Hi everyone

Have not been around for a while as I have had to work the last couple of weekends - this one as well but could not resisit having a look at the thread.  Shouldn't complain about the work as it boosts the kitchen fund but would sooner being doing this or being out in the garden!  Inbal and Trudi - I would recomend boot sales as you get people who are real enthusiasts selling.  Most of them seem to grow unusual plants and you can get some real bargains.  I got a hoheria for £1 about three years ago.  Its huge now - well about 12' anyway and has lots of lovely spreading branches which get covered in starry white flowers in late summer.  Its evergreen as well - a real  plus.  I think the birds like it but I think I like it better.  It really is lovely.  Bazza - I think spring is well and truly on the way.  We have got masses of snowdrops out and the hellebores are looking good.  We have some daffs as well.  Pity about the weeds but no time to deal with them now - we will pay for this neglect later but needs must.

 Have just fed the birds - they were making such a noise it seemed as though they are tellling me to get on with it and who am I to argue?  Have your birds come back Bazza?

Judith

Judith

Hi

You must not work weekends , its not good for you.

My birds have not come back in the numbers that they used to. I cannot figure out why.

Maybe they found a better hotel than my place.!!

While I was doing the bird watch yesterday for the rspb, I found I have a new visitor a blackcap. Comes from abroad somewhere but I have no idea. Anyway there it was feeding with the sparrows. Don't know how long it will stay for but its nice to have a bit of a change from the same old faces.

Bazza 

Hi Bazza

I have to agree with you, it is definitely not good for anyone as I am now sick at home with a heavy cold - still have to work though so I am just sitting here bashing away at reports etc.  Have to meet a deadline with dire results for me if I don't do it. I have the window open though and can listen to the birds so its not all bad. I like the sound of the wood pigeons - very soothing.  For some reason my birds did not eat the seed I put out yesterday afternoon.  Might have been something to do with Jake running around outside but I hope they have not disappeared like yours. Don't think so though as I can hear them singing.  Lovely. 

Judith

Hmmm ours aren't around either yet. I hope they found somewhere else rather than died from something  The only ones we still see regularly are the black birds and the squizzer.

Judith

Hi

Something strange going on. My birds are disappearing and yours, and I thought mine were just cissies cause of the rain. Its an unnatural phenomenon. There is nothing I know of around here to scare them off. How do we get in touch with Oddie he might know.

Imbal

Hi

You too very strange. Its happening in different parts of the country. Perhaps they are all sheltering under bridges or something. No reports of piles of dead birds been found. Cant be bird flue we would have heard. Strange.

Bazza 

Hi Inbal and Bazza

I don't think we need to panic yet -  the birds are around, although there does not seem to be so many - I can hear them singing.  In our case I think that it is because Jake is running around outside disturbing them when they want to feed on the patio.  Perhaps it is because the weather is due to turn colder .  I can see from the weather reports that it is bad further up in the North etc.  Perhaps they are sheltering as you suggest Bazza.  I mean, animals and birds know when an earthquake is due, don't they ?  I am not suggesting we are going to have an earthquake or anything but by the same token, they probably know when bad weather is on the way. Perhaps they are feathering their nests and getting ready for shelter.  Which reminds me, we have to buy more bird seed. 

Judith

Judith

Hi

I said at the beginning of the thread that there was lots and lots of birds coming here and that I was having to put out lots of food because of the large numbers. The numbers from then to now are I would say less than a third. Ok they may have found other places to feed, maybe they are getting ready for the breeding season by eating more worms and bugs and things like that. May be they do shelter from bad weather but they still need to come out to eat, and when there is a free drink and meal here then why dont they turn up like they used to.  I am not overly concerned but I would like to hear some sort of explanation for it. Now I have tons of seed, nuts, fatballs etc to get rid of with not enough birds to eat it.

Talking about seed and stuff I get mine from Lidl, seed is 79p peanuts around £1.29 and 6 fatballs for 99p. The seed is cheaper than the pound shop size for size. 

Anyway if there is no change soon I can se me eating peanut and sunflower sandwiches oh eck!!

Bazza 

Hi Bazza nd Inbal

I really can't think (perennial problem!) why the birds are not coming other than the weather.  Have there been any pesticides etc sprayed around where you are?  I know most of us don't use them but if someone been spraying or using something a bit dodgy etc that could possibly be a cause.  When we moved in here we found all sorts of strange stuff, industrial use only, in the stables that the people before us had either used or accumulated for some reason and got rid of it asap.  We thought it might have been Agent Orange!  Have you spoken to the RSPB?  They may have some suggestions.   Other than that I cannot think and that is only a long shot.

