They were waiting for me

[Gingernaut]

I've taken to feeding the birds.

I do have a feeder, but am aware that some birds are 'hop around headbutting the pavement' ground feeders, not 'dangle acrobatically in an entertaining way' feeders.

My back yard is gravel and rocks.

So, after noticing an increase in sparrows and wagtails after Eastern European neighbours started chewing sunflower seeds whilst having a chat and a smoke on their doorsteps, I bought some seed and have taken to scattering it up the pavement, in the early morning, as I go to work.

Today, as I left the house, there was a small gathering of collared doves, sparrows and wagtails, sitting on the pavement.

As I passed, scattering a tiny Tupperware box of sunflower seeds, the birds flew up, over my head and then landed on the pavement behind me.

I'm going to try and see if they're there tomorrow.

Please tell me you sang ‘Feed the birds’ as you scattered the seed!
Seriously thought, that’s a lovely story.

I thought it was the in-laws waiting, when the OP got back from a supermarket run. I’ve been on Mumsnet too long. 😳

I used to love feeding the birds, until I got a cat. She's such a hunter its kinder to not feed the birds and reduce the risk of putting them in harm's way.

My Mum has an automatic feeder that drops seed at preset times. The birds start queueing up 5 mins before the seed drops!

I too feed the birds; I also feed badgers, there are a couple that come most evenings for their pellets.

I feed the birds. I have a squirrel-proof seed feeder and a little cage thing that holds a suet block. The sparrows all line up on the fence to take turns on them and this week I've noticed several young sparrows being fed by their parents. I also have a larger cage that is affixed to the fence that I put a tray of crumbled fat ball and seed in. That one is for the robin and starlings and also gets visited by great tits. My problem is the foxes keep stealing the suet block. They snatched the whole thing, cage and all!

When I have stale bread I crumble it up and throw it out for the pigeons, blackbirds and doves.

Aww that's really nice OP

I thought before opening your thread that it might have been your neighbourhood waiting for you to go and clap . There was a thread a while ago and a poor OP said that in her street they chant the house numbers till the occupant(s) come out .

@Teuchterlass Thu 21-May-20 21:56:07
My Mum has an automatic feeder that drops seed at preset times. The birds start queueing up 5 mins before the seed drops!

that's brilliant

You have to be careful to carry on once you start, especially in the winter as bird learn to rely on particular sources of food and will starve if it's withdrawn.

We have sparrows nesting in the eaves of the house and blackbirds nesting in the gardens. Lots of small birds visit - chaffinches, some kind of tit, robins. And the ubiquitous magpies, pigeons, and starlings (who bullied the sparrows out of their home in the house over the road as we watched ). I love seeing them, and especially hearing them all. They really brighten up the day.

I thought OP had been set upon by thugs. Thank goodness not!

We haven’t been successful with our bird feeding. Damn Squirrels are the lot every time.

I don't have all these fancy timed food drops. Nor do I have feeders.

I throw some dry porridge oats out every morning and watch them. It is glorious.

The blackbirds song is just so amazing in the evenings isn't it?

We are so fortunate in these very strange times.

We have a seagull, that knocks on the patio door for food, he looks through the window if he see’s me he just flys away if he see’s my husband he knocks on the window because he knows that he will get something to eat!!

I know my husband is home before he arrives in the house because the seagull arrive at the patio door he must watch out for my husband’s van arriving in the drive.

He has been doing this for the last seven years!!

He’s called Steven seagal

I used to feed the ducks out of the window from the third floor of my student accommodation block. They got into a routine of quacking outside the window at set times. Felt bad when I left and wondered what the next residents made of it.

So sweet.

Nanalisa60

Jonathon Livingston Seagull. A book from my teenage angst years!

Thanks for sharing OP I love this.

@DamnYankee holy crap where do you live??

BEST THREAD

This is real and wholesome and just what we need right now.

How do you make a heart [heart] this is the lovely and so heartwarming. I have tried, then stopped, will try again.

I'm a carer and one of my clients has two goldfinches visiting the garden. I've been caring for this client for two years and never seen goldfinches in the garden so today I went and bought a seed feeder!
It makes me so sad that in this time of lockdown, when there is far less traffic, there are so many more dead creatures on the road, many of them birds!

@GADDay

Foothills of the state John Denver made famous (er).
It's something to see!

Try some live mealworms from pet shop and sultanas soaked overnight in water then drained. We have hungry blackbirds who come numerous times throughout the day to stuff themselves and take back to their nest.

Has anyone else noticed that there are so many jackdaws around? I mean for the past two years they are everywhere.

I love feeding the birds, we used to have a robin that would eat from our hands, it was amazing to hold the little thing we now have a blackbird that comes to the patio door looking for us