All things Nature

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

This is a new thread to chat about all things nature.

Birds, bees, other flora and fauna. Noctilucent clouds, the Aurora Borealis. The sky is (literally) the limit.

Welcome!

I saw a slow worm a few weeks ago which was very exciting.

Can anyone recommend a bird feeder that won't be instantly mobbed by pigeons and jackdaws? Even the pigeons are amazingly athletic in these parts.

I’ve got a pole feeder. I don’t use the mesh tray any more because pigeons would perch in it (and crap in it). They don’t seem to be able to manage the tube of sunflower hearts, and I got a cage feeder for the fatballs that only the small birds can get into.
I do ground feed in the morning for blackbirds and the larger birds - I like a few fat woodpigeons and an occasional pheasant.

Marking my place on this thread too. Lovely to finally have wildlife/nature topics, it’s my sanity in an ever increasing crazy world. I have two bird tables in my garden (Hampshire) but I may be unpopular here for saying I also enjoy the visits from Wood pigeons, collared Doves and Squirrels. However the thing that’s made a huge difference for wildlife in my garden has been the addition of a wildlife pond we did last year. Amazing how quickly it’s spotted and it’s full of creatures now, used by the birds to drink from and the dragonflies have been beautiful.

This is like bathing in a warm wild pool surrounded by greenery and birdsong haha.

Loving the new topic and looking forward to seeing new threads appear. I'll start a couple when I get the time.

So much potential!

Can anyone recommend a window feeder ?
Umm a bird feeder the type that sticks on windows , not something to feed windows !

It will be to feed predominantly sparrows and tits so what should I put in it ?

I have got a cage for fat balls so something else would be nice.

@Summerskylarks I don't understand people's dislike of pigeons. I get several wood pigeons and collared doves in my garden and they're all welcome, in fact all wildlife is.

2 or 3 years ago there was a wood pigeon's nest in our back hedge and it was just visible through a gap in the foliage from our kitchen window. I set up my DH's telescope in the kitchen and checked on the squabs every day and it was fascinating watching them develop. I got so excited when they left the nest for the first time! They stayed in the hedge just practising spreading their wings and clumsily hopping from branch to branch. One day of course they weren't there any more. I was happy they'd grown up and flown on their way but sad I couldn't watch them any more.

All the ones I've tried never stay up so I'm interested in this too.

I totally agree. We had a couple of wood pigeon nests last year and it was wonderful watching them grow. Their nests look a bit thrown together though, amazed it supported them all. I love watching the stand offs at the bird table between the males. They kind of hit each other sporadically in the face with a wing and then stare intently between each strike. They remind me of duelling Georgian gentlemen hitting each other in the face with a glove. Very comical birds. The collared Doves rule the roost here though and even chase the big pigeons off the bird table.

This was my worry too, let's hope someone can help .

I’ve had this one for years:

Bird feeder

It attaches firmly, as long as you wet the sucker things first.

Foodwise for sparrows I put out a generic seed mix. My sparrows reject anything more fancy than that.

In winter, I’ll add little suet pellets for the robin. Robins are extremely territorial though, so I actually put up two of these feeders in winter - one for the robin to defend with its life and the other for the sparrows to eat in peace!

@RainOnTins , that looks great thankyou.

Sad news , this little one few past me this morning at about shoulder hight straight into a window, it died very quickly 😥.

It has a ring on but unfortunately neither my eyes or phones camera are good enough to see the details.

Does anyone know if I could / should report its death ?

I will post a couple of photos but appreciate not everyone wants to see them ( there is no gore at all ) so they will be 'sensitive ' covered.

It will take a little while for the photos to be approved.

Ah, poor wee mite.

yes, I think you can report to the BTO
theres some info here https://app.bto.org/euring/lang/pages/rings.jsp

we had to get stickers for our back windows, I don’t think we’ve had a fatality since we got them.

Ah the poor wee bairn. I've found this link to some similar chat on the RSPB site that might help. If you have a macro camera function on your phone (or know someone who has) then that may allow you to see the detail on the ring.

https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/wildlife-questions/24805/dead-blue-tit-with-ring

Oh bless. Well done for spotting the ring. I wonder if the BTO might ask you to post it to them? Unless you have a friend or neighbour who can get the information off it for you?

Thank you both, I will have a look at the links when I get home.
I left his body in some bushes I am going to try to get a better picture of the ring ( if he is still there ) .
I wonder if he was already ill , he flew very close to me and low going straight towards a building that was only about 10 foot away.
The window has dark green blinds up so I don't think he was aiming to fly though it.

He was still there but unfortunately I still can't get any very clear shots of the ring.
His wings and legs seem to be undamaged.

We’ve got loads of cinnabar moths but I haven’t managed to get a decent picture. They are pretty though. I didn’t realise until recently they are the adult of the stripy blank and yellow caterpillars you get on ragwort.

Hello fellow NE nature lovers! It’s been a sparse year I think for swifts and swallows, which is so sad. Butterflies not so many of them, though as I was walking through the gardens of the Bowes Museum there must have been a hatching of speckled woods as I counted about 8 flitting around the nettles.

Very noticeably few butterflies here, but it is still early summer I suppose. We seem to have all the swallows and swifts here in Whitley Bay. I see both swifts and bank and barn swallows daily. As well as the house Martins.

Although I've just come back from NT property Delaval Hall and there were so many birds and butterflies. Lots of swifts, a pink footed goose and nuthatches and flycatchers. Here's a couple of pics. The young male blackbird was living his best life sitting on a lily pad in a pond having a drunk and a splash around. Sounds like a top Spa Day to me!

Good morning all!
Just sat out in back garden listening to the noisiest thrum of bees - all sizes, squashed 2-3 into a poppy etc, droning away. My borders look a mess as I’ve filled them with wildflowers, and all the poppies are getting a bit bedraggled now, but the colours and sounds are uplifting!

I love watching the birds in my garden! I have hanging feeders, two tables and two areas on the ground where I scatter seeds and mealworms. I refill and scatter three times a day. I say it's my hobby so that justifies the cost. Also have a small pond.

Our garden is quite big so we have trees and lots of hedging on all four sides. We don't do 'gardening' as such. Everything is left to grow wild around the edges and we just cut an area in the centre. We live in rural area so no complaints from neighbours about our 'overgrown' space.

I care deeply about wildlife and animals in general and I truly believe that each of their little lives are important and precious.

I’ve seen a few red admirals lately, also some commas. Quite a lot of peacocks earlier on, and at the weekend I spotted a black caterpillar which an app identified as peacock. There have been the usual number of brimstones and orange tips, I’d have said.

@ScottBakula I would send those photos to the BTO. Here's a link that might help.

https://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/bird-ringing-scheme/about-ringing/why-report-ringed-bird

We've had mullein moth caterpillars by the dozen in the garden, as well as the odd tortoiseshell butterfly.

And driving home the other night I saw a young hare sitting up in the verge, all ears - I got a good look before it turned and went back through the hedge.