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Old 01-03-2007, 08:43 AM
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Which birds visit your feeders?

I'd like to see which birds visit your bird feeders to get an idea about different species in your gardens. I'm not using the results for anything just personal interest as i'd like to try and attract different birds to my garden using your methods.

I'd imagine the results will be similar but I bet we'll get a few surprises. I'd like to break it up into 3 categories; Frequent on the feeder, frequent under the feeder and not so frequent in general. Also i'd like to know which type of feeder, which type of food and what time of year.

These are on a pair of standard peanut feeders and seem to be all year round.

Frequent to the feeder.
  • Chaffinch
  • Greenfinch
  • Goldfinch
  • Blue Tit
  • Great Tit
  • Coal Tit
  • House Sparrow
  • Starling
  • Great Spotted Woodpecker

Frequent under the feeder.
  • Dunnock
  • Jackdaw
  • Carrion crow
  • Rook
  • Magpie
  • Blackbird
  • Robin
  • Wren

Occasional Visitors.
  • Nuthatch
  • Long Tailed Tit

That's all I can think of, if i think of any more i'll add to it.
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Old 01-03-2007, 08:53 AM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

I just know this thread is going to make me so evious.

Frequent to the feeder.
Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Starling

Frequent under the feeder.
Robin

Occasional Visitors.
Blue Tit
Wren

Dai
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Old 01-03-2007, 08:57 AM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

Of your list, I don't get rooks or crows close to the house or feeders, not seen a nuthatch yet.
On feeders, (peanuts, niger, mixed seed, and fat block) I get all the ones you get, plus black caps, one determined acrobatic jay, (peanuts), and an occasional marsh tit.
Under feeders I get all the ones you get plus song thrushes, collared doves and a very occasional sparrow hawk if he catches something.
And green woodpeckers up the garden, haven't ventured down yet.
And grey squirrels and an agile Wood Mouse!
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Old 01-03-2007, 09:14 AM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

Frequent to the feeder.

Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Long Tailed Tit
Willow Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Coal Tit
House Sparrow
Starling
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Reed Bunting!

Frequent under the feeder.

Dunnock
Magpie
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Robin
Wren
Wood Pigeon
Dog

Occasional Visitors.

Collared Dove
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Old 01-03-2007, 09:26 AM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

Some nice birds coming up.

We used to get Willow tits frequently a few years back but now i havn't seen one in a long time. I'd love to see a Green woodpecker. I wouldn't have thought there is anyway of attracting birds like the Green Woodpecker to my garden or is there? I'm guessing Reed buntings are not common to feeders, that would be a nice sight in my garden.

The Wood Mouse made me chuckle.
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Old 01-03-2007, 09:30 AM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

Okay, I'll join in
Frequent (i.e. at least once a week, usually once per day) on the feeder:
Coal tit
Blue tit
Great tit
Nuthatch
Frequent elsewhere:
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Less regular but at least once a fortnight:
Long-tailed tit
Magpie
Jay
Wood pigeon
Seasonal (i.e. winter only):
Chaffinch
Bullfinch

The rest of list is quite long but very irregular (wren, goldcrest, siskin, blackcap, thrushes) but what's interesting is the things which I hardly ever see - carrion crow/jackdaw, sparrow/starling, greenfinch and the ones I've never seen - especially goldfinch! Every garden is different ......
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Old 01-03-2007, 09:46 AM
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Thumbs up Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

I've just but up my new bird table (new to this) @ 9am. So far I have had 2 blue tits and one sparrow! YAY!
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Old 01-03-2007, 10:06 AM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

On a good day

Frequent to the feeder

• Blue Tit
• Great Tit
• Greenfinch
• House Sparrow
• Magpie - knocks the feeder to feed his mates below!
• Starling

Frequent under the feeder

• Blackbird
• Collared Dove
• Dunnock
• Magpie
• Robin
• Starling
• Tree Sparrow
• Wood pigeon

Occasional Visitors

• Carrion crow
• Goldcrest - Aphids on left over lavender heads and pond reeds
• Heron - too frequent in my pond!
• Kestrel
• Siskin
• Song Thrush
• Sparrow Hawk
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Old 01-03-2007, 10:40 AM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

Feeders are mixed seed feeders (with a predominance of sunflower), fat blocks and peanut feeders, plus a table with seed and crushed peanuts.

