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Nigello Wrote:

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

> I?ve had them pop by for a day or so then never

> return. I don?t have a niger feeder so if I got

> one perhaps they?d come back. If not, do other

> birds eat from this special feeder?



I've seen a sparrow on mine, but I don't think their beaks can fit through the narrow slots which stop the niger seed falling out everywhere.

Not very special, but I seem to have attracted every starling in London bringing their very noisy big babies...over 30 of them. They have found the mealworms and are going crazy with excitement, and using the makeshift water-baths with relish. I'm waiting for further complaints from my neighbours, and spending a fortune on giant sacks of mealworms!

Zig-Zag Wrote:

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

> Not very special, but I seem to have attracted

> every starling in London bringing their very noisy

> big babies...over 30 of them. They have found the

> mealworms and are going crazy with excitement, and

> using the makeshift water-baths with relish. I'm

> waiting for further complaints from my neighbours,

> and spending a fortune on giant sacks of

> mealworms!



Crikey!


I haven't seen a starling in my garden since one was carried off by a bird of prey some years back :(

Never a starling in almost twenty years. It?s odd how in such a relatively small area there are discrepancies over visiting wildlife, especially birds which are very mobile. Never seen an owl or raptor or bst, either. (I?m near to Goodrich School and a minute or so from Dawson?s Hill.)

Nigello Wrote:

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

> Never a starling in almost twenty years. It?s odd

> how in such a relatively small area there are

> discrepancies over visiting wildlife, especially

> birds which are very mobile. Never seen an owl or

> raptor or bst, either. (I?m near to Goodrich

> School and a minute or so from Dawson?s Hill.)



Those bsts are quite rare :))

I'm in West Dulwich but have loads of feeders with variety of different foods, but dried mealworms or suet balls or pellets, seem the favourites with starlings...but especially mealworms. They don't seem interested in the nuts or seeds. Seemingly delicious enough to squabble over then despite sharing the garden with 4 cats!

Nigello Wrote:

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

> Never a starling in almost twenty years. It?s odd

> how in such a relatively small area there are

> discrepancies over visiting wildlife, especially

> birds which are very mobile. Never seen an owl or

> raptor or bst, either. (I?m near to Goodrich

> School and a minute or so from Dawson?s Hill.)


True. I see pied wagtails regularly in Deptford - never seen one around here despite all the greenery.

I saw a bat this week too! And I've see more starlings lately. At this time of year birds feeding young need the protein of insects etc rather than nuts and seeds.


We need to protect and encourage insect life to encourage and sustain more birds ? so don't keep your garden too tidy, plant indigenous plants, and build a bee hotel (or b&B) by drilling holes in a piece of wood.

Had a bit of damage from time to time in my pond, plants at the edge can be trampled. This morning found an untidy rip to the lining, fairly large but fortunately well above the water line. And oddly a 10cm plant and basket, which were on a shelf at the edge of the pond, upside down on the lawn.


So is it (a) human intrusion. I am well down on Dominic Cummings list who is the only person I have offended, albeit very remotely, in recent days

(b) foxes - stuff on line suggests not

© a heron? Really?? I have frogs and newts but suspect they would only come if there were fish

(d) cats, at least three neighbourhood cats are seen around there from time to time. How would they move a pot half a metre?


Subject to views I'm going to put some spikes up. Bit extreme but fed up with this. You can get commercial products

eg https://www.wish.com/product/5dd38c462c942a646c02dafb?hide_login_modal=true&from_ad=goog_shopping&_display_country_code=GB&_force_currency_code=GBP&pid=googleadwords_int&c=%7BcampaignId%7D&ad_cid=5dd38c462c942a646c02dafb&ad_cc=GB&ad_curr=GBP&ad_price=7.00&campaign_id=8703990225&retargeting=true&gclid=CjwKCAjw2a32BRBXEiwAUcugiLMIQNS4ZALo4hVABhDqnLK99r0Hiyz7mgFOMMdoSRirU1lpH5eOeBoC5aoQAvD_BwE&share=web

Had a bit of damage from time to time in my pond, plants at the edge can be trampled. This morning found an untidy rip to the lining, fairly large but fortunately well above the water line. And oddly a 10cm plant and basket, which were on a shelf at the edge of the pond, upside down on the lawn.


So is it (a) human intrusion. I am well down on Dominic Cummings list who is the only person I have offended, albeit very remotely, in recent days

(b) foxes - stuff on line suggests not

© a heron? Really?? I have frogs and newts but suspect they would only come if there were fish

(d) cats, at least three neighbourhood cats are seen around there from time to time. How would they move a pot half a metre?


Subject to views I'm going to put some spikes up. Bit extreme but fed up with this. You can get commercial products

eg https://www.wish.com/product/5dd38c462c942a646c02dafb?hide_login_modal=true&from_ad=goog_shopping&_display_country_code=GB&_force_currency_code=GBP&pid=googleadwords_int&c=%7BcampaignId%7D&ad_cid=5dd38c462c942a646c02dafb&ad_cc=GB&ad_curr=GBP&ad_price=7.00&campaign_id=8703990225&retargeting=true&gclid=CjwKCAjw2a32BRBXEiwAUcugiLMIQNS4ZALo4hVABhDqnLK99r0Hiyz7mgFOMMdoSRirU1lpH5eOeBoC5aoQAvD_BwE&share=web

I saw a bat/bats on Overhill Road last week.

Do they only appear during the hot weather, or do I see them because I?m outside on hot nights?


We also have a starling visit us daily to feast on berries. The tree is very close to our back door, but it has become used to us watching.

Had another visit to my pond last night even though I have put spikes down which should deter large creatures walking around it. A good authority says it will be fox/es so put water out and will put disinfectant around the area as they do not like this. I worry that they find the pond liner a nice material to use for scratching.


Obviously the Googlesphere wants to put the blame onto cats and herons.

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