Wildlife in the garden - Spring and what is this bird?

[Osgood]

You're both very lucky Rob, after many years of feeding and enjoying them we've not had them for a second year now - quite a worrying sign.
All of our resident frogs and toads were wiped out by a huge grass snake three years ago and not a sign of either species since.
And it looks like that nasty blue bird virus has returned this week despite a rigorous feeder cleaning regime (it may be coming from other gardens).

 

[simond]

We’ve got frogs





I think they’re frogs. We have toads too.

A strange, or perhaps, unusual story: When we returned from India back in 2010, we ended up moving back into our house in June or early July. It was warm, Madame had already returned to her old job, so it fell to me to empty boxes. I was in the garage, which is next to the front door, opening boxes, and I heard this odd noise, a sort of repeated “eeuuh” sound, which I initially thought was a bird, but on seeking it out, it was either a frog or more likely, a toad, whose arse end was firmly held by a snake, being dragged down the gap between the front of the house and the concrete path. I pondered saving it, but figured that the snake had as much right to dinner as the amphibian had to survival, and took the Pontius Pilate view.

I do hope it was a grass snake. I really, really hope whatever it was hadn’t crawled out of our boxes from India…

 

[Max M]

In my last post on this thread I mentioned Hedgehogs.
You may recall earlier this year that I posted some photos of a hedgehog wandering on what will be the lawn?

Nice photo's Rob.
Our hedgehogs seen to be out at dusk so all I have managed to achieve is some pics of dark blobs.
We have had a hedgehog house for several years now but can't say for certain if it is being uses; I'd prefer not to disturb any occupant. A second 'des res' has now been added
We have seen four scoffing the food on offer, They seem to like the seeds we put out for the birds as well as the cat food. The feeder dish is inside a cage to stop the pigeons scoffing the lot but the hogs are still able to squeeze in.

The only down side of having them in the garden is the amount of poo they leave behind. In addition to topping up the bird feeder Mrs M also has to scoop up their little (and sometimes not so little) 'thank you's from the grass and occasionally the bird feeder.

 

[pcalkel]

I did not believe my eyes

not a sharp picture from my iPhone, which was all I had to hand, but snapped a woodpecker in the our garden, normally only lots of sparrows and starlings (hooligans) it was a first for us in North Birmingham

Paul

 

[Osgood]

I like the way they tolerate other birds pecking at feeders next to them, but if they get too close the woodpecker throws a quick peck sideways without losing rhythm

 

[Rob Pulham]

We have had a woodpecker as an infrequent visitor for some months now but he/she is very camera shy. Each time I have reached for the camera the movement has scared it off.

Visits have become more frequent this week and I just happened to be sat eating lunch with my phone to hand so managed to get a few shots through the dining room window.

On a similar note to Tony about woodpeckers pecking at other birds, Blue our semi tame pheasant brought his offspring to show him where the food was a couple of months or so ago. Since then we haven't seen much of Blue and nothing at all of him for a few weeks now.

His son has become a regular visitor and has gone from being quite ungainly at balancing to feed and twitchy at every movement in the house to not bothering when we move about near him. Yesterday he was busy eating when a bunch of sparrows came and started feeding from the opposite side of the feeder.

He was quite tolerant until the movement of them landing, kept moving the feeder out of his reach. In the end he lashed out at one of the Sparrows. The Sparrow startled flew off but was immediately replaced by two more. Blue Junior soon got fed up and wandered off to find food that didn't move...

 

[Tim Hale]

A few years ago we spent sometime in the Vendee in Western France, just chillin' and being very bored (it is a flat saltmarsh anfd it was raining) but on the one day that the rain actually stopped we took a walk through the fields behind the Gite. We were very surprised to see a Hoopoe, a rarity even in rural France and unknown in the UK. It looked like nothing that we have seen before or since and feel rather priviledged. However, just behing the bird was a line of storks hunting in the meadow, these beautiful birds are a treat and our neighbour in Windsheim was lucky enough to have a returning nesting pair. The birds are regarded as bringers of good luck and 'his' pair would welcome visitors by decending to the garden and clacking their beaks for tidbits. We miss them.

BR

 

[West Junction]

We often get greater spotted woodpeckers in the garden taking the sunflower seed hearts, but unusually this year it came with a young one and was feeding it with the seeds. Also a few years ago we had a mistle thrush nesting in a flower basket. She had two eggs but one morning when we looked she was gone but some of her feathers were on the ground below the basket. We don't know what took her, but occasionally we get sparrow hawks in the garden. The eggs were also just about to hatch so the young were lost. I had photos of the thrush but with all the upgrades from the old computer plus upgrades to Apple photos they seem to have disappeared, If I find them on the old machine I will post a couple as the mistle thrush was sitting on the nest in the basket which was covered in snow. Not the best place to nest.

 

[Dog Star]

It is just over a year since I started this topic (see here) and last weekend was the annual RSPB garden bird survey. This year I think that I saw just three birds all weekend and that is a real surprise given the variety in 2021. After looking through the posts to date I think that readers might appreciate a (non-scientific) comparison of the 2021 and 2022 surveys. For 2021 the starting point is my weekend survey, for 2022 I have put together a view based upon what was seen through January 2022. In each case the number given is the maximum number of each species seen at the same time.

