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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 8, 2015 11:36:44 GMT
Is anyone else finding it a full time job filling up the feeders at the moment? Mine that the finches eat the sunflower hearts from are barely lasting 5 days. This is the 2nd or 3rd lot of baby Goldfinch to be coming to feed this year. I'm not complaining mind, I love watching them and they're there when I go out with my coffee at 5am most mornings. We don't feed birds in the summers months here in Germany - you can't even buy food for them..however my OH decided to buy a bag of peanuts (in shells) a while ago and it seems that not only the squirrel but also a Jay, Tits and a blackbird come each day and take one or two out....we are on our 3rd bag already !! |
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Post by Jilly on Jul 8, 2015 11:50:57 GMT
Funny you should say that Ladygardener, nothing as glamorous as Goldfinches on my feeder unfortunately, but the sparrows are on their 2nd or 3rd brood already & all the teenagers are still coming back too, I've just resorted to ordering a big sack of sunflower hearts on Amazon in the hope they might last a bit longer. Rosefriend, where there's a will there's a way, well done to your OH, I feel quite sorry for the poor deprived little German birds. |
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Post by Ladygardener on Jul 9, 2015 6:09:14 GMT
Well done Jilly, and Rosefriend, they do be very hungry when the little ones arive. Jilly it's good that the sparrow teenagers are coming as well. This morning I saw an adult Chaffinch feeding it's young, just sitting on one of the sticks I put through the defence I put up to stop the b....y pigeons getting near their feeder. It just sat there quietly waiting, unlike the Goldfinch who shake all over and make a persistant noise until the adult puts food in their mouth.   |
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Post by Ladygardener on Jul 30, 2015 11:01:43 GMT
I've tidied around the sunflower feeder in the oblisk at the bottom of the border. It's strange, the Goldfinch did'nt come at all yesterday and I've not seen them today either. I wonder why... Up until now I've been replenishing their feeder with hearts every couple of days and all the youngsters were coming with the adults.
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Post by Ladygardener on Oct 25, 2015 9:54:24 GMT
I saw the most amazing sight this morning. I'd wondered why the birds were'nt singing and visiting like they always do just after it gets light. 3 Goldfinch were sitting on the Teasel beside the oblisk and out of nowhere came a Sparrowhawk swooping down to them!!!!!!! I got the shock of my life and the Goldfinch scattered. The Sparrowhawk sat on top of the oblisk for a couple of mins and just looked around. I've never in all the 14 years I've lived here, seen one. It flew off again, in behind where the large collection of Elderberries grow, between that and the old factory building. I would'nt want him coming regularly but wow it was a sight I never thought I'd see here.  |
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Post by Jilly on Oct 25, 2015 11:10:37 GMT
They are wonderful aren't they Ladygardener, as you say wouldn't want one too often though. I get one quite regularly, in fact one nearly got me one morning as it was in mid swoop whilst I was filling up one of the feeders. Talking of feeders, all the money I've spent on the sunflower hearts hasn't been in vain, look what I got this morning.   There was quite a little flock of them, but only going on the feeder one or two at a time (think the sparrows were most put out), poor OH had to take these through the bedroom window (good job it was clean  ) as there's too much undergrowth to take any pics through the garden. |
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Post by Rosefriend on Oct 25, 2015 20:20:55 GMT
Funnily I saw a Sparrowhawk a couple of days ago in the garden Ladygardener,...a robin was following us around the garden, going where I had taken plants out, looking for worms etc and I saw the Sparrowhawk watching from the neighbours oak tree. Obviously thought I was too big for him and flew off after a little while....hahahaha!! Love the Goldfinches Jilly, I have loads of great birds on this side of the water but I have never had goldfinches...very lucky!! |
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Post by Ladygardener on Oct 26, 2015 14:22:44 GMT
Jilly, yes they are great are'nt they and once they've found the feeding station with the sunflower hearts, there will be even more coming. The feeder I have, has 3 or 4 holes in it around the bottom with a bit of a lip and I've criss crossed canes on the outside of it for them to walk along or perch on so I usually get 4 or so at a time and the others all sitting around crying (mostly the young ones whose faces are not yet red) until they get their turn. Oh I ment to say, well done to your OH for getting such good pics, they're quite exotic looking little birds are'nt they. Rosefriend it was such a rare thing for one to be around here, I hope he has gone away now 'tho and does'nt come back. It will soon be time for the little Thrush to visit my garden,. He has come every year in Nov or Dec and only stays a matter of weeks but he's very welcome. He feeds off the ground feeder.
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Post by Jilly on Oct 26, 2015 15:31:34 GMT
I meant to say the other days but seeing the Goldfinches put it out of my head. Not in the garden, but at work (as you might have seen on FB we have quite a lot of berry bearing shrubs planted round the car park), we saw a pair of Jays out there a couple of afternoons last week, of course as soon as I remembered to take my phone out there they stopped coming.
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Post by Rosefriend on Oct 26, 2015 17:16:11 GMT
I got some bird food last weekend Jilly, - finally the birds will be getting something - hahahahahaha, - well, when they have taken some of the insects and caterpillars out of the garden!! We have soooo many jays, magpies, etc but the worst are the Greenfinches - lovely as they are they comes in flocks of 25/30+ and eat everything. I bought some sunflower hearts, last year, as Ladygardener, had recommended them for the Goldfinches...huh - Greenfinches came twice and the packet was empty..... |
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Post by Ladygardener on Oct 27, 2015 7:12:14 GMT
Rosefriend, they do love them. I've been delighted too that growing the Teasel beside the goldfinch feeder has worked out just as I'd wanted it to. It took a few years to get here, trial and error but this year it's standing strong and they perch on it all the time and eat the seeds. Jilly what a lovely sight, you may yet get a pic.
