Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

I have been an enthusiastic "birder" for thirty years or more but this year, 2015, I cannot recall seeing as few wild birds on my feeders.

Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits and even Chaffinches are a rare sight this year. There have been no Siskins, Redpolls or Wrens and even Nuthatches are few and far between.

I live on the edge of a forest thus see woodland birds more than any other sort. The one bright point of this year is the increased number of Blackbirds, Thrushes, Greater Spotted Woodpeckers and Jays which have visited my feeders and are becoming tamer and less wary.
There have only been a handful of Sparrowhawk attacks.

What's happening, does anybody know?
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[47Jag]

I took my feeder down because my wife is a 'townie' and was forever pounding on the window to scare the squirrels away. The local cats used to lurk in the bushes under the feeder too.

I have noticed that the Coal & Great Tits are still around, Chaffinches and Thrushes still singing away all around. We have a resident Wren family and a Robin who follows me around the garden when I'm working hoping that I disturb something with food lurking underneath. There was a decline in the Magpie population last year so that might have an effect but I've noticed the local pair out and about today with their youngsters. In the past they have been the worst at killing the other birds.

Art

[ka]

More Sparrows than you can shake a stick at, Starling, Oyster Catcher, Swallow etc too many to count. I suppose it is just where you live.
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KA

Better three than four.

[kevin2306]

lots of swifts and swallows up the fields at the moment, what ive noticed tho is the lack of bees..dont seem to be many about at all

kev

[Rootes75]

Got swallows nesting in the eves of the shed again this year, I've made sure I cover all the vehicles before they get targeted!
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[Riley Blue]

About the same as in previous years here. We don't get a lot because we're on a new town centre development with few trees but we've had sparrows, magpies, pigeons, wagtails, blackbirds this year.
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David

1963 Riley 1.5
1965 Riley 1.5

[Phil - Nottingham]

We are on the edge of open countryside and have loads of different birds - our tame cat likes watching them and sometimes chases them off but they have got used to him. A number of blackbirds nest in the trees every year. The sparrows almost disappeared a few years ago - back this year though too
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Rover P2
Rover P4
Rover P5 & P5B
Land Rover S2 & S3
Morris Mini Traveller Mk2

[clan chieftain]

I live in the town and the only birds I get are crows magpies and seagulls. I have 2 cats and I get the odd dead bird on the doorstep.
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The Clan Chieftain