Maybe Niger seed is one of those Marmite decisions for the birds. The seed I put out sat untouched for weeks whilst the sunflower and the 'normal' seed mix hoppers were emptied in no time flat.
Our goldfinches are harrassed by a couple of families of starlings at the moment who have constantly hungry young in the eves of a neighbours roof. The starling adults all seem to help each other feeding all the young and swoop down several times a day grabbing all of the mealworms in amongst the sunflower hearts. Their commitment to this task is astonishing - but our little goldfinches keep being chased away from both the hanging feeders and anything on the ground for the ground feeding birds. After a couple of weeks of this, the goldfinches are getting smarter at picking times when the starlings are distracted or have gone off somewhere else.
When it's been warm enough to break from gardening and sit on a bench for a while, it is amazing how when it has gone quiet and you think all the birds have gone - I will look up and find that the goldfinches have silently just appeared without my realising. I love these birds.
Zenjeff - I'm interested in whether that's the end of a pond in your photograph or if it's a feature you have created separately to provide a great drinking and bath area for the birds. I would like to build something small like that in my grass exactly for the small birds to make use of but I don't want to go to the trouble of having to install a pump to keep water fresh etc. Maybe something where the water could last a day and slowly drain away on the same day - and just be refilled with fresh every day. The big birds dominate my bird bath and the little ones never get near. I also have a 'Fairy in a Clamshell' (I know! Don't laugh too hard) resin solar fountain thing but it's quite deep. The magpies love a good splash in there but I can't get anything stable enough to sit within the shape to give a landing place in the water for little birds. The only thing which worked in this depth was by accident - I had little modules of plants and I used to just float the modules on the top of the clamshell pondy bit to soak them - the little birds used to land on them and sit on them floating around the clamshell for ages on hot summer days.
At the moment I have a large black bucket half full of water with a couple of scented geraniums in, soaking the roots. I keep forgetting to take them out and a little dunnock comes every day and dives in there and splashes around. Great fun to watch.
Hi Zenjeff - thanks for the response about the pond beach end. I need to create something which looks like only a beach end - maybe with a container of some kind dug down in and a nice collection of various sized stones to surround it. But I suppose if I do it with only a container to refresh water every day, I'll have to make it so that I can easily lift the container out and not disturb whatever I surround it with. Have to get thinking cap on - and order some of those type of mixed sized lovely rounded stones.
Thanks for mentioning the goldfinch 'shot'. I was however about 20 feet away hand-holding the camera with a reasonable (but not great) zoom lens on - and - ha ha - this shot was the only one in focus as it was difficult from so far away, heavy lens, shaky hands - and tiny bird on bamboo swaying in the wind. So having to be honest - it was one nearly focussed shot out of a burst of about 20! (I'm practising with a DSLR that I've had for a year and am still finding it a bit hit or miss).
Wow, such lovely shots! You've definitely persuaded me to look after the birds in my garden. There are plenty of spots that they will be safe from the cat anyway.
I have been watching some small little birds just - no photo I'm afraid as they are very fast - but they kind of hover and dart back and forth in mid air. I think they are black and white and hover about the bushes and the middle of the garden before settling. What would they be...?
Posts
Beautiful looking birds. Im lucky enough to get them in my garden, and I encourage them with sunflower hearts and niger seed.
Ive also had them nesting in my laurel hedge. Their nests are tiny yet beautifully made...
Last edited: 27 April 2017 22:40:18
Maybe Niger seed is one of those Marmite decisions for the birds. The seed I put out sat untouched for weeks whilst the sunflower and the 'normal' seed mix hoppers were emptied in no time flat.
Goldfinches in our garden are often on the lawn drinking the dew off the grass
Our goldfinches are harrassed by a couple of families of starlings at the moment who have constantly hungry young in the eves of a neighbours roof. The starling adults all seem to help each other feeding all the young and swoop down several times a day grabbing all of the mealworms in amongst the sunflower hearts. Their commitment to this task is astonishing - but our little goldfinches keep being chased away from both the hanging feeders and anything on the ground for the ground feeding birds. After a couple of weeks of this, the goldfinches are getting smarter at picking times when the starlings are distracted or have gone off somewhere else.
When it's been warm enough to break from gardening and sit on a bench for a while, it is amazing how when it has gone quiet and you think all the birds have gone - I will look up and find that the goldfinches have silently just appeared without my realising. I love these birds.
Zenjeff - I'm interested in whether that's the end of a pond in your photograph or if it's a feature you have created separately to provide a great drinking and bath area for the birds. I would like to build something small like that in my grass exactly for the small birds to make use of but I don't want to go to the trouble of having to install a pump to keep water fresh etc. Maybe something where the water could last a day and slowly drain away on the same day - and just be refilled with fresh every day. The big birds dominate my bird bath and the little ones never get near. I also have a 'Fairy in a Clamshell' (I know! Don't laugh too hard) resin solar fountain thing but it's quite deep. The magpies love a good splash in there but I can't get anything stable enough to sit within the shape to give a landing place in the water for little birds. The only thing which worked in this depth was by accident - I had little modules of plants and I used to just float the modules on the top of the clamshell pondy bit to soak them - the little birds used to land on them and sit on them floating around the clamshell for ages on hot summer days.
At the moment I have a large black bucket half full of water with a couple of scented geraniums in, soaking the roots. I keep forgetting to take them out and a little dunnock comes every day and dives in there and splashes around. Great fun to watch.
Last edited: 29 April 2017 11:42:35
yarrow2
Its the beach end of the pond it's about 2.4x1.5 the birds are all ways bathing in it that's a great shot of the gold finch.
Hi Zenjeff - thanks for the response about the pond beach end. I need to create something which looks like only a beach end - maybe with a container of some kind dug down in and a nice collection of various sized stones to surround it. But I suppose if I do it with only a container to refresh water every day, I'll have to make it so that I can easily lift the container out and not disturb whatever I surround it with. Have to get thinking cap on - and order some of those type of mixed sized lovely rounded stones.
Thanks for mentioning the goldfinch 'shot'. I was however about 20 feet away hand-holding the camera with a reasonable (but not great) zoom lens on - and - ha ha - this shot was the only one in focus as it was difficult from so far away, heavy lens, shaky hands - and tiny bird on bamboo swaying in the wind. So having to be honest - it was one nearly focussed shot out of a burst of about 20! (I'm practising with a DSLR that I've had for a year and am still finding it a bit hit or miss).
Wow, such lovely shots! You've definitely persuaded me to look after the birds in my garden. There are plenty of spots that they will be safe from the cat anyway.
I have been watching some small little birds just - no photo I'm afraid as they are very fast - but they kind of hover and dart back and forth in mid air. I think they are black and white and hover about the bushes and the middle of the garden before settling. What would they be...?