A HARE IN MY GARDEN
A BIRD IN MY HEDGE
FLEDGLINGS ON MY FENCE
Where’s our mum?
It’s nice to share my garden with wildlife. Especially the Hare, because I usually see hares in the distance a few fields away. It has been into the garden a few times and lays down on the grass just outside our window. It obviously does not know the difference between garden and countryside. Hopefully there isn’t one.
Fledglings on a fence near the bird table
I took this photograph about a year ago. I remember these two young birds seemed to think my garden was their garden. I watched them from my kitchen window.
Wonder where they are now and also wondering if all the bird food they ate helped them survive.
Steve has kindly sent me this photograph of a robin. It is so clear – and I think the character of the robin shines through. Thanks Steve
Wonderful Robin
Family Meal
A RARE ASSORTMENT
Small Bird. Big World
Where's my mum?
Apologies for the lack of clarity in these photos, but it’s not often I see a hen pheasant, raven, woodpigeon, crow, blackbird and a rabbit sharing an early morning breakfast
First came the rabbit –
Can you see the rabbit?
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Then a blackbird joined the rabbit –
Bird and Mammal
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Now the party starts. A hen pheasant in the background. Next to it a Raven. Then a rabbit and a blackbird. Hen pheasant, Raven, Rabbit, Blackbird
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Hen Pheasant, Crow, Wood pigeon, blackbird, rabbit –
Four birds and one mammal
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Hen pheasant, raven and wood pigeon all eating the same grain. then a rabbit eating grass –
This was very early morning and we have had to take some old fencing down. This must happen every morning, but it is hidden from view by the fence.
They all meandered about together for about half an hour. The rabbit picked the freshes dandelion leaves.
It reminds me of when I used to go picking dandelions for our pet rabbit when Iwas about 6 years old. Now I remember picking dandelion leaves when I was six years old BUT what did I do yesterday!?
I will try and get better photos – but it’s hard.
This is why I feed birds. They have to face such fierce weather and the only shelter they get is what they find
Hopefully we have seen the last of the snow and I hope a lot of birds have survived this snow bound world
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I have managed to get two photographs of Fielfares.
Fieldfare in Winter
Fieldfare in summer
Fieldfares are from the Thrush family.
Usually they stay in fields in the countryside. This harsh winter seems to have brought a lot of fieldfares into gardens and given people an opportunity to see them close up and also help them survive by putting bird food out.
As I’ve said before this winter their food has been locked under snow and ice. If you looked around the countryside when it was at its coldest you wouldn’t see many green fields (if any). The ground is frozen solid.
Fieldfares often stay in flocks
They arrive in October and overwinter here. Some Fieldfares come from Scandinavia and are winter visitors and migrate to Britain in October / November. These Scandinavian Fieldfares don’t nest here. Other fieldfares are European fieldfares
FEEDING
First, I’d like to say that providing an open, soft patch of lawn or soil is a good way to feed birds. Also in freezing weather (NOT, of course, when there is snow on the ground) I sometimes put hot water on a small open area of grass /soil. This softens the soil. I always get birds pecking at the soil. It means they can at least try and get to the worms!
Fieldfares eat animals and plants – so they eat worms or berries and fruit.
If you put out some apple or pears, or any fruit it is best to cut up small first. Then they can easily carry / eat the food. If the fruit is large they may drop it when they fly off with it. Among the berries they eat are Pyracantha berries off bushes and hawthorn berries.
I’ve also heard that they have been seen eating ground blend bird food.
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Gardens can be a life saver for birds. To survive they have to go in search of food – and have found food in our gardens . So the extreme weather conditions have driven them to our gardens and our food. Bird feeding does work and help birds survive the winter.
I know we have had flocks of fieldfares in the fields near us at certain times. When birds are far away and flocking together it’s hard to see what bird they are. But certainly flocks of birds wheeling overhear in the skies are a part of the English Countryside.
Trisha
PS Idid not take these photographs. Photographs from istockphoto