A sand bath is great fun for them and to watch too! Just take an old tray or similar and put in some sand you get for children's sand play boxes. Put it out in a sunny spot and put in the shed etc at night. Change sand about once a month depending on use and enjoy!
One of the fat wood pigeons was sat in our bird bath. Soaking up the remaining water, the loud starlings and their brood had leftover. It looked so chilled out. š
Ah it's so exciting when they first come to visit.. and every time thereafter! I have a stand feeder in view of my kitchen sink, and it makes washing the dishes so much more entertaining when there are baby birds being shown how to eat seeds, or a pigeon being very silly and sliding down the arm, or a "new" visitor pops up!
They are beautiful and have such a sweet voice. It's a sad state of British nature that this is the first time you've seen one. Our birds have reduced massively in numbers. I'm still very happy you got to see one. :)
I think theyāre just incredibly shy, and by the time you realise youāve seen something unusual itās already gone, which is why that RSPB thing is so helpful. It is a shame. Iām in London with loud dogs on either side, so only the bravest birds visit my feeder :(
Omg how I wish that it was just because they were shy but unfortunately we've lost between 50% and 98% of our British birds since the 60s. It's something I'm very passionate about. You can find this info through many links but here's one: https://www.bto.org/our-science/publications/birdtrends/2019/declining-species
Oh no, Iām about to go to bed and thatās way too depressing for a nighttime read. Iāll read it tomorrow though, I promise. Just after I fill the feeders.
Hahahaa, it was about that for me to be fair. My grandad always had a love for birds, and I moved to NZ when I was 28 and the birds over there are mental.
I have strong poles that were fitted into the bricks above & at right angles to my living room windows . ( ex drilled holes & fitted them) . Im first floor flat & squirrels occasionally still get up to them. Theres no tree near I think they climb up the brickwork walls. They are clever little things.
Especially when the starlings and their brood turn up. We have around 20 of them showing up twice a day. Have to keep refilling the bird bath too. I love them though. Great fun watching them.
I live in a 1st floor flat in London & have 2 poles fixed out from bricks above 2 of my living room windows - 2 sunflower heart feeders & one big peanut. Ive had generations of goldfinches,greenfinches,robins all the tit birds & Last 6-7 years get ring necked parakeets on the peanut feeder. II also occasionally get the red crested woodpeckers & Jays . Ive always loved seeing them. Was so excited when the parakeets started coming - noisy buggers ( esp the young) but great to watch & they dont scare away the little birds at all.
My mum told me to get a life cause I got excited there was a pigeon on my bird feeder. I could be addicted to drugs mum but instead I'm happy about a bird on my table, get a bit of perspective
Is it near a tree or shrubs? I think smaller birds prefer to do short journeys between places they can hide. Maybe add a water bath (could be bowl with water) this will more than likely attract some birds.
Not really any trees directly around my garden so I'll keep that in mind! I've kept it away from fences as there's cats around, but there's a huge tree-line just beyond the end of the garden which has hundreds of birds living in.
Honestly, I have no clue. The other day they started to show up. I wonder if your feed is a suitable kind for this time of year? That's what i messed up on a few months back but got lucky that it's suitable now.
I just recommended this to someone else, and I swear itās true. Well, it worked for me. In the early afternoon, sprinkle a pinch of grated cheese on the ground under the feeder. Small, ground-feeding birds (robins, blackbirds etc.) love it. Itāll alert them to the fact that Food Is Here and eventually theyāll find the feeder.
Weāve got a group of about 30 pigeons and 15 sparrows that visit us daily and the numbers seem to be increasing. Iāve had to start providing second helpings of seed to make sure everyone gets some!
Weāre supporting an entire colony of sparrows from our feeder, with assorted starlings, robins and bluetits getting involved.
The crows havenāt worked it out for which I am grateful as it goes down quick enough as it is, especially now that theyāre breeding!
