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Nesting birds untie my string

yorkshireroseyorkshirerose Posts: 574
in Wildlife gardening
Does anyone else have the problem with sparrows untying jute string? I have watched them tugging away at the string when I have tied in clematis and roses, they are very persistent.

I decide to offer some help to them,saved all the 'off cuts' and spent a few hours shredding each of the  strands to make them soft and fluffy for nests. I then put them, along with some cotton wool into a disused feeder. The birds love it and now leave my clematis/rose ties alone.
It is amusing to see little birds fly off with a great beakful of nesting material - like flying Father Christmas'
A gardener's work is never at an end  - (John Evelyn 1620-1706)
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Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    What a great idea!
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Well done.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,906
    Blue and Great tits and a blackbird completely trashed the coir linings of my wall baskets for their nesting materials but you have to love them

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    A blackbird here has been wrestling with a 2 foot long piece of twine tied to an old post for a few days now. I thought he'd give himself whiplash trying to yank it loose.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • SuesynSuesyn Posts: 664
    I had some old leaky cushions which I was going to throw away so I put the feathers from those into a feeder, its given me hours of entertainment! I have enough feathers to last until the next millennium. 
  • HelixHelix Posts: 631
    I hang out bags of the fur from brushing our dog....they love it. 
  • IamweedyIamweedy Posts: 1,364
    I want to know which bird went off with my hemp garden twine when I was tying in my clematis. The rest of it has probably merged with the soil. Or tipped over the fence. I am a green garden twine addict.
     I find tying in my plants very soothing.



    'You must have some bread with it me duck!'

  • Jade3Jade3 Posts: 50
    I realise this is an old post, but precisely what is happening in my garden just now with the sparrow tugging at the garden twine and the blakbird also pulling off eco twine from where I tied the runner beans to the pole last year.

    Now what can we offer them as nesting?  I thought of putting yarn off cuts of cotton or wool but somebody said not to do that as it can get tangles around their legs and feet.

    Any suggestion for helpful alternative would be appreciated?

    I heard fur from brushing a cat or dog pegged to a line they quite like but I do have either animal as a pet.
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    Ladybird4 said:
    Blue and Great tits and a blackbird completely trashed the coir linings of my wall baskets for their nesting materials but you have to love them


    Our basket liners have suffered the same fate, but at least it's for a good cause.
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    wild edges said:
    A blackbird here has been wrestling with a 2 foot long piece of twine tied to an old post for a few days now. I thought he'd give himself whiplash trying to yank it loose.

    Many years ago I honestly saw two blackbirds fighting over an elastic band.  I don't know if I felt more sorry for the winner or loser.  Come to that I'm not sure which actually was the winner and loser.
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