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Any keen bird feeders out there?

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  • laurel7172
    laurel7172 Posts: 2,071 Forumite
    The downside of a sparrowhawk is that it doesn't eat birdseed :eek:

    Our garden used to be surrounded by massive Leylandii-sparrowhawks and kestrels used to perch on the sawn-off trunks and wait for dinner. Usually pigeons, which ate all the spilled food and got too tubby to take off in a hurry...

    A kill was spectacular and distressing in equal measure...and raptor fledglings need to eat too...

    A sparrowhawk flew over the garden a couple of days ago, but I don't suppose they'll hunt here again until the replacement trees mature.
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  • Goldiegirl
    Goldiegirl Posts: 8,805
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    laurel7172 wrote: »
    The downside of a sparrowhawk is that it doesn't eat birdseed :eek:

    Our garden used to be surrounded by massive Leylandii-sparrowhawks and kestrels used to perch on the sawn-off trunks and wait for dinner. Usually pigeons, which ate all the spilled food and got too tubby to take off in a hurry...

    A kill was spectacular and distressing in equal measure...and raptor fledglings need to eat too...

    A sparrowhawk flew over the garden a couple of days ago, but I don't suppose they'll hunt here again until the replacement trees mature.


    A couple of times I've seen a bird of prey kill another bird in the back garden.

    I can only describe it as horribly fascinating. You don't want to look as something is being killed, but on the other hand the bird of prey is so efficient, it's sort of impressive.
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  • chickaroonee
    chickaroonee Posts: 14,678 Forumite
    yes that's very true! I would be quite distressed to see the small birds attacked, although I do know it's just the way it works in the bird world. A pigeon was attacked recently in our garden as I found its remains (not very much!) but I just presumed it was a neighbourhood cat. Maybe it was a sparrowhawk instead?

    too many comps..not enough time!
  • laurel7172
    laurel7172 Posts: 2,071 Forumite
    A sparrowhawk usually plucks its kill where it strikes-there's a distinctive circlet of feathers left on the ground. I wouldn't really know how to tell a kestrel and cat kill apart-no cat of mine has ever been keen on eating a catch, but I know some cats aren't so fussy. I've also seen magpies attack smaller birds, so there are potentially lots of suspects.
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  • chickaroonee
    chickaroonee Posts: 14,678 Forumite
    There is a tom cat that roams around here so I wondered if it was him that had killed it, but all that was left was a few feathers so perhaps it could've been another bird? I'm no fan of pigeons but that's a grizzly way to go.

    too many comps..not enough time!
  • laurel7172
    laurel7172 Posts: 2,071 Forumite
    When I've picked up kestrel kills, they've been, well, sort of hollowed out and pecked clean to the bone. Just a few feathers could mean something caught it and took it away, or a near miss-they often shed a few feathers in a getaway.
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  • They are eating us out of house and home this year, lots of sparrows and their babies, I buy peanuts in h&b and they are get through them very quickly, they also share our chickens food. We have one little black bird family that eats the hedgehog food. I get bags of mini fat balls in home bargains, £2:99 in a yellow bag, they always go quickly too.

    In the winter one thing they love porridge oats mixed with melted beef dripping and left to cool.

    Worth every penny to help them out and see them in the garden :)
  • laurel7172
    laurel7172 Posts: 2,071 Forumite
    I can hear an owl...hopefully the cat has left it a few mice :)
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  • chickaroonee
    chickaroonee Posts: 14,678 Forumite
    laurel7172 wrote: »
    When I've picked up kestrel kills, they've been, well, sort of hollowed out and pecked clean to the bone. Just a few feathers could mean something caught it and took it away, or a near miss-they often shed a few feathers in a getaway.

    definitely was a kill, there was blood and a bit of gore left

    too many comps..not enough time!
  • Eenymeeny
    Eenymeeny Posts: 2,015
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    edited 21 August 2013 at 8:28PM
    Sorry I don't know! The fussy !!!!!!s in our garden probably wouldn't, they don't eat tomatoes/blackcurrants or bananas, only grapes..

    How lovely eenymeeny. What are you feeding them, just seeds?
    Yes, just seeds bought from Home Bargains or Wilkinsons. We're just surprised at how much quicker they are going down than from other, hanging, feeders. I thought that other people might like to try them if they're having trouble encouraging birds or like to have the birds near enough to the house to be able to watch them from inside. :)
    I also spotted a woodpecker a while ago... that explained the big hole gouged into the roof of our carefully positioned insect lodge!
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