Birdie Christmas Presents

[jaelen]

Did anyone else get anything bird-related for Christmas?

I got this....

https://www.petplanet.co.uk/shop_dev...ng_Station.jpg

...thanks to a gift voucher. Have had great fun today deciding which feeders to take down from the trees and put on it... the small hanging bird table definitely- it's the only way I've any hope of keeping the squirrels off of it.

I also got a second-hand Birdwatcher's Pocket Guide to Britain and Europe with what was left on the voucher after the feeding station (not much! ) I had trouble deciding between that and the Collins book.

I suppose they're not really Christmas gifts since I got them for myself... but never mind.

[Jackaroo]

Originally Posted by jaelen

Did anyone else get anything bird-related for Christmas?

Turkey and spuds !!!!

[Deb London]

Yes jae, I got four feeders, which is useful as the squirrels sometimes pinch them from the garden (wire will sort this out I hope).

Sort of related to birds I got some work wellies, a scythe and Bahco bowsaw. With some Xmas money I am buying a much needed DeWalt toolbag to carry anything with blades in. All for volunteering, which does ultimately help the birds, I reckon.

Jack - you are awful....

[htcdude]

I bought myself a new water dish for my feeding station, I think that's it

Nige

[actionfinch]

a blow up gull from secret santa and a raptor book...

[jaelen]

Originally Posted by Deb London

Yes jae, I got four feeders, which is useful as the squirrels sometimes pinch them from the garden (wire will sort this out I hope).

Jack - you are awful....

I got a new feeder that's kind of interesting- it's a big strong wire spiral that's meant to hold a dried ear of corn for squirrels, (quite why anyone would want to feed them still puzzles me since they are so VERY good at feeding themselves without any help) but I'm going to try putting fatballs in it. It looks like this:

http://www.bird-song.com/store/produ...ornCobFeed.jpg

I'm having quite a time with squirrels at the moment, too- I got so fed up with them raiding the hanging mesh bird table that I felt very mean this morning and only put meal worms out on it. If they develop a taste for those I'm in trouble.

Actionfinch, the raptor book sounds interesting, but as to the blow up gull... I ain't even going there.

[billybirder]

Love all those feeder options I had a cardboard bird box... Will put it in the shed where we've had a couple of nests in the past.. but I was also given a metal toadstool shaped bird box.. very pretty but cant help thinking it will get too hot or cold.. Has anyone else had one of these? Where shall I put it?

[KentYeti]

Sunnydale gave me two superb Owl books.

One, "Wesley the Barn Owl" by Stacey O'Brien is an "I can't put it down" book. A most astonishing story about an American Biologist who had a Barn Owl live with her for nearly 20 years.

Learned lots more about Barn Owls reading that. What emotional creatures they are, and how loving they can be.

Best read for many, many years.

The other book is "Owls" by Desmond Morris and is also a good read, giving a different slant on owls over the centuries.

Cheers,

Bryan

[jaelen]

Bryan, I looked at the reviews for that book about Wesley the Barn Owl... it looks really good! Might have to order that one, if my local library can't get it in.

Billybirder- is there any way you can post of photo of the metal mushroom birdhouse? I did a search in Google images using those words but nothing came up- if we were to see it, then maybe someone could advise you on the best place to put it... I think you're right to be worried about it getting too hot in the summer.

[david156]

My xmas presents to myself weren't really bird orientated. But I did get a new North Face jacket for hill walking which coincidentally is ideal for when I go out birding!