Start recycling by putting kitchen scraps out for our garden birds instead of throwing your food in the dustbin. Putting out bird food, especially in winter, can be a life saver for some birds. Here is some food I put out A lot of birds love fruit. They will eat scraps and cores of apples and [...] One way to feed birds is to plant a variety of native shrubs or even hedges. This is natural food for birds. Next time you are at a Garden Centre – think British bird A bush needs planting once and provides fruit and shelter for garden birds for years. Some of the birds that [...]
Southern Australia is experiencing a series of very hot days since Christmas. Here in Murray Bridge, South Australia, we have experienced most days over the temperature of 35C (95F) with several days getting as high as 45C (113F). It’s been hot, very hot. On days like that I appreciate the fact that I don’t have [...]Nest sites for birds are important, but just as important are places where birds can shelter and roost As well as providing nesting sites, a thick row of hedges gives birds really good protection against wind, rain and snow. We have a laurel hedge that has a wooden fence behind it. This gives two fold protection. The [...]It’s so difficult feeding birds when the weather is so wet. The bird food is wasted by the never ending rain – a waste of my money and bad for birds The ground feeder needs cleaning more and with the rain lashing down on me, it wasn’t a job I wanted to do Even my [...]
This afternoon I’ve settled with my laptop in the sunroom to do a little writing. It’s a lovely post-Christmas summer’s day: around 30 degrees, not a cloud in the sky and a gentle breeze coming in through the window near to my left elbow. After all the food in recent days – we’ve had two [...]
Christmas greetings to all of my regular readers – and to those visiting for the very first time. Christmas in Australia is usually a special time of family gatherings, some people travelling long distances to be with family. This Christmas we had the delight of having all of our little family together, something of a [...]Happy Christmas Have a lovely, peaceful, stress free and loving day Here is Happy Christmas from 2009 A Yorkshire Church and a Nativity http://birdtablenews.com/2009/12/a-yorkshire-church-and-the-nativity/ The 2012 Nativity was lovely as well Of course they don’t. Do they? I suppose it’s just another day for our feathered friends Christmas Day! ‘Oh Little Town of Bethleham’ ‘Oh Come All Ye Faithful’. Just two lovely Christmas Carols that, in a lot of ways, sum up Christmas. We have thrushes in a corner of the garden now. I’ve been putting [...] I have had two comments yesterday,which were similar, because they are about birds being preyed on. John says - It’s a load of rubbish “sparrowhawks go for the weaklings They attack so silently and swiftl. They will kill and eat any bird up to the size of a pigeo. In fact one of their favourite meals [...]When you sit down to your meal, plate piled high with Christmas-time goodies, have a thought for the wild birds around you. What will they be eating for their Christmas dinner? Winter is a difficult time of year for birds, the days are short and the nights are cold, so they must eat a lot [...]The master of restraint and forward planning when it comes to finding food is the mistle thrush. This is the UK’s largest thrush and in early autumn birds gather in large flocks to feed together. But as soon as holly berries appear, they will split off on their own or into pairs and get defensive. Each bird or pair [...]
Last week we had a persistent three to four hours of rain. It was quite welcome after a long, dry spell and some very hot days. The cooling effect was noticeable. We always enjoy having good falls of rain as it helps the trees in our orchard and the many native Australian plants we have [...]Dawn was breaking when I heard the first blackbird of the day. I could follow his call as he flew from one corner of the bird feeding area to the other, so I went outside in the morning gloom and scattered wild bird seed and and an apple that was going soft. Blackbirds, especially, love [...]
No bird photos to show toady, but something just as beautiful. I recently took these photos of some native flowers in our garden. It made me think about ways of attracting birds to your garden. I’ve written articles on this topic before, including this one. Planting Australian native plants is the best way of attracting [...]