Watching birds (and other wildlife) in the garden

[FleetwoodRaincoat]

Not sure if this is the right place to post but I couldn't see a wildlife thread anywhere.

I've been really enjoying watching birds in our garden over the past year. I've put up several feeders, a bird box, built a little wildlife pond etc.

For the past few days I've been watching a pair of blue tits going in and out of the nest box. At the moment they seem to be going in then throwing stuff out, rather than building a nest.

Anyone else interested in what's going on in their garden?

Please don’t feed the red kites, it is becoming a big problem
www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/17566539.red-kites-bucks---new-warning-reports-bird-attacks/

thirst that's such a lovely pic! 🥰
Still none the wiser here, although I've noticed they(?) now fly straight in whereas previously there's been a lot of faffing outside the box/checking for monsters to be definitely certain before going in. They seem to spend ages in there though before leaving again which doesn't suggest feeding hungry chicks quite yet.... I'm very new at this though and appreciate I'm totally anthropomorphising a blue tit 😂

@Iceniii

We once found our cat with a slow worm! Managed to rescue it and it seemed unharmed. We took it as a good sign that at least we had them living in the garden!

7 blue tit eggs in the box. I am thrilled with that!

First sight of both swift's and swallows yesterday - a real sign of summer.

@FleetwoodRaincoat

For those who put out mealworms, are these dried ones or live?

@LargeInCharge I've always thought those window feeders didn't work - would love to get one of them. What kind do you have?

www.amazon.co.uk/iBorn-Cardinal-Bluebirds-Birdhousewith-Drinking-Water/dp/B085XDG5JQ?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

This is one I have that has a removable tiny drinking water bowl for them and the tray is removable so you don’t have to take the whole thing down to clean it.

The fat ball holders would be useful for large balls but not the small ones we have so I impale the odd apple slice or strawberry on it instead.

I bought another type but the tray isn’t removable. They use it but it’s a pain to take in to clean.

I have found a good wee app to help identify birdsong its called Birdnet bird sound identification

Very loud baby Robins in my garden. Shouting at their parent who looked harassed !

Siskins here in the north north west. Loving the peanuts! I thought they were greenfinches until I noticed their black caps. The garden is so busy with birdlife, greenfinch, goldfinch, chaffinch, coal tits, collared dove, robin, starling and blackbird so far this year. I love this!

@Thirstquenching

I have found a good wee app to help identify birdsong its called Birdnet bird sound identification

I linked to thatcearlier on thread

Thirstquenching you are so lucky to have a little bluetit family! I put my birdhouse up 4 weeks ago and look at it longingly every day. Nothing. I may have to move it to give it more kerbappeal.

Tootspye it took a good few years of the box being there for them to take any interest at all

Tootspye depending on the bird I think they start looking for nesting sites as early as late autumn, and seriously during Feb. If yours has only been up 4 weeks I think you might have missed the boat this year, although hopefully I'm wrong on that.

Still no clue what's going on with ours, visits in and out are too infrequent for chicks... it's not very easy access though so I can't sneak a peak like thirst! I'll just have to be patient....

I don't have much patience lovely having my coffee before work watching the tits and all the other birds from my kitchen window they are very active in the morning and late afternoon

Bird box at work also has blue tit eggs in it

@LargeInCharge Thanks for that. Will order one, as I'm keen to watch the birds from my bed on a Sunday morning .

Very envious of all those who have birds nesting in their boxes. We've had blue tits checking them out, but no nesting so far.

Still getting nightly visits from hedgehogs. I've also just made a little "wildlife" corner, which has a pile of rocks, pile of grass clippings, long grass and a large curved piece of bark. I've set up a camera and so far have seen the hedgehog rooting around, lots of birds and a little mouse. I'm hoping to see frogs and toads at some point, as we also have a little pond.

I have a wildlife camera, so have set this up to monitor how it goes over the summer. If anyone's thinking of getting one, I'd say get it, as I so enjoy watching what's gone at night.

@Squiz81 That's amazing! I'd love to see a badger for real! Never seen one.

Im so excited just seen my first goldfinch in the garden, but a long tail tit saw him off!

Went to get to get camera, it didnt come back but got a babyrobin instead

A baby robin! Beautiful!

Cavagirl and ThirstQ i will learn to be patient... how are your baby blue tits?

The cuckoo has returned here in the NNW of Scotland.

tootspie still eggs at the minute. The parents are still going in with nesting materials. Been trying to get a picture but they are so quick it's hard

Loving this thread. I have a regular male nuthatch on the feeders outside my office window. We have buzzards, including babies, riding the thermals in the valley at this time of year. Also red deer coming down from the woods to drink in our stream. Less great when they jump in front of you in the car!

DH was digging over a garden bed this afternoon and 2 blackbirds and a robin were following him around like seagulls following a plough. Then the robin jumped on the toe of his welly!

Tootspye still unclear here what the status is!
They fly straight in and spend ages in there. There's not enough activity for there to be chicks yet I don't think. DF thinks cold weather has slowed everything down, so we'll see over the next week or two as things get (slightly) warmer.
We have quite the army of neighbourhood cats so I'm thinking of taking some days off work to sit in the garden with a supersoaker when they fledge!

Been watching the bird box over the weekend. Still 7 eggs but both birds are still going in and out regularly and a couple of times I've seen them go in with nesting materials so not 100% sure what is happening. They are so fast and I'm desperate for a picture

That's so exciting thirst !
Mine do a lot of faffing sitting on the little perch outside the entrance before they go in. They don't seem to have anything they're taking in with them. Once inside they're in there for ages - I've yet to see one go in and then also leave! DP thinks they're just enjoying some chill time before the babies arrive!