From Tina

I just saw 2 crows attack a blackbird.  This was in a tree where the crows have a nest.

One crow flew off with the blackbird sqawking.  It has upset me and made me angry with the crows, i think its bad seeing a bird eat a bird

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We don’t have any control over this do we?  We just have to accept it happens.

Tina got in touch with me to tell me this because of an article I wrote

 

 

Here is a short video you may like to watch

http://birdtablenews.com/2009/05/will-the-rook-eat-the-blackbird-a-video/

My squirrels just bite through the twine and run off with the feeder!  I find empty feeders all round the garden weeks after they first vanish!  Kat

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Are your bird feeders squirrel proof.  I had to buy a hanging caged feeder and it really worked.

Why not hang the feeders from a wire or a hook instead of string.  

If you go into my Amazon shop you will be able to search for caged hanging bird feeders

http://birdtablenews.com/  

Give it a try.  It will be worth it.  I think we all know it helps the garden birds when we put bird food out – that is unless the squirrels, rooks, pigeons and even partridges don’t get the food.

The amazon shop is in the right side bar

I’ve had a lot of trouble with squirrels in the past.  The grey squirrel is a pest. 

Trisha

He loves apples,but I have been leaving the skin on,so now Iv’e seen how difficult it is for them I will peel them in future.

Thanks

 Click the link below to see the video

http://birdtablenews.com/2009/06/robin-trying-to-peel-an-apple/

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Amazing.  I have received the comment above and a few minutes ago my previous short article was about a blackbird attacking a martin and in the process killing 3 martin chicks

I have now got this news about a friendly blackbird!

What a range of feelings blackbirds must have (as everything / everyone does)

I’m so pleased I took the video of the robin trying to eat an apple and amazed that a few years later it is helping another person who likes feeding birds

It’s really good to connect to other people who like birds and bird feeding and to see the high and lows of being connected to our garden birds

Trisha

There are house martin’s nesting at our house and a black bird came along fighting with the Martin knocked 3 baby’s out of their nest, sad but true.

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Hi Cathy,

I never cease to be amazed at what birds do to other birds.  I have a few blackbirds in my garden and they are one of my favourite birds.  I would never ever have thought they they would fight with a house martin.

Does this happen often in the wild?

Trisha

SO MANY PEOPLE TRY TO HELP THESE DEFENCELESS SONGBIRDS

DECLINE IN SONGBIRD NUMBERS DUE TO PREDATION IS NEVER MENTIONED

WHY NOT JOIN SONGBIRD SURVIVAL

http://www.songbird-survival.org.uk/

I have joined.   They need our help.  Please let me know if you join.  I am going to offer my help at one of the shows they are hoping to go to.  See you there?

Trisha

http://www.songbird-survival.org.uk/

This goes on all the time, yet it never seems to be mentioned when there is talk about the decline in garden birds.  Read the comment below -

A magpie is trying its hardest to kill my last remaining baby blackbird…. Ive saved it once when the magpie dropped it but it’s so distressing to watch.

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Why not join Songbird Survival.  They say -

Rising levels of uncontrolled predation are ignored

Existing research is out of date and flawed

http://www.songbird-survival.org.uk/

Something has to be done

Hi All This is the first time I have seen this site,

It is less formal than the other sites I have been to.

Anyway, a tip to keep squirrels from the feeders I used to have several squirrels visit the bird feeders and with the resultant damage increasing, I decided to put a stop to this.

The squirrel proof feeders are fine, but it you have 10 or 20 they can be not very cost effective. So putting my thinking cap on, I tried a number of things, but the best I have found is using twine to hang the feeders from.

The squirrels rely on something solid to support themselves on, so using twine to hang the feeders on takes away the support and no more damage (or visitations now) Hope this helps

Thank You for a lovely site Regards Hayden

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Thanks for this.  As I said in my email to you – I’m going to try this.

Trisha

The crows, rooks and blackbirds perched in the bare trees were like little sillhouettes against the sky.  They were watching my every move.

I scattered some bird food under bush A and a little more bird food under bush B.  this one way blackbirds can get some of the bird food as the ground feeder mesh is too small for them to get through.  I get a few blackbirds and some thrushes.  they ‘run’ round the bushes and ‘run / hop’ across the garden very quickly.

It was fascinating to watch the rooks, crows and blackbirds circle in the the blue sky.  the blackbirds aren’t really frightened of me and came to the bird food.  I realised that standing there I was keeping the Rooks and Crows away.  How long should I stand there.

I could see them  perched high on branches,  peering down at me from the roof top, flying over my head, perched on a chimney top in the garden next door,  and some were actually trying to flutter down and pinch the blackbirds food – but they daren’t.  They were all watching to see if I would go away and were preparing to feast on the seed. 

I enjoyed the garden for a while and the blackbirds enjoyed getting their breakfast in peace.  the problem is I don’t have time to stand guard every morning.

