Any keen bird feeders out there?

Gers

How lucky for you to see the nest bring built TA. I've yet to see any bird even look sideways at the nest boxes I hung up recently. Perhaps it's too early still.

On another note, there's a skylark outside somewhere at the front of the house. Sounds exquisite. A first for me.

KxMx

TravellingAbuela wrote: »

I spent a lot of the morning watching a female blackbird make a start on building her nest in the ivy not far from our kitchen window. She built her nest last year in almost the same spot - about 4 ft from the ground. We were permanently shooing off the local cats that were doing their best to get up the ivy. Sadly one cat must have managed it whilst we were away for a few days and the nest was empty and the blackbird gone when we got back. So I am quite sad to think she is going to all this bother building her nest and getting it just right, for the same thing to happen again. The nest last year really was a work of art.

It can be common for blackbirds to abandon nests, I wouldn't be so sure a cat got at the eggs.

I had 3/4 of a nest built by one in a small fir tree, I'd seen her building but hadn't realised how far along it was until the tree was trimmed in the summer, it was huge!

TravellingAbuela

Gers wrote: »

How lucky for you to see the nest bring built TA. I've yet to see any bird even look sideways at the nest boxes I hung up recently. Perhaps it's too early still.

On another note, there's a skylark outside somewhere at the front of the house. Sounds exquisite. A first for me.

We were over at our caravan site at the weekend setting up for the coming season. Mr TA has made numerous next boxes over the years which we have sited to get good views from the front caravan window. We took time out at the weekend to look out for activity in them and there was lots of "viewings" going on with birds popping in and out all the time. It's usually coal, blue and great tits we get in them. One year we were lucky enough to watch a little chiffchaff building her nest in the brambles next to our van.

I have just been watching the blackbird again this morning, busy away taking in moss, leaves and thin twigs for her nest. It's only about 6 ft from the kitchen window so I have an amazing view. Her mate is around too but he's leaving all the work to her. I hope you are right about them "sacking" their nests KxMx as I'd hate to think of it being a cat.

ERICS_MUM

I was walking on the riverbank into town last week and saw a swan tugging at weeds and grassy stuff, he was at it at least an hour presumably building the nest for his family. Might have been the female, I can't tell the difference.

Gers

I've put a pile of twigs / old bush stems into a pile under my spruce tree, first breaking them up into bits, so that there's a supply for nest building.

There's an old swallows nest in my back garden steading though I've been closing the door over the winter months. I'll have to research about the re-use of old nests.

Happygreen

Good morning!
It's so nice to wake up to bird song now. Our yellowhammer has found a mate and the song thrushes are busy on the lawn. Although we had frost spring must be near....

ljonski

Some great baby bird pics here!
http://www.wildlife-rescue.org.uk/PDF/Baby%20Bird%20Identification%20Guide.pdf

ERICS_MUM

ljonski wrote: »

Some great baby bird pics here!
http://www.wildlife-rescue.org.uk/PDF/Baby%20Bird%20Identification%20Guide.pdf

Aarrh, thanks for that, it's cheered me up. I'm a sucker for pics of any baby animals !

Happygreen

I had to rescue a sparrow lady from under my rhubarb netting - which I have to put up to protect the upcoming plants from the chickens - it flew off but had a bleeding head, the hens might have had a go at the poor thing through the net...I have no idea how it got in as there's no gap anywhere. I hope it'll be alright. Soon some of the youngsters will end up in the ducks' water bowls, happens every year

DSmiffy

Hi Just jumping on this thread and thought someone may be able to tell me how to attract birds to my food table.
I have a table with three feeders hanging from it, peanuts, seed and fat balls and not a single visitor.
The feed keeps going moldy and I have to change it. Only visitor is a hopeful pigeon who hangs around the base all day
Any ideas?