success
Last post 02-06-2006 12:29 PM by stevew. 19 replies.
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12/05/2005 10:25 AM
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- Digger
- Northern UK
- 18 Jul 2005
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5,230
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Yes I have just seen a bird using my new feeder don't know what it is though, smaller than a sparrow but white and some black on its face and chest? but the main thing is they have discovered the feed still no wrens yet
digger  Sage of the fells
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12/05/2005 05:37 PM
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- Digger
- Northern UK
- 18 Jul 2005
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5,230
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You need to be a little patient!! try sunflower seeds they seem to be really popular, I gave up using the mixed bird seed because I got so many weed sprouting . In our garden the wrens seem to ground feeders.----------------
Thanks Anthemis I have not seen the wrens since the other day i hope they are ok, at the stables we have wrens and one day one of my wifes cats caught a wren i gripped the cat and amazingly no damage was suffered to the wren and it flew away, do the sunflower seeds need to be shelled?
digger Sage of the fells
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05/12/2005 03:11 PM
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----------------
On 5/12/2005 10:25:05 AM digger wrote:
Yes I have just seen a bird using my new feeder don't know what it is though, smaller than a sparrow but white and some black on its face and chest? but the main thing is they have discovered the feed still no wrens yet----------------
You need to be a little patient!! try sunflower seeds they seem to be really popular, I gave up using the mixed bird seed because I got so many weed sprouting . In our garden the wrens seem to ground feeders.
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05/12/2005 10:12 PM
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do the sunflower seeds need to be shelled?----------------You can buy sunflower hearts ( ie shelled ones) these are much dearer and the place where we buy them has the attitude that in the wild the birds wouldn't get ready shelled ones! It you are a really neat gardener though you might find the husks on the ground annoying. we're not (tidy) and don't mind! I warn you - sunflowers will pop up in in all sorts of places next year!!
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02/03/2006 07:20 PM
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- stevew
- 16 Feb 2006
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408
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[url=http://tinypic.com/m81ova.jpg]http://tinypic.com/m81ova.jpg[/url]
What do you think of my nesting box
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02/03/2006 08:40 PM
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- Digger
- Northern UK
- 18 Jul 2005
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5,230
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Well Steve W, that nest box is a humdinger does any body live there? the feeder i put out has seen very little use i think i will have to re locate it it is on the fence at the back of the left hand border in the front garden. I have put a nest house type thing in the clematis montana that occupies the side of the house right up to the roof, no one is in there yet but maybe they will move in during the next few weeks? My OH has some stables just down the lane and we have birds living in them in summer they build a mud nest inside the stables between the roof and wall some times we have had ten mud nests in one stable along with the horse who doesn't mind , but what sort of birds are they/ House martins? swallows ? or Swifts? or non of these? they don't sit around long enough to look at them but they can fly really fast. we have around the fields my OH has, lots of native hedgerows and we have wrens and blackbirds living in them and we have a thrush as well but i don't know if its a song thrush or a mistle thrush? in the garden at home we have had a visit from a Jay and an owl.
digger Sage of the fells
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02/03/2006 09:25 PM
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- stevew
- 16 Feb 2006
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408
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I don't think it would be swifts but if you see the birds then swifts are mostly greyish brown with white around the face beak area, housemartins have alot more white on the body as well and swallows are more colourful birds altogether
I only bought the box back end of last year, couldn't resist it I also have 2 ordinary boxes one of which had great tits nesting in it...blue tits have been looking around it though...some birds like robins prefer a box with a half open front design
the 2 thrushes are similar Digger but the mistlethrush is quite bigger than the song thrush...jays are pretty birds
In Asia birds nest soup is actually made from a type of swifts nest and is flavoured by the birds saliva, think I'll pass on that one! :-)
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03/03/2006 09:25 AM
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- miranda
- Oxfordshire
- 17 Nov 2004
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4,072
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Steve, might your nesting box be a bit close to the where humans will be walking in and out?
We've started using a new mix which has dried fruit in it, as well as a mix of seeds, and it's proving very popular with the blackbirds, who pick up the fruit and run away with it. We also put out apple slices for them and they love that. Fat balls are popular too - those go on the ground and in a hanging feeder.
I think we may have robins nesting here again this year. I've seen a pair going in and out of a hole in a conifer. We put up two robin boxes so they'd have a choice, but although they seem to be getting used for roosting, the robins appear to prefer making their nests in trees and shrubs.
Sometimes we get an intruding robin and it's fascinating to see the display of posturing that goes on. Once the trespasser has been seen off, the resident generally goes straight to a fat ball and gives it a really good beaking.
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03/03/2006 12:34 PM
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- stevew
- 16 Feb 2006
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408
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Thats true Miranda I wanted to film and take pics of them from the window going in and out and the young emerging
I was thinking of me me me again :-) so I should put it a bit more isolated really
Steve
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03/03/2006 02:03 PM
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- miranda
- Oxfordshire
- 17 Nov 2004
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4,072
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[b]Posted by:[/b] stevew
I wanted to film and take pics of them from the window going in and out and the young emerging
Could you use a zoom lens, or some kind of remote set up?
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03/03/2006 06:27 PM
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- stevew
- 16 Feb 2006
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408
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Good thinking Miranda, I'm hoping for some warmer temps over the weekend so I can do a bit of jiggling about without getting the hot aches.....whats the chances?
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10/04/2006 04:51 PM
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- stevew
- 16 Feb 2006
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408
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A pair of bluetits have been making a home in the box over the last week so I am hopeful they will bring up a clutch in there....found out by angling a mirror from inside the house I can get pics of them coming and going without disturbing them so i'll try and post a few when I have some
Steve
[IMG]http://i1.tinypic.com/v4p2de.jpg[/IMG]
[Edited on 10/04/2006]
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14/04/2006 09:46 AM
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- stevew
- 16 Feb 2006
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408
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This was taken from a good distance so as not to disturb and then blown up (hence the quality)
[IMG]http://i2.tinypic.com/vffixh.jpg[/IMG]
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15/04/2006 12:40 PM
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- miranda
- Oxfordshire
- 17 Nov 2004
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4,072
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That's really sweet, Steve. Glad to hear that the box is being used - it's exciting, isn't it? Any idea when you might expect young ones to appear?
Did you see the pic of 'our' robin that I posted in Idle Chat? She's still sitting tight and we're hoping to see the appearance of young birds this coming week.
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15/04/2006 03:08 PM
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- stevew
- 16 Feb 2006
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408
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Hi Miranda,
(Just replied to the robin pic, meant to earlier but forgot)
They have just been putting the finishing touches to the nest (soft material feathers etc) and so might start laying next week...then one a day for around ten days or so, then sitting......so I would guess if all goes well they will hatch in early May which ties in with their main food caterpillars
I usually grow nasturtiums anyway and they get a fair share of caterpillars on them so they shouldn't go hungry
Steve
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