Where are all the birds?

[SMS6]

I had some brassicas growing in a potato bag and they were absolutely covered in caterpillars, so I thought sod it! Dragged the bag over to where my bird feeder section is and left it there in the open thinking at least the birds could benefit.

Not one seen all day???? Where are they all??

[Snadger]

Imentioned this earlier but thought I was maybe paranoid! I haven't seen a blackbird in months!

[di]

Imentioned this earlier but thought I was maybe paranoid! I haven't seen a blackbird in months!

Now you say it!!Me neither!!
We have however got an elder tree at the lottie where we spotted at the w/e~hedge sparrows,green finches & we think a warbler!!

[littlemark]

Last year my grape vines were stripped by Blackbirds who managed to find a gap in the netting. This year I haven't seen a Blackbird or Starlings in the garden or elsewhere for around two months. Is there something good in the surrounding fields that's keeping them away?

Mark

[Snadger]

Last year my grape vines were stripped by Blackbirds who managed to find a gap in the netting. This year I haven't seen a Blackbird or Starlings in the garden or elsewhere for around two months. Is there something good in the surrounding fields that's keeping them away?

Mark

Possibly............I know because of all the wet weather the farmers can't get on the fields to harvest their wheat and it appears to be rotting in the fields.
I wouldn't have thought that blackbirds ate wheat though?

[Capsid]

They have all been confused after flying here for what they thought was a summer and have upped sticks and gone to where the suns does shine. Joking aside I wonder if that may be part of the reason?

But we do get a lot of blue and great tits on the feeders.

[lynda66]

went out caterpillar hunting today, and left them in the bowl, normally mr and mrs blackbird usually sit in the tree when i go out in the garden, but no sign of them all day, and the caterpillars are still there ........ i don't think i've seen them for over a week and theres not even any sign of this years young either ...... and i haven't had sparrows this year either, normally theres about 8-10 pairs and they bring their babies to drink from the pond, but i've not seen them at all this year ...... even though i've been sticking food out .... which hasn't been going down as quickly as normal ....... i think ours are down to the fact that the council have allowed an industrial estate to be built behind the house, so the wasteland with trees and bushes normally with loads of wildlife has gone ...... i used to feed our fox too, but haven't seen him this year either, he had his den out the back too

we haven't got any crop fields anywhere near

[Comfreyfan]

I haven't seen or heard our residents for a while either. There are still plenty of birds around, a gang of long tail tits and blue tits, robins and my current favourite a wren that hops around in the vine hopefully eating insects! But no blackbirds at the moment.

[Two_Sheds]

My blackbirds disappeared a while ago - a few starlings have reappeared now for the evening roost, but nothing is coming into the garden, suggesting they are finding plenty of wild food.

While blackbirds are highly territorial all year, they forget their boundaries after fledging the last chicks. They will leave their territories which they have jealously guarded all year, and fly off to explore open countryside where wild hedgerow food is plentiful, and farmers are dropping grains from the harvest.

In autumn, the blackbirds will once again start to squabble over territory, and return to their gardens.
Remember a lot of birds will simply die of exhaustion or starvation after a year of frantically bringing up chicks. I'm going to be making up a load of fat balls to last through the winter.

[Headfry]

I am in a way (sad way) relieved to read your posts here.
My birds have all but gone
Really worried about them.
We do however have some very noisy starlings! but no blackbirds, sparrows, robins, etc.

[Flummery]

Every year we think our 'tame' blackbird has died but they just go off to hide a bit while they are moulting. Having 2 or 3 broods in a season, then moulting is quite stressful for them. There are one or two birds (a blackbird and a bluetit this morning) starting to return. They'll be back and begging for scraps again soon!

[Stacey Steve]

Well I've got plenty you can borrow.

Visiting the garden: Blackbirds, Sparrows, Blue Tits, Dunnocks, a Robin, the ever messy and quarrelsome Starlings, Coloured Doves, noisey Magpies, Rooks and Crows trying to mug the Starlings and Wood Pigeons plus occasionaly a Sparrowhawk that pounces on some of the above. I haven't sen the Thrushes this year though.

At the allotments Blackbirds (one of which learnt to get under the door to my fruit cage, sorted that though), Robins, Wrens, Woodpigeons, Magpies, Woodpeckers, Kestrels and Sparrowhawks.

The Woodpigeons, Magpies and Starlings you can have free of charge.

[Two_Sheds]

they're back!

for the first time, I can sit here in the big picture window and see a small flock of starlings and another of sparrows, diddling about on the lawn and in the bushes !

Youngsters & adults, bless.

* goes off to make a fat ball

[Headfry]

Heard a blackbird for the first time in ages, lovely it was too!

[Tracey]

Ever read Silent Spring by Rachel Carson?