Have I just wasted my time?

[Finedon.Dandy]

I have spent the morning cleaning all the bird feeders and then filling them up with fresh food. Joe then mentioned that the birds havent been around our area much the past week as there is a sparrow hawk around. Does this really put them off feeding? Is there anything I can do to help?

Incidentaly it is probally the same sparrowhawk I saw on Saturday which I pointed out to my DD in the car. I said "look up there in the sky, theres a sparrowhawk" She must have been half asleep as she was slow on the uptake but eventualy said "where" and I said "Oh we have just passed it" I knew she really was half asleep when she asked "Was there really a parsnip in the sky"? !!!!!! !!!!!!!!!

[lynda66]

the birdies will appreciate it ....... we had a sparrowhawk round last year ...... the birds did lay low when it was about, but once he left they came back no problem.

[srodders]

The funniest bird related story I've heard was when a bird from America, only seen for the second time in England, with hundreds of Birders watching it was filmed live as a sparrowhawk flew down and started eating it.

It's nature, big animals eat smaller animals. Put feed out and you will attract more of teh little birds who will then act as a look-out for each other. Some may well get eaten by the sparrowhawk - but if you didn't feed them theres a good chance more would die from starvation.

[snuffer]

The birds might not be visiting the feeders so often because of the recent milder weather. When it was very cold and wet a few weeks ago we were filling our feeders first thing in the morning and again later in the day. During this milder spell they have only needed topping up in the mornings.

There is a cold spell forecast for this weekend, that should have them flocking back and they'll appreciate the clean and freshly filled feeders.

[Nicos]

If my chooks ( boy it's nice to be able to say that folks!!!) hear a Buzzard overhead they leg it back indoors.
The only birds I've seen stand up to a bird of prey is the crow ( or rook)which work in pairs dive-bombing the buzzard until it goes away.
Actually ,come to think about it , the birds have been tucking into greenfly and the lawn and not the feeders!

[Two_Sheds]

Try and position your bird feeders within a few feet of a bush or tree, so the birds can dash into cover if they are threatened.

[burnie]

When you put out feeders you are creating a "water hole on the serengetti " in your own back garden.It will happen if you have a bush with berries on it,the commotion will attract the hungry.As has been said it is natures way,if you stop feeding, your birds may go hungry and the predators will still find the weak or the old,survival of the fittest!!

[seasprout]

The important thing is to not stop putting out food for the little birdies, they know the food is there and will rely on it more in the coming weeks.

There is a real cold snap forecast this weekend, so you may see more soon.

Having bush/plant cover near your feeders will give them more confidence when feeding.

However my squirrels dont need any encouragement.

[Headfry]

Noooo FD your time is not wasted, please keep up with the feeding the birds! The birds will come back.
My feeders are deserted when it's mild! wait and see what happens this weekend!

[valmarg]

We have a visiting sparrowhawk, which I object to using the garden as a fly-through convenience store. The garden looks a mess at the moment because the runner bean canes are still in situ, and we have not grubbed out the sweetcorn plants. The object of this is to break the flightpath so that it can't have a straight 'run' at the birds on the feeders. We also randomly stick tall canes round the feeders.

Two lessons I have learned are, that if you see the hawk perched on a fence or post in the garden, DO NOT go out to shoo it off. It will cause the small birds to break cover and give it something to chase after. The other is if you see it eating a bird, do not shoo it off as it will mean it will leave the bird it was eating, and will have to catch another.

valmarg

[Headfry]

Brilliant advice Valmarg - thank you!

[burnie]

Birds of prey are very interesting in their own right,you are lucky to see them,try to enjoy them as part of natures bigger picture.

[nelliegemini]

I love to see a spar in the garden. Our tits/lbjs are too quick so far but I don't see the difference between putting out food for the tits and food for the sparrowhawks. By providing a feeding station for pretty little birds you are providing a food station for the predators. Whilst I agree that cats should be discouraged, seeing a sparrowhawk in the garden is a thrill, if it takes a tit from the feeder then that's nature, (if it takes my robin then it's war)

My cat can't be doing with birds, he likes voles/mice/rats, next door's cat likes birds and does spectacular leaps from the cover provided for birds into the feeding stations. In our case we need a huge area without cover so he can't hide, or else we have to hope the seagulls get more interested.

[Finedon.Dandy]

A little update.....

At the weekend dd and I sat watching for about 1/2 an hour as we had breakfast and this is what we spotted....

One male blackbird
The wren - yay!
Two wood pidgeons - boooo!
Two starlings
AND a chaffinch - not seen one of them in our garden since the first year we were here, when we had around 20 visit EVERY day!

So its not too bad. Want to know what the house at the end has to offer though (about 5 doors down) as they have a little sparrow colony going (my favourite bird) and they never visit up here You can here them all chattering to themselves but they never once pop over to say hi or sample my fresh LIVE WRIGGLING mealworms!

Gonna construct a wire cage around the mesh dish feeder on the feeding station so that the pigeons dont hog it - otherwise the little birds dont get any of the (expensive) mealworms. Dont worry they wont miss out - they can take plenty from what I put on the ground and other than that there is alway my brassicas !!!

[Two_Sheds]

Gonna construct a wire cage around the mesh dish feeder on the feeding station so that the pigeons dont hog it -

Pigeons eat cereals ... you can buy bird food without wheat in it, which will discourage the pigeons.