Thursday 11 December 2008

A new garden record

I put my new bird feeders two weeks ago and have seen very little activity on them. Today was the first time since I have put them up that I have been home at lunchtime so I spent an hour from 1 till 2 this afternoon watching the feeder.
I have a pole feeder that is put into the ground and has a feeding and water tray hanging off as well as a peanut feeder, 6 lard balls, seed feeder and a suet block as well as another seed feeder and 3 lard balls around the fence.
The main attraction for birds to my garden is the plumb tree which has had Redwing in it and a woodcock underneath.
The hour started off quietly today as the local Sparrowhawk flew over. After 15 minutes a female blackbird fed on the ground under pole with a Dunnock and the resident Robin which kept attacking the Dunnock from time to time.
Then 25 Starling came within 5 minutes and took a huge chunk of the suet block and most of the lard balls.
In between the Starlings which flew between the feeder and my neighbours roof, Blue tit and a coal tit fed on the peanut feeder.
With five minutes left and nothing else happening I noticed a Long tailed tit in the plumb tree, then 2, 5, 8, 9, 11 and finally 12!
This is the new garden record, I have had 5 long tailed tits at the most in the garden but they flew over two years ago anyway. The flock then all flew onto the feeder at once and ate what was left of the lard balls, I stayed and watched them for about five minutes before they flew off over the fence individually. This is proof that I need to come home at lunch more often.

3 comments:

Ghost of Stringer said...

Nice one Crammy, LTTs are cool birds !

Feeding the birds is a great thing to do. Keep an eye on them feeders, sure you'll get one or two suprises, maybe a reed bunting or a brambling ! They both prefer feeding on seed on the ground, spill a little bit on the ground and and dunnocks and robins will like it too....

Stewart said...

I agree with Stringy there. Keep feeding from now and look out especially in March or very early April for Bramblings. I used to get them in my old garden and those were the peak months...Chaffinches attract them in ...

Crammy Birder said...

Thanks for the info i never realised March/April was the best time. I love the way that LTTs fly, up and down like a paper aeroplane.