Bird-feeding

by Tracey

I have set up a bird-feeding station in my garden.

The decision to start birdwatching was an impulse whilst I was off work following surgery. I needed something to do that required me to think about something else, to concentrate but that wasn’t too physical.

I bought a birdfeeder, complete with birdseed whilst at a supermarket on day. There was no research or preparation.

I had to decide where to site the birdfeeder, the patio being an obvious first choice as this was nearby and therefore handy for refilling the feeder and observing the birds from a window. but this was not a good idea as my two dogs chased off all the birds.

My second choice was better as I thought it out. It is down the far end of the garden where it is quieter and less disturbed. It is also next to my hobby room so this could be used as a hide, to store bird food and binoculars as well as bird identification books and guides. It also has a kettle for hot drinks.

I wanted to be able to observe several varied species of bird but especially blue tits and other garden birds.

I found a handy tree to hang the bird feeder from and began to watch.

There was little activity for the first week or so, but I kept going down to watch anyway. I was rewarded by sighting of robins and blue tits.

There are now many types of birdfeeders in the garden as I have gotten more involved (or carried away): some have nuts, suet blocks and balls as well as seeds.

With the amount of glass in the hobby room it is still chilly in there in the early mornings so wrapping warmly is still essential when sitting still for prolonged periods of time. I now have several second handbooks and guides to identifying birds. I’ve bought a pair of (secondhand) binoculars so that my husband can have his heavy and old pair back to make identifying the birds easier. I have tried several apps on my phone: inaturalist seems to identify birds from photos or if they’re still for long enough. Merlin is great at identifying bird sounds and recording them so that you can hear and learn what they sound like.

These days it doesn’t take long for the birds to return to feasting after I’ve ventured out to refill the feeders and then retreated inside.

A side effect of the bird feeders is the pair of squirrels that have decided to visit regularly. They are amazing to watch and very acrobatic so one of the birdfeeders is now a squirrel feeder and I stock it for them. The birds seem happy enough to share.