cold weather headed our way

[Millet]

We have a wonderful selection of birds, during the snow there was a flock of nine Goldfinches in the Rowan and Bullfinches today. I also noticed Collared Doves are nesting in our Bay.
It's just those three tiny species deserved a special mention.
How do they do it ??!!

Agreed, a Wren's call is something else.

Don't forget the Hedge Sparrows (Dunnock) they are often over looked for there drab colour but they also belt a cracking tune out, and close up they are not so dull in colour.

 

[Swarm]

Don't forget the Hedge Sparrows (Dunnock) they are often over looked for there drab colour but they also belt a cracking tune out, and close up they are not so dull in colour.

We've got resident Dunnocks, always rummaging under shrubs and hedges. Nice red eyes as well if really close.
What saddens me is the drop in Song Thrush numbers. In 2007 I watched a mother taking four young ones around catching snails, since then we get one here or there but at least we always get one belting out on early Spring mornings. I think it's down to Blackbird numbers increasing.

 

[Millet]

We've got resident Dunnocks, always rummaging under shrubs and hedges. Nice red eyes as well if really close.
What saddens me is the drop in Song Thrush numbers. In 2007 I watched a mother taking four young ones around catching snails, since then we get one here or there but at least we always get one belting out on early Spring mornings. I think it's down to Blackbird numbers increasing.

Sad but true they are on the decline and i have no idea why as nothing competes with them for the food they favour, around my hive area the Mistle Thrush population is rising and like you we only ever seem to hear the odd solitary male Song Thrush singing his head of during the warmer spring days..the same with Tree Creepers they used to be a common site in the Sycamore woodland but these days we are lucky to see one per year sneaking up and down the tree trunks in search of food.

 

[Erichalfbee]

The thrushes here nest very early and their nests get robbed out by magpies, jays, crows and squirrels. I think that’s why we see so few here these days. We have put cages around our robin boxes and that seems to work. Previously they failed for the same reason.

 

[Millet]

The thrushes here nest very early and their nests get robbed out by magpies, jays, crows and squirrels. I think that’s why we see so few here these days. We have put cages around our robin boxes and that seems to work. Previously they failed for the same reason.

Them four you mention do not get any leeway from me, the only member of the Corvid family i leave alone are Rooks, i had a Goldfinch nest in the garden last year and a Carrion Crow was hanging around the area but i did not manage to shoot it, the inevitable happened and the nest was emptied.

 

[Stiffy]

Largest decline to thrushes is down to humans and the tons of pellets put down to kill slugs and snails. Farmers use bucket fulls to enable them to produce the cheap crops we all desire.
Sad to see but studies have shown that although magpies etc do take songbirds, they have little effect on numbers.
S

 

[Beefriendly]

Back to the original topic....snowing heavily (again) this morning up here about an inch so far......Grrrrrrrr.
Shiver.....

 

[MartinL]

Lavished with tlc til her granddaughter (a plod) told her what it was

Did the young PC recognise it from intensive Police training
or summer evenings at University?

And then, what became of the plant?

Moved to the Greenhouse?
Sold to the granddaughter?
Sold at the W.I. market?
Burnt?


Oh and by the way,

It's P!55!NG down here in Warwick!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Largest decline to thrushes is down to humans and the tons of pellets put down to kill slugs and snails. Farmers use bucket fulls to enable them to produce the cheap crops we all desire.
Sad to see but studies have shown that although magpies etc do take songbirds, they have little effect on numbers.
S

On the larger scale of things yes, but in my garden, where there are no pesticides and none in the surrounding farmland, they wreak havoc. The Red Kites run the crow gauntlet all spring and the bloomin’ crows even get into the hen coop and steal the eggs !

 

[Swarm]

No doubt there are many reasons for Song Thrush decline but when I am in the area I was born and grew up in, they are still numerous and plenty on the farm where the apiary is. Around here they stick to woodland verges and farmland less in parks and gardens. We have a lot of trees around the garden and you get an individual singing from high in the canopy but they don't nest here any more, too many Blackbird bullies seeing them off.

 

[Swarm]

+ may have some interesting seedlings under one feeder later on in the year??

They will come up male.

 

[Beefriendly]

They will also come up as hemp seedlings as used in making old ropes. Need to smoke a field of them have any effect. They look like the illegal ones in shape only.

 

[Swarm]

Same plant, different cultivar.

 

[Stiffy]

On the larger scale of things yes, but in my garden, where there are no pesticides and none in the surrounding farmland, they wreak havoc. The Red Kites run the crow gauntlet all spring and the bloomin’ crows even get into the hen coop and steal the eggs !

Sorry off topic.
Had them stealing eggs from my hens too, they would sit in neighbouring trees waiting for me to exit the area and then help themselves. A farmer friend advised to make a dark tunnel entrance for the hens to go through to get into the hen house. I folded a half sheet of plastic roofing and temporarily pinned in front of the hen house. Apparently, crows dislike not being able to see where they are entering, I left it there for a couple of weeks and not had a problem since.
S

 

[Stiffy]

They will also come up as hemp seedlings as used in making old ropes. Need to smoke a field of them have any effect. They look like the illegal ones in shape only.

Seems to be a lot of knowledge about this plant on the forum!!!

 

[Poly Hive]

Old hemp rope?

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=hemp+rope&atb=v75-6_u&ia=products

PH

 

[Beefriendly]

Same plant, different cultivar.

Interestingly our government makes it illegal to grow to either....
All forms of cannabis seed, whether hemp or high-cannabinoid, are legal to buy and possess in the UK, but the law precludes germinating and growing cannabis seed of any type without the appropriate licence.

 

[madasafish]

Interestingly our government makes it illegal to grow to either....
All forms of cannabis seed, whether hemp or high-cannabinoid, are legal to buy and possess in the UK, but the law precludes germinating and growing cannabis seed of any type without the appropriate licence.

So all these hydroponic shops selling expensive equipment are wasting their time?

 

[MartinL]

They will also come up as hemp seedlings as used in making old ropes.

I think you'll find that Skunk wasn't available at Woodstock, Hemp & cannabis were the same.

Need to smoke a field of them have any effect.

You're talking from your own experience?
Back in the 90's we were out in the Caribbean doing just that for HM!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sorry off topic.
Had them stealing eggs from my hens too, they would sit in neighbouring trees waiting for me to exit the area and then help themselves. A farmer friend advised to make a dark tunnel entrance for the hens to go through to get into the hen house. I folded a half sheet of plastic roofing and temporarily pinned in front of the hen house. Apparently, crows dislike not being able to see where they are entering, I left it there for a couple of weeks and not had a problem since.
S

Now that's a thought. Thanks