Kitchen Garden Forum

I've been amazed today how many birds are at the feeders. I counted at least 50 siskins, dozens of goldfinches, a flock of redpoll and many more than usual of the other 17 or so species we usually see in the garden.

It was very foggy all day, so perhaps that had something to do with it. It sounded lovely with all the various songs and twittering.

We have been amazed by the number of owls around here in the late evenings. Impossible to count but sounds like a parliament.

John

Sounds wonderful Plumpudding
Lots of small rodents too I guess John to support so many owls.

Have any of you got many greenfinches? We haven't had any in our garden for a few years now since some awful virus or bug wiped out significant numbers. Before that we had many greenfinch visitors.

We had the same greenfinch problem, Elle's Garden. Lots of them succumbed to the avian trichomoniasis two or three years ago and since then we only very rarely see a greenfinch in the garden. But, I recently heard from somebody at the other end of the village that they had at least six greenfinches on the feeder last week. So, hopefully, numbers are on the up again.

Since the disease struck I am very aware of strict hygiene and clean the feeders regularly and change their location.

We get up to six greenfinches, but usually only one or two, they are definitely much more scarce than they were. I noticed one that looked ill last autumn, but all the rest seem OK. I was worried that the illness had come back, but it seemed to be just one sick bird.

Since changing over to just feeding sunflower hearts, we are inundated with greenfinches, goldfinches and chaffinches now
I've still got one nijer seed feeder, but that rarely gets looked at

We have been suprised at how many sparrows we have in our garden this year. We put our feeders on one of our washing lines which is quite close to our pyracantha hedge they seem to like the feeder being so close to the hedge.

Today we have had to move the feeders on to the proper hook feeder which we put about two feet from the washing line.

It was so funny to watch the birds looking around for the feeders on the washing line and not seeing the feeders on the hooks so close.

We have had some gold finches at the thistle feeders last week.

One big fat pidgeon which keeps coming back into the garden and we dont really stop him/her as he/she clears the good on the floor.

I listened to the dawn chorus and the owl's this morning about 5.30 ish. We also have a dove which sits on our chimney and coos early in the morning but I just turn my deaf ear (I have tinnitus) and go back to sleep.

I love this time of the year with the birds.

There's a lovely dawn chorus just starting now, with a very vocal blackbird out singing everything.

We've had lots of goldfinches this year on sunflower hearts and chaffinches too.

Lots of long tailed tits on some buggy fat nibbles
For the first time ever we have had four siskins on both niger seeds and sunflowers hearts.

As for greenfinches they have fallen in numbers and we have only had a couple recently - I guess the numbers have been badly affected by the finch disease but this doesn't seem to have bothered the goldfinches.

Hi Sue,
We had about 6 pairs of Greenfinches visiting during the winter but now we are down to one pair who now only occasionally visit. I think that this is due to the fact that the breeding season is upon us and the other pairs have move on to their own territory elsewhere because they are finding plenty of food now. I know that there has been a problem with Greenfinches but when the sightings of the winter disappear I do not think that we should automatically think that the others have perished. They have found a new territory for themselves to breed is the more likely explanation.
JB.

I'm afraid ours disappeared well before the breeding season.

Hi Sue,
Just to prove me wrong there were three pairs on the plot this morning.
Three different zzzzzzzzzzzzing in the the large trees on the plot.
That is my poor attempt at one of the Male Greenfinch calls. The females have a call but it is very weak. More like a muted squeak.
JB.

Twenty-two Magpies on the site this morning,over twenty Jackdaws,ten-plus Crows and and a whole load of Pigeons,both Wood and feral.Johnboy,bring your shotgun down to Cardiff

Hi Snooky,
You are asking me to break the law probably.
At present I have no Shotguns here due to a nasty incident last year.
Twenty Two Magpies on site. I bet there are virtually no songbirds around!
Contact the Songbird Society (not sure if name is correct) who are having a crack at Magpies this year against the advice of the RSPB who say Magpies make no difference to songbird breeding. Hmmm!
JB.