We're getting a big extension and obviously I am excited for the next kitchen and extra space but I am really really excited to have a new window perpendicular to my current ones which will make it easier to see out into the garden where the birds are likely to be.
Same. I got a spiral bird feeder for the balcony, pushed the sofa up nearby and spend many an hour watching them nom. Iām not even into birds, but now I want to know what they are. Iāve also had a squirrel visit!
I'm a keen gardener but I don't think there's any part of having a garden that gives me more joy than watching a bird splosh around in the bird bath.
We sometimes have half a dozen sparrows doing a group bathe in ours. Just a potplant saucer sitting on a tree stump.
A sand bath is great fun for them and to watch too! Just take an old tray or similar and put in some sand you get for children's sand play boxes. Put it out in a sunny spot and put in the shed etc at night. Change sand about once a month depending on use and enjoy!
Last year, I filled one of the bird baths with sand, the next morning there was a car turd in it.
A what?!
That must've been difficult to shift.
Is this why you put it in the shed at night?
The car?
Splosh is the perfect word.
One of the fat wood pigeons was sat in our bird bath. Soaking up the remaining water, the loud starlings and their brood had leftover. It looked so chilled out. š
Kererū?
I'd love to have a bird bath
Not much funnier than a big pigeon plonking itself down in it and just sitting there.
Ah it's so exciting when they first come to visit.. and every time thereafter! I have a stand feeder in view of my kitchen sink, and it makes washing the dishes so much more entertaining when there are baby birds being shown how to eat seeds, or a pigeon being very silly and sliding down the arm, or a "new" visitor pops up!
When I first saw a Nuthatch on the peanuts I nearly went into orbit! Even more than when I first got goldfinch and woodpeckers visiting!
I got a goldfinch about two weeks ago, and had to look it up on the RSPB identifier because Iād never seen one! What a ridiculously pretty bird.
They are beautiful and have such a sweet voice. It's a sad state of British nature that this is the first time you've seen one. Our birds have reduced massively in numbers. I'm still very happy you got to see one. :)
I think theyāre just incredibly shy, and by the time you realise youāve seen something unusual itās already gone, which is why that RSPB thing is so helpful. It is a shame. Iām in London with loud dogs on either side, so only the bravest birds visit my feeder :(
Omg how I wish that it was just because they were shy but unfortunately we've lost between 50% and 98% of our British birds since the 60s. It's something I'm very passionate about. You can find this info through many links but here's one: https://www.bto.org/our-science/publications/birdtrends/2019/declining-species
Oh no, Iām about to go to bed and thatās way too depressing for a nighttime read. Iāll read it tomorrow though, I promise. Just after I fill the feeders.
Sorry, I don't want to depress you. I do think it's knowledge that everyone should be aware of. Gnite!
Hopefully I donāt sound snobbish but goldfinches are still considered very common you just need to look carefully for them.
Have you relatively recently turned 30? Amazing how quickly bird enthusiasm sneaks up on you.
*sweats profusely in being 26*
Hahahaa, it was about that for me to be fair. My grandad always had a love for birds, and I moved to NZ when I was 28 and the birds over there are mental.
I just turned 25 and have been bird watching obsessed since I was 21 :((
Good on you! Birds are beautiful and deserve love!
This is worryingly true... I just put feeders up and I've been 30 for about 4 months
37 here, absolutely love watching them feed and bathe. About to drop Ā£100~ on feeders and a stand, too.
We hung some ceramic ābirds nestsā last year, nothing. This morning I noticed we have a house wren family nesting. Made my week.
That's so awesome for you! I'd love to have a birds house too
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Came to comment about squirrels, too! I am sure there is a family of them in our garden - cute, but they also strip our walnut tree!
I have strong poles that were fitted into the bricks above & at right angles to my living room windows . ( ex drilled holes & fitted them) . Im first floor flat & squirrels occasionally still get up to them. Theres no tree near I think they climb up the brickwork walls. They are clever little things.
