Don’t forget to spend an hour noting our feathered friends’ visits!
Jill Merrett ● 99d16 Comments
If you like birds, pop over to CHG to see the nesting nuthatches...right by the path between the house and the lake. They were at it like mad the other day, in full view on a tree branch, no shame. So hopefully there will be some baby nuthatches soon.
Simon Pedley ● 18d
On the news again today is the drop in the number of butterflies. There is the same problem of just acting for our convenience and concreting/paving over and then just ignorantly cutting plants whenever and wherever without a thought for the best time for anything else - which is definitely something that we can do more about avoiding!https://butterfly-conservation.org/how-you-can-help/get-involved/gardening/gardening-for-butterflieshttps://www.rhs.org.uk/wildlife/garden-birds
Philippa Bond ● 19d
My neighbour has a gardener come in and cut the lot back, at any time.
Janice Evans ● 19d
Yes, it reminded me of that picture of a pyracantha that had been cut back before there had been time for the birds to have enjoyed the fruit and the article on the front page about it. It is very true that many shrubs are now just all cut back at the same time to suit a tick-box timetable rather than at the time of year that is right for each plant and for the environment.If you do that late in the year with camellias and some other plants you just won't get any flowers in the Spring. It seems that many shrubs are now so controlled by people waving electric machines around that nobody including the birds and the bees and other wildlife as well as us (but not so important for us) get to see and have the benefit of the flowers and fruit. All just for the sake of our convenience.
Apparently bird feeders that bring different species together should be avoided to stop spread of disease, choose plants and shrubs to feed birds naturally during summer.
Janice Evans ● 20d
Trichomoniasis seems to be the biggest concern right now.https://www.ufaw.org.uk/animal-welfare-publications/infectious-diseases-of-garden-birds---minimising-the-risks#14
Philippa Bond ● 21d
I have three bird baths to fill, all different sizes thinking the small birds would use the smallest one but no they like the low level large one with shallow water. A pigeon has taken to sitting in the middle size bath and the large deep one has all sorts visiting.
Janice Evans ● 22d
I'm afraid it's much worse than that!No treats until Autumn. We don't feed the birds as there appears to be more than enough on offer naturally depending on the season.However I will have to start washing out the bird bath every day which is a bit of a chore. I'm thinking of putting up a sign advising not to wash, drink and poop in the same place....for the birds you understand, not the humans.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2lwvz1pl1no
Bruce Hammal ● 22d
No Monkey Nuts for the squirrels ?
Thanks for that advice, Keith. I’m guessing it’s so that the nestlings/fledglings don’t choke on them.
Jill Merrett ● 23d
The RSPB are currently asking that people don't put out seeds or nuts at the moment.
Keith Iddon ● 23d
The results are in!
I had 6 ring necked parakeets, 2 feral pigeons,3 blue tits, 3 great tits, 2 coal tits, 2 dunnocks, 4 magpies, 1 carrion crow and 1 robin.
Susan Jennifer Thackray ● 98d
I saw a lesser spotted woodpecker, 2 robins, 6 great tits, 1 magpie, 1 blackbird, 6 pigeons, 1 wood pigeon. And a fox!And yes, I topped up my bird feeders.
Jill Merrett ● 98d
This may be a daft question but did you put some food out for them.
Janice Evans ● 98d
Sat for an hour but, usually, not one bird landed to he counted! It was nice to have a reason to just sit and look at the garden anyway!
Sue Gewanter ● 98d