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Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
in Wildlife gardening
I have had another visit indoors from a robin so it is obviously coming in through an open door. It found its way through the conservatory, dining room and into the sun room. The dog let me know something was going on, fortunately the cat wasn't around.

I was interested to see some of you thought the poo pic. belonged to a hedgehog.I regularly find similar deposits in my garden but wasn't sure if they were left by rats, of which I have lots, or the elusive hedgehog, which I have never seen. I have never tried feeding the hogs because of the rats. My dog also enjoys clearing up any suet debris from the bird feeders so I am sure he would try to get into anything I put down for the hogs.
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  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I am now onto my third resident Robin. The first was for three years, would come when called to be fed (not quite from my hand) , came between our feet while digging the garden, and would sit and sing to us. The second came when called, would wait until we had a break to dig around when gardening, and would sing a duet with me. The third is quite shy, new this year, and has just started to come when called, but waits to eat till I go inside. Love the garden birds.
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    I think the thread on hedgehog poo might have been mine, @Joyce Goldenlily.  We have lots of rats too, but this poo seemed significantly bigger than the rat droppings I've seen - it was about 5cm long.   :)
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    Sorree! I accidentally condensed 2 messages into one. 

    The robin in my garden certainly comes to a nearby tree as soon as I go outside, I call to it and it stays  I work, it comes down to check for tit bits when I move away.My cat is a hunter so I have never actively encouraged birds down close to me. This particular robin seems very inquisitive.
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    Twice we've had a wren in the kitchen (plus calling cards).  One autumn I noticed a patch of some 50/60 butterfly wings on the garage floor which remained unexplained until one day, doing something quiet, I spied one hopping along inside the eaves pulling out all the hibernating butterflies for his tea.  I'd never have thought such small birds would have eaten quite such large bodies.
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    Wrens are great big birds in tiny bodies. Their call is so loud and penetrating, and they are another "nosey" bird. I regularly shush them out of my conservatory. I love them, they are like little mice running around amongst my pots and containers, hunting for morsels.
    I have them in my garden each year but so far have not worked out where they nest, not far away judging by the regularity with which they visit my garden. I have never seen them visit the bird feeders, I assume their diet is insects rather than seed and grain. They check under the guttering and window sills, as well as the interior of my conservatory.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Do you have bird boxes out @Joyce Goldenlily I have had a male build a nest for three years now in a blue tit box, but the female has yet to choose it.🙂 One year they did nest in the ivy ( underneath the blue tit box) Wren females are so picky.😆
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Wrens nested this year in the remains of our old sheep shed and got quite used to our comings and goings, but  they shouted at the cats. They have nested there before; once I walked in as all the babies were testing their flying skills and it was like a swarm of large brown moths :)
    The shed was demolished last month, just before it fell down and rebuilding is underway already, but this meant the wrens have temporarily lost the use of their nest, where they were still roosting. It was probably one of these that found its way into my kitchen the other morning, via an open window in the  next room.
    After closing the doors to exclude dogs and cats I opened the kitchen window so it could get out. It couldn't work out where to go though, and flew up and down for a few minutes. It didn't seem scared, though it looked for places to hide, under a cupboard, behind the breadbin, but it even landed on the table right in front of me once and I kept talking to it, as it looked at me.
    At last it flew back to the window, looked up and saw it was open. For the first time it opened its beak and chirped once, then flew up and perched on the edge and chirped again, as if it was saying goodbye. Then it was gone. No mess, but some magical moments :)
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    I have nest boxes of varying sizes up on a 8ft fence, as well as on the end of my shed and in an old privy covered in ivy. I hung a tea pot in the quince tree but no takers yet. The blue tits and great tits use the boxes but I am surrounded by hundreds of acres of uncultivated land so the birds are spoiled for choice for nesting sites.
    I am lucky enough to have a flock of long tailed tits and some willow tits who visit my feeders, as well as many different breeds of birds, I wish I saw more of the woodpeckers who used to be regular visitors but only come rarely now.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Wrens are largely hedgerow birds, so they spend most of their time insect hunting. That's the sort of habitat they nest in too. 
    We get them quite often here in the garden, but you have to be quick to spot them jinking in and out. Mine are all called Sophia. [le wren]   :D
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    Ahhh! I am sitting next to a window and been within touching distance of a wren which has worked its way along my windowsill looking for spiders etc. I held my breath to se it so close to me, could see all of it markings etc. Delicious!
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