Osgood
Western Thunderer
Oh, now why did you have to go and mention a book?
That's another 12mm of shelf space I shall have to find
Wildlife in the garden - at any time of year
- Thread starter Dog Star
- Start date
That's another 12mm of shelf space I shall have to find
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
I didn't set out to cause trouble with my comments, and I apologise to anyone who might have been offended. It is clearly a subject that arouses some passion!
The only excuse that I can offer is that I am struggling to come to terms with my own impending demise, and I am aware of a heightened sense of despair at the way we (as a species) interact with the world, the environment - and indeed, each other.
I have to fight my own battles - and will endeavour to keep it to myself in future.
Pete.
The only excuse that I can offer is that I am struggling to come to terms with my own impending demise, and I am aware of a heightened sense of despair at the way we (as a species) interact with the world, the environment - and indeed, each other.
I have to fight my own battles - and will endeavour to keep it to myself in future.
Pete.
mickoo
Western Thunderer
No offence taken, I know you of old and you of I.
There are ways to control rats and poison is the easiest and most effective, but only if administered in a controlled way. If done so then the risk to other wildlife is drastically mitigated. Use a rat box for starters, place it above ground, rats climb, hedgehogs don't, place inverted troughs over the ends, preferable ones with a down turn to reduce birds attempting to enter.
I get where people are coming from in saving the planet and wildlife, nothing against that, but the idiocy of gluing yourself to the M25 actually does more damage to the environment than they can possibly imagine, all that traffic sat there churning out CO2 for hours on end, brilliant own goal there chaps!
Likewise, Green Peace holding up a coal train and then proceeding to unload tons of coal into the river Trent (IIRC), brilliant, killed all the fish stock for miles around and polluted the river for decades to come. Of course in an attempt to clean the river and regain fish stock it took weeks of dredging and carting of contaminated river bed away, all of which pumped tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.
The phrase work smarter not harder seems to have fallen out of fashion these days.
A sage old friend once said to me "never apologize for something you feel strongly about, but don't expect everyone else to see your point of view"
There are ways to control rats and poison is the easiest and most effective, but only if administered in a controlled way. If done so then the risk to other wildlife is drastically mitigated. Use a rat box for starters, place it above ground, rats climb, hedgehogs don't, place inverted troughs over the ends, preferable ones with a down turn to reduce birds attempting to enter.
I get where people are coming from in saving the planet and wildlife, nothing against that, but the idiocy of gluing yourself to the M25 actually does more damage to the environment than they can possibly imagine, all that traffic sat there churning out CO2 for hours on end, brilliant own goal there chaps!
Likewise, Green Peace holding up a coal train and then proceeding to unload tons of coal into the river Trent (IIRC), brilliant, killed all the fish stock for miles around and polluted the river for decades to come. Of course in an attempt to clean the river and regain fish stock it took weeks of dredging and carting of contaminated river bed away, all of which pumped tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.
The phrase work smarter not harder seems to have fallen out of fashion these days.
A sage old friend once said to me "never apologize for something you feel strongly about, but don't expect everyone else to see your point of view"
Last edited:
SimonT
Western Thunderer
The BTO have published an article on cleaning feeders. There is useful information on selecting feeders, cleaning and from this the placing of feeders.
I hope the link works (it did when I tested it here), you should see a pdf of some pages from the BTO Garden BirdWatch magazine. Garden BirdWatch is a cracking scheme to join. The gold star is weekly records but monthly or when the mood takes you is fine. A continuity of records at a site over time gives the picture to the number crunchers. This used to feed into Government decision making.
You might now be seeing the effect of winter on the birds. My rates have doubled over the last two weeks as it seems that wild food is becoming scarce. Goldfinches have gone from 5-6 present to 12+, similar doubling from tits and chaffinches. Still none of my favorite small finches such as siskin, linet and red poll.
Simon
I hope the link works (it did when I tested it here), you should see a pdf of some pages from the BTO Garden BirdWatch magazine. Garden BirdWatch is a cracking scheme to join. The gold star is weekly records but monthly or when the mood takes you is fine. A continuity of records at a site over time gives the picture to the number crunchers. This used to feed into Government decision making.
