Nesting birds taking up Nest Boxes

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Sandboy said:
Keith our pheasant at work does exactly the same. We were chuffed to bits last year when his Mrs, Gillian brought all the kids for a feed
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Superb :)
Trouble here the Foxes. Mind you plenty of trees to roost in.
Banjo said:
Defend their territory like f***ing Rottweilers. Got one in our garden that pecks on the window till we give it a few maggots. I’m a fisherman btw.
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Used to love feeding them when fishing.
A few maggots and by the end of the day would be sitting on the rod as tame as anything. They are less aggressive when there is plenty of food.
We have a fair few around. One of my favourite bird songs and they sing virtually all year round. Any Gardening and they are a few feet away waiting on the worms.
KeefBeer said:
Bad tempered little bastards, best not be late with the grub
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Up the Robins.
 
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We have spuggies, robins, blue tits, coal tits and long tailed tits on the bird feeders.

The real bird joy in our neck of the woods though are the red kites. One of the most successful reintroductions, they're always wheeling majestically in the air above us. Fantastic birds.

(Not my film)

 
Nature is great and such a tonic. I've just been reading about swans and fish returning to the canals of Venice, now the water is less "manky" (fewer tourists means less boats on the water churning up the sediment). Given a chance wildlife will return and thrive it seems.
 
Swindon On Tour said:
Spot on.
I just love watching them from my window.
The feeders and bird table packed with them. The Migratory Warblers will soon be here and the Chiff Chaff, Black Cap and Willow Warbler with their distinctive song only weeks away. We currently have a tame Male Pheasant that visits a few times a day. Sits under the feeders waiting for sunflower kernels dropping down.
The dog growling as he struts up and down the lawn.
Magical watching and listening to them.
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Had a Chiff Chaff nest in my garden a few years ago, five or six chicks iirc and they all fledged successfully. Blackbird chicks have a hard time cos my Black Lab always seems to manage to catch one every year. Going back a few years we had a colony of greenfinch nesting in my hedge, I think there was 4 or 5 nests but they only did it for one year. It's been a bad time for bats, when I first moved in my house 20 years ago we had 5-10 bats flying around the garden every summer, 2 and 3 years ago it went down to 1 bat but last year there was a pair of them would visit the same time every night. Hopefully there are more this year, I've made a living roof on me shed to try and encourage insects.
 
Tuono said:
Had a Chiff Chaff nest in my garden a few years ago, five or six chicks iirc and they all fledged successfully. Blackbird chicks have a hard time cos my Black Lab always seems to manage to catch one every year. Going back a few years we had a colony of greenfinch nesting in my hedge, I think there was 4 or 5 nests but they only did it for one year. It's been a bad time for bats, when I first moved in my house 20 years ago we had 5-10 bats flying around the garden every summer, 2 and 3 years ago it went down to 1 bat but last year there was a pair of them would visit the same time every night. Hopefully there are more this year, I've made a living roof on me shed to try and encourage insects.
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Nice one Mate, sounds cracking that. Daft Labs......:)
The Nuthatches have been in and out the box all day which gives me confidence that they will nest.
Put the Tawny Owl box up in the tree which was bloody hard work due to the size and weight, filled it with sawdust and hoping that it is used, may be a little late.
Heard my first Chiff Chaff this Morning out with the dog.
That’s it, official it’s Spring :) what a beautiful day amongst all this gloom and doom.
janiep said:
We have spuggies, robins, blue tits, coal tits and long tailed tits on the bird feeders.

The real bird joy in our neck of the woods though are the red kites. One of the most successful reintroductions, they're always wheeling majestically in the air above us. Fantastic birds.

(Not my film)

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Lovely as they glide above you whilst looking down.
Plenty of Buzzards around here with their distinctive call. If you whistle back they often come very close to investigate the noise.
Loads of Red Kites now.
 
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Tuono said:
It's been a bad time for bats, when I first moved in my house 20 years ago we had 5-10 bats flying around the garden every summer, 2 and 3 years ago it went down to 1 bat but last year there was a pair of them would visit the same time every night. Hopefully there are more this year, I've made a living roof on me shed to try and encourage insects.
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These are in a few trees in the next street,during summer often see bats local in the streets.
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Saved a blackbird from a hawk in the back garden this morning, I know it’s nature but the noise the poor fecker was making I couldn’t stand by and let it happen. Big softy me like.
 
