Cold weather & garden birds

[mealsonwheels]

With all the cold weather & snow around, have you had any unusual birds visiting your garden? We've had 3 Redpolls which we've never noticed in the garden before and Fieldfares have been feeding on some apples we've put out, but for the first time ever, a flock of Waxwings have been dropping in now and then, feeding on the apples too. We've got more snow forecast tomorrow and I've just been out topping all the feeders up, just in case.

 

[Mel]

We have a selsction of feeders. Haven't seen anything unusual but then I am not very good on types of birds. Our biggest issue is the feathered rats (pigeons) who chase off any smaller birds, even though the feeders are not pigeon accessible. Seen some tits going in and out of the bird box again. Last year I had birds in it in spring and then bumble bees in it in the summer. Hope the bees come back as well.
mel

 

[mealsonwheels]

Hi Mel
Yes, Pigeons are a bit of a pain when they hang around the seed feeders. Ours are so fat they can hardly walk! Someone in the village has had Siskins visiting their seed feeders, but despite looking, we haven't seen any on ours yet. Blue Tits have been looking in our nestbox too and we hope they decide to nest there. You mentioned bees. We planted a new bed last year with bee-loving plants, after seeing that programme on tv. I see the garden centres have taken the programmes advice and now have a symbol of a bee on labels to make it easier to choose plants that are bee-friendly. I got a bee chart from the WWT shop at Welney to help identify the different ones visiting the flowers last year, when it wasn't raining, that is. Let's hope we have a cracking summer this year, we all deserve it.

 

[ClassikFan]

Seen some birds in our garden recently that I've not seen before including Long Tailed Tits and others I haven't managed to identify yet.

 

[mealsonwheels]

A really good bird identification book for anyone seriously wanting to get to grips with identifying birds in the garden or anywhere, including Europe, is Collins Bird Guide - 2nd Edition. It's the only bird book you'll ever need and we take ours with us wherever we go in the caravan or overseas.

By the way, after all these weeks we still have daily visits from a flock of 23 Waxwings - magnificent birds!!

 

[Surfer]

In addition to the feeder station where it is difficult for pigeons, we have one of those feeder tables especially for the pigeons but the flying rats still prefer to disturb the birds on the feeder station

 

[mealsonwheels]

The weather we're getting around the country at the moment is the worst thing the birds need and we're keeping the feeders and bird table topped up for them. We had 16 Blackbirds feeding on suet pellets and halves of apples we put out in the garden, early this morning. Sand Martins are already starting to arrive back - heaven knows how they and other returning migrant birds will fare.

 

[Mel]

Reminds me of a rhyme:

The North wind doth blow,
and we shall have snow
and what will the Robin do then,
poor thing.
He'll stay in the barn
and keep himself warm
and hide his head under his wing.
Poor thing.

mel

 

[mealsonwheels]

There's only one thing worse than a north wind if you're in East Anglia - and that's an easterly. We call it a lazy wind. It doesn't go round you, but through you - as we're finding out at the moment with a strong blow from the Siberian ice fields!! Brrrrrr!