WE HAVE LODGERS IN OUR GARDEN!!!

[silvermist]

During our lunch time me and the los look out for birds in the garden. They love it if they see them so I have been encouraging birds to the garden by leaving food for them and putting up fatballs etc...

Yesterday I noticed several robins hopping about so I watched where they flew off to and discovered we have them nesting in the bird box my dd made when she was in year 2 of primary school! Its been there nine years and Ive never noticed any birds in it before now.

The los will be so excited when I tell them on monday!

I even managed to get them flying in and out of the box on video! (the robins, not the los!) :D

[cathtee]

Love robins they make me smile, they seem so tame at times, they kept coming onto my shed when dh was working in the garden as if
they were watching him

[Mouse]

We have a garden full of birds - it costs us a fortune in food for them!

Have you seen the bird feeders you can attach to your window? We've got one of those & if we're too late out feeding the birds in the morning they come & sit on the feeder looking through the window at us!

[FussyElmo]

Arent robins supposed to be quite evil?

[Mouse]

Arent robins supposed to be quite evil?

It's our blackbirds that are evil. They sit waiting for the squirrels to arrive, them swoop at them to frighten them away :eek:

[LauraS]

During our lunch time me and the los look out for birds in the garden. They love it if they see them so I have been encouraging birds to the garden by leaving food for them and putting up fatballs etc...

Yesterday I noticed several robins hopping about so I watched where they flew off to and discovered we have them nesting in the bird box my dd made when she was in year 2 of primary school! Its been there nine years and Ive never noticed any birds in it before now.

The los will be so excited when I tell them on monday!

I even managed to get them flying in and out of the box on video! (the robins, not the los!) :D

Thats lovely. One of my LOs has a big interest in the birds and we've bought a birdbox with camera/microphone/nightvision :laughing: and rigged it up to the TV. I'd love to have robins in it!

There are bird forums which show you how to rig up a daytime camera using a webcam quite cheaply... might be worth doing. Excellent fun if the robins lay eggs, watching them hatch and be reared :)

[thills]

Ah I love robins, we have just evicted some starlings that have used our eaves for several years to near in as they have started to cause problems in our very tiny loft space. Im hoping we might see some more birds now we don't have loads of starlings!

[silvermist]

We have a garden full of birds - it costs us a fortune in food for them!

Have you seen the bird feeders you can attach to your window? We've got one of those & if we're too late out feeding the birds in the morning they come & sit on the feeder looking through the window at us!

One of my los Dads gave me one of the window feeders and I cant wait until the birds decide to use it.

I love robins too!

Fussy they cant be evil...Ive always told my kids that they watch you in the winter and then go and tell Santa if youve been good! ;)

[silvermist]

Thats lovely. One of my LOs has a big interest in the birds and we've bought a birdbox with camera/microphone/nightvision :laughing: and rigged it up to the TV. I'd love to have robins in it!

There are bird forums which show you how to rig up a daytime camera using a webcam quite cheaply... might be worth doing. Excellent fun if the robins lay eggs, watching them hatch and be reared :)

What a great idea! I shall look into it for definate. Thanks xx

[Mouse]

One of my los Dads gave me one of the window feeders and I cant wait until the birds decide to use it.

I love robins too!

Fussy they cant be evil...Ive always told my kids that they watch you in the winter and then go and tell Santa if youve been good! ;)


So that's why they peer through at us! It's not because they're waiting for food, it's because they're checking up on us. I'd better start behaving when they're around!

[silvermist]

So that's why they peer through at us! It's not because they're waiting for food, it's because they're checking up on us. I'd better start behaving when they're around!

Do they seriously wait for you to come and feed them? How long did it take for them to start using the feeder? x

[Mouse]

Do they seriously wait for you to come and feed them? How long did it take for them to start using the feeder? x

It took about a week for them to start looking at it. They'd sit in the tree, hop quickly onto the feeder, then fly away again. I guess they were testing how safe it was. After a week they'd grab a piece of food, then fly off. They gradually stayed on it for longer and now they sit quite happily watching us through the window. They're very tame. When we go outside they'll fly into the tree, but they don't go far away & will be back at the feeder before we've come back inside.

We've got 3 bird tables, several hanging feeders & the window one. It takes ages every morning to fill them up!

[silvermist]

It took about a week for them to start looking at it. They'd sit in the tree, hop quickly onto the feeder, then fly away again. I guess they were testing how safe it was. After a week they'd grab a piece of food, then fly off. They gradually stayed on it for longer and now they sit quite happily watching us through the window. They're very tame. When we go outside they'll fly into the tree, but they don't go far away & will be back at the feeder before we've come back inside.