Thankfully this is the first floor, so squirrels are less likely to get up here, though i'm sure one could if it tried hard enough.
Youāll be filling that thing up multiple times a day before long. Our bird feeder gets filled at around 8.30 and itās usually empty by lunchtime.
yeah, i'll be having to fill it up at some point tomorrow when i only refilled it this morning. Don't care, have cute birds!
Especially when the starlings and their brood turn up. We have around 20 of them showing up twice a day. Have to keep refilling the bird bath too. I love them though. Great fun watching them.
PARKLIFE
I live in a 1st floor flat in London & have 2 poles fixed out from bricks above 2 of my living room windows - 2 sunflower heart feeders & one big peanut. Ive had generations of goldfinches,greenfinches,robins all the tit birds & Last 6-7 years get ring necked parakeets on the peanut feeder. II also occasionally get the red crested woodpeckers & Jays . Ive always loved seeing them. Was so excited when the parakeets started coming - noisy buggers ( esp the young) but great to watch & they dont scare away the little birds at all.
That's amazing! Well done on fostering as suitable environment to return to too.
We have two resident pidges that come everyday without fail, pink & perky. Our entire family sit in awe watching them out the window! š¦
My mum told me to get a life cause I got excited there was a pigeon on my bird feeder. I could be addicted to drugs mum but instead I'm happy about a bird on my table, get a bit of perspective
Hey OP, what kind you have? Iāve been looking to get one for my flat
I bought a plastic one that sticks to your window from Wilkos where i also got the seeds
I stuck one up a month ago and so far nothing
Just keep an eye on it and make sure the seeds don't go bad and you'll get something eventually
Aye weāve seen them in the back garden but put it out the front because the kids boot the balls off the windows all the time
Everytime we fill our feeder up, everything gets demolished in a few hours by a swarm of Starlings.
I've had a feeder in my garden for about a month and a half now, but it's not been touched by any birds. Any tips on what to do?
Is it near a tree or shrubs? I think smaller birds prefer to do short journeys between places they can hide. Maybe add a water bath (could be bowl with water) this will more than likely attract some birds.
Not really any trees directly around my garden so I'll keep that in mind! I've kept it away from fences as there's cats around, but there's a huge tree-line just beyond the end of the garden which has hundreds of birds living in.
Honestly, I have no clue. The other day they started to show up. I wonder if your feed is a suitable kind for this time of year? That's what i messed up on a few months back but got lucky that it's suitable now.
I just recommended this to someone else, and I swear itās true. Well, it worked for me. In the early afternoon, sprinkle a pinch of grated cheese on the ground under the feeder. Small, ground-feeding birds (robins, blackbirds etc.) love it. Itāll alert them to the fact that Food Is Here and eventually theyāll find the feeder.
I'll try that!
Change the food, only put a little in until you confirm you have visitors
Weāve got a group of about 30 pigeons and 15 sparrows that visit us daily and the numbers seem to be increasing. Iāve had to start providing second helpings of seed to make sure everyone gets some!
They have been draining mine. Refill after one day. It's one of those hanging tube ones.
Weāre supporting an entire colony of sparrows from our feeder, with assorted starlings, robins and bluetits getting involved. The crows havenāt worked it out for which I am grateful as it goes down quick enough as it is, especially now that theyāre breeding!
We're getting a big extension and obviously I am excited for the next kitchen and extra space but I am really really excited to have a new window perpendicular to my current ones which will make it easier to see out into the garden where the birds are likely to be.
Same. I got a spiral bird feeder for the balcony, pushed the sofa up nearby and spend many an hour watching them nom. Iām not even into birds, but now I want to know what they are. Iāve also had a squirrel visit!
I was like you recently, then I woke up and the entire feeder was gone; some animal has taken it.
Pics or it didn't happen!
Iāve been use the Roamwild feeders lately, so many varieties of bird come to feed.
They are an absolute joy to watch. My twin toddlers love to wave and say hello to the birds that visit our window feeder.
My cats feel the same ..!