But it is a little spooky to think of all these rooks and crows looking down on me from their ancient perches, waiting for me to open my front door.

I will see what tomorrow  brings

Hello,  A blue tit hovers at my window and at the back door window landing on the door handle lots of times a day .

There doesnt seem to be any insects about ,I am worried it will tire its self out poor thing . the blind in my window is often closed when it does this so its not reflection any advice

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Hi Maureen,  I will read through my other notes, but these links may help if you read through them.  I wonder if the last link may help you most – that the bird does not see the glass but can see insects.  I know you said that you can’t see any insects, but maybe there are some there.

http://birdtablenews.com/2011/04/distresed-blue-tits-flying-into-the-windows/

http://birdtablenews.com/2011/04/stopping-blue-tits-flying-into-windows/

http://birdtablenews.com/2011/06/another-reason-why-blue-tits-fly-into-glass-windows/

Hope the above helps.  When I first wrote about this, I thought that it would be one lone Blue Tit.  I was wrong and it happens in different places at different times.  It must be something inherent in the Blue Tit that it sees or instincively does.  Strange.

Bev, Sorry for the delay in replying.  I have been reading back over some other comments.  Here are one or two notes for you to think about that other readers have suggested

1. Only feed in a morning as sparrowhawks are late risers.

2. Crows do deter sparrowhawks – keep attracting them

3 Put a plastic Eagleowl in the garden. Eagleowls eat sparrowhawks.

4. From Shell – •camouflaged the area with various plants and shrubbery so that it would have a hard job getting to the birds. The hawk seems to have gone now that I have done that, I am still wary though.

5. I know you do this but am putting it in again. This is from K – I also read that if you put the seed in various feeding places rather then in one area at the front/back garden, this might help and also break the ‘hawks line of sight with bamboo canes etc. whilst allowing the feeding birds a clear line of sight

6. This is from Bill. It was written in 2011. . For a number of years I have used plastic garden mesh, 50mm hole size, on trellis’ around the feeders. Have seen the hawks splat themselves a couple of times on this.

I also use a circle of the mesh around the feeder, hung from an inverted metal hanging basket.Until now this has worked a treat and I have witnessed numerous unsucessful attacks, in one case four in a couple of hours.

My feeders are near to thorny cover.
However I am considering building a large cage of plastic mesh in the bushes at the back of the border and putting the feeders inside it. At least then the birds wont be caught napping.

7  A guy also has a large mirror appro 14×24 inches, which he uses to dazzle the hawks as they harass his birds while they’re flying. Hope this has been helpful.

8. And a note from Bev who is also concerned about the problems that sparrowhawks cause – Sorry to waffle on a bit but I like many people on this sight are deeply concerned in the dramatic rise of the sparrow hawk population and the sad decline of the song and garden bird population compared to a few years ago!Just a final word my uncle kept racing pigeons for many years but lost quite a few to hawk attacks in the air he says having witnessed at least three over his garden.

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There is a lot of info here and I will read through them all again
http://birdtablenews.com/2010/03/ways-to-stop-sparrowhawk-attacks-in-gardens/

PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT SONGBIRD SURVIVAL WEBSITE

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I have had similar trouble to Bev so I know how she feels. My problem was a cat killing birds.  Also Rooks and Crows used to descend on the garden and take all the bird food which meant the garden birds were not getting any bird feed in the deepest winter when they needed it.

This is Bev’s latest news.  I only hope we help her. 

Hi again, thanks for info and comments on SH problem.

This hawk and mother are so persistant its almost unbelievable! I started writing this 4 hours ago but have ended up all afternoon outside keeping the sparrow hawk off the garden.

In the end i have taken down the bird table at the top of the garden as the crows , jackdaws etc aren’t around lately when the hawk strikes. It has even dived in after birds on the ground who are eating with all the pheasants we have daily!anyhow

I will see how things are for the rest of the week as its so difficult to protect the birds. We have a mistle thrush who lets out a loud call when the SH is approaching and it doesn’t seem to bother with the thrush. As I was at the top of the garden taking table etc down and hosing everything the hawk was above me circling watching !!!Well now we only have feeders and tables closer to the house and I will have to keep an eye out again under the shrubs where he hides.

Im hoping the crows, jays, jackdaws etc come down the garden as they used to a few years ago. I really don’t want to stop feeding in winter. We have two caged feeders but the blackbirds won’t go in  them unless the door is open which defeats the object somewhat. I have put up a cane wigwam with food in and  I’ve made it slightly wider gaps so I hope they will  use it tomorrow onwards. we have blocked yet another lot of shrubs with canes net etc as the hawk continues to hide under them which is ironic as the little birds dive in there thinking they are safe and thats not the case. Well here goes,I will try anything to keep the birds safe as  I’m sure we all do who write to bird table news with our comments etc. Kind regards Bev.