don't know the names of seeds. I always used to see a lot of Goldfinches at the edge of the field when I could walk to the shops so maybe there is a weed they like there.

Caz

We watched two robins trying out various sites for a nest yesterday but didn't see them today. Maybe they will be back, they seem to take ages to choose the best place.

Bellblair ... l remember you saying this once before, ours faces the wrong way and is too near the patio doors, l will have to try and get in down myself, wait for ever for OH...lol

Ann...l have seen one of our robins but not the other recently perhaps they've found their nest.

Took a photo of one of the blackbirds in the bath this morning,willget it on blog in a mo, along with some pics from Wisely Royal HS:o)

We now have a pair of reed buntings, tried to take pics but they are too fast.

Dormouse...hope you are improving each day.

Tec...not seen you in ages,hope alls well.

Caz...hows the move going

Everyone else...hope your well:o)

jude x
(sorry about all my smiles, my fingers just go straight to the keys,sometimes lhave to go back and delete some...lol)