Tuesday 6 November 2012

If you build it, they will come.

So to add a bit of structure in the new patch, I decided, being short of space both front and back of the house, I had to think on the vertical. Whilst you can wait for trees to grow and climbers to do their thing, nothing say's instant gardening like a bird table. No, I hadn't really seen any birds out there, but I was working on the philosophy that if I built one, they would come. It also helps break up that 'looking at a car park vibe' we have going on and keeps the puppy amused, he watches out there for hours. 
A great book, a bargain 50p find at a local charity shop.
So before taking on such vertical planning, I consulted one of the googolplex of gardening books. I'm ashamed to say I've not counted my gardening books lately, they are good at keeping us insulated here on the bookshelves. The main message was, when trying to garden for wildlife, be it a bird table or planning a bird friendly hedge, plan for your audience - well that was easy - ME! I want to watch the birds on the table, so I'm the audience.
Um, it would appear not, the audience in this particular book, was the birds I was trying to attract. Silly me, well that was a lesson to be learnt. So we put up the table, furnished the surrounding area with a couple of bird friendly trees and some suitable plants in pots and waited patiently. After what seemed like 'seasons' passed, they came. First the starlings, then the sparrows, a pair of collared doves, a cheeky rook and then a Robin popped over to join the party with a Mr & Mrs Blackbird lurking over the past few days. And we now see them on a daily basis, although it took a month or so for them to pop along. How beautiful is that Robin?
Robin photo from the lovely Essex Hebridean, pop over and see some of her amazing photographs.
You'll be pleased to hear that the photographs of birds I've found are not mine. My bird photography resembles my cooking photography, not great. So a few are borrowed from a stunning photographer, aptly named fellow blogger 'Robyn'
 
One thing I do miss in Orkney is whilst we have a stunning array of wild life, woodland and garden birds are not so plentiful. This is probably the 4th Robin I've seen in the 12 years I've been in Orkney, I'm not complaining, we're blessed with sea birds, waders and moorland birds.
So the vertical gardening out there with the bird table has been a roaring success. We built, we waited and they did come! Its been so successful in fact we've branched out into the 'divan' garden out the front (its only slightly longer than a single divan!) and we've put a bird feeder out there. Building on the 'if you wait, wait, wait' they'll use it, and finally they've started to. Only two starlings on there at the moment (certainly not enough for a pie), so I'll just keep waiting to see who else shows up. Hiding whilst washing up, behind the Christmas cactus........ 
So you can imagine our delight today whilst lurking on the sofa finishing paperwork in front of the woodfire (its cold here) that we had a visit from a Waxwing. I'd heard there were a few in the village from our postie, but never thought I'd see one as clear as day on the picnic bench by the bird table.
Waxwing photo from Franck Renard
  So I'm glad we did build it for them, the regulars and the more exotic migrants! Are you looking after the wildlife in your garden? I wonder who visits you? For now, the table has a regular audience, me the older dog and the younger pup, who takes up residence in the front row!
Haggis keeping watch on the birds outside to make sure they behave.
There's a free guide on how to attract birds to your garden here, why not give it a go? Who know's who'll turn up - and if it keeps this cold, maybe next time I'll get a few of these.........
Must get some sardines in, just in case!

15 comments:

  1. Following my discussion with you earlier I have been thinking about missing birds here. I even blogged about it. Maybe I am doing something wrong. I have bird feeders, seeds for different kinds of birds, fat balls, nesting boxes and water bowls. I can only keep trying.

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    1. Cheri I was thinking about that today. I wonder what we can do to attract them to your feast? I was worried about the lack of cover here at the windows - and thought I was being a bit ambitious but by putting a couple of trees (in pots) and a shrub or two by the feeder they've found both the cover and the food. I wonder if that would help.

      Another thought was that you've a few cats about you haven't you? I wonder if the birds are keen to stay away from them.

      I hope you get some visitors soon - I have missed watching the birds here too - goodluck - I must pop over and read........