We've got 3 bird tables, several hanging feeders & the window one. It takes ages every morning to fill them up!

My window feeder is clear plastic, is yours like that? I cant wait to see them use it. Its on the playroom window, do you think the los being in there may put the robins off using it? x

[SDC34cr]

Cant wait to get my garden extended we will have a nature area and will be hoping to encourage more wildlife into the garden

[silvermist]

To be totally honest Im afraid of big birds like pidgeons etc but do love to watch little birds hopping about. x

[Mouse]

My window feeder is clear plastic, is yours like that? I cant wait to see them use it. Its on the playroom window, do you think the los being in there may put the robins off using it? x

Yes, that sounds like ours. Once the birds start using it they become quite brave. Out cat sits about 3ft away from it, but he doesn't put them off, not that he seems bothered about them.

[silvermist]

Yes, that sounds like ours. Once the birds start using it they become quite brave. Out cat sits about 3ft away from it, but he doesn't put them off, not that he seems bothered about them.

Ok, so now Im really excited! I shall keep you posted when we get birds using it. xxxx

[Kirstylob]

We have several different types of birds visiting our garden. A robin is a regular and seems to think he owns the garden and all the feeders, he chases the blackbirds and starlings away!

[MessybutHappy]

I've tried and tried to attract birds, but the local cats (or maybe my offerings are not good enough!) seem to keep them away :( Am very jealous!!!

[Tazmin68]

My parents have blue tits that nest in a box and have done so now for over 10 years. My ds was fascinated as to when we cleaned out the box after all had flown as to why the nest was square in shape.

[hectors house]

We have 2 squirrels who like to pinch food on bird feeder - very amusing to see them hanging upside down trying to pull the bottoms off the nut feeder - the pigeons sit underneath waiting to see if they manage it or not. We regularly get blue and great tits, coal tits, robins, blackbirds, thrust, chaffinch, recently a nut hatch and once many years ago a wood pecker.

Saw a barn owl in the fields near my house couple of days ago - never seen one in real life before (in the wild) it was really magical, glided like a ghost over my head and across fields - it wasn't even getting dark.

[lisbet]

We have 2 squirrels who like to pinch food on bird feeder - very amusing to see them hanging upside down trying to pull the bottoms off the nut feeder - the pigeons sit underneath waiting to see if they manage it or not. We regularly get blue and great tits, coal tits, robins, blackbirds, thrust, chaffinch, recently a nut hatch and once many years ago a wood pecker.

Saw a barn owl in the fields near my house couple of days ago - never seen one in real life before (in the wild) it was really magical, glided like a ghost over my head and across fields - it wasn't even getting dark.

I want to live where you do! My son would be in his element! :)

[silvermist]

We have 2 squirrels who like to pinch food on bird feeder - very amusing to see them hanging upside down trying to pull the bottoms off the nut feeder - the pigeons sit underneath waiting to see if they manage it or not. We regularly get blue and great tits, coal tits, robins, blackbirds, thrust, chaffinch, recently a nut hatch and once many years ago a wood pecker.

Saw a barn owl in the fields near my house couple of days ago - never seen one in real life before (in the wild) it was really magical, glided like a ghost over my head and across fields - it wasn't even getting dark.

We live out in the sticks and I had an oel in my garden once! I kept hearing it but could never see it then one eveing I was outside with a torch and there it was, sitting on the roof of our shed. Truly amazing. xxx

[Mice and Toad]

My eldest son made a bird box for cubs about 2 years ago, and we have blue tits nesting in it, I also sit in the morning having breakfast with the little ones watching them go in and out.

For food, I put out all the old cereal and bread, toast, wheatabix, also the pit goes outside with all the pasta, custard and goodness what else and someone eats it.

[loocyloo]

we have a few birds and i'd love to feed them, but we have a hunter of a cat and its just not fair on the birds.

i hate finding dead birds.


a friend of mine had a hunter and when RSPB or someone was doing a survey she said she knew she had had XYZ birdsin her garden, as her cat had brought them in to show her!

[lisbet]

Have you seen the bird feeders you can attach to your window? We've got one of those & if we're too late out feeding the birds in the morning they come & sit on the feeder looking through the window at us!