Frequent to the hanging feeders (T indicates use of table as well)

Greenfinch
Chaffinch (males T)
Blue tit
Great tit
Dunnock (T)
Robin (T)

Frequent to table or under feeders

Blackbird
Collared dove
Wood pigeon
Carrion crow
Magpie
Wren

Occasional visitors

Jackdaw
Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
Pheasant
Goldfinch
Bullfinch
Nuthatch
Long tailed tit
Song thrush
Goldcrest
Green woodpecker

Tawny owls occasionally on the house chimney

Have never seen a starling or a house sparrow in our garden
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Old 01-03-2007, 12:22 PM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

Hiya.

I generally put the same food out all year round. In feeders I have peanuts, nijer seed, sunflower hearts; I have fat balls (I must get that seen to), also put out lard in cracks, crevices in trees and a hanging log. As well as scraps and stuff on bird table. Plus everything at some point takes a drink and a bath in the water (upside down dustbin lid) I put out.

Frequent on feeders

• house sparrow,
• greenfinch,
• goldfinch,
• blue tit,
• great tit,
• coal tit,
• starling,

Frequent on ground

• dunnock,
• chaffinch,
• blackbird,
• song thrush,
• magpie,
• crow,
• jackdaw,
• collard dove,
• wood pigeon,
• robin,

Occassional visitors

• wren,
• jay,
• sparrowhawk,
• siskin,
• blackcap,
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Old 01-03-2007, 01:27 PM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

Only recently moved into new house, have yet to put up any feeders. But have knocked up a make shift table with the aid of my son. Table has been up for a month

Frequent visiters to garden.

.Coal tit
.Blue tit
.Great tit
.Blackbird
.Wren
.Dunnock
.Jackdaw
.Magpie
.Collard dove
.House sparrow
.Starling
.Robin


Infrequent

.Crow
.Long tailed tit
.Song Thrush
.Mistle thrush
.Goldcrest
.Sparrow hawk(perched on table twice)
.Chaffinch.

Christian.
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Old 01-03-2007, 01:42 PM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

Got quite similar to you generally although I don't get any of the crows regularly or wrens regularly and collared doves are infrequent. I get Nuthatches regularly, and in winter Long-Tailed Tits are regular visitors. There are quite a few that I've had before but are infrequent:
Brambling - only once on seeds under the feeder
Blackcap - only once on the seed feeder
Marsh Tit - Has been frequent visitor all winter but never had one before this. Likes fat cakes, seeds and peanuts
Stock Dove - Used to get two regularly under the seed feeder but now I hardly ever see them
Pied Wagtail - Used to be regular under the seed feeder but now I don't see them that often
Jay - Had one attracted to peanuts under the bird table before
Siskin - Hopefully arriving soon, usually get atleast 2, sometimes 4 on the nyjer seeds and normal seeds
Those are my infrequent visitors (or only one time visitors). Should be very interesting to see everyones results.
Guy
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Old 01-03-2007, 01:44 PM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

I'm impressed at the number of times sparrow hawk is mentioned. There must be more about than I had thought.
You're doing well, redragon, if you're getting birds in such a short space of time!
I forgot to mention (how could I?) my other visitors under the feeders, the foxes and the Badgers!
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Old 01-03-2007, 01:48 PM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

Quote:
Originally Posted by redragon View Post
I've just but up my new bird table (new to this) @ 9am. So far I have had 2 blue tits and one sparrow! YAY!
Well done. I bet there will be a robin along shortly.
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Old 01-03-2007, 01:52 PM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

Feeders: Sunflower H; Black Sunflower; Niger; Hi-Energy Mix; Fat-balls; Fat-Cakes.

