Very busy at the bird feeder today! (4 Viewers)

[captaincarot]

Any help please guys, I'm trying to attract a wider variety of birds to my Midlands garden, anything special I can put out to help with this.

Sorry if it's a regular question but I couldn't find a reference anywhere.

personally i'd say,
well what types of birds do you have around you to attract? and what are you currently using to do the attracting?

but welcome to the thread B


yet more brilliant pics again, it's great to see what people are getting in their gardens and in the vcase of the american birds it's lovely to see birds that i'd never even heard of before.

didn't see our feeders much today, but in the short view i did get there were
chaffinches
great tits
robin
blackbirds
and one greenfinch, we've had 2 visit and sit in the tree having a good look at the feeders, then we had one jump onto them a couple of days later but it flew away almost immediately without feeding, today is the first time i've seen one actually feed.

 

[zoutedrop]

Hope the content offsets the quality. Every once in a while you get a bird that thinks its king of the hill. Here is a series of a Western Tanager bossing around some visitors eating grapefruit. In order of appearance, Bullock's Oriole, Gila Woodpecker, House Sparrow, and Northern Mockingbird.

 

[Hobbes2]

Hope the content offsets the quality. Every once in a while you get a bird that thinks its king of the hill. Here is a series of a Western Tanager bossing around some visitors eating grapefruit. In order of appearance, Bullock's Oriole, Gila Woodpecker, House Sparrow, and Northern Mockingbird.

Smashing photos zoutedrop! I love the Bullock's Oriole's tail - beautiful. It looks like the Tanager has met his match with the Mockingbird, lol, or did that get chased away aswell?

Michael23 - is that the first time a Moorhen has visited your garden? Cool garden bird to get. :t:

Hobbes

P.S. I dreamt last night that a drake Smew turned up on a small village pond opposite the house I was in and I finally got a decent photo of one, lol.

 

[karpman]

Hey Barry welcome to the ace thread mate!
Cab't help ya with your question much sorry only manage a few specie to my garden also, Not that i'm complaining! There great and have house sparrows now which are awesome.

Gratz on the Moorhen Michael nice bird indeed!
Great pics Zoute such colorful birds!
karpster

 

[Bananafishbones]

Any help please guys, I'm trying to attract a wider variety of birds to my Midlands garden, anything special I can put out to help with this.

Sorry if it's a regular question but I couldn't find a reference anywhere.

I think the key is variety.

A basic food pattern in my garden works something like this:

Nyjer = Goldfinch Geenfinch, Bullfinch, Siskins, Redpoll
Sunflower seeds / hearts = Greenfinch, Coal Blue & Great tits, Housesparrows
Lard / suet = Blue tits, GSW, Starlings, Jackdaws
Nuts = Geenfinch, Blue tits
Seed = Robin, Blue tits, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove
Wholemeal bread = Carrion crows, BH Gulls, Jackdaws

Hoovering up underneath = Chaffinches Blackbirds Thrushes etc

Time to get acustomed to the garden / regularity of feed (keep em topped up) / Cleanliness are all factors

Basically if the birds are in your area they will find your food

 

[Bananafishbones]

Get in....

Brambling alert:t:

Female in the feeder tree, came to ground but just got spooked, hopefully can relocate it in a mo

Poor pictures to add later B

Happy days:t:

*** its happily feeding on the ground***

5 Redpolls too :t::t::t:

 

[BarryH]

personally i'd say,
well what types of birds do you have around you to attract? and what are you currently using to do the attracting?

but welcome to the thread B

Plenty of House Sparrows and Blackbirds. I see the Blue Tits having the occasional look but never stop. Just like looking through a restuarant window but not bothering to go in.

Thanks all for the help, I'll start stocking up on goodies for them.

Is it best to buy the Sunflower Hearts and Nyjer online, just wondered if there was differences in quality at all?

 

[captaincarot]

black birds and thrushes like chopped up apple plus a few currants or raisins added to the feed, the sparrows won't grumble at this either.

as for the tits looking all of our visiting birds have turned up and looked then gone away again, then a few days later thay will investigate a bit more. eventually they just turn up and tuck in.

congratulations on the bramblings bfb maybe you've got ours as they disappeared

 

[Bananafishbones]

Plenty of House Sparrows and Blackbirds. I see the Blue Tits having the occasional look but never stop. Just like looking through a restuarant window but not bothering to go in.

Thanks all for the help, I'll start stocking up on goodies for them.

Is it best to buy the Sunflower Hearts and Nyjer online, just wondered if there was differences in quality at all?

Buying in bulk does work out cheaper... however I think the standard is reduced IE if you buy RSPB/Bill Oddie etc you pay for a premium bag of seed, in bulk you sometimes find bits of stalks etc

Garden centres are usually reliable wih quality and price
Over to you

 

[michael23]

hey everyone, firstly i have had moorhen in before on a couple of occasions, but this is the first time i have had 2 together, when they come in its either under the feeders and my daughters trampoline, or when they are waiting they tend to wait in the top of the tree at the end of the garden!

