From the Garden
It has been a quiet start to the week in the garden (recording begins on a Sunday), even though fourteen species have already visited. Chaffinch numbers are still down, apart from a forty-strong flock for a few minutes on Monday following a hail storm and snow shower.
Siskin and Goldfinch are still arriving in slightly larger than normal numbers.
I saw my first bumblebee of spring at the weekend but he didn't stop to pose for a photo.
No butterflies yet; nor any ladybirds.
Swallows and House Martins are still to arrive.
On Sunday, Birdboy (just turned three-and-a-half) sowed some Sunflower seeds which will be planted outside in a few weeks time.
I picked up a few sprays of millet whilst in a pet food shop (looking at sunflower heart prices!) at the weekend. As far as I know, there have been no takers yet. A female Siskin has landed on it, but she was just waiting her turn on the sunflower seed!
Male Siskin (I'll have to change the blog title to Borders' Siskins, if I'm not careful!):
Crocus:
Labels: Siskin
posted by The Bird Woman at 9:11 PM
3 Comments:
I may have to get another feeder to fill with sunflower hearts. We have goldfinches, but I've only ever seen them on the dandelion clocks. You're doing really well with goldfinches! They're such pretty little birds.
The Feast Wheel seems to be popular. Look how it has gone down when you compare it with the photo from the day you put it out. Doesn't the seed get waterlogged? I figure suet coats the seeds and keeps most of the rain off, but gelatine wouldn't do that. How does it hold up in the rain?
Well ... I did notice that there was a small patch of mold on the back (which I hacked off). Rotating it daily seems to have solved that as the back of the ring gets little or no sun.
But now you mention it, I think I'll take this one down soon and break it in half to see if there's any mold inside.
Sunflower hearts is easily the most popluar food we supply. Also the most expensive! A 50lb (22.68kgs) sack costs us £28 and it lasts around a month. Back to black sunflower seeds once the better weather arrives!
I've broken a small piece off the feast wheel ring thing, and all appears okay inside. No sign of any mold so I'll pop it back out in the morning.
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