Frequent to: Goldfinch, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Sparrow, Starling.

Frequent Under: Collared Dove, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock.

[b] Occassionally: Blue Tit, Magpie.

Squirrel Feeders: From 1-4 Greys at the far end of the garden.
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Old 01-03-2007, 01:58 PM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

Quote:
Originally Posted by smartie View Post
Well done. I bet there will be a robin along shortly.
I put a feeder up at my partners place recently on a willow tree and whenever birds arrive a Robin will usually chase them off. It's quite annoying especially as the Goldcrests used to like coming before the Robin arrived.
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Old 01-03-2007, 04:32 PM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Reptilian View Post
I put a feeder up at my partners place recently on a willow tree and whenever birds arrive a Robin will usually chase them off. It's quite annoying especially as the Goldcrests used to like coming before the Robin arrived.
Robins are very territorial, especially at this time of year, though I have to say my two residents don't try too hard to chase the other birds off. Maybe your robin has a nest nearby? It may also help that I have got 3 hanging feeders and the bird table they can use. You might try a second feeder a bit distanced from the other if that's feasible.
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Old 01-03-2007, 05:45 PM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

alright guys. I am in an area of farmland and woodland that is right by an estuary so i get a large variety of birds visiting my feeders and the area around them .

Regular:

Greenfinch
blue tit
great tit
chaffinch
robin
coal tit
woodpidgeon
great spotted woodpecker
long tailed tits(very regularly in winter)
dunnock
carrion crow
green woodpecker
house sparrow
jay
blackbird
starling
magpie
wren
kestrel

irregular visitors :
goldfinch
bullfinch
goldcrest
nuthatch
barn owl
little owl
sparrowhawk
goshawk (a few times)
buzzard
peregrine (a couple of times)
marsh tit
treecreeper
cirl bunting
yellowhammer

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Old 01-03-2007, 05:52 PM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

I think you've got a psycho robin! In the places I observe they will, some years, chase off dunnocks but I've never seen them attack any other bird. Also, some years, they are themselves chased off by blackbirds. It's a hard life out in those gardens!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Reptilian View Post
I put a feeder up at my partners place recently on a willow tree and whenever birds arrive a Robin will usually chase them off. It's quite annoying especially as the Goldcrests used to like coming before the Robin arrived.
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Old 01-03-2007, 05:55 PM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

Interesting to see that your blue tit are only occasional - seem to be the most consistent attender in most gardens!
Perhaps they're being eaten by your squirrels - - I assume that your squirrel feeders are meant as a deterrent/diversion? I'm afraid it doesn't really work that way ...... sadly ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gandalf View Post
Feeders: Sunflower H; Black Sunflower; Niger; Hi-Energy Mix; Fat-balls; Fat-Cakes.

Frequent to: Goldfinch, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Sparrow, Starling.

Frequent Under: Collared Dove, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock.

[b] Occassionally: Blue Tit, Magpie.

Squirrel Feeders: From 1-4 Greys at the far end of the garden.
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Old 01-03-2007, 06:22 PM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

I see willow tits (probably - may be marsh tits!) at one garden I view regularly in Northants but never up here.
I think that woodpeckers are not too keen to go into gardens as long as they have food available in the "wild". Some individuals will learn to attack feeders and maybe pass this on to their young but it does seem to be a very hit and miss thing. We have all three woodpeckers in the wood but have only once, for a couple of weeks, seen a greater spotted in gardens.
I suppose the same applies, in a different way, to predators - they can catch plenty in the woods or hedgerows so why risk exposure in gardens?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Reptilian View Post
We used to get Willow tits frequently a few years back but now i havn't seen one in a long time. I'd love to see a Green woodpecker. I wouldn't have thought there is anyway of attracting birds like the Green Woodpecker to my garden or is there? I'm guessing Reed buntings are not common to feeders, that would be a nice sight in my garden.

The Wood Mouse made me chuckle.
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Old 01-03-2007, 06:35 PM
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Re: Which birds visit your feeders?

