To say hello to a blackbird every evening and feel lovely about it

[badonkydonk]

Every evening at dusk, there is a beautiful blackbird singing its tuneful little heart out just behind my house. Same tree, and same time (later and later as the nights get longer). I just happened to notice him a few nights in row but I actively stand outside to hear it now.

The latest development is that I actually address him as Mr Blackbird (maybe Mrs Blackbird but I don't like to pry), say good evening to him and tell him how lovely he is (may have even asked him if he had a good day tonight!)

Does anyone else say hello to random things and get an overbearing sense of warmth from it?

two wood pigeons (one called Scruffy) at least 6 squirrels if not more including one with a damaged eye called Jack , who does come when his name is called, about three robins and a few sparrows and various tits
and the occasional ratty

And this is one of our pigeon pair. We call them fat pigeon and perv pigeon, because they both like sitting around looking pissed off, but perv likes to sit right outside the bathroom watching you go to the loo.

august, that's gorgeous - I am so jealous! I love owls and there aren't any near where we live.

... and these, and then I will stop. I love birds.

Yes to a robin that always visited me at my old home and now my new home too. I go outside and say good morning........ God only knows what the neighbours think?!

I have a little robin who lives nearby too. He has such bright eyes and always keeps me company when I'm gardening. I chat to him and he chirps back to me.

I get no visitors to the Niger seed feeder. It hangs off the stand with the other feeder stations. The fat balls go down slowly. Peanuts barely get touched. The general bird seed is a hit. As are meal worms.

Any hints as to how to get the Niger seed actually taken (and hence get the pretty birds in to my garden?)

I don't know really - we had seen a couple of goldfinches before we got niger seed, then about ten days ago my friend told me they loved that stuff so I got some, and suddenly we have flocks of them. But they also seem to like to move in crowds and the robins really don't like them. Maybe you have really arsey robins?

Goldfinches are very picky bastards. Some nijer seed disappears in a day, other batches sit and fester until I get rid of them.

I make sure I put out some, not too much and clean thoroughly the feeder between feeds because I had one dead bird and believe me or not, it made me cry.

Also, sweep under the feeder, because the mice and rats also happen to love it, and goldfinches have no table manner whatsoever, tons gets spilled.
My feeder is just like the one in LRD's photo. Sometimes I get four birds on it.

Thanks for the warning - I probably put too much in mine!

I feed the birds and have counted 28 different varieties here in my SW London garden.

My latest visitor is a little male blackcap, the female came last year, they are obviously not a very together couple.

I don't actually speak out loud to the birds but they brighten my life so much. There is nothing quite like the sound of a robin in full song, so much noise from such a little fellow.

I do talk to all the local cats mind, how can you not?

My goldfinches love sunflower hearts, never touch the niger seeds, my feeders are swarming with them, messy little devils.

For some reason the local cats talk to me. I don't even like cats.

I said hello to a wee robin in my neighbour's garden today.

I do so ❤️ robins and their cross, fuck off wee faces.

My bird feeders are hit and miss

They haven't been touched in the winter when I thought they would be.

We get starlings more than anything

Last year I had mum, dad and baby. The baby was fully fledged but still expected the parents to feed it. It was so noisy screeching until either mum or dad shoved food down its throat.

I get some pidgeons too. There's one I call Mr Pidge and he has a crooked beak.

I get some sparrows but the starlings usually chase them off.

I've had ONE robin who hasn't been back yet

Friend got me a four post bird feeder and seed so I dutifully put it out. Then the starlings descended!!!

Watching the seed disappear was like the pointless counter counting down. Within minutes it had all disappeared or been flung onto the ground as the feeders spun round

I have one robin.
I think it's compulsory requirement in every garden.
Not sure I've ever seen a pair of robins.

We have had a hedgehog in the garden which was nice and we get bats in the summer

I love watching the bats

We have two pairs of robins. I think it's mum and dad plus grown-up son/daughter and mate. It didn't stop two of them fighting like mad earlier this year, though.

I had a flock of starlings once.
The noise!

Will be watching out for the raisins tomorrow. Had to go out today, so missed what happened.
Also, love seeing the blue tits and the blackbirds taking dog fur to line their nests.

I always talk to animals, including birds. I have great conversations with our garden birds, I think my neighbours must think I'm barmy.

It said in the Daily Mail only last week, listening to birds sing and seeing them has been found to improve your mental health. I love hearing them in the lighter mornings, makes you feel summer is on the way.

Blackbirds, bumblebees and swifts - the three great joys of summer in the city. Swifts won't be here for a couple of months yet (usually arrive in May), but already got a regular evening blackbird and bumblers should be out soon

I used to live on a main road and all I'd hear were cars in the morning upon waking. Now I hear lovely bird song!!

I've got a swallows nest under the gutter outside my bedroom window.

They left in late September for Africa and I'm just waiting for them to return. I love them. They arrive and get busy padding out the nest after the winter. I keep a bag of tumble dryer lint and when I see them swooping up into the nest I put it in the bushes in the garden for them to use. The usually have a big brood - we counted 6 fledglings last year.

I live really rural so have every bird you can imagine coming to feed. It makes me very happy.