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    2. I had a single waxwing two winters ago. I'd never seen one before, and my first thought was that it was some kind of escaped parrot! You are lucky indeed to have one at your table so quickly. In my experience, birds avoid exposed situations until they are hungry or greedy enough to risk it, or until they see others getting away with it. It's useful to scatter a little food on the ground close to fences or under cover, which will encourage dunnocks and wrens. I wouldn't encourage the starlings though - once they arrive in numbers, no one else gets a look in.

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    3. Starlings are a species that is rather in decline. Up in the Hebrides we see them in great flocks still - down here in the South East, barely any. If you have them, treasure them, they are lovely little birds, and so clever. Fantastic mimics too!

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    4. They do indeed look like escaped parrots Kininvie! I am lucky, not normally but on this occassion yes I was - right place (sofa) right time (day time) clearly I need to be a couch potato. I lured them in with scattered food in the style of the child catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (with the same moustache) and scattered seeds from the rugosa hips (good thinking eh) and the shrubbery at the back. They have appeared thus far to take the bait. I'v enot seen a wren yet. But I'm hopeful. Although those 'little brown jobs' do my head in with the ID so I've probably got dunnocks too. The starlings, well I quite like them and I know waht you mean - the smaller feeder is good as they can't get their beefy bodies into it. I don't know how to discourage starlings (not that would) as I'm not sure they are good at reading. I think the mixture here is good, the blackbirds seem to give the starlings a real run for their money. Like Door men, they seem to leave the smaller birds be. Funny dynamic on a bird table!

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    5. Robyn - I hear that those normal garden birds are seriously in decline down south, thankfully our farming up here is quite mixed and therefore their habitats (like in the Hebrides) are relatively rich. I love when they flock together in swarms (masseration isn't it called?) making sky sculptures. Awesome.

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  2. Now I know what I want for Christmas! A bird viewing centre!

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    1. Oh just think of the hours of fun that will bring, much beter than a box of chocolates! Get writing to Santa.

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  3. Glad you found the pic you wanted OK! lovely to be able to help illustrate such a fab post, too!
    Cheri - we go through phases with our birds - we've got one of those pole style feeders with bits hanging off - it usually has seed, fat balls & peanuts, plus water. We get lots all at once, then they abandon us for a while - i think it's to do with them liking a varied diet! At the moment we're seeing lots of coal tits.

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    1. Coal tits - how I dream of any type of tit (steady there) we don't get anything that exotic here. I've been known to land at Edinburgh from a flight (not on my own) and dash along having spotted a blue tit all excited with myself. The birds tend, it would seem to visit the front feeder so much more when we're not home, ungrateful wretches. You'd think they'd wait until I came back, but as I drive passed and the place is heaving with birds, they all bugger off when I wander from the car to the kitchen, clever things! Thanks for the use of the picture - its just so gorgeous!

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  4. We used to have huge flocks (100+) of Waxwings show up in the garden to strip the berry bushes - Rowan, Black&Redcurrants - before heading South from Sweden. They're lovely little things, colourful and oddly exotic. And Starlings, as Robyn says, are robust, intelligent survivors whose numbers seem to be in decline, though still plenty around us here in France, thankfully.

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    1. Hi there Iain - 100 plus waxwings is surely showing off!!!!!! How cool is that - they are quite comedic arent' they and quite exotic looking. Thankfully plenty starlings here too - I think in Scotland we're lucky. The south of England seems to suffer terribly from a drop in the more 'normal' garden type birds don't they?

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  5. Your feeders are in a great location - wish I'd got somewhere that suitable.... I managed one close to a window, but Next Door's Cat found it too, and after one traumatic incident I closed it down. Now all I get are magpies and jackdaws, and I'm so envious of your waxwings.

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    1. Hi there beangenie - they don't really feel in a very suitable place, but I guess they're working! The cat thing is a hard one isnt it - I dont' like the thought of providing 'instant cat food' thus far we've been OK but if cats became an issue I think that I'd be closing my table down too. Don't get me wrong I love cats but I'd not like any birds to suffer at my feeding station, that would be a bit ironic. I'm envious of hte waxwings too - I only had one but at least I had one!

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  6. i found this topic very interesting if you have more to teach us about this subject please post.

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