Wildlife in the garden - Indian summer?

[Dog Star]

Looking back over the last three years or so I am pleased that our decision to feed the birds all year has resulted in a wider range of species and an increasing number of visits of birds coming to the feeders. Highlights for me have been:-

* the arrival of a colony of sparrows in 2022 when there have been no such sightings in earlier years (back to 1994 when we bought the house);

* an increase in numbers of blackbirds from the occasional one or two of three years back to six males and three females this Spring;

* my personal favourite is the increase in visits per day of Bullfinches, now almost a presence throughout the day.

With the pleasure that comes from these successes there is a big disappointment from one change in the avian contingents... the d**n Pigeons. OK, they have a right to exist and, I think, they believe that they have the right to dominate parts of our garden. What gives me grief is that the increase in numbers of Pigeons to about ten at a time this Spring has had a detrimental effect on the the ground feeders, for example:-

* Dunnock;
* Wren;
* Chaffinch.

In each of those breeds there has been a drop in the number of visits per day - for the Wren to maybe one or two per week.

So, to the point of this post, how can I provide food for the ground feeders without that food being available to the Pigeons?

Over to you!

regards, Graham

 

[Max M]

If you don't have one I suggest you invest in a ground feeder cage, something like this.
The problem is that the pesky blighters can still stretch in and scoff food from the edges of the usual wooden table.
Fear not all is not lost! Get one of these. The smaller birds still get fed but the Pidgeons can't reach in far enough to get at the food.
Reeeeesult!

 

[SimonT]

The British Trust for Ornithology is split down the middle over the pigeon. Half think it is a miracle of selection and adaption. The other half think it is a total pest that should be controlled. But a bit like WT, we all rub along together with no friction or name calling.

And no, I have no answer to your problem other than to suggest that you live somewhere with Goshawks and Ravens.
Simon

 

[Genghis]

This time last year there was a terrible kerfuffle behind the gas fire in our lounge. This was entertainment for our cat. This went on for days while Trisha tried to get somebody out to remove the fire. Nobody would come unless a pest controller was also present. On day 5 or 6, when a simultaneous appointment for gas fitter and pest controller had been made, they both arrived only to find a jackdaw strutting round the lounge having squeezed through the vent. Open the door and off it flew.

Cue this year. Same kerfuffle. After 24 hours we managed to get a gas fitter who removed the fire and eventually caught this:




Fortunately it was unharmed and flew off.

Now we need to get the chimney mesh repaired.

 

[Lancastrian]

I saw this dove fluttering about on the ground in the garden this morning so I managed to capture it and place it in a shoebox with some old trousers and cloth and have placed it on the garage roof so that it is out of the way of the local cats who frequent my place. I don't know if it has a damaged wing, but the tail feathers look like they have been got at by something.


Ian

 

[Rob Pulham]

No photos yet but we are pleased that at least some of the hedgehogs have survived the winter and have come back for food. Chris started putting the food out last week and for the first three nights it wasn't touched and then gradually more and more has gone.

For the last couple of evenings we have been able to spend an hour on the balcony watching a couple of them in the feeders.

 

[Max M]

No photos yet but we are pleased that at least some of the hedgehogs have survived the winter and have come back for food.

We too have seen evidence of ours surviving....in the form of 'messages' that Mrs M has to scoop up every morning. We either have one Hogzilla or several normal sized ones given the amount she has to recover. Also good news is that there seems to be one at the front of the house that is using the opening I made in the side gate.

 

[JimG]

A wee visitor to my bird table yesterday evening



Sorry about the focus - it was evening and a grab shot and the camera's autofocus went for the foliage and edge of the wood and I didn't have the time to switch it onto manual and fiddle about before it had scooted off.

The table is very temporary - a bit of Contiboard perched on a bush top just outside my lounge window which i put there last year to feed a robin, sparrows and others. It's still there a year later but still feeding the local bird life and others.

Jim.

 

[Rob Pulham]

We too have seen evidence of ours surviving....in the form of 'messages' that Mrs M has to scoop up every morning. We either have one Hogzilla or several normal sized ones given the amount she has to recover. Also good news is that there seems to be one at the front of the house that is using the opening I made in the side gate.

