The Bird Thread

noted ^ and replaced

Swift work!
Reposted for the new page

This is an impossible game I think. I try and keep the squirrels at bay by adding cayenne pepper mixed into left over veg oil. Any old chillies go in too to get is as spicy as possible. They still have a go, but seem less interested. Birds don't really have taste buds - so doesn't bother them.

The problem with trying to stop parakeets is you also stop birds you'd like feed. I like the starlings and we have a woodpecker who frequents our feeder - so the parakeets will need to stay. Most annoying thing about them is their ability to turn the feed into copious amounts of poo that redecorate any car parked under the tree out the front.

I have a ground feeder table within a cage that with some modifications keeps out the squirrels.
I watched a squirrel sliding down the feeder pole trying to get to the feeder with the perch that shuts off the hole under weight - seems to work so far - certainly with pigeons.
It was politely suggested that my bird feeding operation was encouraging pigeons so I've moved all this bird feeding stuff out to the front from the back which is a communal car parking area surrounded by big trees. This is where the pigeons hang out copiously craping on residents cars and it got so bad that people are now parking out in the street rather than their allocated parking spaces.

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@Oliver Schick I was down the Lea by Hackney Marshes this evening at dusk and I've never seen (or heard) so many parakeets. They came bombing down the river in waves to settle in the trees.

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Well, they're gregarious and garrulous. :)

Oops, you've changed the post—I was just going to say that I really like that heron shot.

Apart from the two on the previous page, I did delete this one, if that's what you meant?

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No, I got confused between pages and posts, as you had the parakeet text in the heron post? It's a mixed-up, muddled-up, shook-up world.

(I like that one, too.)

I like that one too - painterly.

Except for Lola.

Ah, you know the heron personally?

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Really great one of the heron.

They're so great aren't they, I love the sound of them doing a fly-by at dusk.

Saw a handful of long-tailed tits while out on the marshes yesterday. Charming little puffballs.

Can anyone recommend binoculars for a primary-aged child? Emphasis on durability would be good!

I prefer the colloquial names ‘mumruffin’ or ‘fuffit’ but I find ‘bumbarrel’ a bit rude for such a fine bird.

Best get something from the RSPB or have a look here ?

https://shop.wwt.org.uk/collections/binoculars

8x40 would be a good all round. spec.

I was mesmerised by this fella earlier. He was a real swan whisperer.

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Robin and a swan, Walthamstow wetlands, and an egret on the Lea, all this morning.

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Swan

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Parakeets

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^ You reminded me to go back and see if there were more darting parakeets at dusk along the Lea. Sure enough at 4pm, along they came.

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