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A nest box attacked by a predator

Posted on February 23rd, 2009 in Nest Boxes by Trish

This nest box has been attacked.

I do not know what type of wood the nest box is made of but it is thinner than the usual nest boxes that I buy.  This photograph was taken last year when it was fine and sunny.

Predator has been trying to get at the eggs or chicks

Predator has been trying to get at the eggs or chicks

 Woodpeckers drill an entrance with their chisel beaks

I think that is what has happened in the photo above.

It’s a case of bird eating bird again.

Squirrels, weasels, cats, crows and great spotted woodpeckers are among the predators of birds.

Our garden birds are subject to attack from ground and air.

I do have other nest boxes that are stronger which have not been attacked.

There are ‘guards’ that can be put over a bird box entrance hole. 

Bird Guardian

 These plastic guards cost £5.99 and these seem a good idea as they stop predators attacking the actual bird box entrance. Take a look at how to purchase the BIRD GUARDIAN

Tough woodcrete nest boxes are very good as predators cannot make the entrance holE larger so they cannot  get to the eggs or chicks inside – which is what has happened in our nest box in the photo

SCHWEGLER 3 HOLE NEST BOX 

Schwegler 3-Hole Box

£23.99 plus delivery charges – it will last years and  as well as giving protection to the birds inside it gives a good insulation which helps chicks in the nest during their vulnerable time in the nest.

To find out all about the Schwegler 3 Hole Nest Box CLICK HERE

Hunting of Lapwings

Posted on February 23rd, 2009 in Chat about the decline in bird numbers by Trish

How can anyone hunt a bird such as the lapwing?  But they do.

France, Spain, Italy, Malta and Greece are some of the countries that lure lapwings to what seems to be an ideal roost site but which in fact is a deadly trap for these birds.

It seems there is a video on YouTube about it (which I have not seen) which shows the netting of hundreds of lapwings which have been lured to their death.

Also people make ponds especially  to lure the lapwings and the lapwings get trapped by the nets as they land to feed.

These are not small ponds or traps they can catch many lapwings

Lapwing numbers have declined in Britain.

For more information visit  Committee Against Bird Slaughter

To read about the hunting of birds in the Ardennes and the South of France CLICK HERE

Lapwings  are on the red list of endangered species in Europe

Oil Rig Birds

Posted on February 22nd, 2009 in Bird Friends Around the World by Trish

Garden birds become seabirds for a while.

Birds cover such distances and it seems that sometimes garden birds become seabirds for a while.

It’s great that I’ve had some news about oil rig birds.  This is from Michael who works on an oilrig -

Hi everyone, We are at 57 degrees 36.10 minutes north 001 degrees 37.41 minutes east which is about 1 hours flying time north north east of Aberdeen.

When the weather is bad we often got a variety of sea going birds, diverse number of sea gulls including younglings (normally brown).

I am, of course, nor versed in their names but I know a black headed gull when I seeon as well as some of the larger Gulls I see regularly in Aberdeen itself.  When I say large they are as big as 18 inches tall.

Obviousely in 14 years off shore I have seen several different types of avian visitor.

Birds of prey including owls, hawks big and small

Sparrows, pigeons, blue tits, swifts and swallows.

A variety of birds, some of which you would not expect to see offshore.

Please remember I have been round a lot of north east Scotland waters, but also off Liverpool Bay to the West of England. Good to talk to you.

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Isn’t that fascinating.  When I was reading it I could picture the oil rig and the vastness of the sea.   Thanks Michael for sending me this

Has anyone else got any type of bird watching details they would like to send.

Feeding Peanuts to birds

Posted on February 22nd, 2009 in Bird Food by Trish

Peanuts and birds go together.  A lot of birds eat peanuts. 

I put out peanuts every single day along with other bird food.

Peanuts are rich in oil and protein and so are a good energy rich bird food to give to birds.

Peanuts can be fed to birds in two ways -

  • Whole peanuts
  • Crushed peanuts

In winter I put out both types for my garden birds. 

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT YOUNG BIRDS CAN CHOKE ON WHOLE PEANUTS SO NEVR FEED WHOLE PEANUTS IN THE BREEDING SEASON.  IN THE UNITED KINGDOM THIS IS BETWEEN APRIL AND SEPTEMBER.

