Our garden birds - Harsh winter weather can spell doom

[Christel]

They're like truckers, they always know where to get the the best grub in any area

The birds are still eager to be fed. It's amazinf we still have the frosty nights. I suppose they are happy with sheep's wool for their nests, that's all around?

[Christel]

They're like truckers, they always know where to get the the best grub in any area

The birds are still eager to be fed. It's amazinf we still have the frosty nights. I suppose they are happy with sheep's wool for their nests, that's all around?

There's a great program on BBC2 every night until Thursday: lambing live, in case you are interested.

[Baron von Biffo]

The birds are still eager to be fed. It's amazinf we still have the frosty nights. I suppose they are happy with sheep's wool for their nests, that's all around?

There's a great program on BBC2 every night until Thursday: lambing live, in case you are interested.

I've often seen birds take sheep's wool (and cows hair) from hedges and fences for their nests.

[Baron von Biffo]

My siskins have abandoned me. Not 1 around since Wednesday or Thursday last

[MsAnneThrope]

My siskins have abandoned me. Not 1 around since Wednesday or Thursday last

I still see the odd one still but definitely not as many as in Jan & Feb. They've probably headed back to the woods & forests to breed, I suspect.

Thought you'd be interested to know this. I had to go to Tesco last night, about 9:30pm, and they had a large mobile rack of bread they were selling off really, really cheaply near the entrance. 6-packs of wholemeal brown baps for €0.06 (yes, six cents!), brown loaves (unsliced) for €0.20 cents, and several others all for 20 cents or less. They were expiring yesterday or today but are ideal for our birds. I bought loads of them and for less than €2 I've enough bread for a week for the larger birds that don't/can't use the feeders. I have a large freezer to put all the bread in. I rarely shop so late in Tesco so I wonder do they do this every day? I'll go again around the same time next week. Have you seen this too in Tesco or other stores at night?

No let up in the freezing weather for the rest of the week it seems, so can we all keep doing our best for the birds? Especially as we're in the critical breeding season right now. If you'd like to see babies in your gardens in April/May then the parents will need all the help we can give them in this protracted, icy spell.

[sarahj]

I still see the odd one still but definitely not as many as in Jan & Feb. They've probably headed back to the woods & forests to breed, I suspect.

Thought you'd be interested to know this. I had to go to Tesco last night, about 9:30pm, and they had a large mobile rack of bread they were selling off really, really cheaply near the entrance. 6-packs of wholemeal brown baps for €0.06 (yes, six cents!), brown loaves (unsliced) for €0.20 cents, and several others all for 20 cents or less. They were expiring yesterday or today but are ideal for our birds. I bought loads of them and for less than €2 I've enough bread for a week for the larger birds that don't/can't use the feeders. I have a large freezer to put all the bread in. I rarely shop so late in Tesco so I wonder do they do this every day? I'll go again around the same time next week. Have you seen this too in Tesco or other stores at night?

No let up in the freezing weather for the rest of the week it seems, so can we all keep doing our best for the birds? Especially as we're in the critical breeding season right now. If you'd like to see babies in your gardens in April/May then the parents will need all the help we can give them in this protracted, icy spell.

They're fussy out my way. The seeds are still hanging out on my balcony!

[Baron von Biffo]

I still see the odd one still but definitely not as many as in Jan & Feb. They've probably headed back to the woods & forests to breed, I suspect.

This must be how it feels to be a father of teenagers. The little buggers were happy to eat me out of house and home until the hormones kicked in, then they vanish!

Thought you'd be interested to know this. I had to go to Tesco last night, about 9:30pm, and they had a large mobile rack of bread they were selling off really, really cheaply near the entrance. 6-packs of wholemeal brown baps for €0.06 (yes, six cents!), brown loaves (unsliced) for €0.20 cents, and several others all for 20 cents or less. They were expiring yesterday or today but are ideal for our birds. I bought loads of them and for less than €2 I've enough bread for a week for the larger birds that don't/can't use the feeders. I have a large freezer to put all the bread in. I rarely shop so late in Tesco so I wonder do they do this every day? I'll go again around the same time next week. Have you seen this too in Tesco or other stores at night?

Any more space set aside for bird food there wont be room for my own. I bought a 20Kg bag of seed for €19 in Petmania and I use it for ground feeding. Sparrows and chaffinches go for it as do as my 3 collared doves and the jackdaws. A pair (brace?) of wood pigeons have a nibble too on occasion.

I haven't seen the cheap bread in Tesco here but that's not to say they don't do it.

No let up in the freezing weather for the rest of the week it seems, so can we all keep doing our best for the birds? Especially as we're in the critical breeding season right now. If you'd like to see babies in your gardens in April/May then the parents will need all the help we can give them in this protracted, icy spell.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/ab_rob...tcm9-54867.jpg

+1

[Lightning Rod]

I saw my first yellowhammers of the year yesterday, two females.

[MsAnneThrope]

I saw my first yellowhammers of the year yesterday, two females.

Good to hear it. They're still on the endangered 'Red List' in Ireland and the UK. They're really beautiful wee birds.

A new report published by RSPB Northern Ireland and BirdWatch Ireland has identified alarming declines in a number of bird populations across the island of Ireland. Of 199 species assessed, 25 have been allocated to the ‘Red List’, which names bird populations that require urgent action to secure their future on the island. [...]

The ‘Red List’ includes bird populations that have declined by over 70% and those that are threatened across the world. [...]

“Of particular concern are our seabirds, migratory waterfowl, and farmland birds. Iconic species such as the barn owl, corncrake, curlew and yellowhammer all face an uncertain future."

[Baron von Biffo]

I saw my first yellowhammers of the year yesterday, two females.

Lucky you. I haven't seen a yellowhammer in 4 or 5 years.