Feed The Birds...

Last day of the Christmas Holidays, and there's still no let-up in the cold weather.

I feed the wild birds throughout the year, but it's at times like this that I realise just how important it is to give them a helping hand.  We have a good garden for birds - plenty of shrubs to provide cover, and an almost organic approach to gardening, with some use of fertilisers but absolutely no insectides. 

Bird food comes from the RSPB - they keep trying to get me to join up, and I always have to explain that if I didn't spend so much money on bird food, I might actually be able to afford the membership fees!  The bird feeder is filled with a mix of 3 parts Husk-free Sunflower Mix and 2 parts Nyger, and this is augmented with Ground Mix, 'Fruity Nibbles', apples, grated cheese and the odd crumbled mince pie.  There's a Fat Bar hanging from the fence.  And, of course, there's always a supply of fresh water.

The garden is being frequented by the usual suspects.  Countless blackbirds, a plethora of robins, plus the occasional thrush.  Dunnocks, great tits, blue tits and coal tits.  Goldfinches, chaffinches and greenfinches.  A woodpigeon comes and sits on the fence, pondering on whether it wants to brave a visit to the herbaceous border.  A few of the local feral pigeons come and hoover up the leftovers beneath the feeder.

This year, the starlings have been conspicuous by their absence.  And there are surprisingly few visits from magpies and jackdaws.  This is very good news for the small birds.  The grey squirrels are very active, raiding the feeder and occasionally performing serious acrobatic feats in their efforts to grab the Fat Bar.  They're universally loathed by the Red Squirrel lobby, I know, but I don't object to having them around.  Without the greys, we wouldn't have any squirrels at all in this neck of the woods.

What is also surprising is the lack of exotica in the garden.  WIth the cold snap going on so long, I'd be expecting all manner of refugees from the countryside.  We've had a linnet or redpoll hanging out at the feeder occasionally, and a possible sighting of a female yellowhammer.  But that's about it.  The goldfinches, who are extremely pretty but a bit belligerent, are probably chasing them away.

Feed The Birds...

Last day of the Christmas Holidays, and there's still no let-up in the cold weather.

I feed the wild birds throughout the year, but it's at times like this that I realise just how important it is to give them a helping hand.  We have a good garden for birds - plenty of shrubs to provide cover, and an almost organic approach to gardening, with some use of fertilisers but absolutely no insectides. 

Bird food comes from the RSPB - they keep trying to get me to join up, and I always have to explain that if I didn't spend so much money on bird food, I might actually be able to afford the membership fees!  The bird feeder is filled with a mix of 3 parts Husk-free Sunflower Mix and 2 parts Nyger, and this is augmented with Ground Mix, 'Fruity Nibbles', apples, grated cheese and the odd crumbled mince pie.  There's a Fat Bar hanging from the fence.  And, of course, there's always a supply of fresh water.

The garden is being frequented by the usual suspects.  Countless blackbirds, a plethora of robins, plus the occasional thrush.  Dunnocks, great tits, blue tits and coal tits.  Goldfinches, chaffinches and greenfinches.  A woodpigeon comes and sits on the fence, pondering on whether it wants to brave a visit to the herbaceous border.  A few of the local feral pigeons come and hoover up the leftovers beneath the feeder.

This year, the starlings have been conspicuous by their absence.  And there are surprisingly few visits from magpies and jackdaws.  This is very good news for the small birds.  The grey squirrels are very active, raiding the feeder and occasionally performing serious acrobatic feats in their efforts to grab the Fat Bar.  They're universally loathed by the Red Squirrel lobby, I know, but I don't object to having them around.  Without the greys, we wouldn't have any squirrels at all in this neck of the woods.

What is also surprising is the lack of exotica in the garden.  WIth the cold snap going on so long, I'd be expecting all manner of refugees from the countryside.  We've had a linnet or redpoll hanging out at the feeder occasionally, and a possible sighting of a female yellowhammer.  But that's about it.  The goldfinches, who are extremely pretty but a bit belligerent, are probably chasing them away.