I heard Bill Oddie on 'Autumnwatch' the other night sayin we should be continuing to feed our garden birds through autumn, so that they can build up their fat reserves for winter. This i knew about already so this is not really news to me.
I have been doing this, but what if they wont eat what you put out for them? I regularly put out fresh seed, peanuts and fat balls, which normaly (in spring and summer) would be devoured within a day. Recently though the food is hardly touched and often goes to waste.
I know there are plenty of natural sources of food about at the moment (seeds berries etc), but this goes against the theory that the birds need all the food you can give them at this time of year.
I dont want to stop feeding them, but good food is going to waste at the moment.
What can i do?
I am glad you have asked this because the same thing is happening within my garden too. At the moment I have out suet covered peanuts, niger seeds, peanuts, fat balls and stuffed coconuts but none of it has barely been touched in the past 2-3 weeks. My regular blue tits are still coming down each day but the finches, starlings and great tits have all disappeared.
Like you, Richard, I don't want this food to go to waste either.
same problem in my garden ???
I am the same. I put out some table seed every morning but only the jackdaws eat it. I have niger, peanuts and sunflower hearts out, untouched. They will be ok just hanging there for a few weeks, but i keep checking that the peanuts havent gone off a bit. I also make sure the water supply is still clean in the dishes. The cold weather will be here soon enough and the birds from the Continent will be arriving as well so can only keep watching out for them. I would just put a little food out until you see the numbers returning.
It's not cold is it, so the birds are going farther a field for food, safe in the knowledge if it turns cold we have all got bird feeders full of food out for them :)
I have a garden full of sparrows, the odd blue tit ,collard dove, dunnock,blackbird.
I have sunflower hearts,peanuts and budgie seed out for the birds,the really good stuff goes out when its colder :)/shades x
Quote from: angle shades on October 16, 2006, 14:28:03
I have a garden full of sparrows, the odd blue tit ,collard dove, dunnock,blackbird.
Same here, plus robins, crows maggies and pigeons!
My resident sparrow population has gone forth and multiplied and is getting through 8 to 15 fat balls a day depending on how many I put out plus loose seed and peanuts inholders plus broken fat balls and sunflower seeds for the ground feeders.
However, I haven't seen the assorted tit colonies for weeks, nor greenfinches or chaffinches. I haven't seen a robin or a wren since the spring and the woodpeckers all stopped coming once the babies could feed themselves form the feeders. I have recently seen a garden warbler and the blackbirds, magpies etc. The herons and assorted geese are fine so where is everyone else?
I stopped putting the fat balls out because they were disappearing too fast! However the wild bird seed is being devoured as if there is no tomorrow, but the peanuts aren't and I noticed they had started going mouldy so had to throw them away!
My peanuts are disappearing too but only when the daily dose of fat balls is eaten.
One of the woodpeckers is back this morning. Still not tits though.
Had a brief feeding frenzy a few days ago which promped a major refill and refresh of the feeder. But since then, guess what? Hardly touched.
As well as our feeders we have a 'ground' table (low rise bird table which sits directly on the lawn). This too has been little used recently, having been popular with the resident wood pigeons in the summer. The pigeons themselves have hardly been around either. Yesterday and again this morning they were back, 'hoovering' up the food on the table. Most odd, but thats birds for you.
My feeders are hardly being touched either, also the ground tray which is usually topped up daily. I do have a wood pigeon sat on a nest in the plum tree though and I am worried that her young will not survive the winter. :(
Out seed balls go in a day as well, and we're on the 9th floor. You'd be surprised at the beautiful tiny birds that find their way up here!
Crikey! They are high flyers! ::)
Well I have now cut down the food I put out. Rather than have 1 feeder for seed, one for fat balls, and one of peanuts plus 2 birdtables (1 hanging one ground) for loose food, I have now got just the birdtables and the peanut feeder. They can get seed easily enough next door.
Dont worry, once the weather gets colder I shall start putting more out again. I just dont see th point of putting out food, especialy seed, that is just going to sit out there and decay or even in the case of the seed start to germinate.