I keep a hanging feeder full of peanuts and this attracts a flurry of birds

I also put peanuts inside the meshed feeder and it’s great to see blue tits, great tits and a lot more birds flit in an out of the feeder.  It gives me a great view (but sadly not many photos)

Birds I attracts to my garden through feeding peanuts

  • Blue Tits
  • Coal tits
  • Dunnocks
  • Great Tits
  • Greenfinch
  • Song Thrush
  • Chaffinch
  • and the pesky starling

I’ve also had a woodpecker clinging to my peanut feeder

  • Siskins also like peanuts but I have never seen on in my garden

If you are just starting to feed birds or if you’ve been feeding birds for years peanuts are a good source of energy for birds.

Below is some information on where to buy peanuts

GET STANDARD PEANUTS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR

GET PEANUT GRANULES DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR

Hope you’ve found this information interesting.  If you have any birdy news or any thing you’d like to tell me about  please let me know

Starting to feed birds?

Posted on February 21st, 2009 in Bird Feeding Problems by Trish

When I started to feed birds I just put out a few scraps on a bird table. 

As the birds started to appear I started putting out different bird food.

If you are just starting to feed birds you may find that

Birds don’t eat the food you put out.

This could be because

  • There may be cats or other predators nearby. 
  • It can take a few weeks for birds to spot a new source of food (birds can be a bit stupid sometimes.

I have just had to replace my greed peanut feeder. I replaced it with a red peanut feeder and it took a few days for the blue tits and other birds to go near it!

If you have just started to feed birds I’d love to know if many birds are coming to your garden.

Whatever happens, don’t give up.  British Garden Bird numbers are declining and also you will find it fun and rewarding when birds do start to visit.

GreatTit – a photograph

Posted on February 21st, 2009 in Photographs by Trish

I often try and get good photgraphs of the birds that come to my garden.  I’ve have a few great tits come, but can never get a good photo . They are so colourful you can’t miss them.

My friend Sara at Farming Friends sent this lovely photo

great-tit

Birds with White Feathers

Posted on February 21st, 2009 in white tailed blackbird by Trish

I started to keep track of a blackbird that has white tail feathers that visits my garden.  The first time I saw it was about January 2008

I know I now have 2 blackbirds with white tail feathers  that visit.

Yesterday 20th February 2009 I saw the white tailed blackbird. 

It was as though it was posing for me! 

It was sitting on the fence outside the kitchen window with it’s back to me.  Apologies, because I never thought to take a photo of it.

So this was great because I could see its two white tail feathers very clearly.  They are healthy, white tail feathers. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REASONS FOR WHY THERE ARE WHITE TAIL FEATHERS

Birds in my Garden

Posted on February 20th, 2009 in Birds I've seen in and around my garden by Trish

I’ve been birdwatching from my kitchen window and the air has been full of a variety of birds. 

The way the birds flit and fly around it’s a wonder they never collide with each other.

Some of the birds I’ve seen are -

  • Robin
  • Blackbird
  • Sparrows
  • Starlings
  • Crows
  • Great Tits
  • Wren
  • House sparrows
  • Tree sparrows
  • Starlings
  • Blue Tits
  • A partridge on the ground eating the grain from under the feeder
  • chaffinches

I suppose they are trying to get enough food to see them through the night.

White tailed blackbird – in France

Posted on February 19th, 2009 in white tailed blackbird by Trish

Luckily I received this comment yesterday about a white tailed blackbird seen in France

hi there , just to let you know today in our garden we also have a black bird with a white tail, we live in france ,we have quite a large family of blackbirds, but today was quite shocked to see one with a white tail, we live deep in the country, is this a new breed of bird , have a good day

Reasons for birds with white feathers

Posted on February 19th, 2009 in white tailed blackbird by Trish

Because, since January 2008,  I’ve been seeing a blackbird with white tail feathers I’ve become interested in them and have found out some  details and of the reasons why this happens.

The name for a bird with white feathers  is ‘albino’.  Partial albino means a bird  has some white feathers on some portions of its body.

Often other birds do not like birds that are different to them and birds will kill a bird like this (this could be why I never see this white tailed blackbird  in among a group of blackbirds)

Here are some reasons why blackbirds  (and other birds ) sometime have white feathers :

  • Lack of a good diet 
  • Injury to the bird can cause this
  • Circulary problems that the bird has had at the time that its feathers were developing.
  • The bird is ageing and old.
  • Some of the feathers do not have  pigments such as melanins.

A bird that is naturally white such as a swan, is not classed as an albino bird

If you have any other information please let me know.

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