Malt 379 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Going to start heaving the food out again here shortly, the bloody sparrows eat us out of house and home, got a huge flock of the little buggers out the back there! I don't mind them, they're quite tame and its nice seeing them a few feet away while I'm out there. When they can get a look it we also get Goldies, dunnocks, blackbirds, a resident Robin, Collared doves, pied wagtails, blue tits, great tits, wrens etc. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Accip74 7,112 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Where have all the songbirds gone !!! Mrs Sparrowhawk.......but cwis packham blames the farmers..... Sparrowhawks could be one of many factors.....including farming, a massive cat population, large corvid populations in suburban areas etc etc.... ....Although the best places I've seen for songs birds also have a healthy population of sparrowhawks. The worst places I've seen for song birds are usually intensively farmed areas..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chaff 3,622 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Corvids play a big part as well as grey squirrels even the rspb are trapping magpies in their nature reserves. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lurcherman 887 13,261 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Gonna stock up today at some point 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Accip74 7,112 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Corvids play a big part as well as grey squirrels even the rspb are trapping magpies in their nature reserves. I forgot grey squirrels, we don't have them here thank fcuk! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chaff 3,622 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Corvids play a big part as well as grey squirrels even the rspb are trapping magpies in their nature reserves.I forgot grey squirrels, we don't have them here thank fcuk! Are you up north, think there's too much open ground for them. I wonder where the most northern grey squirrels reside ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Accip74 7,112 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Corvids play a big part as well as grey squirrels even the rspb are trapping magpies in their nature reserves.I forgot grey squirrels, we don't have them here thank fcuk! Are you up north, think there's too much open ground for them. I wonder where the most northern grey squirrels reside ? I'm in Belgium. Only red squirrels here.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
peterhunter86 8,627 Posted October 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 (edited) Just picked up these sunflower hearts they go mad for them. Edited October 20, 2017 by peterhunter86 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bird 9,970 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Corvids play a big part as well as grey squirrels even the rspb are trapping magpies in their nature reserves.I forgot grey squirrels, we don't have them here thank fcuk! Are you up north, think there's too much open ground for them. I wonder where the most northern grey squirrels reside ? I'm in Belgium. Only red squirrels here.... we could do with a few over here , the greys have taken over, the reds die from what the greys carry in there bodys somting like that, that what it said on the tv from top vet . there loads of greys over here bloody tree rats .! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sussex 5,777 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 We used to put out the fat balls but ended up making our own with the cheapest lard and a seed mixture , a pack of lard makes two or three big tubs ( margarine ) just melt the lard mix in the seed , put in tubs , cool in fridge ..either empty on table when set or leave in the tub ..peanuts , mixed seed and niger seed pull in loads of goldies , tits , green finches , chaff finches , greater spotted woodpeckers , nuthatches , every now and then we get a little flock of long tailed tits and all the usual garden stuff ..All corvids and grey bushy tailed rats are banned and if I can get the bedroom window open without getting spotted ( really difficult with the corvids ) are shot on sight ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kanny 20,711 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 We used to put out the fat balls but ended up making our own with the cheapest lard and a seed mixture , a pack of lard makes two or three big tubs ( margarine ) just melt the lard mix in the seed , put in tubs , cool in fridge ..either empty on table when set or leave in the tub ..peanuts , mixed seed and niger seed pull in loads of goldies , tits , green finches , chaff finches , greater spotted woodpeckers , nuthatches , every now and then we get a little flock of long tailed tits and all the usual garden stuff ..All corvids and grey bushy tailed rats are banned and if I can get the bedroom window open without getting spotted ( really difficult with the corvids ) are shot on sight ... I really don't mind the corvids in the garden I live next to a rookery and there's a big pack of jacks living among them we normally put a load of big food out on the high tables late at night and the rooks and jacks are on it at first light before heading out to the fields there always entertaining watching them squabble. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MOLE265 792 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Where have all the songbirds gone !!! Mrs Sparrowhawk.......but cwis packham blames the farmers..... Sparrowhawks could be one of many factors.....including farming, a massive cat population, large corvid populations in suburban areas etc etc.... ....Although the best places I've seen for songs birds also have a healthy population of sparrowhawks. The worst places I've seen for song birds are usually intensively farmed areas..... Where is all the intensive farming in the uk. I was under the impression most farmers here have set aside Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Born Hunter 17,798 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Just many tons of wheat and kibbled maize over near 2000 acres! I'm not a twitcher really but it's very satisfying seeing the land come alive with song birds etc after years of management. On another shoot I was invited on for the keepers day last Jan we were lined out for the first drive and the place was absolutely buzzing with bird song, so much so I took a video to remember the atmosphere. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
peterhunter86 8,627 Posted October 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 We used to put out the fat balls but ended up making our own with the cheapest lard and a seed mixture , a pack of lard makes two or three big tubs ( margarine ) just melt the lard mix in the seed , put in tubs , cool in fridge ..either empty on table when set or leave in the tub ..peanuts , mixed seed and niger seed pull in loads of goldies , tits , green finches , chaff finches , greater spotted woodpeckers , nuthatches , every now and then we get a little flock of long tailed tits and all the usual garden stuff ..All corvids and grey bushy tailed rats are banned and if I can get the bedroom window open without getting spotted ( really difficult with the corvids ) are shot on sight .... I make my own fatballs when I have the time but I don't put whole seeds,when the seed's a covered in fat it's hard for them to get a grip on them I blend up a mixture of seeds then add porridge and other bit's and pieces' then roll them unto big balls 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sussex 5,777 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 We used to put out the fat balls but ended up making our own with the cheapest lard and a seed mixture , a pack of lard makes two or three big tubs ( margarine ) just melt the lard mix in the seed , put in tubs , cool in fridge ..either empty on table when set or leave in the tub ..peanuts , mixed seed and niger seed pull in loads of goldies , tits , green finches , chaff finches , greater spotted woodpeckers , nuthatches , every now and then we get a little flock of long tailed tits and all the usual garden stuff ..All corvids and grey bushy tailed rats are banned and if I can get the bedroom window open without getting spotted ( really difficult with the corvids ) are shot on sight .... I make my own fatballs when I have the time but I don't put whole seeds,when the seed's a covered in fat it's hard for them to get a grip on them I blend up a mixture of seeds then add porridge and other bit's and pieces' then roll them unto big balls What binds it together P ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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