Sparrowhawk, the bird that led to this topic... not seen since Spring 2021;
Goldfinch, up to ten at survey date in 2021, now just three or four at a time;
Greenfinch, five or so at survey date in 2021, now just three in 2022;
Siskin, a single appearance in 2021, not seen since Summer 2021;
Chaffinch, two at survey date in 2021, same in 2022;
Bullfinch, one at survey date in 2021, two males and one female in 2022;
Great Tit, up to five at survey date in 2021, two in 2022;
Blue Tit, up to seven at survey date in 2021, five in 2022;
Long Tail Tit, up to seven at survey date in 2021, two in 2022;
Starling, just a couple at survey date in 2021, up to six in 2022;
Blackbird, two at survey date in 2021, six males and two females in 2022.
Dunnock, two at survey date in 2021, none seen to date in 2022;
Wren, one at survey date in 2021, none seen to date in 2022;
Pigeon, three at survey date in 2021, eight seen to date in 2022;
Dove, two at survey date in 2021, two seen in 2022.

The increase in pigeons and starlings is a consequence of (a) providing fat balls from Summer 2021 and (b) providing Sunflower hearts in a ground feeder for birds such as Blackboard and Dunnock. Sunflower hearts on the ground has been a success given the cacophony of bird song from the increasing number of Blackbirds.

At the start of 2021 the male Bullfinch had been an infrequent and sole visitor for some years. Spring 2021 saw Mr Bullfinch bring Mrs. Bullfinch for lunch (see here). In 2022 the female Bullfinch has become a regular visitor (often twice a day). What is particularly pleasing is that in the last month there have been several occasions where there are two male Bullfinches on the feeders at the same time.

Apart from keeping feeders stocked with Sunflower hearts and mixed bird seed what do you do to encourage birds to your garden?

regards, Graham

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Grahame,
We, Bett and I, do take note of the birds on an irregular basis. We have noticed this year a slight increase in our resident Blackbirds, we've always had them here in the three and half years we've lived here. We also have a large school of Sparrows, residents of our large hedging at the front of the property but seen in all parts of the garden at various times including Robins also.
Looking at the list you have posted we have all of those birds at most times except the Siskin and Nuthatch but that's not to say they haven't visited for if they have we've not noticed.
In addition we get on a regular basis, Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, Jackdaws, and probably due to where we are in open farm land, Buzzards, Red Kites and Sparrow Hawks. Pheasants do come and visit and at the right time of day if we are awake , or sometimes get woken by, Barn and Tawney Owls. Having said that we have seen Owls hunting a field that our local farmer has kept as wild grass land at about 4.30 on a winters evening.
We do get a large number of Wood Pidgeon and Collared Dove, We also put out mixed seed, peanuts and fat balls. We also like to keep the bird baths clean and topped up.

Col.

 

[Rob Pulham]

We have been just the opposite.

Our neighbour moved out mid December and stopped feeding the birds and our new neighbours moved in and removed some old sheds from the back garden. Since then we have been overrun with rats to the degree that the only way we could get rid of them was to stop feeding the birds ourselves.

When I get a moment I will download some of the photos Chris took of them on the bird feeders and post them.

 

[Alan]

Unfortunately since our new neighbours moved in with their cat who does like to seem to exercise by coming into our garden and the jumping up on to the fence (5ft+ tall) between our gardens, the only bird we get in the garden is a very occasional pigeon, where as before we had dunnocks various tits, blackbirds, robins etc The feeders have not been touched for months even though we have changed them (nuts) every so often.

 

[Eastsidepilot]

I forget to add the Jays, who are occasional visitors, to my list of birds. As for cats I consider our situation fortunate in that in the three years we've been here I have not seen either of our two cats catch a bird, even when they've stalked them they give up, maybe they're too well fed !, certainly the amount of mice they catch and bring home only to drop on the kitchen floor, half eaten, has something to do with it .

Col.

 

[Max M]

This year I think that I saw just three birds all weekend and that is a real surprise given the variety in 2021.

Perhaps with Covid they are still working from home and aren't going out or mixing as much?

 

[Rob Pulham]

As promised, rats, rats and more rats




We counted 10 at one point all digging in the gravel for dropped seed and running up and down the pole to the bird feeders.

Within a week of stopping feeding them, after they had overturned just abut every bit of gravel on the path by the feeders they have moved on.

We still have a sack of bird seed so we plan to try a feeder in the middle of the front lawn but if we see any more rats we will stop feeding again.

 

[richard carr]

Rob

About 6 years ago we were eating sunday lunch and saw our first rat on the bird feeder !
It was a bit of battle to get rid of them but they were living under our decking so we had to make sure that was sealed off with brick work so they couldn't get in.

Richard

 

[Rob Pulham]

Hi Richard,

Living where we live, I suspect that they will always be around but we hadn't actually seen any until food got a bit scarce and their habitat was disturbed.

Touch wood they seem to have moved on since we stopped feeding 'them'. We did get a trap which got a couple and we also bought an air rifle.

Not much chance of hitting rats with it, but Chris and I have enjoyed doing a bit of target shooting. Something we both enjoyed in our respective youths.

 

[Osgood]

As promised, rats, rats and more rats

You think you've got a rat problem?

 

[steve50]

@Dog Star I put out a seed mix, fat balls and suet pellets all in feeders and a ground feeder with seed. I get Pigeons, Magpies, House Sparrows, Robins, Blue and Great Tits and, thanks to a trail cam I got for Xmas I've seen a Blackbird, Chaffinches and a pair of Dunnocks. This year was the first we haven't done the bird watch but we was away watching birds in Kent. Never seen a Bullfinch though, that's on my wish list for this year.

 

[Max M]

@Dog StarNever seen a Bullfinch though, that's on my wish list for this year.

We get a Mr and Mrs visit fairly regularly which are particularly attractive when in their breeding plumage.
About this time of year we also start to get siskins joining our usual visitors.