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15-09-2008, 10:30 PM
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 Where are all the birds? I had some brassicas growing in a potato bag and they were absolutely covered in caterpillars, so I thought sod it! Dragged the bag over to where my bird feeder section is and left it there in the open thinking at least the birds could benefit. Not one seen all day???? Where are they all??
__________________ Off to China      |
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15-09-2008, 11:07 PM
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| Imentioned this earlier but thought I was maybe paranoid! I haven't seen a blackbird in months! 
__________________ My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE) |
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15-09-2008, 11:33 PM
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Me neither!!We have however got an elder tree at the lottie where we spotted at the w/e~hedge sparrows,green finches & we think a warbler!! 
__________________ the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag. Happiness is not having what you want,but wanting what you have.xx |
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15-09-2008, 11:34 PM
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| Last year my grape vines were stripped by Blackbirds who managed to find a gap in the netting. This year I haven't seen a Blackbird or Starlings in the garden or elsewhere for around two months. Is there something good in the surrounding fields that's keeping them away? Mark
__________________ http://rockinghamforestcider.moonfruit.com/ http://rockinghamforestcider.blogspot.com/ |
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15-09-2008, 11:43 PM
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I wouldn't have thought that blackbirds ate wheat though?
__________________ My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE) |
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15-09-2008, 11:48 PM
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| They have all been confused after flying here for what they thought was a summer and have upped sticks and gone to where the suns does shine. Joking aside I wonder if that may be part of the reason? But we do get a lot of blue and great tits on the feeders. |
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15-09-2008, 11:48 PM
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| went out caterpillar hunting today, and left them in the bowl, normally mr and mrs blackbird usually sit in the tree when i go out in the garden, but no sign of them all day, and the caterpillars are still there ........ i don't think i've seen them for over a week and theres not even any sign of this years young either ...... and i haven't had sparrows this year either, normally theres about 8-10 pairs and they bring their babies to drink from the pond, but i've not seen them at all this year ...... even though i've been sticking food out .... which hasn't been going down as quickly as normal ....... i think ours are down to the fact that the council have allowed an industrial estate to be built behind the house, so the wasteland with trees and bushes normally with loads of wildlife has gone ...... i used to feed our fox too, but haven't seen him this year either, he had his den out the back too we haven't got any crop fields anywhere near
__________________ http://teachy.myminicity.com please visit my town and make it better http://quiz.ravenblack.net/blood.pl?biter=teach_me please sign up to be a vampire, i get 10 pints of blood if you do, and it's fun as well ....... i have an interactive map if anyone wants it. Last edited by lynda66; 15-09-2008 at 11:50 PM. |
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16-09-2008, 12:06 AM
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| I haven't seen or heard our residents for a while either. There are still plenty of birds around, a gang of long tail tits and blue tits, robins and my current favourite a wren that hops around in the vine hopefully eating insects! But no blackbirds at the moment.
__________________ I am Nobody Nobody's perfect Therefore, I must be perfect  |
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16-09-2008, 09:29 AM
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| My blackbirds disappeared a while ago - a few starlings have reappeared now for the evening roost, but nothing is coming into the garden, suggesting they are finding plenty of wild food. While blackbirds are highly territorial all year, they forget their boundaries after fledging the last chicks. They will leave their territories which they have jealously guarded all year, and fly off to explore open countryside where wild hedgerow food is plentiful, and farmers are dropping grains from the harvest. In autumn, the blackbirds will once again start to squabble over territory, and return to their gardens. Remember a lot of birds will simply die of exhaustion or starvation after a year of frantically bringing up chicks. I'm going to be making up a load of fat balls to last through the winter.
__________________ ~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi |
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16-09-2008, 09:44 AM
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| I am in a way (sad way) relieved to read your posts here. My birds have all but gone Really worried about them. We do however have some very noisy starlings! but no blackbirds, sparrows, robins, etc. |
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16-09-2008, 10:19 AM
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| Every year we think our 'tame' blackbird has died but they just go off to hide a bit while they are moulting. Having 2 or 3 broods in a season, then moulting is quite stressful for them. There are one or two birds (a blackbird and a bluetit this morning) starting to return. They'll be back and begging for scraps again soon!
__________________ Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated November 17th - The Big Dig |
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16-09-2008, 10:25 AM
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| Well I've got plenty you can borrow. Visiting the garden: Blackbirds, Sparrows, Blue Tits, Dunnocks, a Robin, the ever messy and quarrelsome Starlings, Coloured Doves, noisey Magpies, Rooks and Crows trying to mug the Starlings and Wood Pigeons plus occasionaly a Sparrowhawk that pounces on some of the above. I haven't sen the Thrushes this year though. At the allotments Blackbirds (one of which learnt to get under the door to my fruit cage, sorted that though), Robins, Wrens, Woodpigeons, Magpies, Woodpeckers, Kestrels and Sparrowhawks. The Woodpigeons, Magpies and Starlings you can have free of charge.
__________________ I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person |
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17-09-2008, 10:20 AM
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| they're back!  for the first time, I can sit here in the big picture window and see a small flock of starlings and another of sparrows, diddling about on the lawn and in the bushes ! Youngsters & adults, bless. * goes off to make a fat ball
__________________ ~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi |
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17-09-2008, 01:05 PM
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| I saw a little youngster blackbird yesterday~no sign of mum or dad but I'm sure they were loitering around somewhere giving their babe her 1st taste of independance!!
__________________ the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag. Happiness is not having what you want,but wanting what you have.xx |
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17-09-2008, 06:37 PM
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__________________ Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated November 17th - The Big Dig |
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19-09-2008, 12:29 AM
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| As said by Flummery - they are moulting, this is a very stressful time for birds, they don't sing either as this will let predators know where they are when they are at their most vulnerable. Though they are quite secretive at this time they still require lots of food to grow new feathers. They will be back very soon and very hungry!!! |
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19-09-2008, 12:22 PM
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| oh good i'm glad they are moulting, that means that the birds i saved from the jaws of my cat and released, will all get some feathers back
__________________ http://teachy.myminicity.com please visit my town and make it better http://quiz.ravenblack.net/blood.pl?biter=teach_me please sign up to be a vampire, i get 10 pints of blood if you do, and it's fun as well ....... i have an interactive map if anyone wants it. |
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19-09-2008, 02:14 PM
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| It's always quiet around this time of year. There's loads of food in the fields and a lot of the birds that are in your gardens every winter aren't necessarily British, a lot are migrants and they are only just starting to come over (First fieldfare were reported last week and we've got siskins round here already!!)
__________________ ntg  Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/ ================================================== The All New Home page of Hartshill Allotments full of useful bits http://www.hags.btik.com |
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19-09-2008, 07:58 PM
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| Trust you to know where the birds are NTG!
__________________ Manda. "Wouldn't it be nice For maybe an hour To not have a care." |
