Disappearing apple cores

Insomniak · #1 (**permalink**) 31-08-2010, 07:34 AM

Hi everyone,
I have 4 bird feeders in my garden which attract many sparrows, tits, finches, redpols, and inevitably pigeons. Each morning I put out 2 or 3 apple cores (we make smoothies for brekkie) and over the course of the day the blackbirds come to feed on them.
Over the last 3 weeks I've seen less blackbird activity but the wasps are having a feast on the apple.

For the last 6 mornings the apple cores have disappeared completely.

My question is, what is either taking them away to eat somewhere else, or eating them on the spot but leaving no trace?
No unusual droppings noticed either.
I'm just very curious now!

Btw, this is happening in an urban setting, quiet housing estate, walled or fenced gardens but with easy access for cats and smaller animals.
That said, I've not *seen* any smaller animals, hence my curiousity!

Dogghound · #2 (**permalink**) 31-08-2010, 07:37 AM

Impossible to say. Its likely that blackbirds thrushes etc are feeding on them in the early morning and you are missing it. Our local birds consume the entire ablle and several of them can do it in quite a short time period. Other possibilities are rodents such as brown rats, house and wood mice.

Insomniak · #3 (**permalink**) 31-08-2010, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Impossible to say. Its likely that blackbirds thrushes etc are feeding on them in the early morning and you are missing it. Our local birds consume the entire ablle and several of them can do it in quite a short time period. Other possibilities are rodents such as brown rats, house and wood mice.

Fair point. Our blackbirds were always in the habit of leaving a fragment, though, which makes me suspect it's some other animal.
Would magpies take the whole thing away to eat?
Of course I'm not ruling out the rat or the mouse and of the two, I'm sure it would be the rat that would grab the whole thing and run.
I'm keeping an eye from as early as 7am, maybe I need to wake up earlier to solve this mystery.

Thanks!

Dogghound · #4 (**permalink**) 31-08-2010, 08:51 AM

A magpie or crow may move an eaten core but not a whole apple, they usually feed on them on the ground, I would suspect that they are not being moved, I wouldnt expect rats to move them either. I was on a bat survey this morning and bird activity started around 4.45 mainly robins, blackbirds and thrushes. If you get up at 7 then they have a good two hours to go at it.

Insomniak · #5 (**permalink**) 31-08-2010, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dogghound

A magpie or crow may move an eaten core but not a whole apple, they usually feed on them on the ground, I would suspect that they are not being moved, I wouldnt expect rats to move them either. I was on a bat survey this morning and bird activity started around 4.45 mainly robins, blackbirds and thrushes. If you get up at 7 then they have a good two hours to go at it.

It's just the core of the apple that's disappearing.
Right, I think I need to set the alarm for 5am.

christina · #6 (**permalink**) 31-08-2010, 08:58 AM

I suspect crows too. We have two pear trees in our garden and they were full to the brim whilst growing. We noticed the pears were disappearing but they were not on the ground, I looked out the kitchen window one day to see three crows in the tree picking the pears and taking them over the boundary to the paddock behind. We had no pears this year! I don't mind sharing our fruits with birds, but please leave us a taster lol...so my guilty party would be Crows.