I’ve got a lot of sparrows. They’ve just had their first brood judging by the way they’re getting through fat balls. Quite a few swallows now, and some swifts.
At the Badger at Ponty-Land. 3 nest cups from previous years under some eaves in the beer garden. No Swallows :-(
I've noticed more swallows since the flies started rising ... ... no idea where they're nesting but there's a big farm on the lane so plenty of places. There's been a constant stream of new born lambs there so plenty of flies, etc, attracted. Now the lambs are pretty chunky the pair of eagles haven't been seen much ... ... shame for me but nice for the lambs I'd imagine
I have a small pond in the garden. One side is overgrown. A pair of ducks arrived and the neighbours started feeding them. I was sick of chasing mrs duck out of the garden eating the tadpoles. I arrived home one afternoon and there were 12 ducklings and the mrs in the small pond. She had built her nest in the large fern. Didnt even know they were there. We put the ducklings in a box took them to the neighbours garden with mrs duck following. She led them to the local burn and within a few days the ducklings all got ate.
Still no signs of swallows here and we have seen dozens of pairs every year for the past 20+. Anyway, a pair of tree sparrows have taken advantage of their absence and taken up residency in one of their old nests in our porch. Not exactly a pair of beauties but they get 10 out of 10 from me for initiative.
I love to see a wren, great little birds. Catch sight of one hopping about on the patio every now and then. We get loads of sparrows, blackbirds, pigeons, starlings. Get the occasional tit which I can't point out to my wife without her giggling, I wish she shared my mature sense of humour.
I always assumed the little birds you saw flitting around were mainly sparrows ... ... but I was wrong. My various bird feeders have mainly tits, finches, wrens and the odd woodpecker, etc. My current favourites are the long tailed tits, lovely little faces, which may be fledglings as they've suddenly appeared.
I had a couple of Chaffinch in my garden yesterday and a collared Dove has made an appearance. Now if I could only get rid of the magpies and crows.... I have had occasional visits from a sparrow hawk which tends to scare the smaller birds Strangest one was a Heron sitting on the roof of the house out the back of ours. It slowly came down the roof and hopped down next to his pond and proceeded to clear out my neighbours fish.
That’s common mate, LTT just flit in out in batches, sometimes I have 13 or more ( most 21 ) and then I won’t see them for days. But all the other garden birds my garden is alive with them, but still very few Swallows although there are some now.
We have a pond with a few nice fish in it. A few years ago I lost quite a few to a heron. I came down next morning and there’s the heron sitting on a picnic bench next to the pond. Now that really is taking the piss!
Spotted me 1st swallows in Roker park today mind it was only 2.both them and swifts are in short supply this year there’s normally loads around the park and the field at the back of bede street
We have a bush in the front garden stands about 12-14 foot at the end of the drive and is full of sparrows, there must be 40+ in there. There's also a couple of blackbirds in there too. The noise the sparrows make is incredible at times and it's funny watching up to 20 of them sit on top deciding where to go next then suddenly they're off. There's more fun watching them than what's on the Tele at times. A neighbour suggested I cut it down to make getting off the drive easier but there's no way I'd evict these little buggers they give us so much pleasure. When I trim my bush twice a year ( yes I know) those in residence sit tight for the hour it takes me and never make a sound. Isn't nature wonderful.
I feed a few ducks on the river every morning as well That brings back a funny memory from a few years back. An old lady neighbour rang me and said, I’ve got £20 here for you if you pop round and trim my back bush I nearly choked
I fight annual battles with Herons on behalf of my pond. Herons breed on the Derwent not far from me. They know my pond is here and they come back time and again. I have lost a few fish, but have largely got on top of them now, hopefully. I have planted a lot of deep water hawthorn and that has grown really well. I have lillies and other floating cover too. Also put in a couple of floating reflective balls on advice of a neighbour. Apparently they dont like them. My dog has chased a couple away but they still come back.
