It was cold and windy here yesterday. I was amazed at the number of birds visiting the nut nets - the garden was a hive of activity, with birds taking their place in the queue, and going from nut-net to branch, or branch to nut-net, or down to the ground. I also put out a handful of rolled oats (I have a sackful) for my Robin and the Blue Tits and Chaffinches who visit the kitchen windowsill. Normally one handful will suffice, but yesterday I have to put four lots out. I know it was windy, but the wind was blowing the oats in against the window. These were very hungry little birds. It was as busy as it was in the coldest of the winter weather in January. At one point the long nut net was absolutely heaving with the colony of House Sparrows who live behind the barge boards on our house. Now you see why I can never take part in the RSPB garden bird count!
What do you put in your nut nets? I like the idea of using oatmeal - I will try that with my birds.
ReplyDeleteJust peanuts - we buy them in a big sack as that's cheaper. The crushed oats I bought thinking I could grind them fine enough for breadmaking, but that made very sad bread! We use them in other cooking but the sack will take a while to get through! I'd like to feed bird seed and is it niger seed? to attract the goldfinches, but the cost is prohibitive as they scoff it at such a rate.
ReplyDeleteSnowing here today and I have to remind myself that we need the moisture. I have two bird feeders swinging from the broken stub of limb, all that is left of the tree outside the big window. [The snow and wind early in the year brought it down.] We refilled the feeders twice since Wednesday and most of the seed landed on the ground as the feeders swung wildly in the wind. The seed mixture is pricey even in bulk and too much is going to waste.
ReplyDeleteRed-winged blackbirds singing mating songs, a variety of sparrows, purple finches, a chickadee or two.
Back to snow again MM? What fun - not . . . How late do you normally get snow? Purple finches sound really exotic - I must go google them - and red-winged blackbirds. Hang on, just remembered that "somewhere" I have an American bird book that a Californian friend once sent me. Now to try and track that down . . .
ReplyDeleteLovely pics!
ReplyDeleteAs to niger seed, we used to buy that but there was so much wastage, about half (or more) used to end up fallen on the ground. We had a special niger seed feeder too.
You're lucky having lots of sparrows, I rarely see them here these days. I have a niger seed feeder which brings in not only goldfinches but redpolls and siskins too. There's no waste, any fallen seed is gratefully accepted by various recipients lurking underneath - woodpigeons in particular!
ReplyDeleteMarch and April in Wyoming are months of heavy wet snows--very much needed in this area of low rainfall. The spring snows rarely stay more than a few days as the sun comes out and temps warm quickly, creating mud. There is usually a snow or two in May and even in early June--by which time we are well over reminding ourselves of the benefits. Summer is brief, but intense. Purple finch is "carpodacus purpureus"and not really as exotic as the name sounds--and not purple--has a rosey head and upper back. Lots of sparrows and finches of different varieties and I'm not an observant enough "birder" to tell them apart, especially the humbly garbed females. The call of the red-winged blackbird is a beloved sign of spring wherever I have lived--a musical bubbling chortle.
ReplyDeleteSharon - That Purple Finch is SO pretty - should be a PINK finch though! or perhaps roseate . . . It has a pretty call too (I found an excellent site through Google). That Red-winged Blackbird has SUCH a jungle-sounding YELL. NOTHING like our gentle blackbird at all, which sounds actually more like the purple finch! I never realized you got snow arriving so late into summer.
ReplyDeleteRowan - I've never seen Siskins or Redpolls, so perhaps I should indulge myself with a little niger seed next winter.