Our garden birds - Harsh winter weather can spell doom

[spidermom]

I've been feeding the birds in the same place outside the kitchen window for years. Planted the cotoneaster at the food station about twenty years ago especially for the blackbirds and thrushes to feed on. Didn't know this was called a fieldfare until I saw the Baron's pic. Had it down as the thrush family though. It's mostly goldfinches I've been inundated with the last few years. About 120 to 150 of them at the moment.

(I'd no apples today so I put out a half tin of peaches of the fieldfare. Seemed satisfied enough with it. )

My gran used to say when she'd see loads of berries in the autumn that there would be a hard winter coming...she always figured that Mother Nature would look after the birds herself!!...but its lovely to give the birds a hand when its weather like this....I'v been leaving out christmas cake...I seem to have acquired 3 and we don't eat it...the birds do.....!!

[zippo222]

Hi Zippo222, If you upload the pics to a sharing site like Tinypic you can post a link here.

Just put a couple of pics. on Flickr Baron. If you just type in zippo22 into member search. (Don't know how to put up a link here either. Sorry.)

[Baron von Biffo]

Just put a couple of pics. on Flickr Baron. If you just type in zippo22 into member search. (Don't know how to put up a link here either. Sorry.)

PM me.

[spidermom]

One that spiderdad took today.....

[spidermom]

and heres zippo's

[spidermom]

sorry Zippo..didn't mean to put 2 pics the same.....!!

Great feeding station for the birds!!!

WEll done you!

[beanie]

sorry Zippo..didn't mean to put 2 pics the same.....!!

Great feeding station for the birds!!!

WEll done you!

Gees Zippo, thats fairly cool. Impressed!

[zippo222]

Great feeding station for the birds!!!

Had to add the mesh around the feeders to stop a neighbour's cat sneaking up on them. I hope to envelop the whole area with 3 inch steel mesh sides and top soon. Big enough for the garden birds to go in and out of but to protect them from a hawk that's in the area.

[asset test]

What a pleasure reading this thread and so much good advice too. A change from the doom, gloom, ice and snow all around.

Cotoneaster (the evergreen one) is absolutely picked clean now. I have left out mainly weetabix, oats, and grated cheese. It's a pantomime watching them all fighting over it. The blackbird is the boss (apart from the magpies that I shoo off, must get a life). It has to be the best free entertainment going. I can't find the hanging feeders but will get some for the littluns. The robin is getting closer to the back door too. Oh god I am sounding like someone whose kid is just starting school. Doh.

This morning I found some raisins and sultanas and soaked them in boiling water for a few minutes to plump them up. Those plus weetabix and grated cheese, sure they must have thought they were in Patrick Guilbauds.

One problem is I cannot seem to keep any water from freezing up. I put out some fresh in the morning but a few minutes later is frozen again. It's in a shallow baking dish.

[spidermom]

Had to add the mesh around the feeders to stop a neighbour's cat sneaking up on them. I hope to envelop the whole area with 3 inch steel mesh mesh sides and top soon. Big enough for the garden birds to go in and out of but to protect them from a hawk that's in the area.

It is really impressive....wouldn't survive in my garden with the footie fans!!...I see your cotoneaster...now thats the one that "my" birds dont fancy as much as the other one....will have to see if I can find a pic of it!!


(hope you don't mind me putting up your pics for ya!!...the one of the blackbird witht he berry in its beak is lovely!!)