Any keen bird feeders out there?

Ken68

My neighbour just leaves his sunflowers as they have grown, the birds find 'em and every year he has little plants come up.
p.s I can imagine an Italian family feeding their birds..."enough of the mozzarella, let's try Yorkshire Pudding."

chickaroonee

Phew, that saves me a job Incidentally we have sunflowers growing everywhere from where the birds have dropped seeds. About 10 under the feeder! Don't think they'll flower now though.

Maybe on an italian money saving site they're asking for advice about if the local birds will eat a roast dinner?

davenport151

ljonski wrote: »

slightly off topic but on Monday on the Humber i saw a black swan with some bigger white ones. it didn't click at the time how unusual it was an hence never took a picture. Only yesterday in doing some research did i find out how rare they are

Chances are it was an escapee from a private collection not an off course native from oz.
There used to be two near where we live but I guess they died and were not replaced.
Dawlish in South Devon is know for its Black Swans (and other ornamental species as they are known).

In regards to pics I actually took one of a little Gull - though not much good at Gull id this one did strike me as 'different' Then id when I got home. Though the very next week I neglected to take a pic of a Hooded Crow! Not so common where I come from.

Still a bit off topic from garden birds. Hoping to see new to my garden species this year.

diluvsdiscounts

Yes I saw my first black swan on holiday in Dawlish.

cyclonebri1

chickaroonee wrote: »

I'd like to know that too about the sunflowers!

Sat and watched a jackdaw eating the dough yesterday, very amusing.

My missus puts sunflower seeds, the ones from the garden, in the liquidiser thing we have, not for long, just enough to mash them up a little.

Probably been mentioned as haven't read it all, but treat the little blighters to some dried mealworms, they will ignore everything else from then on:D:D:D

chickaroonee

Your wife is a good un cyclone!

I put mealworms out too, they don't last long do they!!

jenie_2

I haven't tried mealworms yet, but I will definitely buy some next time I go into town, the birds here are still going crazy for sunflower hearts and suet nibbles. Pleased to report regular visits from Goldfinches, Great Tits, Blue Tits and even saw a Long Tailed Tit on the sunflowers last Friday afternoon, the 1st since last winter. Also the usual Sparrows, Blackbirds and a gang of greedy Starlings.

chickaroonee

The magpies tried to steal the mealworms I put out today!

I have been counting the sparrows again and we now have at least 17 in the garden. I realise this may make me sound a little sad, but that makes me happy They love all the sunflower hearts feeders I have and there's often ten at a time feeding now.

Seeing a few blue and coal tits back too, it's gotten a lot colder here so I wonder if we'll start seeing more soon.

Ken68

Loads of worms in my compost heap, will post a picture later. Worms climbing over worms.
Just thinking how to preserve a few for winter !!!!!!

jenie_2

I must be sad too then chickaroonee because I always count the goldfiches although up to now we have only ever had 5 at once, but they are coming to the feeders every day now and I love to see them. I've just been watching a robin and a ring necked dove eating some mixed seed that I put out yesterday. Blue tits and great tits are coming more regularly now also.