Over the last couple of weeks I've noticed almost a total lack of birds at my garden feeders in The Glen. Feeders are all clean with a variety of fresh food that is normally met with great approval by our avian friends. I've checked for predators no sign of any raptors and only the occasional domestic cat. Due to the unusually mild winter is there a glut of natural food, hence the birds are feeding elsewhere or can anyone suggest any other factors for the disappearance. I normally have plenty of tits and finches plus thrushes, dunnocks, feral and wood pigeons, woodpeckers and the occasional rare to the garden bird but not even the gregarious magpies and jackdaws are showing up. Help.!!
It seems strange to have lost a lot of birds all at once. We still have many birds coming to our feeders at Gaghills in Waterfoot (although the number of finches may have dropped). It is true that the mild weather has kept some birds away from the feeders in the usual numbers, notably great spotted woodpeckers, song thrushes and starlings. Is it possible that somebody else has started feeding in the same area and therefore the birds that normally use your feeders are now using theirs? Or perhaps a sparrowhawk has clocked your feeders and made the locals a bit wary for the time being.
Thanks for the reply Kevin, no sign of a sparrowhawk, such a dearth of birds I jokingly wondered if that N. Yorks escapee Stellers Sea Eagle might be lurking about.
Think I found the culprit this morning, whilst watching a robin on the bird table a large tabby type cat pounced but fortunately missed. I've looked the type up on the net and I think it is a Bengal cat, not quite a tiger but the next best thing. The hose pipe is set up ready for the next sighting and Bert and Annie ( Jack Russells ) have had a full warfare briefing.
-- Edited by Greengrass on Friday 7th of February 2014 03:02:29 PM