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Post by Ron on Nov 3, 2015 15:30:14 GMT
One thing I haven't done since I moved into the flat is set anything up for the birds, so I'm doing it now. I've ordered three feeders from the RSPB, two of which are pigeon proof (and squirrel). Anything heavier than a songbird lands on them and the feeding holes close up. I need to sort something out to hang them on now.
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Post by Chuckles on Nov 4, 2015 13:48:43 GMT
One thing I haven't done since I moved into the flat is set anything up for the birds, so I'm doing it now. I've ordered three feeders from the RSPB, two of which are pigeon proof (and squirrel). Anything heavier than a songbird lands on them and the feeding holes close up. I need to sort something out to hang them on now. Could you not use that fab hanging basket stand I've just seen until you need it for baskets in spring, or maybe make a similar one  |
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Post by Ron on Nov 4, 2015 15:35:07 GMT
Could you not use that fab hanging basket stand I've just seen until you need it for baskets in spring, or maybe make a similar one  The RSPB recommend 45cm (18") between the post and feeders to stop squirrels reaching over. I've ordered some brackets to do that already so I'm going to have to get on with it. Need to find a space for it now ... |
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Post by Rosefriend on Nov 21, 2015 13:07:04 GMT
I have finally started to feed the birds for winter...still loads in the garden but I do like to see them...tits have found the bird tables and the hanging stuff - robin has been in, the resident blackbird has started to take over the garden and direct which birds can enter - lol !!
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Post by Rosefriend on Nov 21, 2015 14:45:56 GMT
I have finally started to feed the birds for winter...still loads in the garden but I do like to see them...tits have found the bird tables and the hanging stuff - robin has been in, the resident blackbird has started to take over the garden and direct which birds can enter - lol !! EDIT from me and that is that we have had a rare visitor already - the Crested Tit came - normally he doesn't come until January... I couldn't take a pic as he was so quick but here is a webpic..  |
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Post by Ladygardener on Nov 22, 2015 10:09:35 GMT
Rosefriend, what a lovely little bird, I've never seen one before.
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Post by Rosefriend on Nov 27, 2015 14:03:45 GMT
Just had a visitor and I now know who is pinching the squirrels nuts!! It the local Jay - little so and so...lousy pics as it was snowy and I took a pic from the lounge but you can see the little rascal...    |
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Post by Ladygardener on Nov 27, 2015 18:19:58 GMT
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Post by Ron on Nov 27, 2015 19:05:05 GMT
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Post by Rosefriend on Nov 27, 2015 19:31:04 GMT
Shame, they are really good looking birds Ron, - birds of prey of course, and noisy devils to boot, same as Magpies but we have them all over, Magpies as well, Jackdaws in their thousands and they are supposedly on the endangered species list (same as the damn Moles) and then Rooks and Crows but not so many of those..unless we have a hard winter and then there is a daily fight at the bird tables... |
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Post by Ron on Nov 27, 2015 23:54:09 GMT
Rosefriend, there was a massive tree near the garden at my old place with lots of nests, don't know if they were jackdaws or ravens, but they would decimate a suet ball in minutes before anything else could get near it. Thats why I'm protecting the one I've got now.
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Post by Ron on Nov 28, 2015 8:59:02 GMT
I have the window slightly open and am listening to birdsong from my flat. There have been a few blue tits on the feeders and other birds, all quickly landing and then flying off again. Don't think they fully trust things yet. May be able to snap a picture but possibly wait until they've got used to it.
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Post by Rosefriend on Dec 10, 2015 13:58:51 GMT
Are you getting any birds Ron, - feathered variety of course !! We do get the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers here - very skittish and nearly impossible to get a pic...this morning however we had a Green Woodpecker....gorgeous....again, impossible to get a pic.. |
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Post by Ron on Dec 10, 2015 19:23:27 GMT
I had a few when I first put things up, Rosefriend, but not so many now. The area is a bit small and when residents open windows, hang washing out (though not this weather!) and such, I suppose it disturbs them. I didn't put all that much food out and most of it is still there. It may get better used when it turns cold and there's less food about. |
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Post by Ladygardener on Dec 11, 2015 9:54:29 GMT
Be patient Ron, they will come. Do remember to discard old food if it has'nt been eaten in a few weeks.  |
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Post by Chuckles on Dec 12, 2015 12:17:20 GMT
They can take a while to feel comfortable visiting a new feeding place but as LG says they will come  for you. I have 3 seed feeders and a peanut feeder hanging close together and if I happen to put a feeder back in the wrong place it makes them a bit wary for a while. |
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Post by Ron on Dec 13, 2015 17:43:48 GMT
They can take a while to feel comfortable visiting a new feeding place but as LG says they will come for you. I have 3 seed feeders and a peanut feeder hanging close together and if I happen to put a feeder back in the wrong place it makes them a bit wary for a while. Waiting patiently as advised, Chuckles, when they need it I expect they'll come. |
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Post by Ron on Dec 18, 2015 9:58:57 GMT
There are a few visitors now but I'm just leaving them to it at the moment, let them get used to it.
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Post by Jilly on Dec 18, 2015 10:07:25 GMT
You might find that the unusual weather is affecting the numbers too Ron, I'm usually being eaten out of house & home this time of year, but I'm only having to fill the feeders twice a week atm. |
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