Barry, in terms of quality there are people who say more expensive food is of better quality, but in my experience it doesnt matter, i have brought them from wilkos and my local petshop working out at 0.99p per pund and 0.89p per pound respectively; and i have also paid for ones that are more expensive and there is no difference in consumption rate at all. Get them for the best price you can really.:t:

 

[Hobbes2]

Brambling alert:t:

Female in the feeder tree, came to ground but just got spooked, hopefully can relocate it in a mo

Poor pictures to add later B

Happy days:t:

*** its happily feeding on the ground***

5 Redpolls too :t::t::t:

I am officially 'green with envy', lol. Nice one Dave. :t:
It's a horrible wet, grey day here. Nothing new to report from the garden although I've not seen the Coat Tit since before the snow.
Hobbes

 

[Mary]

Hope the content offsets the quality. Every once in a while you get a bird that thinks its king of the hill. Here is a series of a Western Tanager bossing around some visitors eating grapefruit. In order of appearance, Bullock's Oriole, Gila Woodpecker, House Sparrow, and Northern Mockingbird.

Lovely pics, thanks for posting them. Am I right to think your house sparrow is the same species as ours, and was 'introduced' in the USA? It's just that I can't imagine our sparrows eating grapefruit!!

 

[JeffMoh]

Hope the content offsets the quality.

Great series of photos of a great bird!

Jeff
www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com

 

[Bananafishbones]

I am officially 'green with envy', lol. Nice one Dave. :t:
It's a horrible wet, grey day here. Nothing new to report from the garden although I've not seen the Coat Tit since before the snow.
Hobbes

Cheers Hobbes. The Brambling is still here after an hour or two, happily preenning in the tree. Very gusty wind here, damp and grey also.

6 Fieldfare and 2 Redwing for a while, Redpoll in and out... the 5 earlier on are a garden highest count :t:

Partner cant get excited about the Brambling, but shes happy coz i`m happy... or so she has me believe

Loads of Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch & Blue tits, 2 Great tit, 2 Coal tit, at least 8 Blackbirds. 2 Collared doves, 5 Woodpigeon. Plenty of starlings, Jackdaw, Feral Pigeons

Zoute great pics and lovely birds

Back in a while :t:

 

[JeffMoh]

Lovely pics, thanks for posting them. Am I right to think your house sparrow is the same species as ours, and was 'introduced' in the USA? It's just that I can't imagine our sparrows eating grapefruit!!

Our House Sparrows are the same as yours, Mary. In fact, a lot of people call them English Sparrows. A group of 50 were released in New York's Central Park in 1852 and they spread like wildfire. Along with two other species imported from the UK, Rock Pigeons and European Starlings, they are the only birds not protected by law. In spite of this, all three species are doing well, too well.

Came home in the rain yesterday afternoon to find our oak and other trees in our street were packed with birds: Hundreds of White-winged Doves and scores of Cedar Waxwings. Quite a sight!

Jeff
www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com

 

[wayne1983]

Hope the content offsets the quality. Every once in a while you get a bird that thinks its king of the hill. Here is a series of a Western Tanager bossing around some visitors eating grapefruit. In order of appearance, Bullock's Oriole, Gila Woodpecker, House Sparrow, and Northern Mockingbird.

They look lovely, looks like there having a good chat:king

 

[Bananafishbones]

Just caught up with your blog Jeff, quality subject matter backed up with excellent images. I really must start a blog myself...new years promise

 

[karpman]

Buying in bulk does work out cheaper... however I think the standard is reduced IE if you buy RSPB/Bill Oddie etc you pay for a premium bag of seed, in bulk you sometimes find bits of stalks etc

Garden centres are usually reliable wih quality and price
Over to you

Hey guys!

Congrats on the Brambling dave a fitting end to a good great year it seems!:t:
As for buying in bulk i have found a someone who only sell bird seed close to me in bulk and bring it over for a quid!
As for quality it is top notch the sunflower hearts and seed i get are awesome and pretty much all i feed nowdays i do have a nyger but hardly ever get's emptied:<

I use chopped peanuts and some with shells for me bird table also from the same place http://www.caztez.co.uk/ I'm getting through a lot of seed at the moment and Rspb would not be practical for my pocket.

I don't like shop bought fat treats one bit though and me birds don't seem to either maybe i have made them fussy lol.

Had 4 House sparrows today which i am over the moon about i totally adore them little fellas.:-O

time to read jeffs blog laters!

karpman

 

[Disneynut1973]

Dave nice to have the Brambling and Redpoll too another bird I have never seen :-C

Karpman how nice to get the House Sparrows, we get them in the garden daily and the females especially I think have beautiful markings.

Some more great photos, again I have to say I love to see the ones from across the 'pond'.

We have had a dozen Goldfinch around the garden today though, I found out that the name for a group of Goldfinch is a Charm, which is just perfect for those little birds!

Plus House Sparrows, Starlings, a pair of Blue Tits, Great Tit, 4 Dunnocks, pair of Collard Doves, Magpie and a Robin. There has also been an increase in the number of Blackbirds around at the moment too - we have up to 4 at a time, which isn't a huge amount but over the past couple of months i've barely seen one a week.

Two Herring Gulls were having quite a noisy altercation with a Crow over the garden too this afternoon. So quite busy really and some good viewing :t:

 

[zoutedrop]

I find the comments involving House Sparrows to be very very interesting. They are at about the same level as rats here in the U.S. Main reason is the displacement of song birds. Here are shots from the garden of dad, mom, and a juvenile. Dad and mom are sitting on a peanut butter feeder that I had built for the Gila Woodpecker, they love peanut butter.