Bird Table News

A BLUE TIT SPENDS 85% OF EVERY DAY IN WINTER LOOKING FOR FOOD

So when you see a Blue Tit flitting about remember that fact and keep (or start) putting bird food out.

Imagine if we had to spend 85% of every winter’s day looking for food.  We can’t imagine it can we?

If food is available on a bird table, a hanging feeder or on the ground the birds will have more energy to see them through the freezing night.  This applies to many birds not just Blue Tits.

Lack of food can made a bird less alert and so more likely to be caught by predators, or if it does not get enough fat to last through the night it may die

Sometimes winter weather looks beautiful, but it hides the harshness of winter

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I have some blackbirds and thrushes feeding together in such a flurry.  As soon as I put the food out they  skim past me and tuck into the  bird food – ignoring me in the process.  They are united in this urgency.  They know with certainty that in two minutes the rooks will be descending. 

It’s a case of try and outwit the rooks – placing the bird food in places where they can’t reach.

I’m getting a close up view of these large rooks and they are so large and  just have an arrogant look about them.  I suppose they know they rule the roost so to speak

I outwit them in the end.

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Doesn’t time go quickly.  In 2010 I wrote saying that the winter of 2010 would the be last winter we had a herd of milking cows on the farm.  I was saying goodbye to the slow old cows.

http://birdtablenews.com/2010/01/the-is-the-last-winter-there-will-be-a-dairy-herd-here-goodbye-you-slow-old-cows/

It was a complete change.  No cows to milk twice a day.  No herd of cows to walk in an out of the fields in summer. 

The farm has changed completely.  We don’t have to have fences to keep the cows in.  We don’t have to have as many grass fields.

We got to know the milking cows because they were here for quite a few years – and they got better looked after than I did!  It was there home.

But, we couldn’t make any money.  The price of milk we were being paid was too low.

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One way to feed birds is to plant a variety of native  shrubs or even hedges.  This is natural food for birds.

Next time you are at a Garden Centre – think British bird

A bush needs planting once and provides fruit and shelter for garden birds for years.

Some of the birds that enjoy berry bearing bushes are

• thrushes
• blackbirds
• starlings
• finches
• tits
• robins and
• pigeons
• You may also attract waxwings, redwings or field fares – winter visitors

British species support more insect life thatn non native and are more attractive to birds.

Planting bushes in the garden also gives cover to birds as well as providing bird food every year.

One bush is -

BLACKBERRY OR BRAMBLE (rubus fruticosus)  . Native.

If you have room for a bramble patch in your garden it will be used by birds allthrough the year.

Some of the birds that eat the fruit are – starlings, bullfinches, great tits and blue tits.

Nesting - Blackbirds, warblers, thrushes, long tailed tits, finches and dunnocks will nest in the safety of its prickly branches.

Roosting – In Autumn and winter finches and sparrows will gather in the brample hedge to roost.

To keep the bramble bush / bramble patch thick and attractive to brids trimthe long branches each year to stop them roosting

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 PART TWO OF KEEPING BIRD FOOD DRY – BY BEV

The next idea -

• Is to put the food in the caged feeder underneath a patio or picnic table in a corner of the garden.Again this might work if not too windy but tried it in the snow last year and worked well as long as the snow isn’t blowing,as then you have to keep clearing it which is a pain but at least the birds go in happily and can eat in peace as haven’t yet seen a sparrow hawk try to get under to get to the birds but I guess that could change depending how hungry they are in winter!!It certainly is difficult to keep the food dry and safe to eat in winter but at least it stays dry longer than if just left uncovered.

The large garden trays are so useful as they keep any spilt food inside and much easier to clean , which keeps the birds healthy. At the end of the day I just pick it up wipe it down with Arklense and hose or rinse it off so its clean and ready for the next day.

Before it was much more difficult to clean the ground especially in winter and we used to spend ages clearing up other wise spilt food is a hazard for birds if it goes mouldy and also can be attractive to any vermin .

 I don’t think there is a simple way to keep food dry all the time but at least this helps to keep it drier a lot longer.

Kind regards Bev.

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It’s so true that keeping a bird area clean is important.  As you say if it goes mouldy it can be a hazard to birds and attract vermin

Bev, I hope other people pick up on your ideas.  It’s surprising how Google  works.  If someone types in ‘ keeping bird food dry’ they may land up on your two pages and use your good ideas and tips.  Cheers

Thanks for your practical and helpful ideas.

This is in reply to   http://birdtablenews.com/2012/11/wet-bird-food/

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Keeping pigeons away from bird food can take up so much time and it needs ingenuity  from everyone who feeds birds.

Here is one idea that works. Sandy sent it in and is going to send a photo.

Hi Trish, It works! I put the glass containing the sultanas/raisins on the lawn covered with an upside down hanging basket.

The pigeons were very clever and managed to knock over the glass to get to the food, so I’ve secured the glass with tent pegs! The pigeons poked their heads through but could not get to the food and have now given up.

I’ve tried to get a photo of them trying in vain but they kept flying off, I have however got a lovely photo of the blackbird inside it, and also a very clever squirrel on a “squirrel proof feeder”! Kind regards, Sandy

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Hi Sandy,

Thanks for getting in touch again.  It’s nice to hear from you.  I haven’t given it a try yet, but will do soon.  I use canes in a circle and then put wire mesh round the canes.  I then put the birdfood inside the canes.  It does keep the rooks, crows and pigeons away.

I’m still trying to sort a way of keeping bird food dry when it is raining or snowing.  That is so difficult

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Anyone know what it means if rooks don’t sleep in their rookery

We have a rookery near our house.  That is a small area of trees were rooks nest.  For years and years and years the rooks have roosted in the trees.  What a noise they make and what a nuisance they can be when I put the bird food out

When dusk was coming in I saw this flock of rooks flying away from these trees.  They flew over the fields.  I watched them until the disappeared in the distance.

Why did they do this?

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Alan has asked  -

Is it ok to use lentils & cous cous & should it cooked like rice for the birds?

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I’m not sure about this.  Does anyone know?

Trisha

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Hello Readers 

I’ve been feeding birds for ages, but often get surprised by these garden birds

Yesterday I was sat outside about 7am (yes I know!)  I was sat on the doorstep (for no other reason than to sit and do nothing for a moment)

There was a rustle in the shrub nearby.  A shadow of something on the ground under the bush.  What was it?  Not a mouse I hoped!!!  Oh no!

Out sprung / hopped a small wren. 

It can’t have seen me because it came confidently  hopping towards me.  It was so small, yet it was so full of energy and life.  I could feel its energy.  It was only a few inches from me and I was watching it intently.  It still kept hopping happily and confidently towards me.

Yes, this is a wren I’m talking about.  That small little bird that always hides in the hedges and that is so hard to see.

I wondered when it would stop, if it would stop.  Would it hop onto my hand!  What was happening here.  It stopped and hopped. Stopped and hopped

Then all of a sudden it looked and saw me.  That is the end of the story

Maybe it comes to the front door step every morning, but I can’t think why

Photographs of wrens

http://www.digital-nature-photography.com/nature/voegel/winter-wren-photos.php

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