Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> In my tiny garden there were three robins. Two

> were doing a little dance and the third looked

> like it felt left out.


xxxxx


That's weird, because robins are territorial, and it's rare to see more than one at a time in Winter ....


http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/r/robin/territory.aspx


As regards the foxes, I heard one squealing tonight ....

  • 2 weeks later...
Reminder that this weekend is the RSPB's Big Garden Bird Watch. You can register and report your sightings on the RSPB website or The Guardian's. My attention has been taken by the way in which one of the pair of robins which visit my garden has managed, after many unsuccessful attempts, to land on the tits' fat ball. Not as agile or dexterously as the beautiful tits (blue and coal) but effective. It's stumpy mate waits below for tit bit. How could I tell whether the one that has learned to do this is male or female - only thing is that it looks a bit smaller and maybe younger.

Fieldfare or Redwing? They appear in the garden in colder weather. Had flocks of them in the cold winter of 2010?



Nigello Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I don't think it was a waxwing. This one had dark

> brown plumage with a copper/rusty breast and no

> tuft on the head. It was darker than the image you

> posted.

Here's a puzzle for you expert folks.


My dad is mad-keen on bird watching, and has been since he was tiny (his dad was too). I'm less so, but take a background/genial kind of interest.


So when we moved to our first house with a garden, a few streets south and east of Honor Oak Park station, I was excited and thought we'd be feeding many a feathered visitor.


But there must be more birds within the Tube system than there are in our back garden. What are we doing wrong? We've got a water feeder, two seed feeders of different kinds, we've placed all this on a spike as far away from fences as possible. There are so few takers the food in the shed is now going mouldy.


There are a fair number of cats around, as per usual in the 'burbs, and foxes, pigeons etc. Relatively few trees for birds to light on also. Tempting nature reserves nearby I suppose too.


But we have almost no birds. Any ideas?

Many birds don't like feeding in open spaces - they feel more secure where there is cover for them.


Is there somewhere you could hang the feeders near leafy parts of the garden, but where cats can't easily get?


You could try some fat balls and/or peanuts (in a proper holder).


Also, some birds are ground feeders. You could try putting out bits of apple or something as well?


ETA: Also, birds do take a while to get to know that you have put out food.


If the food in your holders has gone manky due to the rain and the time it's been out, you would need to replace it as the birds won't eat it.

Medley Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Thanks for the reply.

>

> But:

> - There's nowhere leafy and cat free.

> - We tried fat balls and peanuts.

> - We tried the ground idea, but enormous pigeons

> then descend to wolf it up.

> - We've been at this 2 years!!

>

> Fair point on manky food.


xxxxxxxx


My bird food is also currently manky. They avoid it like the plague :)


You do have to replace it all once it's gone like that. It's a pain, particularly in wet weather because it all goes mouldy and horrible so quickly.

  • 4 weeks later...
Re the bird feeding, I think the mild winter has meant there's a lot more natural food out there than usual, so the birds haven't needed to use garden feeders, which they would rather avoid. Several people I know who participated in the Garden Birdwatch this year saw absolutely nothing for the whole hour, whereas in previous years they've had plenty of activity.

Toldyouso Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just seen a wren with a mouthful of bugs heading into its nest in the ivy - hope we don't have a cold spell now!



I have heard a wren in my back garden. I was hoping to get out there and sort out the ivy before birds start nesting, but now you've said this, I might be too late.

Jenny1 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I haven't seen any frogs out and about yet. That

> sounds interesting.

>

> But I did spot my first butterfly of the year this

> morning - a yellow brimstone I think.


xxxxxxx


I also saw what I think was a yellow brimstone today, in Dulwich Park.


Also saw several brown rats in the reeds near the bridge across the lake, and swimming in the water :)


What lovely weather ....

Have been admiring beautiful clumps of violets in Camberwell Old Cemetery this afternoon.

They are food plants for butterflies, so am hoping nobody treats them as 'weeds'.

It is a good time to observe wildflowers where grassland is old, and properly mixed, instead of being commercial stuff.


Here's a page about the wild flora that butterflies need, please share.


http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/foodplants.php

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • The SE22 Evri delivery family are lovely, and always say hello wherever we spot them in the area. We gave them a box of chocolates during Covid as they were working their socks off at Christmas
    • What was he doing on the stage at Glastonbury? Or on the stage at the other concert in Finsbury Park? Grinning like a Cheshire cat whilst pissed and stoned 20 somethings on the promise of free internet sung-- Oh Jeremy Corbyn---  What were his policies for Northern mining towns with no jobs or infrastructure? Free Internet and university places for youngsters. What were his other manifesto pledges? Why all the ambiguity over Brexit?  I didn't like Thatcher, Blair or May or Tony but I respected them as politicians because they stood by what they believed in. I respect all politicians across the board that stick to their principles. Corbyn didn't and its why he got  annihilated at the polls. A socialist, anti imperialist and anti capitalist that said he voted for an imperialist and pro capitalist cabal. He refused to say how he'd vote over and over again until the last knockings. He did so to appease the Islington elite and middle class students he was courting. The same people that were screaming that Brexit was racist. At the same time the EU were holding black and Asian immigrants in refugee camps overseas but not a word on that! Corbyn created and courted a student union protest movement that screamed at and shouted down anyone not on the left . They claimed Starmer and the centre right of labour were tories. He didn't get elected  because he, his movement and policies were unelectable, twice. He turned out not to have the convictions of his politics and died on his own sword.    Reform won't win an election. All the idiots that voted for them to keep out Labour actually enabled Labour. They'll be back voting tory next time.    Farage wouldn't be able to make his millions if he was in power. He's a very devious shyster but I very much doubt he'd actually want the responsibility that governance requires.
    • The purge of hard left members that were part of Corbyn's, Mcdonnel's and Lansmans momentum that purged the party of right wing and centrist members. That's politics. It's what Blair did to win, its what Starmer had to do to win. This country doesn't vote in extreme left or right governments. That's partly why Corbyn lost  We're pretty much a centrist bunch.  It doesn't make it false either. It's an opinion based on the voting patterns, demography and statistics. Can you explain then why former mining constituencies that despise the tories voted for them or abstained rather than vote for Corbyns Labour?  What is the truth then? But he never got elected!!! Why? He should have been binned off there and then. Why he was allowed to hang about is an outrage. I hold him party responsible for the shit show that we've had to endure since. 
    • Depends on what the Barista says doesnt it? There was no physical confrontation with the driver, OP thinks she is being targetted when she isnt. These guys work min wage under strict schedules so give them a break unless they damage your stuff
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...