You might now be seeing the effect of winter on the birds. My rates have doubled over the last two weeks as it seems that wild food is becoming scarce. Goldfinches have gone from 5-6 present to 12+, similar doubling from tits and chaffinches. Still none of my favorite small finches such as siskin, linet and red poll.
Simon
Attachments
Dog Star
Western Thunderer
Simon (@SimonT),
Like you, in the last two weeks there has been an explosion in the size of the Charm, from a couple to a dozen or so. Numbers of Blue Tits / Great Tits has increased from none to maybe four or five at a time. There have been sightings of Greenfinches and the occasional Bullfinch. As for the Sparrows, when they are here there seems to be a flood of them.
The biggest increase is the Wood Pigeons, from one or two to maybe eleven or twelve during most of the day. I accept their presence as these birds are clearing up the peck and spit debris from the Goldfinches and Sparrows.
No 24s or 25s seen since the relevant post early this month. I shall put the ground feeder on top of a couple of breeze blocks (on their side).
regards, Graham
Like you, in the last two weeks there has been an explosion in the size of the Charm, from a couple to a dozen or so. Numbers of Blue Tits / Great Tits has increased from none to maybe four or five at a time. There have been sightings of Greenfinches and the occasional Bullfinch. As for the Sparrows, when they are here there seems to be a flood of them.
The biggest increase is the Wood Pigeons, from one or two to maybe eleven or twelve during most of the day. I accept their presence as these birds are clearing up the peck and spit debris from the Goldfinches and Sparrows.
No 24s or 25s seen since the relevant post early this month. I shall put the ground feeder on top of a couple of breeze blocks (on their side).
regards, Graham
Wagonman
Western Thunderer
There's a word for people who sit for hours in a traffic jam with their engine running. And it's not a polite one.
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
Simon
Flying Squad
Well quite…..
JimG
Western Thunderer
Not a rat but something a bit more likeable 
...on my bird table yesterday tucking into bits of fatball.
The so-called bird table is a scrap of Contiboard perched on top of a bush outside my lounge window so easy access up the stems and branches for this little critter. Field mice and squirrels have started to appear over the last year since a neighbour with two very active cats moved a year ago.
Jim.
...on my bird table yesterday tucking into bits of fatball.
The so-called bird table is a scrap of Contiboard perched on top of a bush outside my lounge window so easy access up the stems and branches for this little critter.
Field mice and squirrels have started to appear over the last year since a neighbour with two very active cats moved a year ago.Jim.
Last edited:
Tony Overton
Western Thunderer
I had a mouse visiting the bird table in my garden regularly last summer. From a distance (it was quick to scarper if I got nearer than 10 ft or so) it seemed to be gingery brown so I'm hoping it was a field mouse or similar rather than a grey house mouse. Looked very much like the one in JimG's photo. Sadly not seen it at all since then, may be cats not with standing, mice have a short life? Pigeon numbers have gone down locally over the winter which pleases me no end. I hope no new one's find where I live! To my delight this morning there was a single Black Cap on the fat balls, not seen one of those in my garden before now - suburb of Nottingham. My 'resident' solitary Dunnock still likes my garden. Always seen darting in and out of the two Pyracantha's between visits to the bird table and the herbaceous perennial borders. The Blackbirds have now about stripped my Pyracantha's clean of berries, but that's what they are for, food for birds.
oldravendale
Western Thunderer
We're in rural Bucks and this really cold weather has brought out a number of unusual visitors. Our crab apple has been covered in blackbirds - as many as ten at a time with a couple of thrushes. They've not been fighting over the apples until today when the tree is almost stripped. We have a couple of robins and a few blue tits which usually nest here and a couple of great tits. More unusually there have been a black cap, a few redwings and fieldfares with an occasional hedge sparrow and a chaffinch - common visitors in the summer but rare at this time of year. No starlings though. The red kites and buzzards have gone away - we usually have plenty of those and there are fewer pigeons. The bird feeder has been mobbed by the jackdaws which used to live on our chimney (no longer) but most of which live in the church tower next door. There have been occasional jays and we always have a few magpies.
