Safe Haven for feeding.

[fairplay]

Seeing all the apples, etc., thrown onto snow covered lawns for the birds to feed on has made me think how vulnerable they must be to sparrowhawks.

Wouldn't it be a good idea to throw down a lot of branches with plenty of twigs, enough to make a small bonfire, and throw down bird seed, apples, whatever, so that ground feeding birds like robin, dunnocks, wrens, thrushes, could scramble amongst this pile of branches knowing they are safe from a sudden attack and feed in safety ?

You could even place a pile under a feeding station.
Worth a try surely.

Neil.

[BucksMike]

OK But who feeds the sparrowhawks?

[fairplay]

Originally Posted by BucksMike

OK But who feeds the sparrowhawks?

You awkward so and so

I knew someone would come in with a statement like this.
Yup, I love sparrowhawks too, but I would think with snow on the ground, this gives them an unfair advantage.

Still, this is nature isn't it.

Neil.

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by fairplay

You awkward so and so

I knew someone would come in with a statement like this.
Yup, I love sparrowhawks too, but I would think with snow on the ground, this gives them an unfair advantage.

Still, this is nature isn't it.

Neil.

In this hard weather the sparrowhawks will be struggling too.

[thebeard]

go to your local petshop and buy a load of budgies, release them in the garden, there you go!

just like buying birdseed.

:P

[Jason Green]

Afternoon Neil,

Originally Posted by fairplay

Yup, I love sparrowhawks too, but I would think with snow on the ground, this gives them an unfair advantage..

I don't think any birds in the UK have any real advantage in these conditions. Yes, Sparrowhawk prey would stick out on the snow given the contrast in colours - but as a BoP it would have excellent eyesight anyway, and it manages the rest of the year. Then of course if the birds are concentrating on finding small seeds among twigs, they may be distracted and not notice the hawk approaching...

Still, if the pile of twigs the birds are feeding in doesn't additionally draw the hawk's attention then they could perhaps camouflage there and it also offer them some shelter too, as well as being an aditional food source.

Give it a try Neil, and let us know how it goes - the birds certainly need all the help they can get, so thanks for posting!

Take care,

Jason

[bran goesgoch]

When setting up a "safe haven for feeding" with regards to ground feeders, consideration also needs to be given to that other garden menace, the "DOMESTIC CAT". We have three or four that frequent our garden and it's not only the birds they're after, I've lost quite a few fish of late.