.......... Is now as bright as normal. It would appear from others who have
posted that this is a 'normal condition' sometimes, so all is well. In fact
he is outside the patio doors on the veranda as I type :-)) He loves Rich
Tea Biscuits :-))

As do the Blackbirds, Sparrows, Starlings and many many other birds which
now visit the various feeding stations I have around the veranda and
gardens.

Our Bluetit now has a mate and the two of them look at the nesting box, but
as yet only one of them turns up every night at about dusk, goes through a
ritual of checking that 'no one is looking' before popping in for the night.
This Bluetit Box is on the inside of one of the Veranda Pillars just 10/12
feet from my keyboard :-) and it doesn't bother him that I am sitting in the
doorway as he does his bedtime ritual.

I turned a Bluetit Box into a Robin Box and the first to investigate was,
yes, the Blutit.

We have a one legged Starling and when he goes to the coconut
fat/seed/insect ball, he hangs on with the one leg and flaps it's wings like
mad and makes to look like a Humming Bird :-))

One of the most comical scenes in the garden is a huge shallow dish we have,
designed for sitting plant pots in and about 20 inches in diameter, filled
with water. This is situated on some gravel just outside the patio and the
birds love it for drinking and bathing. Many at once in a communal bath. The
most Sparrows I have seen is about 5, but combination of birds is
fascinating, Blackbird, Starling and Sparrows all at once. And anything
outside gets showered as well!! (Bluetit having a bath as I type)

I have seen people ask, "How do I get birds into the garden?" Put the food
out for them. Make your garden as cat free as possible with Carpet Gripper
along the top of fences and gates and get a couple of electronic cat alarms
which you move about. When you see a cat chase it off, they soon get the
message :-)

Make sure there is plenty of water at two levels, one on the ground and one
about 3 feet up, we have ours in an old Victorian chimney.

Back to food, it should be on the ground and high up. Don't bother with the
clear plastic tube feeders, all the birds do is scatter the seed all over
the ground, they grow and you have a weed problem. Good for the Garden
Centre Trade but not for your pocket. The most successful we have is one
hung from the beams of the veranda just 3 feet from where I have my
keyboard, 'Twitching in the warm'. In the shape of a house roof, 4 pillars
and a tray. I have had to put wire mesh around this as the Starlings get in
and scatter it everywhere. Any which does come out, lands on the patio and
is taken by the Robin, Sparrows, Starlings, (but more slowly), Blackbirds
and Pigeons to name a few.

We also have peanut feeders and Sparrows and Bluetits love those. The last
consignment of Peanuts were small enough to fall out of the mesh without too
much trouble. These were not wasted as the birds went down to collect them,
AND, a little Mouse came out from under the fence and scurried back with
them. On one occasion, the Sparrows were down and chased it off back to its
hole!!

Neighbours and friends who call to see us always remark on how many birds we
have in the garden. Like friends and neighbours, we make the birds welcome
and I think that is the answer for any gardener wishing to see some life in
their garden.

Attract them and be friendly to them :-))

Mike






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Don't bother with the clear plastic tube feeders, all the
birds do is scatter the seed all over the ground, they grow
and you have a weed problem.

If you remember to microwave each batch of seed for about a
minute before you put it into the feeder, the seeds will be
inactivated and you won't have a weed problem.

Anne

"Anne Burgess" wrote in message
...
Don't bother with the clear plastic tube feeders, all the birds do is
scatter the seed all over the ground, they grow and you have a weed
problem.

If you remember to microwave each batch of seed for about a minute before
you put it into the feeder, the seeds will be inactivated and you won't
have a weed problem.

Anne



Thank you Anne. That means I can bring back into commission a feeder which I
haven't used for a long time. It is a Green Metal one which a curved plastic
front which fixes to a post. This one has a bar across the front so the
Robin might appreciate it ;-)

A pair of Bluetits have just been on the Peanuts. I am convinced they are
pairing up. Anyone else any thoughts on this?

Mike


--
www.rnshipmates.co.uk for ALL Royal Navy Association matters
www.rneba.org.uk. The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association to find your ex-Greenie mess mates.
www.iowtours.com for all ex-Service Reunions. More being added regularly
"Navy Days" Portsmouth 25th - 27th July 2008. RN Shipmates will be there.

"Anne Burgess" wrote in message
...
Don't bother with the clear plastic tube feeders, all the birds do is
scatter the seed all over the ground, they grow and you have a weed
problem.

If you remember to microwave each batch of seed for about a minute before
you put it into the feeder, the seeds will be inactivated and you won't
have a weed problem.

Anne

You still have a potential problem with rodents when the seeds are spilt :-(

Mary

On 19/12/07 10:52, in article
, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


"Anne Burgess" wrote in message
...
Don't bother with the clear plastic tube feeders, all the birds do is
scatter the seed all over the ground, they grow and you have a weed
problem.

If you remember to microwave each batch of seed for about a minute before
you put it into the feeder, the seeds will be inactivated and you won't
have a weed problem.

Anne

You still have a potential problem with rodents when the seeds are spilt :-(

Mary


You have a potential problem with rodents whatever you feed birds, whenever
you feed them. Squirrels love bird food.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
grow and you have a weed
problem.

If you remember to microwave each batch of seed for about a minute
before
you put it into the feeder, the seeds will be inactivated and you won't
have a weed problem.

Anne

You still have a potential problem with rodents when the seeds are spilt
:-(

Mary


You have a potential problem with rodents whatever you feed birds,
whenever
you feed them. Squirrels love bird food.

--
Sacha


Squirrels are no problem as we only have Red ones here on the Isle of Wight
:-)))

Mike


--
www.rnshipmates.co.uk for ALL Royal Navy Association matters
www.rneba.org.uk. The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association to find your ex-Greenie mess mates.
www.iowtours.com for all ex-Service Reunions. More being added regularly
"Navy Days" Portsmouth 25th - 27th July 2008. RN Shipmates will be there.

'Mike' wrote:
A pair of Bluetits have just been on the Peanuts. I am convinced they
are pairing up. Anyone else any thoughts on this?

Mike

I am sure mine are too, and have been doing the pairing-up ritual visit to
the box for a month or two already.

Mike.
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