TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 We mix good quality sunflower seeds in with fairly average mixed seed, place it in the clear tube feeders and watch the Great Tits throw everything else to the floor while they tuck in to the sunflower seeds. All the other birds happily clear up the discarded seed from the floor. We used to put peanuts out and that would keep the Great Tits and Blue Tits interested and occaisionally we would get a Greater Spotted Woodpecker on them. Stopped the peanuts now as the mix seems to keep most birds happy, even the Guinea Fowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Holliday Posted January 5, 2017 Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 (edited) We mix good quality sunflower seeds in with fairly average mixed seed, place it in the clear tube feeders and watch the Great Tits throw everything else to the floor while they tuck in to the sunflower seeds. All the other birds happily clear up the discarded seed from the floor. We used to put peanuts out and that would keep the Great Tits and Blue Tits interested and occaisionally we would get a Greater Spotted Woodpecker on them. Stopped the peanuts now as the mix seems to keep most birds happy, even the Guinea Fowl. Even the Guinea fowl? Crikey Tightchoke, you are too posh. I'm surprised you didn't have your butler sweep up any spent seed :-D Edited January 5, 2017 by Doc Holliday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 5, 2017 Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 We are awaiting the arrival of the Peacocks to help clear up the mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk dumpling Posted January 5, 2017 Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 My garden too has been rather neglected this Autumn/Winter as wifey wants to redesign (read me redesign!) but the result has been more variety of birds including nuthatch - who loves sunflower hearts - and goldcrests. I have several nut trees/bushes and when I was moving a few old terracotta pipes I think we may have a couple of dormice hiding somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted January 5, 2017 Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 We are awaiting the arrival of the Peacocks to help clear up the mess. Yes.....we have the same problem with the Peacock and the Doves in the dovecote, will have to have words with the head gardener, when he as finished cleaning the moat out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Hi there Doc hol, Have you tried moving your feeders position I am quite lucky get allsorts of birds coming to my feeders but I have them near cover so the birds can dive into safety when the sparrow hawk turns up, also with the fat balls I break them in half so there easier for the birds to get at the long tailed tits are great to watch on them when a family group turns up. I have tried the niger seed but nothing touched it, as others have said sunflower hearts general seed mix and occasionally nuts with suet blocks rolls and fat balls Mice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Albert Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Unusual to see more than 24 Blackbirds together! We used to be able to say that about magpies. Not any more though. I have had 8 of the robbing things in my garden at one time, with more up in the trees in the neighbours trees. I have a fruiting cherry tree in the garden which produces beautiful dark cherries if the starlings will leave them alone long enough. Sadly they get the majority of the crop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ollieollie Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 In the house i grew up in the garden was alive with birds, the noise of the woodpecker doing his thing was a regular soundtrack. As a boy i would trap wood pigeons with a washing basket elevated on a stick attached to a string which i could operate from the sofa, few seed under the basket, this accounted for quite a few woodies over the years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) We used to be able to say that about magpies. Not any more though. I have had 8 of the robbing things in my garden at one time, with more up in the trees in the neighbours trees. I have a fruiting cherry tree in the garden which produces beautiful dark cherries if the starlings will leave them alone long enough. Sadly they get the majority of the crop. Time to give them a lead pellet from an air rifle! I think I will try and get hold of a few Raven's to see if they will hang around! Edited January 7, 2017 by TIGHTCHOKE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 In the area I live in, as a child there were so many birds it was like a menagerie. Move on to the present day I sit here with only pigeons cooing on the roof. So many people have given up on hedgerows, trees, shrubs. And instead removed them ALL for a patio instead. There is nowhere for the birds to nest, hide, seek shelter any longer :( in the past few year, the neighbour cut down two conifer trees that the black birds, and wood pigeon used every year to nest in! The sparrows used it to congregate too and you often heard the raucous chirping, and the flitting in and out as they squabble. Now nothing! Nada, zilch. I have planted my garden out with holly, cottonesta, privot, a rowan and sycamore and other plants to attract insects and birds. It will take a few year to establish, but hope it helps bring in a few birds. They need a habitat, not a patio and feeder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted January 8, 2017 Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 