PS, The collared doves at least are apreciating the new policy. They have been thoroughly enjoying the food on the ground bird table, and I have even seen them on the hanging one as well.
PPS: Whilst plenty of natural food may be the reason for lack of activity I think the presence of a neighbours cat near or feeders may also be putting the birds off. It seems to like sitting near the feeders watching for birds. Not much I can do about that sadly.
you haven't got a bird of prey hanging about have you GC?
'my' sparrowhawk is back after its summer hols and caught one of my resident sparrows today which upset me a bit , I know its' natures way, but I don't like seeing it :(
I have 6 bird feeders (3 of sunflower hearts which are eaten each day by sparrows, and 3 of peanuts which last quite a while at the mo)
I have a small dish of budgie food on the bird table which seems to be the favourite food of sparrows ;D/shades x
I expect our scruffy little celebrity twitcher was doing what a lot of bird watchers do in trying to encourage migrant birds on their way through his territory. Then he could tick another one off his list.
Perhaps in colder autumns after the birds have flown south this would be a help. But there should still be loads of seed and bugs about this year.
I might give his advice more thought if he let his co- presenters ever get a word in.
Quote from: angle shades on October 22, 2006, 12:56:53
you haven't got a bird of prey hanging about have you GC?
'my' sparrowhawk is back after its summer hols and caught one of my resident sparrows today which upset me a bit , I know its' natures way, but I don't like seeing it :(
I have 6 bird feeders (3 of sunflower hearts which are eaten each day by sparrows, and 3 of peanuts which last quite a while at the mo)
I have a small dish of budgie food on the bird table which seems to be the favourite food of sparrows ;D/shades x
Havent seen one AS, but that doesn't mean to say there isnt one about. I saw one in the garden a couple of years ago so they are about, and we are on the edge of farmland, some of which has recently started to be built on. It spossible that loss of hunting grounds have forced them into domestic gardens.
What we have got is a colony of crows nearby. I beleive they predate small birds from time to time. Could they be partly to blame?
That said it isnt that there aren the birds about, ther are they just dont seem that keen to visit our garden at the moment. Shame really as i try to be as bird friendly in my garden as i can.
I've seen crows kill and eat a sick pigeon, but they won't go for healthy adults; they're not quick enough to catch them. I see no reason why gardens shouldn't be perfectly good sparrowhawk territory; they hunt round cover and there's usually plenty of it available. As the numbers increase, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they move into the greener urban areas. I see them regularly on the allotments, but we've never had a resident yet. I live in hope.
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on October 22, 2006, 22:13:29
I see them regularly on the allotments, but we've never had a resident yet. I live in hope.
You hope for a resident sparrowhawk? Why. They have no benefit to the gardener, unlike lesser birds who eat insect pests etc.
Because they're such gorgeous birds, and a female might get a few of the local pigeons. I wouldn't object to a bit of predation anyway; it's perfectly normal and natural.
With regard to 'where have all the birds gone'.
They are nesting again thanks to the very mild weather.
In other words, they're 'sh*gin!
Really, have you seen the nests then? What silly birds ;D ;D ;D
After a quiet spell on the feed station the birds have come back in droves. Still only got sparrows, collared doves, greenfinches starlings. They are certainly getting through the food now. Living in hopes of getting more finches this winter. Did think of asking my son to make a sign pointing to the feeders ;D
Lorna
Quote from: lorna on October 27, 2006, 22:01:28
After a quiet spell on the feed station the birds have come back in droves. Still only got sparrows, collared doves, greenfinches starlings. They are certainly getting through the food now. Living in hopes of getting more finches this winter. Did think of asking my son to make a sign pointing to the feeders ;D
Lorna
LOL, lorna. Perhaps I should do the same!
Still pretty quiet here, though havent put any food out for a while. Whats out still isnt being eaten very quickly. I guess now i will have to get rid of whats there soon and put some fresh out. Still I guess the pigeons and doves will eat what the spadgies have ignored.
I wish i could talk to them and they to me. Then they could tell me whats wrong. I feel like a chef in a restaurant where the food isnt selling but none of the customers will tell me why they dont want my food!