I've always wanted to get one of those, but my husband said they wouldn't work :rolleyes: Soon as the new tax year starts I shall get one! :D

[SYLVIA]

We don't feed the birds anymore. We have two cats and i feel it's like sending the birds to their death! Next door neighbours have loads of feeders and boxes so we can see theirs instead

[clareelizabeth1]

I have a pig shaped hanging basket which two little wrens live in they don't even mind when I change the flowers or even move it. It normally hangs just outside the play room. The door to our boot room broke this year and a verity of little birds have been nesting in it. They come in just as it gets dark and only leave when we walk out there in the morning. Have had lunch with mindies and a Robbin this year as could not get it out the kitchen. Mindies were very excited.

Love the idea of a window feeder.

[LauraS]

Hope this works, this is our first blue tit resident, investigating the box :)

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[caz3007]

So that's why they peer through at us! It's not because they're waiting for food, it's because they're checking up on us. I'd better start behaving when they're around!

We have a regular pair of robins for the last couple of years and they bought their babies last year to feed them. They are really funny, if we havent put any food out yet they sit on the pot looking in the window shouting and come quite close whilst we fill up their feeder.

We think they nesting in a bush in our garden this year. We had great tits in our bird house last year and their young were so noisy and demanding :D They are back again making a nest this year, so pleased

We get so many different birds in our garden and love the little wren and the goldcrests. We are lucky cos we live only one road away from fields and lots visit our garden

[MessybutHappy]

Loving the little hand too!!!

[LauraS]

Thought I would update this thread, the pair of blue tits who were initially investigating the box have now started to build a nest. First pic shows nest almost complete, second nest shows nest lined with the feathers and cotton wool that we left out on the feeder - apparently lining the nest with something soft is the final stage.

We are.now awaiting the first egg :D



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[Daisy De]

Robins are feisty little birds, very territorial and will fight other birds and their own kind extensively, they are still lovely though and seem very curious as to what we are doing in their gardens :)

Barn owls are just magical as you say hectors house, often called Ghost Owls due to their eerie silent flight and white underbellies combined with their loud scary screech. I have seen one in the wild like you did, didn't see or hear it coming until it flew past me a few feet away. Beautiful. :clapping:


I rather like starlings as well too they are very much in decline but up close have really beautiful green and purple feathers and of course are responsible for the wonderful huge flocks often seen in the sky in winter at dawn or dusk called murmurations. :magnificent:



Went a bit geeky there sorry lol

[nikki thomson]

We have starlings nesting in our attic, well actually between the inside and outside walls/attic. It's right above our bedroom and a few weeks ago we started hearing noises i thought we had mice, they clank all the hot water pipes. Anyway we've figured out were there getting in, and there making a nest, I've seen them with feathers and twigs, it's lovely, just wish they were abit quieter, every morning 7 on the dot you hear them scuttling around and the pipes clanging. X

[Bob]

we've got lots of feeders and a bird table in the garden and the robins are very interested if we're out gardening. We've got a Blackbirds nest in the Ivy beside our patio so we aren't using the washing line at the moment to avoid disturbing them.

If you look closely you can see Mrs Blackbird keeping an eye on me.

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af214/Bobinpeterboro/MrsBlackbird_zps08ac61d6.jpg (http://s1009.photobucket.com/user/Bobinpeterboro/media/MrsBlackbird_zps08ac61d6.jpg.html)

[Helen Dempster]

oh that's brilliant! I saw a robin in my garden last week, funnily enough. Unfortunately though, I have a cat who is a very good hunter, so I don't like to sign any birds death warrants by enticing them into my garden. Enjoy your new little family, the kids will love it! :)

[hectors house]

We have starlings nesting in our attic, well actually between the inside and outside walls/attic. It's right above our bedroom and a few weeks ago we started hearing noises i thought we had mice, they clank all the hot water pipes. Anyway we've figured out were there getting in, and there making a nest, I've seen them with feathers and twigs, it's lovely, just wish they were abit quieter, every morning 7 on the dot you hear them scuttling around and the pipes clanging. X

We had this several years ago - they would wait until my husband went to work and then start scratching about - I thought we had rats but of course OH didn't believe me as he wasn't home - then a neighbour told us that he had seen the birds getting in through a gap in the cement on the gable end. We waited until the chicks had flown the nest and then my husband blocked up the hole with more cement.

[hectors house]

Had an amazing sight on our bird feeding station last week - a big pigeon just balancing on one side and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker on the other side trying to hang onto a bird nut feeder - unfortunately didn't stay long enough for me to get my camera. Also seem to have a young squirrel visiting the feeding station, amusing the children as it hangs upside down and bites the netting off the fat balls.

Wish we could have a nesting box but we have a cat who admittedly is getting rather old for tree climbing, but lots of other cats in the neighbourhood.