I have a fruiting cherry tree in the garden which produces beautiful dark cherries if the starlings will leave them alone long enough. Sadly they get the majority of the crop. We used to have that problem too, except that it was blue-tits - then we invested in a fruit-cage. Now all they do is perch outside looking disappointed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moose man Posted January 8, 2017 Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 We are quite lucky here in Sussex , blue tits , great tits goldfinches green finches greater spotted woodpeckers are daily visitors along with the usual sparrows blackbirds woody's etc . Occasionally we get the long tailed tits and nuthatches , the odd redwing and green woodpeckers . The sparrow hawk also pays the odd visit but isn't quite as successful now I've moved the feeding station closer to the hedge which in itself has increased the amount of birds using it ..Tree rats , magpies and crows feed at there own risk ..oh we did have a bull finch once feeding on some thistles in an unused bit of the garden which I then left as a wildlife area , never seen it since , but it's a good excuse now not to mow it .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKPoacher Posted January 9, 2017 Report Share Posted January 9, 2017 I've been living in France for five years and during that time I've never seen more than a dozen wood pigeons at any one time. Even when touring in the camper across large parts of France woodies are virtually absent. This month though I've seen several flocks containing many hundreds of birds. Also, large flocks of lapwings and field fares are on the cultivated fields to the west of here. I'm guessing that it is to do with the cold weather that has engulfed much of Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Harry Posted January 9, 2017 Report Share Posted January 9, 2017 This year I have for the first time seen Goldcrests and Treecreepers in the garden. The treecreepers decided to nest in a crack in the beams by my back door. We get quite a lot in the garden and this is what I've seen so far......wood pigeon, collared doves, blue tits, great tits, long tail tits, house sparrows, dunnocks, wrens, goldfinch, greenfinch, pied wagtails, swallows, robins, siskin, chaffinch, yellowhammer, grey wagtail, starling, song thrush (came in the house), blackbird, jay, magpie, jackdaw, carrion crow, great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, red leg partridge, pheasant, moorhen, mallard (nested in a flower pot overnight), little owl, tawny owl, barn owl, kestrel and sparrow hawk. I've seen a lot of other birds in the fields next to the house. Lots of lapwings as i haven't been shooting them!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted January 9, 2017 Report Share Posted January 9, 2017 I've been living in France for five years and during that time I've never seen more than a dozen wood pigeons at any one time. Even when touring in the camper across large parts of France woodies are virtually absent. This month though I've seen several flocks containing many hundreds of birds. Also, large flocks of lapwings and field fares are on the cultivated fields to the west of here. I'm guessing that it is to do with the cold weather that has engulfed much of Europe. Yep, I think you are spot-on with the bad weather east of France. Been shooting pigeon longer than i care to remember, many years ago we always noticed that when they had snow up north we would get big numbers of pigeons on the rape in the Midlands, so I think you are correct about them moving further south and west with the bad weather in Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk dumpling Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 We have registered 112 different species since we moved to our current house including a few that shouldn't be here such as an eagle owl - huge thing which had a hard look at my terrier. I discovered later a local raptor centre had lost it. I love watching bird life and the struggles, ingenuity and stupidity (pheasants!) of some individuals never fail to get my attention. I find it hard to read a book outdoors with so much activity around me. Wife is getting a little fed up with a cock pheasant which keeps trying to feed from a small feeder stuck to our sitting room window - he ends up detaching it and picking off the sunflower hearts he has scattered on the rose garden! It's a big old bird to have hanging off your window sill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vampire Posted January 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2017 They are,likely to be migrants from the continent, huge numbers come over in the winter. Think you were right,all apples cleared up and just 5 local orange beak blackbirds left and all the black beak ones have disappeared . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted January 15, 2017 Report Share Posted January 15, 2017 we're getting a lot of seagulls at the minute, they're building over the road and are scaring off the smaller birds, last year we had thrushes, blackbirds and starlings in abundance, now only the starlings seem to dare visit mob handed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 I have no end of long tailed tits at the minute. Loads of birds full stop really. The wife did a survey back in the summer and it was surprising what was there. Yesterday there was a bloody great rat on it so he met Mr jsb exact. That's the trouble you get feeding the birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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