It must be something in the bird bath water!

[viques]

I have never seen so many baby sparrows and blue tits as I have this year. Yet another two groups of new babies today. And the sparrows are still bonking away hoping to get another batch in before autumn. The robins have done well too, I kept seeing robins zooming around with mouthfuls of food and thought what diligent parents they were, then realised it was two sets of parents, each with a brood, I always subscribed to the robins are territorial mantra, but these are within two metres of each other.

Sadly haven’t seen any sign of blackbirds this year, we usually have at least one pair visiting.

How are your garden birds doing?

One lot of blackbirds, one of robins, two broods of wrens, and the wood pigeons had a go at building a nest but chose a stupidly too-small bush and gave up!

All pigeons are very casual parents IMO, but somehow they seem to get their babies fledged and independent.

Not seen any in my garden, but on my way to work I walk past some sparrows that have nested in a gutter under someone’s roof overhang, and the past few days those fluffy babies have been flapping around all the front gardens, I stopped to watch . So much chirping!

I found a hummingbird nest in my passionfruit vine...peeped in to see if there were any eggs, but they'd already flown the coop

This thread prompted me to have a quick look out of my kitchen window, and I can see a beautiful greater spottedd woodpecker in my apple tree - first I've seen this year.

Family of baby great tits and one of blue tits but no goldcrest family this year and I haven’t seen the long tailed tits who visited a lot last year. Loads of magpies. Occasional robins and wrens. Lots of gold finches here.

I’ve had to let my sparrows down. My feeders seem to attract too many careless starlings who scatter food about willy nilly. After the third mouse sighting in the garden DH put his foot down about filling the feeders for a little bit.

We had one housesparrow this year - v unusual as normally just tree sparrows. Lots of bluetits though.

We’ve had robins nesting but sadly the magpies seem to have got their second brood as I found the egg shells in my veg bed.

Heaps of goldfinches this year!

The blackbirds are doing well, the woodpigeons are trying hard but my cats and their own innate stupidity seem to be hindering them.

Ps we keep a tight leash on the cats during nesting season but the tiny female brought in a young magpie earlier this year! It escaped and I then had to evict it, which was great fun as I’m sure you can imagine 😂

Had a noises starling family visit but haven’t seen them much recently.

We get individual birds, not families - blue tits, robin, black bird, a dopey dove, magpie. Haven’t seen the long tailed tits this year. Occasionally a Jay or woodpecker.

And squirrels!

@yamadori

One lot of blackbirds, one of robins, two broods of wrens, and the wood pigeons had a go at building a nest but chose a stupidly too-small bush and gave up!

I think my dove/wood pigeon must be related to yours. He’s comical to watch. He’ll stand on branches that hardly support his weight. The other day he was perching on a chair and was trying to lean over to the bird table but couldn’t quite reach. Our bird table has a sloping roof, and he slid down it once.

Squirrels take baby birds from nests so you don't want too many of them.

We've had lots of woodpecker babies , it's the first time in our garden inspire of seeing woodpeckers regularly in the garden. Lots of blackbirds and their young and thrushes, it has definitely been a good year.

We have had more than usual.

The blue tits that nest in a hole in the tree seemed to have more babies this year and there are 2 robins always around. For the first year ever goldfinches making an appearance every day on the Apple tree which has made me very happy.

Also had a mouse until we moved the fish feeder and he hasn't been seen since so I am hoping he has moved on.

@thecapitalsunited

I’ve had to let my sparrows down. My feeders seem to attract too many careless starlings who scatter food about willy nilly. After the third mouse sighting in the garden DH put his foot down about filling the feeders for a little bit.

I agree, I stopped feeding fat balls and suet sticks because the starlings behaved like the very worst England football supporters and trashed them within minutes. I now only put out sunflower seeds in squirrel buster holders and they can’t get into them at all.

The birds in my garden are getting through two feeders and four fat balls every other day! I’ve never known them eat so much.

My poor lonely wood pigeon finally has a lady friend and a little brood. He looked so forlorn last year sitting all alone on his branch.

I also have a pair of robins, a few great tits and a pair blackbirds.

The magpies in the field are terrorising the lot of them the little gits.

I love watching the starlings.

I love watching starlings but they are so greedy. Three fat balls in about an hour the last time I put them out.

I have a flock of red house finches and gold finches that visit my garden fountain twice a day...they are so tiny

I have thrushes nesting in the euonymous/honeysuckle tangle.
They are thick as mince (Scots, translation: intellectually challenged!) and I am always surprised any brood survives to adulthood.
Two of them fell out of the bush as I was pulling Vinca creepers out - they sat on the lawn and looked at me with that fat, gormless, slightly mad look thrushes have.
My cat rushed over to investigate the possibility of two plump snacks. The daft thrushes promptly opened their beaks in a request that she feed them, much to her disgust and confusion!
I shooed the cat away, and the thrushes calmly let me pick them up and put them back on their branch. At that point their parents belatedly flew the length of the garden screaming like Stuka dive bombers to chase the cat indoors!

@Babdoc
😂😂😂😂😂
Thanks for that hilarious story🤣

We have a pair of wood Pidgeon- ring collared doves-sparrows nest and two pairs of blackbirds - and they all queue up from6.30pm like clockwork to drink from the garden pond- it’s like a huge social event which we watch daily-the wood pigeons are always first!

@Mollymalone123
Very entertaining..it seems you've found a perfect way to entertain yourself during lockdown