OMG my garden's full of birds!

[JellySlice]

It's raining, but the garden is full of birdsong!

There is a blackbird pair foraging under the trampoline, a grumpy robin in a shrub on one side keeps dive-bombing out then fleeing back, some other birds that I can't identify in another shrub on the other side, starlings grazing across the lawn, and, most exciting of all, three coal tits in a little potted olive tree right by the window! They keep flying out and perching on the brickwork where I can see them.

AIBU to be totally, bonkersly, besotted?

Sparrowhawk ? That’s good! When it’s around my garden becomes eerily quiet!

We got a Sparrowhawk for the first time, sat on next doors gate. Tried to get a decent photo

Our back garden gets an influx of a variety of birds and squirrels at around 10 am. It totally consumes me!

Love our garden birds, the weather was rubbish for the rspca big garden bird watch the other week so hardly anyone came out unfortunately.

Our chaffinches and bull finches are my faves. We have 6 red kites too who are so soothing to watch

Lady pheasants!

And some long tailed tit porn

m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1637484726345029&id=100826406677543

We usually have loads but our bird table is currently being terrorised by a great spotted woodpecker and a red squirrel so the little song birds aren't getting much of a look in.

DP is a huge bird fan, can identify them all by call without even seeing them.

I removed the bird table we inherited after I saw a great big rat grazing on the bird food. We're in a semi-rural location. Not sure who was more freaked out, me or the rat when he saw me.

I once almost fainted with excitement when a green woodpecker landed on our birdtable.

We lived in the middle of nowhere then, so we got some great wildlife.

I thought we had an escaped budgie in our garden last year but it was a yellow hammer! He was beautiful, and he started to bring his mate, but I’ve not seen them for months now. I was hoping to see some babies.

I started feeding the birds recently and we’re mobbed! Lots of goldfinches and blue tits, and three robins! Also get jackdaws who have worked out how to eat fat balls from the one feeder without a cage.

I watch from my study window when I’m supposed to be working. I’ve recently put up a feeder next to my window and they’re so close!

We have had a green woodpecker once then a spotted woodpecker once, not seen either again.

I love watching the birds, I find it fascinating that they always arrive at the same time every day. We used to have a spotted woodpecker visit every day for mealworms but I haven't seen him this week.

And ours! We really noticed the increase in birdsong yesterday.

My dh is fanatical about feeding the birds and we get a huge variety. We have a noisy gang of jackdaws that come 3 times a day and wreak havoc. We also have rock doves for the first time this year - they heard about the menu!

Pigeons, collard doves, blackbirds and starlings are my main visitors at the moment. Occasional robins, and an odd tit or two when I have time to look properly, though they appear to prefer the stale cake crumbs, to the actual bird food.

What do you all feed the birds?
Basically, I put out all leftovers, and supplement them with cheap bacon, bird seed, and cat food. I've found that they'll eat anything except fish scraps and salad. I avoid salty foods, and soak bread before putting it out. I can't get mealworms.
Rats aren't a problem here so I can leave food on the ground as well as on the bird table. Cats are few and far between too, although we do get martens, which get under the car bonnets causing chaos. We actually have electronic alarms on our drive to scare them off. The neighbours park on chicken wire.

I put out fat balls, fat slices (those cakey things) dried mealworms, mixed seed and their favourite, little fat nibble things (technical term), in a variety of hanging feeders and trays. Occasionally they get bread or toast crumbs.

I got rid of the bird table too. I hang fat balls off a branch and haven't seen any rats for a while.

I put dried mealworms under things, where the bigger birds don't go, so under the trampoline and arching shrubs like leicesteria and potato vine.

I put out suet slabs, fat balls, seed, meal worm and something my mums partner suggested and the blackbirds love them, raisins!

DS left his pot of dried cranberries out in the garden when he was a toddler, and a blackbird had them! We were only inside for about 20 minutes.

Love hearing about all your birds! I'm in the SE and get starlings (greedy!), magpies, wood pigeons, robins, goldfinches (occasionally) and blackbirds. I get excited when I see a bluetit or sparrow, the smaller birds are few and far between

Red kites circle the skies in summer but they don't bother my birdfeeders

I have to be careful of cats (incl. mine) so don't do any ground feeding whatsoever. The bird feeders are suspended in a spindly laburnum above the fence line. I get the odd unfortunate casualty but mostly the cats leave the birds alone.

I have a bird table but the birds hate it! They won't even perch on top of it. It sticks out the top of the hedge so I don't know what the issue is

All my feed comes from Wilko, their selection is excellent. I'm a bit economical as the starlings are soooo greedy, anything fancy would be gone in seconds. I buy fat balls and fat squares, nyger seeds and no-mess seed. I refill my empty coconut shell feeders with melted lard and a mix of no-mess seed, oats and black sunflower seeds.
Peanuts aren't very popular here and tend to go mouldy in the feeder - not worth it. There's also a risk to young birds. I love the no-mess feed as it's slightly milled and doesn't sprout in the lawn/ flowerbed

The pp asking about squirrels and rats: Squirrelproof feeders are the way forward and consider feeders with a wide plate/ tray at the base to avoid food spillage onto the ground, potentially attracting rats. I've heard of people glueing plastic plates/ plantpot saucers onto the base of feeders to catch the spillage but they dropped off when I tried it

Here's some links to RSPB good and bad foods:

www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/feeding-birds/safe-food-for-birds/

www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/feeding-birds/safe-food-for-birds/household-scraps-for-birds/

Your poor DS Baroness!

DH and I went for a short walk today (to the other end of the village) and saw a gorgeous bird of prey (I guess a buzzard) wheeling over and around the trees. Lovely!

A pair of bullfinches turned up on the feeders today! Ridiculous excitement!

I got so excited when I saw my first Bullfinch in my garden. Hasn't been back since (that I know of)