Salop Matt Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Okay folks the other halfs farther has just told me that the last 6 months + there bird feeders have been quite and rarely visited apart from the odd pigeon. last year they had loads of small birds visiting and they are missing seeing them now and the food is going untouched for days. There isnt anything obvious such as large population of buzzards,cats or corvids. How ever there are quite a few pigeons about and if there is any bird activity about at the feeders the pigeons do seem to push the little birds out, but i cant see that being the sole reason for the low number of feeding and visiting birds. Does anyone have any ideas why it may be that there is such low numbers of the song birds ? Anything that we should look out for ? Cheers Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d17 len Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Glad to read that I am not the only person to have very little activity on the bird feeders,not had to fill the peanut or wild bird seed feeders since mid December,last year they would have been filled three times by now,could it be the mild winter?we do not have a problem with cats or hawks and come to think of it only seen one squirrel that enjoyed his "last supper". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Loads of activity here on the bird-feeder - Robins, tits, sparrows, blackbirds. The squirrels have taken the message and don't visit any more, nor do the woodpigeons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted February 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Couldit be a high wood pigeon presence ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocker3 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 loads of small birds at the 5 feeders in my garden blue tits ,yellow hammers, gold finches ,bull finches ,robins,blak birds we even had a squizzer visit twice till he fell ill with lead poisoning btw what are you feeding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ack-ack Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Dunno mate, I'm having a bumper year but I do spoil them a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Green and other finch numbers hit hard with Tricho and Coccidiosis...which is spread by contact with other birds and exacerbated by contaminated and dirty feeders. If the birds havent visited for a couple of weeks make sure the feeders are emptied and well cleaned. Mouldy peanuts are the worst. This season in my Garden all bird numbers are down but theres plenty in the feilds and hedgerows, and we have been getting the Scandinavian Thrushes to the bird table in the bad weather. Aso like Pigeons on rape there is so much choice for our native birds these days as we spent Millions on wild bird food each year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andypaint Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Don't forget that failing to clean feeders can cause outbreaks of infections which can kill off lots of birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codling99 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 hasnt been a bird on mine for a week or two,thats my job today to clean and change food,see if that does the trick,after this rain we had think birds not fussy on it when it goesa bit mushy maybe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drayman Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Our garden (Surrey Hills area) has been like Picadilly Circus. On Friday morning there were 8 blackbirds at the same time! However, a neighbour about 100 yds away has had hardly anything. We're feeding peanuts and mixed seeds in the feeders and mixed seed, left over seeded bread, chopped bacon rind, and the odd left over boiled spud (thrushes just chomp through them) on the ground. The only trouble this year is it's costing me a small fortune at a kilo of nuts and a kilo of seed every two days :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr W Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Been really busy round mine, yesterday we had goldfinches, chaffinches, sparrows, starlings, doves, a couple of woodies, robin, dunock, blackbirds and great tits I do spoil them a bit with Johnson premium mix with suet, chopped peanuts, dried mealworms and nyger seeds. I also back onto farmland so that might be reason for lots of them. I do get problems with crows, jackdaws and the odd magpie but I chase them away when ever I see them, might have to buy an air rifle as the local rookery is getting a bit large. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeds chimp Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Our garden (Surrey Hills area) has been like Picadilly Circus. On Friday morning there were 8 blackbirds at the same time! However, a neighbour about 100 yds away has had hardly anything. We're feeding peanuts and mixed seeds in the feeders and mixed seed, left over seeded bread, chopped bacon rind, and the odd left over boiled spud (thrushes just chomp through them) on the ground. The only trouble this year is it's costing me a small fortune at a kilo of nuts and a kilo of seed every two days :blink: we just buy a sack of pigeon condi ..at £9 a 25kg sack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vole Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Only had to top my feeder up twice since December . About 1/5 the number I got last year . Tits and little else . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted February 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Currently 3 fat balls in a cage to keep pigeons and crows flying off with whole fat balls and a long tube feeder full of mixed seed ! I will advise him to give everything a good clean ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peoown Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 (edited) It's QUIET! Sheesh... But your right, they have been quite quiet Edited February 21, 2012 by Peoown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floating Chamber Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Perhaps feeding them IS killing them off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilyrag Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Still finding mine are very quiet. Not been touched for a couple of weeks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilR Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Peanuts and fat blocks are still getting a hammering, we don't put out seed as the birds make a right mess and I don't want to attract vermin. However, we do have two 'tame' woodies that have taken to hoovering up the bits that are dropped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grasscutter Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Luckily we have lots of sparrows, blackbirds, greenfinches, robins, pidgeons, piedwagtail & MAGPIES!! All the feeders are busy, whether fatballs, niger seed, nuts or wild seed. Great to see But, How do I get the bullying magpies to 'go away'? They just fly down, scare the others then move on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 But, How do I get the bullying magpies to 'go away'? They just fly down, scare the others then move on! Use an air rifle at regular intervals - you will rarely hit them, but it will keep you amused Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Mongrel- Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Use an air rifle at regular intervals - you will rarely hit them, but it will keep you amused Why not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grasscutter Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 (edited) Perhaps a poggy will do. Trouble is them disappearing by the time I can get up and open the door! Doh.... I was hoping someone had an ifea of what to put down, like a plastic heron to keep the heron away from the fish - NOT. Beautiful bird, especially close up but it has a better appetite then me :-) Edited April 6, 2012 by grasscutter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 (edited) Why not? Because they are more intelligent than pigeons and, unlike pigeons, don't hang around to be shot Edited April 6, 2012 by amateur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Really mild winter has meant that birds haven't been under so much pressure to visit feeders where cats (amoungst many others) are a real danger.Bung your feeders thru the dishwasher once a week and feed Sunflower hearts-cut away any low branches that may hide our feline friends and provide water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ack-ack Posted April 18, 2012 Report Share Posted April 18, 2012 Because they are more intelligent than pigeons and, unlike pigeons, don't hang around to be shot I put out egg shells for the birds to peck away at at this time of year and they tend to bring in the mags but you have to move them as they soon get wise. I had a wrens nest smashed by them last year and I operate a zero tolerance on the them now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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