Topic: Friends are back

[Carol]

I have been without my wee feathered friends for a few weeks now.  I believe they pack their suitcases and go for a holiday into the countryside to feed on the abundance of berries and whatever.

So I have only had the Collared Doves and Wood Pigeons to feed until this morning, when to my surprise I found I was back as a stop over point for feeding.  

I welcomed back the blue tits, coal tits and a few great tits, plus numerous chaffinches, greenfinches and a single blackbird.  

It is so strange to not see them for weeks and in just one morning they all turn up again.

Anyone else been short of our feathered friends recently.  This happens to me every year, but as soon as the days get a bit shorter and colder, back they come again.

 :)

[rosebud]

Hi Carol yes i am happy to say my friends are also back,well some of them.Bluetits,2 blackbirds, and of course my old pal robin, like you i have missed them.  Started buying my peanuts today and of course the robin food they are very spoilt my 2robins chase each other all the time trying to stop each other having the food ,they are very terrtorial arent they. Once the local council cut the hedges in a week or so i shall put the food in the hedges, they all seem to come
then i think they feel safe ,i hang the nuts and birdseed up on the branches and put a bird tray in the hedge i could watch them for hours. So glad to see them back, I expect the squirrel will be back to steal the food also.  ::) Rosebud.

[Mrs Ava]

Yup, I noticed it to but didn't give it a thought....brain addled on sloe gin sampling!  ;D  I noticed as I normally throw the kids breakfast crists out to the birds in the morning before the school run, and suddenly it was still there when I got home....and often all day.  It would eventually go but not the usual flurry of feathers.  However, back on the plot on Monday I noticed the hedgerows absolutely packed with twittering all scoffing the last of the elderberries I couldn't reach and the brambles.

[Gardengirl]

I think all your feathered friends must have been visiting my back garden ;D  I have never seen so many birds lately, just can't keep up with the food supply.  We have had greenfinch, sparrows, chaffinch, goldfinch, collared doves, blackbirds (even the blackbirds have been up on the feeder which is most unusual as they are ground feeders), starlings, robins,  blue tits, great tits and the occasional pigeon.  Haven't seen the little siskins for a while though, perhaps they have gone to warmer climes - do they migrate, I'm not sure.

Pat

[sandersj89]

About this time of year you often see an apparant drop in bird numbers. This is often caused by them going into hiding whilst they moult getting ready for winter.

Whilst moulting they cannot fly very well so hide to avoid preditors. They also do not feed so much.

We had a blackbird in hiding in the base of  a hawthorn hedge last week. He looked very scruffy with his feathers falling out. he is now in fine fettle and out and about as usual pulling worms from the lawn.

Jerry