For the birds

[malcd1]

Yes, Bruce. Oh, there's nothing wrong with the odd handout, but to feed them regularly I feel is wrong as it <supposition alert> can lead to the generations to come to rely on a food source (yours) rather than find their own.</supposition alert> Then there's the food itself and how it affects your local wildlife. Perhaps it doesn't apply to your own area, but this link might explain my concerns.

http://www.wpsa.org.au/pdf/school/Feedi ... nimals.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And I understand your concerns, Dujon - however, please, allow me to share with you my observations from the past few weeks in my own back garden. I have two bird feeding cages that hang from a pole. A few weeks ago when we had an icy blast I put two 'high protein' fat balls into each. Whilst we were frozen over, the birds would turn up and peck at the balls. Now then, we haven't had frost and ice for the past couple of weeks now, just rain, and they've remained untouched throughout that period. As such, presumably the local bird-life has returned to feeding itself au naturel and will do until the next frost.

I've noticed a similar thing in recent years Bruce. I find the fat balls are eaten just before the birds migrate in Autumn. Presumably this is so they can bulk up on a high fat diet to get them where they are going. As soon as these birds have gone the fat balls all left uneaten. What I am trying to say is I think the birds diet changes through the year.

Also, if the ground and food is frozen I tend to put out those dried mealworms you can buy from garden centres and cheap shops like B&M.

[Dujon]

Thanks, Monty, I was really beginning to think that I'd overstepped the mark. Let's not, though, get into the indigenous people's rights and wrongs as that is a very complicated subject for a forum such as this.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Thanks, Monty, I was really beginning to think that I'd overstepped the mark. Let's not, though, get into the indigenous people's rights and wrongs as that is a very complicated subject for a forum such as this.

It's more than complicated -it's just the parallel with what you were saying about introduced species messing it up for the natives struck me....

[bobo the clown]

Well, we're begining our first properly cold snap now & the garden has even more birds than normal & the less usual ones are all over us, as well as 2 rather tubby squirrels. So, sitting in the conservatory, eating a brunch & drinking Earl Grey watching this lot. A nice way to spend an hour.

A pair of jays or here, beautiful beasts, Rather shy, they flit in, pick some food up & scoot off to eat it in the trees at the bottom. The siskin is here for the first time this winter. They only venture up when they're stuggling a bit for food.

Finches & tits of a wide range, plus the magpies bullying around the place but losing out to some woodpigeons.

[thebish]

Well, we're begining our first properly cold snap now & the garden has even more birds than normal & the less usual ones are all over us, as well as 2 rather tubby squirrels. So, sitting in the conservatory, eating a brunch & drinking Earl Grey watching this lot. A nice way to spend an hour.

A pair of jays or here, beautiful beasts, Rather shy, they flit in, pick some food up & scoot off to eat it in the trees at the bottom. The siskin is here for the first time this winter. They only venture up when they're stuggling a bit for food.

Finches & tits of a wide range, plus the magpies bullying around the place but losing out to some woodpigeons.

siskin and jays - nice!

[bobo the clown]

Well, we're begining our first properly cold snap now & the garden has even more birds than normal & the less usual ones are all over us, as well as 2 rather tubby squirrels. So, sitting in the conservatory, eating a brunch & drinking Earl Grey watching this lot. A nice way to spend an hour.

A pair of jays or here, beautiful beasts, Rather shy, they flit in, pick some food up & scoot off to eat it in the trees at the bottom. The siskin is here for the first time this winter. They only venture up when they're stuggling a bit for food.

Finches & tits of a wide range, plus the magpies bullying around the place but losing out to some woodpigeons.

siskin and jays - nice!

The siskin is nice, tho a bit like a slightly unusual tit (stop it !!!) or the finches ... maybe a bit more colourful than most. The jays are magnificent though. So unusual. They hang around quite a lot but are shy & only come up towaard the house itself in proper poor weather. Very skitish though. Don't hang around.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I thought Jackdaws buggered off darn sarf or somewhere over winter. I’ve just seen about twenty of them land on a birdtable and strip it bare!!!!!

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I thought Jackdaws buggered off darn sarf or somewhere over winter. I’ve just seen about twenty of them land on a birdtable and strip it bare!!!!!

It's like a Hitchcock revival out there. They're back and they're sitting around on bare branches and telephone wires in the gloaming. My car's at least fifty foot away across the car park... if you never hear from me again, you'll know the jackdaws did for me.

[Montreal Wanderer]

I thought Jackdaws buggered off darn sarf or somewhere over winter. I’ve just seen about twenty of them land on a birdtable and strip it bare!!!!!

Apparently not.

Movements

British birds are mostly resident, though upland breeding birds migrate south and west to lowland regions and Ireland for the winter. Meanwhile, the wintering population is increased by immigrants from northern Europe, which arrive along the east coast in the autumn.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I thought Jackdaws buggered off darn sarf or somewhere over winter. I’ve just seen about twenty of them land on a birdtable and strip it bare!!!!!

Apparently not.

Movements

British birds are mostly resident, though upland breeding birds migrate south and west to lowland regions and Ireland for the winter. Meanwhile, the wintering population is increased by immigrants from northern Europe, which arrive along the east coast in the autumn.

Well Monty, it looks like they're right, but in 57 years of existence I've never seen jackdaws in winter before. Hey ho.

[Bruce Rioja]

[Dujon]

*chuckles with the odd nasal snort*

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Had one of these in the garden yesterday.



They're a bit freaky as the head feathers do this. Noisy feckers too. The cats went mental at them.



It's a hoopoe by the way...

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Had one of these in the garden yesterday.



They're a bit freaky as the head feathers do this. Noisy feckers too. The cats went mental at them.



It's a hoopoe by the way...

I see your lawn has died...probably a combination of desert heat, ants, cat piss, and hoopoe shit!

[Little Green Man]

It's a hoopoe by the way...

And the proud possessor of the rather tremendous Latin name - Upupa epops.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

It's a hoopoe by the way...

And the proud possessor of the rather tremendous Latin name - Upupa epops.

I always fancied discovering a new species of apple just so's I could name it Malus ipodus

[thebish]

It's a hoopoe by the way...

And the proud possessor of the rather tremendous Latin name - Upupa epops.

I always fancied discovering a new species of apple just so's I could name it Malus ipodus

[Montreal Wanderer]

It's a hoopoe by the way...

And the proud possessor of the rather tremendous Latin name - Upupa epops.

I always fancied discovering a new species of apple just so's I could name it Malus ipodus

Wrong thread - move to technology!

[Montreal Wanderer]

Had one of these in the garden yesterday.



They're a bit freaky as the head feathers do this. Noisy feckers too. The cats went mental at them.



It's a hoopoe by the way...

I see your lawn has died...probably a combination of desert heat, ants, cat piss, and hoopoe shit!

Not his garden - he stole the picture shamelessly from Birds of India photographer Rajiv Latheran, possibly from an Australian website called crikey.co.au.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I see your lawn has died...probably a combination of desert heat, ants, cat piss, and hoopoe shit!

Just saw this. My lawn isn't great, for all the reasons you state. Not as bad as the lawn in the picture though