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[Taz2]

I reckon there's a sign hidden somewhere that I haven't spotted - "This way for freebies"

Taz x

[Hurdity]

Very interesting to read your badger story Taz - does your garden back onto open countryside? I ask because I live in a village and we also had one years ago - saw it in the early morning in summer in the long grass next door (there wasn't a fence between the two gardens) and it seemed as though they had forgotten to go back to their sett!  Quickly moved off when we appeared though. Haven't seen one in the garden since but other neighbours get them wrecking their gardens especially when it's dry - they love the veggies and create havoc digging up rows of carrots! They do go into our orchard I think because I see the pits sometimes.

lily I see them regularly driving about at night - maybe there aren't so many where you live? I live in SW and there are very many here.

Years ago I watched them from a hide in a wood near Oxford - that was amazing.

Could you fence off a bit Taz and encourage them into that with food - it would be exciting (if sonewhat disruptive) to have them as regular visitors...

Hurdity x

[Taz2]

No it doesn't back onto fields - we are in the middle of a small housing estate so he has quite a way to wander from the fields and woods before he reaches my garden. The garden is really small - around 35ft wide and is wedged shaped with the deepest part only 30 ft so there isnt any room to fence a part off. He didn't appear last night but did the night before - he spent from 11.30 to 3 a.m. (my son was up and taking photos of it) digging up all the worms from under the bird feeders. He was having a great time and, in the morning, the birds made the most of it too - especially the blackbirds, thrush and starlings.

I will wait and see what happens.

Taz x

[CLKD]

Thank goodness we don't have badgers visiting here, they would get moved pretty sharply 

crocii open to the sun today 

[Limpy]

We put nuts and fat balls out in our garden for the birds, mainly blue tits, great tits, nuthatches and woodpeckers.
When we think on in cold weather,  bread and failed croissants go out too.

The problem is that the blackbirds and thrushes, which the bread is meant for, toss it over their shoulders. Think they are treating it like worms and just throw it away. Taz, your birds sound to be making the most of the badgers digging......

[Taz2]

Blackbirds and thrushes are not that keen on bread Limpy. They would like grated cheese and apple plus soaked sultanas though. Shredded suet is also good. To be honest bread is not that good for birds as it fills them up with no nutritional content. Cake crumbs and crumbled digestive biscuits are excellent. Mine had a "breakfast" every morning of cake crumbs, digestive biscuits, grated cheese, sultanas, shredded suet and porridge oats plus any table scraps from the night before. I feed this all year round and it's wonderful when the young birds are brought to feed. I haven't gone down the mealworm route as it all costs extra money.

How would you move them CLKD? They are only trying to live like the rest of us and as we encroach more into their territories we have to try to get along don't you think?

Taz x

[Limpy]

Taz I know what you mean but when we put stuff like that on the ground, the rodents come out.
Then, shortly afterwards make their way into the house. I know, I recognised the field vole that ended up upstairs - cute aren't they?
Also, the blackbirds totally ignored the sultanas in teacakes that were put out.
Nothing is straightforward is it.........

[CLKD]

If they are a particular problem the local Wildlife Trust can get them re-established.  Fortunately  - I did see a young one a few years ago grubbing on a bank in broad day-light, 2 hours later it was still out of the sett so I stopped the car - it dashed home - the temptation to pick it up was tremendous    .........

When I think back to the 1960s the birds got stale bread and fresh water.  Old fruit cake if they were lucky.  Then some bright spark invented those red plastic hangers filled with pea-nuts 

We haven't seen a rat for over 12 years even though we feed the wild birds both on the ground and on the 'table', also we have poultry. Luckily .......... and the habit over the road is being destroyed for yet more new-builds so the grey squirrels will be homeless this year.

[Firewalker50]

I tend not to put much out on the grass in the back garden - I get swamped with starlings, blackbirds, pigeons, magpies that all frighten the robins and hedge sparrows away.

I have a table and hanger out the back and I have three hanging feeders on the tree at the front.  So, I mostly use the front of the house on the tree.  I have sunflower hearts, nijer seed and peanuts.  Half coconut shells and fat balls now and again.

I am at the beginning of an estate with traffic passing, but we do have quite a few bluetits, great tits and goldfinches.  Have also had a couple of other finches.  Quite pleased when I see them all sitting in the tree - in a feeding hierarchy  .

Fx

[Taz2]

If you think about it though Firewalker although you feel that the robins and sparrows are being chased away by the starlings - it is the starlings which need the help more than the robins. I'm not sure that they do get chased away - they all seem to feed together and are very clever at staying out of the magpies way. What were you putting out on the grass? I feed any scraps on my bird table and, to be honest, with around thirty starlings visiting every morning I don't have much left after a few minutes. I love watching the finches - such a feisty, argumentative lot!

Limpy - what did you put out which you felt attracted the field vole?

Interesting facts about Badgers in your garden http://www.badger.org.uk/_Attachments/Resources/55_S4.pdf.   CLKD - I'm not sure that it is legal for even a local conservation group to re-settle badgers     I'm glad you didn't attempt to pick up the young badger - if you wanted to keep all of your fingers that is! 

Taz x

[Firewalker50]

A mix of scraps, bread, nuts.  It was actually my OH who did it.  He is very keen on birds in the garden and it was he who originally attracted the Goldfinches to the front.
Since he moved to his own house, I am more negligent and he is not impressed with me.

Fx

[Limpy]

Actually Taz I think the field voles were mainly feeding on the remnants coming down from hanging peanut feeders............

They aren't coming in so much now
N.B - There are still lots of nuts and fat balls being put out, however fewer rodents (voles - wood mice) coming in

[CLKD]

Thinking towards the Summer - Mum used a specially designed butterfly feeder and a honey-based liquid feed - said there were loads 

[Pennyfarthing]

This has been my worst ever winter for birds in our garden.  A few months ago it was deserted but now a few are returning.

Some good news though  ............... I see that next door is up for sale and they have 2 young cats which spend a lot of time in our garden and I believe keep the birds away.

[Taz2]

That should be better for you then Penny although I find that the birds still keep coming here even though there are often three or more cats around. They are very savvy at knowing which of the three is too old to bother even though he is the same colour as one of the very fast ones.

Anyone else noticed that there is a real reduction in rabbits in the countryside? It's no wonder that the foxes here are starving and getting bolder.

Taz x