on their way to garden near you! - Page 2

Seen a couple of Long-tialed Tits today. I love their antics but they didn't stay long. At least they have found the garden so hopefully they'll be back with their mats

Better table manners than the Goldfinches then, Bjay.

And their bibs!

just heard in the garden that clacking sound of the red wings they have arrived! I also saw in the churchyard a group of Jays sitting on  a tree,they are so colourful and normally they are quite shy but I got a close view today.

Rose,

 I think it's the Fieldfares who make the clacking noise.

ah! well they must be in the area!

I,ve been really lucky this year, we have long tailed tits, coal tits, goldfinches, greenfinches, even had a bullfinch earlier in the year.  We have an abundance of starlings which I  have to say I have welcomed since reading here they are becoming endangered, but yesterday there was a redwing in the hawthorne tree .  The gardens been a hive of activity I could watch them all day with their funny antics.

The blackbirds were pretty much absent from my garden all year, but suddenly this week they have all arrived, and I can also see lots of them eating my neighbours fallen apples too.  I have lots of great tits and blue tits so I'll be very careful with this avian pox - luckily I have the ring-pull feeders which come completely apart and can be washed in the dishwasher so I will up that from once a month to once every other week.  I've had loads of goldfinch this year but only a couple remain, and even a male and female green finch with one fledgling, which I was really happy about as they nearly died out in the last couple of years with a greenfinch specific disease.  As for the starlings - they are certainly not in trouble here in Lincolnshire - I get 50 or 60 of them in my garden all day at the moment and I find them a complete pest to be honest in terms of eating all the food I put out for the other birds and covering my small garden in starling droppings  It is a small consolation that I am helping a declining species, but I do hope they migrate this week!

Blackbirds have returned to my garden this week as well. I am going to attempt to put out a feeder I saw on another thread for them covering seeds with  up-turned wire hanging basket to stop the wood pigeons. We have also seen a little wren, but as she was feeding in a different place I will put out some for her. Does anyone know if they will eat mealworms?

Blackbirds will definitely love the mealworms, and suet granules which I noticed that they are now selling in supermarkets.  So will the robins.  Not sure about the wren.  

I saw on the common during the break in cold spell, a group of starlings having a lovely time in a deep puddle,they looked like they were really enjoying it,cold I would of thought but they must of longed to get rid of those mites.

Around 12 long tailed tits flew into the garden yesterday afternoon and all piled on to the fat ball feeder.  They stayed for around 10 minutes, had a good scoff and off they all went.  Fabulous - glad I happened to be looking out of the window at the right time.

Nadolig,

The chances are that this family of LT Tits will have a regular round during the winter, so I'm sure you'll see them again.

Hope so Joe - will keep my camera handy

mym um has had red caps on her feeders in a pretty built up housing estate in bristol(north common).

along with black birds, starlings, tits, chaffinches, robins squirrels and pigeons.

i live in bristol too in a garden that has no tree's bushes shrubs and such like, just pebbles and 2 small patio's. we only moved in this year but am hoping to get more done and attract some birds. there are plenty around i think its just a case of attracting them to the garden. any advice fellow bird lovers?

You could invest in a free-standing bird table and hang fat ball feeders from it. We.ve done that on the patio and it's positioned near the kitchen window so we get a good view. The only problem we have with ours is a large squirrel who sometimes sits in the middle of it and helps himself.

If you have fencing , you could attatch small brackets to it and hang the feeders from them. I also throw a handful on the patio for the ground feeders.

Been reading that the waxwings are on their way.

i feed all the bird the same sunflower hearts, niger seed, fat peckers , mealworms and suet blocks get loads of tits, finches, robin, thrush, wren, pair of collard doves, starlings and even a pheasant for a week last spring.  ours is a tiny garden and it has taken them some time to get used to there being lots of food mayb 3 years?  I use seed feeders and hanging tables in trees and on pergola great interest and hours of fun for them and me

I have noticed that there is something in the air,birdsong is taking off again and I hear the blackbirds again and the wren has re-appeared seems to be a spring feel,or am I just dreaming and wishing for spring!

Gnome,

We had a nice flock of 60 Waxwings here on Christmas Eve. Watched from as close as eight feet. Fantastic birds.

Flowering Rose - today I also noticed that the birds are certainly getting noisier.  The blackbird was still singing around 5.30 pm.