Have to go now - been made to work again this weekend - but will check in again later.

Judith

Judith

Hi

I never thought about getting in touch with the RSPB, silly me. Anyway I have sent them an e mail and will let you know if I get a reply. They are busy at the moment doing the counting from the bird watch so I may not get an answer.

Bazza 

Inbal Bland

Hi

Well I have been bird spotting from the kitchen window for most of the day and I have only seen about 10 birds?? I will wait and see what the RSPB think is happening. Even the two little mice dont come for a feed anymore. Good job the seed and stuff does not have a shelf life eh!! 

Bazza 

Hi Hev

Yes, we give the birds left over mashed potato and they really do love it.  They like biscuit crumbs and cake as well.  We just like the birds.  We seem to have a lot of chaffinches, as well as the robins and tits.  I did see bullfinches a couple of weeks ago but they seem to have vanished. No wagtails though and I reaaly like them.  They always look so busy, rushing about with their tails bobbing up and down.  Mostly I have seen them in car parks or alongside a waterfront.  We used to go on canal boat holidays and there were always lots of them around the locks.

 Bazza - any news from the RSPB yet?  Inbal - are your birds disappearing as well?  Has anyone else noticed this?  Anyone remember Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring"?  All the birds started going because of DDT.  Hope we are not going to have something similar with some other wonderful "super efficient" new pesticide that has been discovered.  You would think we would have learned by now though  (fat chance!).

Judith

Hev Moore

Hi

We are not allowed to put out food like mash potato or chips or leftover bits of dinner. The council put a ban on it in case it attracts rats. There was some oap's living nearby who used to throw out more food than they would eat and a couple of rats where caught by the vermin chap. So there is a ban on now. They have no way of enforcing it though and some people still put small amounts out. Birds also like sliced apple and bits of cheese.

Only ever had one pied wagtail and it was on the garage roof not the garden.

Bazza 

Judith

Hi

Not had a reply yet from the RSPB. They say they are busy doing the results from the big bird count and may be able to answer some enquiries but not all.

What if we took the same attitude and did not do any surveys for them!! So everything comes to a stop. Surely they can have a least one person to answer e mails.

Bazza 

Hi All 

I am sitting up here in my study (glory hole) working away with the roof window open and can hear all the birds singing.  The sun is out and it is gloriously quiet apart from bird song.  Beats working in the office any day!  Anyway - a short break to do this and then off I go again............ 

Don't you think we are being taken over by all the petty rules and regs that are brought in these days?  It used to be that an Englishman's home was his castle but what with one thing and another I think we pay the rent/mortgage whatever but the government/jobsworths really own it for us - apparently we are all too stupid to think for ourselves!  Once the birds and wildlife really disappear there will no doubt be some law passed to make us throw out food to feed them!

I take your point Bazza about the RSPB - sounds like lack of planning to me.  You are right - if we all said we were too busy to be interested then they would be royally angry.  Actually I think I might take the same line when I next get earache for not completing a Report on time, except that I don't think it would wash and I would  probably end up in prison or something.  Maybe that is not so bad - I could be the Birdwoman of Holloway or something. lol 

Judith

      hi judith,sorry for not getting back to you sooner have been in the garden pottin up some shrubs i got from lidl and aldi am in now its gettin cold now .yeh the birds love cheese,i get nuts and fat balls sead from lidl its cheep pardon the pun,i had a rat last year it hung around for a few months it wasnt untill i saw it lookin at me through the patio doors that i called the rat man, i had to stop feedin the birds for a while that was hard i thought they wouldnt come back but they soon did they love it hear they get fed every day with a veriety of stuff. cant wait for spring ime not happy unless ime in the garden with the birds nice chattin with you judith.  hev.                                                                                                                       hi bazza   me thinks we got wagtails now cos we have landscaped our garden and have deckin and gravel now because we neaver had them before they are very amuseing.they hang around under the washing line whear the fat balls are hung tha starlings  feed the wagtails pick up the bits that fall down. whear are all the sparrows gone.?nice chattin wiv you.sorry for typing am new to computors bring on the spring and hi to everyone else out thear    hev