This chilly weather has brought some great and unusual birds into our garden.
Having the lurgy has given me time to do a bit of spotting.
Along with the usual crew ( robins, sparrows, tits, woodpigeons) There’s been a great variety, easy to watch ‘cos there’s no hiding place.
Had some red wings today. A song thrush all plumped up in the snow too. With a pair of bull finches yesterday.

My parents get loads of birds into their garden, because my dad puts out lots of different feed and there are lots of bushes and hedges. They had robins nesting this year.

Because of that, they also get the local neighbourhood sparrowhawk landing occasionally. Quite a shock when your sat in their conservatory!

Green finches, starlings, bull finches,sparrows, black birds, woodies and doves here

Any recommendations for decent bird food, for the birds not me! The ‘cheap’ (pardon the pun) stuff I bought they simply seem to pick through – ungrateful little so-and-so’s!

My parents also put out loads of different food types. They even have “tame” blackbirds that sit and chirp at you when you’re working on the car, robins that nest each year, bluetits that nest each year, the sparrowhawk, a heron, several local cats visiting and 3 small mice.

I’m a bluetit apparently. Foodwise, I’d be happy with a Twix.

Mine buy in mealworms – almost all of the birds seem to like them. Just dont try breeding them in the kitchen.

I saw a lesser spotter woodpecker on a feeder last week. It came as a bit of a suprise as i’d almost assumed it was a fictional bird.

We get loadsa woodpeckers – spotted rather than green though. Have got some Redpolls that have just started visiting now that we’ve put out some Niger seed – last year I trained a Robin to take mealworms from my hand but it seems to have been turfed out by a new fella who’s not so keen.

Yes, it’s far better to put out quality birdfood.
I include kitchen scraps, bits of left over meat, cheese, but NOT bread. Bread bad.

I put lots of different food out for the birds. It’s cheaper than feeding a cat or dog & much less hassle.

tankslapper, the best feed i’ve found for finches, tits etc is the RSPB premium sunflower heart mix. Very little wastage & no mess as it’s hulled. Buy direct from the RSPB & all the profits go to them. The goldfinches seem to prefer it to Niger seed. It’s got a small amount of maize & millet in it, enough for the smaller birds like robins etc & no corn so it doesn’t attract hoards of Pigeons. Buy online or at your local RSPB visitor centre.

I can vouch for the efficacy of posh bird food. Sunflower hearts go quickest. I’ve just bought some dried meal worms and put them out today. It’ll be dark when I get home but I bet there’ll be none left tomorrow.

I had a pair of honey buzzards fly over my garden, as the usual suspect metioned above. Also Bramblings, Dunnock, Siskin and Long Tailed Tit.
Go to [/url] and help the BTO in research on nesting birds. Good website for all keen bird watchers.

I put quartered apple segments up in my trees. Blackcaps love them & won’t touch anything else, including when the segments drop to the floor.

I think my dad buys his in bulk from the RSPB online.