During the days when I am out in the studio I am lucky enough to watch the birds visiting the feeder table. There are the ground feeders - the blackbirds, dunnocks, collared doves, wood pigeon, They bumble below the bird-table. Furtling about the plants looking for fallen scraps or the sunflower seeds I've scattered for them.
There there are more flighty birds, the ones that flit in, grab a beakful and flit out again. The shy coal tit, the briefly stopping blue tit, the occasional great tit. Their visits are quick and I have to be equally as quick to see them - it is such a pleasure to catch a glimpse.
Then there are the oh so brilliant visitors that make my heart skip a beat when I see them. The nuthatch - I held my breath when I first saw one. The goldcrest, greenfinch both set my heart a flutter. Other, less showy but equally welcome are the sparrows. Once so common around our garden - I occasionally see a timid four birds at any one time.
Regular bossy drop-ins - the robins, chase after the dunnocks and doves and sing their defiant ownership of the garden. The more secretive wren quietly skips along the hedges and fences until she notices a cat then she sings out a trilling song.
We do get more garrulous guests - the magpies, occasional starlings and once or twice a jackdaw - but not that often.
Anyhoo, inspired by my feathery distractions - I decided this year that I would join in the 'Big Garden Birdwatch' run by the RSPB and sent away for their pack. Apart from all the essential tick boxes and identity sheets and very useful little calendar - a recipe card fell out.
It looked like something my hollow-legs would eat - so I tried it out. The first batch did not last long ... the final one being eaten while it was still slightly warm. The second and third batches lasted slightly longer - but only just. Himself devours them almost as fast as the woodpigeon clears the fallen seed. Youngest scoffs them as enthusiastically as the starlings and Eldest takes them to uni and has two for breakfast with a mug of coffee. (Which I am delighted about - he is not a breakfast eater and ends up feeling rotten halfway through the day - since munching these little buns of yumminess he seems to last until lunch time).
Want the recipe ?
You'll have to go here and it is free all you have to do is spend a little time and count the birds in your garden - it will be worth it :D
Birds are fascinating to watch! I love them all. I should so something about providing food and such. Thanks for sharing. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it a joy just how many birds come to our gardens? I haven't done Birdwatch for years but I know we have most, if not all, of the same visitors as you.
ReplyDeleteYour little buns of yumminess are just that.....Yummy. as I type this a great tit has just dashed in for a nut from our window feeder.we have the coal and great tits too. Just occasionally a blue tit will stay and hold a peanut in his foot and eat it here. Trouble with that is we have to stand motionless or he will fly off. Xx
ReplyDeleteWe feed our birds too, we never see the nuthatch though, saw one when we were on holiday near Exmoor once. The others we see and seed only lasts a day in our long feeders. They are worth every penny we spend on them though as they bring such pleasure ,apart from squalling seagulls. I thought at first you had made your yumminess for the birds and thought how lucky they were. LOL. See you on Friday.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jak, those buns are yummy! Thanks for the recipe link as I fear I might have to make some....
ReplyDeleteSince our garden has begun to become established again I'm planning to rewild it. I've bought a roughly made bug hotel to hang up from the local nature reserve and put the feeders back out. Not many visitors, but a regular robin and a wren which likes to sit in the bush. Tomorrow I'm off to buy dried meal worms. Thanks for the link. Arilx
ReplyDeleteI think the Birdwatch system is great, although we don't do it out here. We've a bird feeder, which is inundated when we put out seed by the sparrows, which is quite a lot & turtle doves and they are so funny to watch. We get the occasional visit at the feeder from Eastern Rosellas, gallahs, corellas and the odd sulphur-crested cockatoo. We've also got blakcbirds, our beautiful blue wrens & their jennys' plus our Aussie magpies, and some of the different honeyeaters and wattle birds. Too many to tell about really & often see ibis flying over & on the very rare occasion a wedge tailed eagle. Oh, and we can hear kookaburras, although we've not had any hear in this yard, I had a few at No.4 that we saw. Shut up Susan, I can you all saying, but I do love my birds. Take care.
ReplyDeleteWe recently had a nuthatch visit, the first time we had seen him, boy was he beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHappy counting at the weekend.