Forum home› Wildlife gardening
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Feeding the wild birds

Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
in Wildlife gardening
I stopped feeding the local birds last year due to the Avian Flu outbreak down here in Cornwall. I really missed my feathery friends but my neighbour has free-range chickens and I always have let the birds forage for themselves during the summer. Yesterday I restocked my feeders expecting it to be about 2/3 days before the birds rediscovered them, what usually happens,  but no. It was wonderful, like Piccadilly Circus, flocks of birds began feeding within a couple of hours.
«13

Posts

  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    How wonderful. Enjoy 
  • RedwingRedwing Posts: 1,511
    Great that they found your feeding station so quickly....probably because it's especially cold and frosty now (maybe not so much in Cornwall though). 
    Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    Don't believe everything you are told! It has been very chilly down here lately, mainly a freezing wind. 
    At least it is not as bad as up North or in Calgary Canada where my son lives, it has been down to -40o wind chill there.
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    I have been pleased to see lots of long-tailed tits coming to my feeders. Their numbers dropped badly a couple of years ago but they seem to have picked up again. Lots of territory squabbling going on between blackbirds and robins etc. I cannot tell the difference between the little brown birds, mu eye sight is not what it used to be,  although I am pretty sure some of them are willow tits.
  • Zoe P2Zoe P2 Posts: 848
    Joyce Goldenlily said:
    I have been pleased to see lots of long-tailed tits coming to my feeders.
    I'm so happy for you!  All I seem to get is squirrels and pigeons.  :/



    I have a dream that my.. children.. one day.. will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character

      Martin Luther King

  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    I rarely see squirrels in my garden because we do not have many large trees growing nearby.
  • ViewAheadViewAhead Posts: 866
    edited 21 January
    I got a bird feeder for Xmas one yr.  I had never put out bird food previously.   I strolled down the garden and hung it on a branch.  I walked the 12 metres back to the patio doors.  Before I had got back inside, the first bird had arrived.  Astonishing!  Santa must have let them know what was going to be in my stocking. 😁
  • LeadFarmerLeadFarmer Posts: 1,500
    Joyce Goldenlily said:
    I have been pleased to see lots of long-tailed tits coming to my feeders. Their numbers dropped badly a couple of years ago but they seem to have picked up again. 
    Beautiful aren't they. I hardly ever get them but yesterday I saw a flock (they rarely come alone) on one of my mesh feeders that I fill with suet pellets. I stood watching them for ages, and I keep a pair of binoculars by the widow for that purpose.
  • McRazzMcRazz Posts: 440
    LeadFarmer said:
    Joyce Goldenlily said:
    I have been pleased to see lots of long-tailed tits coming to my feeders. Their numbers dropped badly a couple of years ago but they seem to have picked up again. 
    Beautiful aren't they. I hardly ever get them but yesterday I saw a flock (they rarely come alone) on one of my mesh feeders that I fill with suet pellets. I stood watching them for ages, and I keep a pair of binoculars by the widow for that purpose.
    I've noticed that in my locale there's a notable increase in LTT numbers out and about. They're one of my favourite species so I'm not complaining!

  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    I think their long tails accentuates their unduating flight pattern which is so attractive. There is a flock fo around 20 plus which come into my garden, they remind me of little ballet dancers bouncing around the feeder, or thistle down blowing about.
Sign In or Register to comment.