Skip to main content

Winter is Coming

I had to replace my seed feeder last week. I had just started putting out sunflower seeds when an over eager squirrel ripped one of the feeder ports right off.

I included a replacement with a protective cage with my winter feed order which did attract the very occasional blue or great tit. I thought that the finches wouldn't appreciate the cage so added a second feeder to the set, replacing a flutterbutter feeder. I had become unhappy about using that product, despite its popularity with the starlings later in the season, due to the use of plastics. I looked out of an upstairs window just as the light was starting to fade this afternoon and saw that the new feeder was getting well used although the squirrel proof one was being ignored. 

The old man's beard growing through my neighbours leylandii hedge seems to be popular as a source of cover and a wren was investigating the seed heads. For a time a robin became very proprietorial about the feeders, keeping the other birds off, but went in pursuit of a rather persistant great tit. When the coast was clear a steady stream of blue and great tits came out of the hedge with their usual "grab and run" style of feeding. We also also had a pair of coal tits in the garden together at one point which was unusual, they do turn up erratically but normally as singletons. 

 I had been planning to cut back the overhanging old man's beard but seeing how well used it is I will leave that for the moment.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Returning to the Garden

High summer and early autumn is always a quiet time for birds in my garden. I no longer feed after my summer holiday as I have ended up throwing away far to much mouldy fat or seed. Normally I would wait until November before putting the feeders back out but a party of long tailed tits appeared in the front garden today so I think that it might be worth while trying a single fat bar for the moment. For the past couple of weeks I have seen a lot of roadside signs saying "beware of deer" in places where I wouldn't normally see them. Last weekend I decided that they might be justified when I encountered a herd of roe deer in the road between Ley Hill and Latimer. While muntjac are seen often enough the roes tend to be shy and this was only the third time that I have had a good look at some in all the years that I have lived here.
1 comment
Read more

Finally

 Health issues mean that I haven't been paying any attention to my blogs but I was roused from my afternoon cup of tea today but a most unholy racket. Yes the parakeets have finallyarrived in my part of Chesham with a flock of five in the tree in my neighbours garden. It had to come eventually as they have been in Rickmansworth for years. Not much else happening apart from the usual circling kites and the occasional buzzard. I haven't seen anything eating my rowan berries but the tree is being steadily stripped. Usually its a mix of wood pigeons and blackbirds. Collared doves seem to be back in this end of the village as I saw a pair while waiting for the bus this week. They used to be garden regulars but hadn't seen any near the house for years.
Post a Comment
Read more

A Little More Normal

 After a couple of days of frost the garden looks more like a typical winter's day with birds visiting throughout the day. Blue tits are the main visitor plus one or two marsh (or possibly willow) tits and the occasional great tit. A flock of long tailed tits paid a fairly brief visit. Robins in the back garden have paired, seemingly a little later than the ones in the front.  Due to ill health the ivy on my back fence hasn't been trimmed and has developed a good crop of berries. The only bird that I have seen showing interest has been a wood pigeon which spent some time yesterday feasting on them. In the front I put out a fat block yesterday afternoon which, so far, has attracted a grey squirrel. The pair of robins and the occasional blackbird are active on the hanging table.
Post a Comment
Read more