That's the current situation but we have quite a number of other species through the summer. Very soon there'll be ducks trying to make a home adjacent to our pond. We have to put them off or the frog/toad spawn suffers.
Regrettably we also had a rat but that's "gone away" and occasional field and house mice, but that's pretty normal around here. We have deer and occasional visits by rabbits. There are brown hares in fields 400 yards down the road. No hedgehogs though.
This is not a big garden but the visitors are quite enchanting.
Brian
That's the current situation but we have quite a number of other species through the summer. Very soon there'll be ducks trying to make a home adjacent to our pond. We have to put them off or the frog/toad spawn suffers.
Regrettably we also had a rat but that's "gone away" and occasional field and house mice, but that's pretty normal around here. We have deer and occasional visits by rabbits. There are brown hares in fields 400 yards down the road. No hedgehogs though.
This is not a big garden but the visitors are quite enchanting.
Brian
Lyndhurstman
Western Thunderer
Hello @Dog Star
In my experience, there’s not much to do but remove the feeders for a few weeks. If you haven’t got a good moggie close by.. We have rats on and off here; they very quickly turn small holes close to the feeders into burrows, and even closing them off didn’t deter them.
Cheers
Jan
We have a problem with wood mice getting into our house. They normally live round our pond and woodshed. Although they make a bit of noise I don't mind them so much, they are much cleaner than house mice or class 25's. We even caught a shrew once!
I catch them with sunflower seeds in a humane trap and release them a mile or so away over the river so they don't come back. I've rehomed 2 last week in the colder weather, but the record was 4 in 4 nights.
I catch them with sunflower seeds in a humane trap and release them a mile or so away over the river so they don't come back. I've rehomed 2 last week in the colder weather, but the record was 4 in 4 nights.
CrankyChris
Active Member
I did my watch this morning from 08:00 when the feeders are usually visited in the winter.
Today, well 5 in total, 2 wood pigeon, a Robin, house sparrow and magpie.
Back to modelling then!
Today, well 5 in total, 2 wood pigeon, a Robin, house sparrow and magpie.
Back to modelling then!
SimonT
Western Thunderer
Like Chris I did my survey this morning 0800 to 0900. We are in thick hill fog on our Welsh hill. First bird was in at 0745 and as usual it was a robin. (I did the BTO survey on what time and with what bird does the feeding start. The overwelming answer was a robin fifteen miutes before sun rise!)
We had 7 goldfinch, 4 siskin, 1 green finch, 7 chaffinch, 3 blue tit, 3 great tit, 1 coal tit, 16 starling, 1 nuthatch, 1 dunnuck, 1 robin, 4 tree sparrow and 1 greater spotted woodpeacker. Fairly typical numbers. I didn't see the pied and grey wagtails, jackdaws, common and hooded crows, ravens and magpies or birds of prey with whom we share this palce, although I had hopes as twice the small birds scattered as if a sparrow hawk or peregrine was around. The 1000ish starlings are last light only as they gather in one of our ashes before going to the roost.
Hope you get some beauties.
Back to building the signal box.
We had 7 goldfinch, 4 siskin, 1 green finch, 7 chaffinch, 3 blue tit, 3 great tit, 1 coal tit, 16 starling, 1 nuthatch, 1 dunnuck, 1 robin, 4 tree sparrow and 1 greater spotted woodpeacker. Fairly typical numbers. I didn't see the pied and grey wagtails, jackdaws, common and hooded crows, ravens and magpies or birds of prey with whom we share this palce, although I had hopes as twice the small birds scattered as if a sparrow hawk or peregrine was around. The 1000ish starlings are last light only as they gather in one of our ashes before going to the roost.
Hope you get some beauties.
Back to building the signal box.
Nigel Cliffe
Western Thunderer
Usual collection of tree sparrows, dunnocks, tits, wood pigeon, robin, blackbird. AND a male sparrow hawk on the ground near the feeders (having missed the smaller birds on its way in).