In a blog a few weeks ago I commented that the squirrel was coming for peanuts but was chewing them through the mesh of the feeder and wasn’t copying a couple of the feral pigeons, who flip the lid open and take the peanuts from the top.
Obviously the squirrel took note of that and it’s now coming to the feeder and flipping the lid and having a nice snack, assuming the peanuts are not too low down.
It has been a brisk week with the birds and I think they have enjoyed the sunshine both in terms of bathing in the bird bath and probably then sunning themselves on the lawn and also coming for their food without being battered by wind and rain. I have seen two or three jackdaws most days coming for some food and the crows have also been putting in an appearance, generally coming first thing in the morning or late in the evening. They just seem to drop by looking for some food but often apart from the feeders, there will be none left at the bird table. I’ve seen a magpie on my occasions but they generally don’t seem now to come into the garden that much.
The smaller birds are still in evidence with a good group of starlings coming every day eating the meal worms, the suet squares and the suet balls. They are quite bold and will happily push their way in through the feral pigeons to get to the food they require. I have seen a few sparrows as well either in one of my holly bushes or coming to the feeder and I imagine they are around more than I am seeing them. Likewise with the blackbirds, I sometimes see one hopping across the grass early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
A couple of wood pigeons are generally round and about during the day and I think they are probably sitting in my buddleia bush as they often fly away from there when I disturb them going into the garden. They are also eating some soft berries from a flowering shrub. There is a robin and there are also some blue tits and great tits coming occasionally to the feeders but as with the sparrows, I think they are around more and I just don’t see them, as my sitting room and dining room windows look out on the bird table and I would have to be in a bedroom or my kitchen to be viewing the feeders directly and the bird callers.
There seems now to be no evidence of a hedgehog in the garden, as over the years I had seen them, but this is now the second year when there’s been no sign of them and they are now an endangered species. I have hedgehog holes under the fence and if I saw one it would certainly be treated to some hedgehog food. At least one fox is still coming through the garden in the evening, not that I generally see it but my cat is certainly watching it from the window and will let me know when it’s there.
The sunnier days have again brought an opportunity for insects to come onto the wild flowers and other plants, such as my large sedum or ice plant. In general it’s been hoverflies and cabbage white butterflies but I’m sure there have been some bees as well, but I’ve still yet to see more than just one or two wasps this autumn.
Written by Margaret Emerson
