Our garden birds - Harsh winter weather can spell doom

[toxic avenger]

Good thread. I've been feeding the birds in my garden for weeks now. The poor little guys can't dig into the rock hard ground.

Does the serpent around your neck not frighten the birds away?...

[Christel]

The birds feed on what falls beside the sheep troughs (barley), Barley is left for them at several places, such as stone pillars as well. We have a large bird feeder on a roof that we can access from a window. Safe from cats. There they get a mix of bird food, raisins (the blackbirds love them), bread. Left over cat food is also put outside, the magpies love it, and it distracts them from the bird feeder.

[st333ve]

Been feeding the birds myself, thanks for the tips.

Never thought of giving them water or wetting the bread.

[imokyrok]

Hi, I'm Malbekh and I approve of this thread.

Nice pad Beanie.

On Magpies, did you know that Magpies are the only birds that mourn each others passing? They'll peck the body to see if it's dead, then fly off and get some funeral grass and lay a wreath. I like Magpies, they're cheeky buggers and I get a great laugh when they scold our dog and nick her dog food.

Magpies are thought to be self aware like apes, bottlenose dolphins, and Asian elephants so it wouldn't surprise me if they do mourn. I always love to see them too. Great characters. The old childrens rhyme always pops into my head and brings a smile to my face.

Slashdot | Magpies Are Self-Aware

[Telemachus]

Magpies are thought to be self aware like apes, bottlenose dolphins, and Asian elephants so it wouldn't surprise me if they do mourn. I always love to see them too. Great characters. The old childrens rhyme always pops into my head and brings a smile to my face.

Slashdot | Magpies Are Self-Aware

I saw one swoop down and rip the head off a young blackbird. They attack each other too. In dublin's stephen's green i saw one attacking another in a quite terrrible manner. If you ever see an injured magpie, be sure its because it was in a fight with another.

You are right, they do show a good degree of intelligence. The Crow, their cousins, are the only ones in that family I have respect for, they use their intelligence for problem solving rather than malice. Magpies are the grey squirrels of the bird world.

[MsAnneThrope]

I never thought of water. I assumed they would drink from the rivers and streams.

The small pools around the banks of rivers and streams (assuming they themselves are not frozen solid) can easily become solid ice in weather like this, making it very difficult or impossible for birds to drink. So if you have some shallow trays or bowls that you can put a few inches of water into around your garden (preferably up high if you have cats or your neighbours do) then you should do that.

Needless to say they'll need the ice melted every morning. Pour some boiling water over the surface while simultaneously tapping it with a hammer or something similar.

Of course never do what some well-intentioned people do, thinking they are being clever, by putting anti-freeze in the water. It is lethal poison for birds.

[Ah Well]

Yep the poor birds are suffering for sure ... saw a blackbird outside the back earlier (most beautiful singers) failing to break the earth for worms .... put some soft brown bread around the ground and they took to that after a while ... poor thing must have been starving

Meanwhile the small birds are happily attacking the bird feeder suspended on an overhanging branch.

[MauriceColgan]

Excellent thread, MsAnneThrope, Thanks.

I'm scattering peanuts into the hedges and onto shed roofs so the birds do not have to expend energy to eat them. Bread and butter, rasher rinds etc suplement the birdseeds too.

[MsAnneThrope]

Excellent thread, MsAnneThrope, Thanks.

I'm scattering peanuts into the hedges and onto shed roofs so the birds do not have to expend energy to eat them. Bread and butter, rasher rinds etc suplement the birdseeds too.

Hi Maurice,

Please make sure the peanuts are crushed or, at a minimum, split into two. Small birds like robins, and even larger birds like blackbirds, can easily choke to death on whole peanuts as they try to swallow them whole. It happens all the time. Stick them in a blender or crush them with a hammer inside a tea-cloth or such. Whole peanuts should only be put out in meshed feeders where they have to work at them, and cannot get them whole.

Thanks

[MauriceColgan]

Hi Maurice,

Please make sure the peanuts are crushed or, at a minimum, split into two. Small birds like robins, and even larger birds like blackbirds, can easily choke to death on whole peanuts as they try to swallow them whole. It happens all the time. Stick them in a blender or crush them with a hammer inside a tea-cloth or such. Whole peanuts should only be put out in meshed feeders where they have to work at them, and cannot get them whole.

Thanks

Didn't know that about birds choking. Will crush the peanuts from now on. We did use feeders previously I just thought it may be easier for the birds to get the nuts without having to work for them.

I'll make sure to feed the birds minced nuts.