In our garden I have 11 separate feeders + 3 bird tables + 2 ponds stocked with large and small fish (my Kingfisher 'feeder'

The feeder contents include Niger seed (1); peanuts (6); sunflower hearts (1); mixed seed (1); fat balls (2) and on/below/around the bird tables I put a mix of seed/peanuts/sunflower hearts/mealworms and broken-up fat balls + occasional bits of cheese, bacon fat, pieces of fruit, etc. I also hang up strings of shelled monkey nuts - the Jays love these!

Birds using the feeders include - Blue Tit; Great Tit; Coal Tit; Long-tailed Tit; Green Finch; Chaffinch; Goldfinch; House Sparrow; Starling; Robin; Collared Dove (regulars on the Niger seed); Great Spotted Woodpecker and Jay.

Other birds frequently seen beneath the feeders and on the bird tables include:- Blackbird; Song Thrush; Woodpigeon; Carrion Crow; Dunnock; Jackdaw; Magpie; Mallard; Moorhen; Pheasant and Rook.

As for other visitors, I've maintained a list of birds seen in or from the garden since my wife and I moved into our present home 30 years ago this Easter. To date, the list is up to 70 - here's the full list:-

Nesting species:-

Blackbird
Blue Tit
Collared Dove (and in flocks of up to 30!)
Great Tit
House Martin
House Sparrow
Robin
Song Thrush
Starling
Woodpigeon
Wren
(Sub-total = 11)

Other regular visitors:-

Carrion Crow
Chaffinch (in large groups)
Dunnock
Goldfinch (in groups)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (daily – up to 4)
Greenfinch (in groups)
Green Woodpecker (heard daily and feeds on ants in lawn and in dry stone walls alongside stream linking ponds)
Grey Heron (in flight & occasionally in pond!)
Jackdaw
Jay (often a pair)
Kestrel (in flight & nested in adjacent meadow)
Kingfisher (regular pond visitor since Spring 2006)
Long-tailed Tit (groups of 6 -8)
Magpie (often a pair)
Mallard (usually 2 or 3)
Moorhen (sometimes a pair)
Pheasant (up to 6 at once)
Rook
Sparrowhawk
Tawny Owl (heard often & nested in trees around
adjacent meadow)

(Sub-total = 20)

Seasonal visitors:-

Chiffchaff (heard in meadow annually)
Fieldfare (winter visitor)
Redwing (winter visitor)
Spotted Flycatcher (annual visitor & nested once)
Swallow (in flight)
Swift (in flight)
(Sub-total = 6)

Occasional visitors/sightings:-

Black-headed Gull (in flight)
Coal Tit
Cormorant (in flight)
Lapwing (in meadow/flight)
Linnet (a pair in stream since April 2005)
Mute Swan (in flight)
Pied Wagtail
Red-legged Partridge (in meadow)

(Sub-total = 8)

Rare visitors/sightings:-

Blackcap (in stream – June 2005)
Brambling (in March 2005 on nut feeder)
Bullfinch (regular up to early 80’s but not seen since)
Buzzard (in flight – Feb 2007)
Canada Geese (in flight)
Cuckoo (seen in flight & heard annually)
Garden Warbler
Goldcrest
Grey Wagtail (in stream – August 2005)
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (twice – in 1978)
Lesser Whitethroat (twice – in 1978)
Little Tern (in flight)
Mistle Thrush
Ring-necked Parakeet (seen daily for week or so in 1978)
Siskin (in stream – May 2005)
Skylark (in/over meadow)
Snipe (once – in boundary ditch)
Stock Dove
Treecreeper (twice– in 1977/78)
Tree Sparrow (nested up to 80’s but not seen since)
Turtle Dove (but not for many years)
Wheatear (female in meadow– in 1978)
Willow Warbler (once – in 1978)
Wood Warbler
Yellowhammer (once – in 1978)

(Sub-total = 25)

Is 70 seen in or from the garden a record???

Jeff
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