Swindon On Tour said:
Spot on.
I just love watching them from my window.
The feeders and bird table packed with them. The Migratory Warblers will soon be here and the Chiff Chaff, Black Cap and Willow Warbler with their distinctive song only weeks away. We currently have a tame Male Pheasant that visits a few times a day. Sits under the feeders waiting for sunflower kernels dropping down.
The dog growling as he struts up and down the lawn.
Magical watching and listening to them.
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I like bird watching with my fat balls hanging. Fnarrrr!

Seriously though, I am not called the Birdman for nothing. I love to feed the birds and watch them in my garden, it is so good for the soul. Got a bird box I need to put up and may do that tomorrow. Cannot wait to hear the noise of the Swifts again over my house every night at twilight.
 
tunstall birdman said:
I like bird watching with my fat balls hanging. Fnarrrr!

Seriously though, I am not called the Birdman for nothing. I love to feed the birds and watch them in my garden, it is so good for the soul. Got a bird box I need to put up and may do that tomorrow. Cannot wait to hear the noise of the Swifts again over my house every night at twilight.
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What's the most unusual bird you have had in the garden? You ever visit Washington wildfowl?
 
Right. help needed. I put food out for the birds on a feeder hoping to attract mostly small birds. Tits etc. All i get is pigeons magpies jackdaws and starling. What am i doing wrong?
 
tunstall birdman said:
I like bird watching with my fat balls hanging. Fnarrrr!

Seriously though, I am not called the Birdman for nothing. I love to feed the birds and watch them in my garden, it is so good for the soul. Got a bird box I need to put up and may do that tomorrow. Cannot wait to hear the noise of the Swifts again over my house every night at twilight.
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Hole facing North apparently the best position.
Like fighter planes those Swifts aren’t they.
percy said:
Right. help needed. I put food out for the birds on a feeder hoping to attract mostly small birds. Tits etc. All i get is pigeons magpies jackdaws and starling. What am i doing wrong?
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Get one of those feeders within a protective outer cage, stops those bigger birds.
Great tip for a bird table, wire up an upside down hanging basket cage, works a treat and the small birds will have no problem going through the gaps.
Decent air rifle never fails on those Mags ;)
percy said:
Right. help needed. I put food out for the birds on a feeder hoping to attract mostly small birds. Tits etc. All i get is pigeons magpies jackdaws and starling. What am i doing wrong?
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What are you putting in the feeder mate?
Cage feeder just for peanuts should help as well.
 
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Jon Dough said:
What's the most unusual bird you have had in the garden? You ever visit Washington wildfowl?
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A bunny boiler who wanted a bit, alerting me at 3 in the morning by chucking pebbles at my window. (True) ;)

And an escaped African Grey, which coxed down from the tree by talking to it and hand gestures. I reunited with its owner.

One place I have actually never been to mate.
Swindon On Tour said:
Hole facing North apparently the best position.
Like fighter planes those Swifts aren’t they.


Get one of those feeders within a protective outer cage, stops those bigger birds.
Great tip for a bird table, wire up an upside down hanging basket cage, works a treat and the small birds will have no problem going through the gaps.
Decent air rifle never fails on those Mags ;)

What are you putting in the feeder mate?
Cage feeder just for peanuts should help as well.
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Yeah, I know that is best. Used to have the bird box outside my bedroom window facing that way and every year it was occupied by Blue Tits. It was great opening my bedroom window, lifting the lid and watching the chicks grow up. :)
 
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I got a bird table with a camera for Christmas (from Aldi - well from my wife (no) but you know what I mean, like Aldi doesn't buy me Christmas presents!... I digress) and we have had some brilliant photos/videos. My favourites are the Jays and the singular robin that seems to be here most morning. We had Common Buzzards nesting in our garden a few years ago and have seen a few big birds flying about the last week,
 
cabbage said:
Always feels better when its something you actually made isn't it. Must admit I thought there have been more birds but I thinks it the reduced traffic outside that means you can actually hear them. Keep well @Swindon On Tour
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Same to and all yours Mate.
Testing times for all.
ir35 said:
Saved a blackbird from a hawk in the back garden this morning, I know it’s nature but the noise the poor fecker was making I couldn’t stand by and let it happen. Big softy me like.
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Did the same yesterday and chased off one today that swooped in the trees scattering the blue Tits.
Male Sparrow hawk, more than likely the same one.
 
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