Oh yes, we are getting lots of little messages left.

The night before last although we have two feeders at the back and one at the front, we ended up with three hedgehogs in one feeder and two of them decided that three was a crowd so they ganged up on the late comer. He/she promptly curled up in a ball right in the entrance so the other couldn't get out when they had eaten their fill.

After watching them get more and more frustrated at not being able to get past the one blocking the door way (who of course every time they tried to nudge/bully their way past, just stayed curled up). I went down and intervened, by lifting the lid off. After they had all frozen in a 'you can't see me because I am not moving' pose for 5 minutes after being disturbed by non hedgehogs. They each went their merry way, with the one curled in a ball, waiting until all was well and truly clear before daring to uncurl.

The encounter doesn't seems to have put any of them off, because all three feed dishes were empty this morning and when we had a look out last night there was one in each feeder at the back.

 

[PMP]

A capture from a friends dashcam. A verified brown trouser moment

 

[Focalplane]

Yes a scary picture but at least the car was in the slow lane!

Here is my take, a mallard at Hermann Park, Houston, Texas, in 2000. The Park was our "back yard" then as we lived in a nearby loft apartment.

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Must have been waiting for me to cut the grass this afternoon......





Col.

 

[simond]

Hare or rabbit?

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Hare or rabbit?

We think it's a young Hare.

 

[simond]

I'm no expert on such things (or indeed, most anything) but it didn't look quite right for a rabbit.

The only hare I have ever seen in the wild caused a keystone cops moment when a pal of mine stood on it, or very close to it, in quite thick snow on the flank of Moel Famau.
It accelerated away like, well, a hare.
He waved his arms about and fell over backwards.
I laughed so much I needed oxygen.

 

[Heather Kay]

I never have a camera nearby when needed, but I’ve just watched two pairs of jays jostling for territory in next door's back garden. I’m happy to see jays. They make a colourful and entertaining change from endless wood pigeons, collared doves and magpies.

 

[djparkins]

I never have a camera nearby when needed, but I’ve just watched two pairs of jays jostling for territory in next door's back garden. I’m happy to see jays. They make a colourful and entertaining change from endless wood pigeons, collared doves and magpies.

Yes - I love jays. My late mum's favourite bird. We have quite a few here at Llwyn Yr Eos, but not as many as we have red kites! It is absolutely Red Kite Central over here.

We have a local insect guy [he is actually a mammal himself!] who wants to use the land here as part of his re-introduction project for the scarlet malachite beetle, which reports say is down to just eight sites in the UK. Apparently they like flower meadows in close proximity to a river so we are ideal. We await our first specimens with anticipation!

Here is a link for anyone interested -

Scarlet malachite beetle - Bug Directory - Buglife

Find out about the Scarlet malachite beetle in our bug directory for more fast facts about this species.

www.buglife.org.uk

Got another light heated link. If any of you have not felt like getting up in the morning, you'll know how this tiger feels! -

DJP

 

[SimonT]

Last night at about 1830 I took something out of the back door and there was a largish flash of brown from the bird feeding area on my right. It disappeared into one of the Ashes. Five minutes later I looked out of the kitchen wondow to see Flash was back.

From her markings I suspect she is a yearling, she is also at the lower end of the size range. To her right is the Blue Tit that provided Tea. She hung around for about 15 minutes totally ignoring the two faces peering out at her. Hopefuly we will see more of her as the Peregrine pair who used to hunt here haven't been seen for a couple of years. Photo shot at an angle through a dirty kitchen window.

Two weeks ago was shift change and the Starling Gang left town, including this one.

"Mr Spigot I have nothing aganst your left leg, the trouble is neither have you"

And finally....

Table.....Bird, .......Bird.....Table. Just like that!

 

[Rob R]

Just had this view from the bedroom window.
Female Sparrowhawk (I think) sat on next door's summerhouse.
Next door the other way has skyrats pigeons so there is an obvious attraction for a predator or two.

 

[MikeAllerton]

Just had this view from the bedroom window.
Female Sparrowhark (I think) sat on next door's summerhouse.
Next door the other way has skyrats pigeons so there is an obvious attraction for a predator or two.

That's definitely a male, females are brown without the orange cheeks