Wildlife in our gardens

margaretclare

If there are trees either in your garden, or close to it, then there will be birds there.

The way to entice birds into your garden is to feed them. Have a look on the RSPB site: http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds

Birds also need water, not only to drink but because they have to bathe daily to keep their feathers in good condition, to provide insulation as well as for flight. A bird-bath, a shallow dish or bowl, a small pond, anything really that holds water, that the birds can walk into.

To use worms you need a specialised feeder, at least until the birds learn they're there and will come regularly. Have a look on Haith's site: http://www.haiths.com

They're not the kind that crawl away, although they wriggle!

Having said that, wildlife photography is a specialised field, and requires huge amounts of patience.

HTH

JuneBow

margaretclare wrote: »

If there are trees either in your garden, or close to it, then there will be birds there.

The way to entice birds into your garden is to feed them.



They're not the kind that crawl away, although they wriggle!

Having said that, wildlife photography is a specialised field, and requires huge amounts of patience.

HTH

Thanks for that margaretclare. I didn't even realise that not all worms crawled, they wriggled!
I am feeding them, but they seem to go in everone elses garden except mine! I did wonder if it was the cats.
But also, I am trying to feed them on a flat roof near a window, so that I can watch them from behind curtains in the window. Is this wrong?
I know wildlife photography requires patience, I have done some already, but I may need more patience trying to ensnare the birds!!

~Chameleon~

margaretclare wrote: »

About mealworms, our local pet food shop sells them. £2 buys a quantity of them in a plastic box. You put a few out each day and keep the rest in the fridge. As the box has a firm lid they can't get out, and they become less active when kept cold - once they're in the warm they start wriggling about.

I used an old spoon to transfer some of them to a 'robin feeder' down the garden.

That's a rather expensive way of buying them, especially at this time of year when they go through so many! Those containers only hold about 50g and my resident birds would devour the entire container within two sittings!!!

I actually had to go buy one on Monday from the local garden centre as they'd already devoured the 250g sack I bought last week and I had none left to feed them on Monday :rolleyes:

I've just bought a 500g sack so fingers crossed these will at least last out the week! :rotfl:

BTW, mealworms certainly DO crawl, they have 3 pairs of legs and can actually move a good distance in a short space of time

margaretclare

Tell me the cheapest way of buying them, then!

Feeding birds, I think they have to feel secure e.g. they need to be able to dash for cover if a predator is in the vicinity. I've seen all of our birds scatter into the bushes when a sparrowhawk arrived!

~Chameleon~

margaretclare wrote: »

Tell me the cheapest way of buying them, then!

Details in post #25 in this thread

MoJo

margaretclare wrote: »

Feeding birds, I think they have to feel secure e.g. they need to be able to dash for cover if a predator is in the vicinity. I've seen all of our birds scatter into the bushes when a sparrowhawk arrived!

Sparrowhawks need food too

I have a huge rambling rose which has taken over an outbuilding and lots of birds congregate there. At about 2-3pm every day a sparrowhawk swoops down on it and there is much kefuffle in it. I don't think he's successful most of the time.

We also have, for the first time this year, a "dirty gert big crow" in the area who is causing all kinds of mayhem. He seems to have taken a dislike to the pigeons?

OddjobKIA

JuneBow wrote: »

I am interested in photography and am trying to entice birds into my garden so I can get some close ups.
I am having no sucess and I don't know whether it is because I have two cats. Could that be the answere? Even though my cats could not catch a rubber duck.
I have put breadcrumbs out and nuts. Have not thought of worms, but would they not just crawl away.
I live right in the city, but there are huge trees outside the house, and I can hear the birds chirping but they seem to avoid my garden.
Any tips appreciated.

hello junebow..same here witht he photography thing...

its not just enticing birds intot he where you are it everything..

you need to putting feed out everyday for weeks maybe a few months before they get used toYOU being there aswell..

have you tried setting your camera up on a tripod close to the feeding station and taking the photo from remote....

if this is not available on your camera then maybe getting a cheap secondhand film SLR might be on the cards most of the old conons will have this ability and you get one with a decent lens nowadays for around £50

try
www.carmarthencameras.co.uk




back to OP subject...

dont forget that wildlife in your garden is also under your feet as annoying as ants can be they are also fascinating to watch. that and look under a some old rotting wood and again the varaiety of wildlife is amazing...


in fact try to entice more bird life into your garden buy enticing more bug life in...Get some logs drill hole in them soak them and leave them in hedges and under bushes as they rot they will attract an amazing amount of insect life wich in turn will atract the predators ie birds from cute robbins to hedhogs and bigger carnivores...

JuneBow

OddjobKIA wrote: »

have you tried setting your camera up on a tripod close to the feeding station and taking the photo from remote....

quote]

Hi oddjob,
I have remote cables and lenses, that is not problem. Have got a decent camera, loads of lenses etc, but before I start setting up my tripod, I need to get the birds there in the first place!
I think I saw a bird there yesterday, but I walked past the window, and it flew off. mmm that went well didn't it!
Once they start coming I will set everything up.
I spoke to someone yesterday who is a real wildlife nut, who said that the cats would be a problem but it was after I came back that I think I say the bird, but I just hope it comes back.

margaretclare

Another possibility is to give them somewhere to live, as discussed on the threads I quoted above, RSPB and Haith's.

In response to an appeal by Bill Oddie a couple of years ago on behalf of the declining house sparrow population, we put up a terrace and a block of flats (3 residences in each). OK, the family think I'm insane anyway, putting out honey sandwiches with medication to treat a fox with mange! Anyway, these 6 sparrow residences have been well-used, and it's as good as a soap opera out there now the young ones are leaving home. We put the sparrow boxes on the back wall - north-facing - of the house, and we're treated to non-stop entertainment.

Once you get the idea of a wildlife garden, there's no end to it.

HTH

Davesnave

I spoke to someone yesterday who is a real wildlife nut, who said that the cats would be a problem but it was after I came back that I think I say the bird, but I just hope it comes back.

Cats are not a problem if the feeders etc are off ground. I have two and the birds know about them. The key is cover. Without big bushes/trees we would not see as many birds as we do.