Many thanks for your enquiry.
This year we have had a very mild autumn and a prolific berry and seed crop. Birds of all species have natural behavioural patterns over the course of the year. At this time of the year their instincts are steering them towards feeding up for winter. This results in them abandoning their breeding territories and feeding in loose flocks where there is adequate food to go around. This natural bounty is far more prolific and accessible than anything we can provide. I have witnessed the same as you, gardens just are not the place to be for blackbirds at this time of year. They are still around on the reserve here though, taking advantage of the yew berries that have just come into season. This trend is true for other areas with berry bearing hedgerows, trees and shrubs being the major attraction.
Feed the birds day is not just about providing food in the garden for the birds, it is also about getting involved with nature, watching bird behaviour and improving our garden habitats for the benefit of wildlife. Birds are dynamic creatures which keep us guessing all the time which adds to their charm. Do not worry, they will return to gardens when the food supply runs low later in the winter, until then it may be worth going to your nearest nature reserve or local oak woodland as that should be a good place to track down flocks of awol garden birds.
Yours sincerely
Ian Hayward
Wildlife Enquiries
This was my answer from the RSPB about the lack of wildbirds feeding in our gardens just now.
Will see if they all turn up tomorrow which is FEED THE BIRDS DAY.
;D ;D ;D ;D
robin food put out yesterday,and guess what I got in the garden today?
yes, a robin :) how did it know?!!! :P/shades x
Hurrah - the birds have come back to our garden today - the sparrows are having a wild time on the feeders and the black birds are rooting in the flower beds :)
I have been in the garden all day with a robin keeping me company, he's gorgeous. :) I have just cleaned out all my feeders and put fresh in though as they had all gone mouldy, I have never seen this before, even the fat balls and fruit/seed block. Just shows how little the birds have been feeding combined with the warm and wet weather. I did see some Greenfinches yesterday though so hopefully the birds will be back soon. :)
T.
Woke up yesterdy morning to find the feeders virtualy empty and a female blackbird busy feeding on pyracantha berries outside the conservatory.
I refreshed all the feeders and put stuff out on the tables, that afternoon and guess what? Not a sign of a bird near them today!
Quote from: Carol on October 27, 2006, 23:48:19
Many thanks for your enquiry.
This year we have had a very mild autumn and a prolific berry and seed crop. Birds of all species have natural behavioural patterns over the course of the year. At this time of the year their instincts are steering them towards feeding up for winter. This results in them abandoning their breeding territories and feeding in loose flocks where there is adequate food to go around. This natural bounty is far more prolific and accessible than anything we can provide. I have witnessed the same as you, gardens just are not the place to be for blackbirds at this time of year. They are still around on the reserve here though, taking advantage of the yew berries that have just come into season. This trend is true for other areas with berry bearing hedgerows, trees and shrubs being the major attraction.
Feed the birds day is not just about providing food in the garden for the birds, it is also about getting involved with nature, watching bird behaviour and improving our garden habitats for the benefit of wildlife. Birds are dynamic creatures which keep us guessing all the time which adds to their charm. Do not worry, they will return to gardens when the food supply runs low later in the winter, until then it may be worth going to your nearest nature reserve or local oak woodland as that should be a good place to track down flocks of awol garden birds.
Yours sincerely
Ian Hayward
Wildlife Enquiries
This was my answer from the RSPB about the lack of wildbirds feeding in our gardens just now.
Will see if they all turn up tomorrow which is FEED THE BIRDS DAY.
;D ;D ;D ;D
Thanks for that, Carol. Useful information there. At least I know I haven't been abandoned by the little blighters! Infact, I can hear the blue tits out there now lol
My little friends are visiting every day. Only thing I am a bit concerned about is that today (at last) a friend came armed with chain saw and cut all my conifers down, the blackbirds have nested in them for years. Have left the ones across the back of the garden. They were too near the greenhouse, so my blackbirds will probably nest in them now. I hope so.
