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Oct 2016
3:09pm, 26 Oct 2016
909 posts
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ferret
Good luck bonners, we do similar garden encouragement, leaving wood around & don't tidy up til warm weather. A kind neighbour looked after our feeders when we were away & something, I assume a squirrel? completely destroyed the squirrel proof one.
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Oct 2016
3:11pm, 26 Oct 2016
910 posts
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ferret
Wondering if a bird table with slippery pole might work for me, away from any vantage points...
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Oct 2016
3:23pm, 26 Oct 2016
1,176 posts
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steve45
bonners--your garden sounds exactly the same as mine! I have a "cage" for small birds but which allows Blackbirds to get through. A feeder , which is dominated by Feral Pigeons and Jackdaws, a fat feeder which only small birds go for, except for the occasional Magpie and GS Woodpecker. There is a lot of bird friendly habitat in the postage stamp sized garden. Last winter a family of mice set up beneath the shed but disappeared after a few weeks (luckily or otherwise we have two regular neighbour's cats that prowl); when the weather is inclement on a couple of occasions a year I have a rat or two. On those occasions I stop putting food out for a week and the rodents seem to move on. Food is the main factor, remove it and birds and beasts go too! The birds return within a day but the rodents don't.
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Oct 2016
3:54pm, 26 Oct 2016
103 posts
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bonners
Sat here watching the Robin going round the feeder wondering where all the food has gone. Next visitor was a cat that I normally chase off, but he is quite literally on the rat's trail, fascinating to watch.
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Oct 2016
4:55pm, 26 Oct 2016
21,474 posts
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Dave A
We have a Phoebe hound who sorts out the mice. She's had a baby rat in the local park and can also catch frogs 😀
At the back of our garden over the wallis a small patch of land that belongs to us as there is a private access road to the rear. Any spare wood goes under a bush that grows there. The bush houses Robins and I'm hoping the wood houses move and insects.
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Oct 2016
4:56pm, 26 Oct 2016
21,475 posts
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Dave A
Over the winter I'm planning on stockpiling more logs etc to create a better habitat.
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Oct 2016
4:58pm, 26 Oct 2016
21,476 posts
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Dave A
Oh, we also had a great Kingfisher spot yesterday. Earlswood Lakes. I saw what I thought was a blue glimmer on one of the islands in the middle. By the time I had the binoculars out it had gone. But perched about 3 metres to the left was a Kingfisher on the prowl 😀
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Oct 2016
7:32am, 27 Oct 2016
21,477 posts
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Dave A
And today the plan is to go to RSPB Sandwell Valley. They are dog friendly 😀
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Oct 2016
11:21am, 27 Oct 2016
104 posts
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bonners
Another stonechat this morning, this time near Llanddulas. Plenty of cormorants perching on the groynes as well.
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Oct 2016
3:51pm, 27 Oct 2016
21,478 posts
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Dave A
Plenty seen today at Sandwell Valley RSPB reserve. The highlight, after hearing what we thought were Peregrine and Sparrowhawk early on, was sitting in the hide and getting an ariel display of a Peregrine dive bombing some gulls 😀
According to the volunteer there were 4 attempts by Peregrine in total.
Plus 7 Snipe nested close to each other.
Then male and female Bullfinches seen on the feeders by the visitor centre.
And the usual shed load of birds we never recognise.
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Bird song watch
May 2025