Wildlife December 2010

[mark smyth]

Ashley I have 9 feeders that have a total of 35 places for the goldfinches to feed from. I have only one siskin and one greenfinch. They have eaten 5kg of sunflower hearts in the last week. What are you feeding yours?

I had a party of long-tailed tits come through last week but they didnt recognise the food

Down my estate someone has masses of linnets feeding at Nyger feeders but no other finches.

[Maren]

I tried to buy some rolled barley from the internet. It was Ģ4 for a 25 kg bag, very reasonable I thought, but the postage was Ģ20. So I didn't. There are no agricultural suppliers in my neck of the woods and it still impossible to get out as the hills are frozen.

[Juan Fornes]

   Mark! An otter! I would be trembling of emotion all day if I see one!
Iīll do my best to put some nest for swifts this winter, but Iīm afraid all buildings around are new, and I havenīt any sign of breeding... My mother has a nest in her balcony in the narrow gap beetween the door and the blind. Every year I get down on my knees to beg for their pardon, as my family, at the begining of their breeding season,  want to cover the gap. Fortunately, I always win (mainly because in fact they also love them...). Pity they are so shy they are always hidden inside...
   
   Arykana: thank you for your compliments, but their quality can be compared with yours...

[Lori S.]

I saw an otter today which is a rare sight at 2 in the afternoon

Wow, good sighting!  Are they not diurnal there, as they are here?  
I've only seen river otters on a couple of occasions, playing in a couple of streams in Prince Albert N.P. in Saskatchewan.  (Err, and a few sea otters out on the coast, also during the day...)   (Or did I misread your comment... that the otter that you happened to see at 2pm would be rare at any time...  )  Well, whichever... must have been nice to see!

[Juan Fornes]

Dear Arykana: I meant that my pictures CANīT be compared with yours. Mine are almost invariabily out of focus. Gosh, I must have sound quite like a
pedantic jerk...

[mark smyth]

Juan when I started attracting swifts there were none in my area

[Arykana]

Dear Arykana: I meant that my pictures CANīT be compared with yours. Mine are almost invariabily out of focus. Gosh, I must have sound quite like a
pedantic jerk...

relax and praktice

[Gerdk]

The swift is one of my favourite birds

Juan it is very easy to attract swifts especially if they already nest close to your house. You need to have your nest boxes built and put up before April and play the CD, I can send you a copy, in early May.

Mark,
Are there any reports about attracting sparrows by the same way to nest ? They became very rare here and it was told that the recent hard winter will reduce the population here severely.

Gerd

[mark smyth]

Gerd some people in England have found that sparrows will readily use swift nest boxes.

The local sparrow population was in serious decline but over the last few years their winter roost grew to about 200. In the last freeze a few weeks ago I had many coming to my garden to feed on spilt seeds but now none come.

I dont know where the numerous collared doves have gone

Today I saw a wood pigeon fly over the house with a foot hanging below the body encased in snow and maybe ice

[mark smyth]

I dont know where to put this link but I think here is OK

Eggs to put a smile on your face
http://www.nipoultry.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=8679703

[Juan Fornes]

lol   Good place to post it: if you would have posted in Cookīs corner, eggs would have got even more scared about their future...

[Gerdk]

Gerd some people in England have found that sparrows will readily use swift nest boxes.

Thank you Mark. I'm going to hang up a special 'sparrow-nest-box' - called in German 'Sperlingskoloniehaus'. Its a combination of three boxes with a special entrance.
I hope there will be sparrows here after this harsh winter.

Gerd

[Bev Olson]

I dont know where to put this link but I think here is OK

Eggs to put a smile on your face
http://www.nipoultry.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=8679703

Good for an eggtra laugh.
Thanks

[arillady]

Uhm I think we must have all the sparrows in Australia - that is if they are the same as your sparrow.

[mark smyth]

Gerd, I know people with the 3 chamber sparrow box and all they get is one pair. Maybe other forum members have experience with the sparrow terrace

Pat, yes they are ours. Can we have them back, please