Lorna
:)
as stated in earlier posts, as soon as it gets cold, all our chums come back ;D
lots of blackbirds,sparrows,starlings,dunnock,long tailed tits,robin,pigeons back today after last nights frost/shades x
I seem to be having a bird feeding contest with my neighbours. They feed the birds just as regularly as I do, and recently I have noticed the birds have prefered their feeders to mine for some reason. Their feeders always seemed to go down quickly and mine weren't touched.
I guess a case of too much food maybe. However since the weather has got colder, the birds have been about more and feeding from both sets of feeders. Today was even more interesting, the neighbours forgot or werent able to fill up their seed feeders, and the birds had to come to us instead. Still they havent really got as 'stuck in' to our food as much as I thought they would.
Echo that RB.
Would love a resident sparrowhawk to nail the 'bloody' skyrats that are my personal enemy.
The garden was full of birds this morning, the starlings have found the fat balls - so that's that! The tits have devoured all the table food & the black birds are trashing amongst the fallen leaves. Bliss!
Oh! and there is a robin every day. I wave to him, he looks at me & I look at him.
He cheeps - yes I know, early Alzeimers!
I find that if I put out peanuts and sunflower seeds the birds turn their beaks up at the cheaper peanuts and they rot in the feeder.
This weekend is supposed to be colder so have the feeders refreshed ready.
We have a local sparrowhawk that appears from time to time. The first sign that she's around is all the sparrows disappearing into the safety of the hawthorn hedge, clustering together and making panic calls. She walks about on the top of the hedge trying to scare them to make a run for it. The last time I saw her was a couple of weeks ago in the morning, circling over the garden but being seen off by a crow. The crow was flying underneath her then flying up towards her, feet first. Ten out of ten for bravado but no match for manoeuvrability! The crow eventually won and she swooped off down the hill. I haven't seen the hawk catch anything yet though.
I am not happy! Despite puting out food our birds still dont want to know. Wehave gotten into a viciouscycle now. Food gets put out, some gets eaten but most doesnt, food starts going stale and old and birds dont fancy it and go elsewhere and so on. i appreciate its still mild and there must be natural food around still, but its still a bit upsetting to have your kindness thrown back in your face.
Birds have started increasing in numbers in the last week or so - up to 13 goldfinches, greenfinches, sparrows, bluetits, starlings, robin, great tits, chaffinches, jackdaws, magpies, great spotted woodpeckers (male and female), nuthatches, dunnock and the first two blackcaps. The blackbirds have just started on the Pyracantha berries. No siskins yet.
all hell broke out in the garden today, I'm walking up the path,putting raisins in tubs being followed by blackbirds etc ... think Snow White ;D when Mrs Sparrowhawk swoops across the garden right in front of me into the holly tree to try and catch a sparrow off the feeders. I don't know who jumped most, me or the birds, its taken them an hour to come back, though that could be 'cause the chap next door is on the roof taking his chimney pots down on top of a bloody great big crane ::) :P/shades x
I know it's a bit of a cliche ... but I think the unusually warm weather (and Global Warming) has a lot to do with the lack of birds on the feeding tables :(
It's December and there are still flies, caterpillars and other 'stuff' that should (by rights) be gone by now. No wonder the birds aren't taking advantage of our feeding tables ... they have no need!
Just popping back to say ... no! Global warming isn't a bit of a cliche... it's very real.
As you were! ;D
makes sense really. if its stayed mild, then there will still be plenty of natural food around. I have worried a bit that my food is still not being eaten.
That said the collared doves and magpies have ben enjoying the food put out on the bird table, along with the blackies who have been busy tucking into pyracantha berries.
I guess as soon as it turns cold then they will be back on the feeders.
I was in the shed with the sliding doors open and my resident robin was singing so sweetly to me (about 3 metres away), and I suddenly realised that he was asking when was I going to put the feeders out again.
So I went to the local petshop and bought 25Kgs of wild bird food (£9.99, it's a hell of a lot cheaper than buying it in 3KG bags at £3.20). It didn't take him long to find the feeder. As my shed is all metal I can store the feed without mice, rats and squirrels getting to it.