What did these droppings?

[Deaks]

Hi,

I hope someone can help, as this is driving me slightly insane.

I have notice this type of dropping in my own garden and in many other gardens, often on tops of front garden walls, gate posts but also on the ground. They have appeared on my neighbours garage roof as well as my shed and greenhouse roofs.

The pictures I include don't show the size clearly but ofen they are 2.5cm long. They are Red in colour (due to the winter berries) and break up when poked with a stick (what fun I have)! They include lots of seeds and berry skins and tend to be near fruit bearing bushes and trees.

Pest controllers have told me not to worry as they think its bird but I have seen little in the way of White deposits around them. We baited the garden for 4-5weeks but nothing was taken.

Hope you can help?

[Dogghound]

These are from a thrush most likely a blackbird.

[2dogs2000]

I don't know for sure. I have similar droppings but not in that quantity and I assumed it was blackbirds feasting on my cotoneaster.

[werdnal]

I would concur, definately a Blackbird or similar. We have these around our pyracantha bushes, and they have been full of blackbirds during this recent
cold spell. I'm surprised your Pest Controller didn't know for sure. You will notice them again around blackberry season, but they are obviously darker then.

[Deaks]

Thanks for your replies. Its interesting, as i didn't know that bird poo could look so solid! I wonder if the recent snow could have washed the white residue (normally seen with droppings) away? All I see is these cylindrical red poos.

Cheers

[2dogs2000]

Originally Posted by Deaks

Thanks for your replies. Its interesting, as i didn't know that bird poo could look so solid! I wonder if the recent snow could have washed the white residue (normally seen with droppings) away? All I see is these cylindrical red poos.

Cheers

The white residue doesn' seem to appear when they eat berries or blackberries. I don't know what they eat to produce the white residue, but it is rarely noticeable in winter.

[Dogghound]

The white residue from the Urates. This is produced by feeding on protein, seeds, fruit etc have little protein so these types of dropping have small amounts of urates in them. This is higher when they feed on insects in the summer.