Garden birds, hot weather, normal behaviour?

WilliamC

WilliamC

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As some of you know, I've only taken up birdie photography this year and so I don't yet know how behaviour works with weather/time of year. This week it's been gloriously hot and sunny here but my garden has been completely abandoned by the birdies! 2 weeks ago they eating a feeder-full per day but all of a sudden it's a feeder-full per week, if that. I just spent 2 hours focussed on the perch above the feeder with not one visitor compared to 2 weeks ago it would have been > 10 or 20 per hour.

Does this normally happen when it's glorious weather?
 
Yes quite normal as they will feed very early or late as it is hot so they are around but you don't see them so much.There is also lots of natural food at the mo so they may prefer that. What do you put in the feeder?

Make sure they have plenty of water available and you may see more of them bathing!

Heather
 
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Thanks for the reply H.

Plenty of water there, topped up daily. Sunflower hearts have been their food of choice for months so that's what they get. They were doing 1kg/week until last week so at least it's saving some money! The early morning activity also seems quieter (I'm up soon after 5) although they do visit early on but the evenings are now complete blanks suddenly. I can only put it down to the weather so was intrigued as to whether it was normal or not.
 
Hi William, quite normal behaviour as mentioned. They will feed when it is cooler. I was under the impression the Long tailed tits had suffered this year due to the weather, last year I was photographing them what seemed like every five minutes in the garden. This year I have only spotted three :thinking: Whilst up in the woods the other day checking out the Buzzard I found a spot to sit in amongst the Ferns for cover, within about ten minutes a swarm of Ltt`s came flitting through the cascading branches of the Fir Trees. I spotted two Tree creepers and a couple of Woodies. If that was not enough about 10 ft in front of me a litte wren just came up vertical from amongst the Ferns picking off the little midges that were dancing about in the Sun rays that were penetrating the trees, at one point it was just like watching a Hummingbird flying.So dont worry about them they will be ready to eat you out of house and home come Winter :rules::lol:
 
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Tigger.ufo said:
Make sure they have plenty of water available and you may see more of them bathing!
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We have a ground level bird bath in our garden, and when it's really hot we get amazing opportunities (if I had the equipment to take advantage). So +1 for this suggestion.
 
Thanks folks, I shall keep my fingers crossed that they come back when the 'normal' summer returns. I was concerned that I might have done something that scared them off!

EDIT: Oooh, in addition, does anyone know if Kites change their flight schedule in hot weather? We have a couple which are usually over here the same times every day but they've not been seen at those times (12-1, 4-5) during the hot weather.
 
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My feeders have lots of young blue and great tits at the moment. They are emptying the feeders every 3-4 days, they normally only manage this in Jan or Feb. They are great to watch, a real flock mentality.
 
What range are you shooting from?

I only have a 18-55 kit lens at the moment so I was going the conceal & motionless route to stay close to the bird bath. No visitors though.
 
Pegasus2 said:
What range are you shooting from?
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The perch above the feeders is about 7m away from the camera (sitting inside my kitchen with the doors open) with a 70-300L lens so some cropping is needed but no problem with a 7D and that lens. They don't seem at all bothered by the clicking noises at that range; I could get closer but they get a bit spooked if I do.
 
Mine I still emptying the feedrers daily and a couple come right up to the house and peer in the french doors if there is no food.
I did have the feeder right up close to the house, but the mess on the patio was horrendous so it's moved down the garden again, they don't mind where it is as long as there is food.
There was a woodpecker around earlier, heard it but it never appwared.
Do you have any water, they love that too, I have a small pond that use to drink and bath in
 
Well with the 'normal' (i.e. rubbish) weather resumption the spuggies are back to feeding but I do seem to have lost the Gold and Greenfinches. I used to get 6 or 7 fighting for the feeder early in the morning then several/hour all day but they've gone :(

Btw, water is the least of their issues, my neighbour has a flat roof which is permanently flooded and overlooks my feeders.
 
We just get spuggies and starlings here. I havent seen any blue or great tits in years.

My dad loves the birds, and he buys 20kg bags of wild food for them. But for the feeding frenzies I get a couple of cheap kg bags of mealworm and suet. They go mental for it, and it only lasts a couple of hours.

While the mealworm and suet is out, I throw some bread on the grass. The fat pigeons and collared doves pick up on the feast too and hop around the garden.

We have a pond, and water bowl next to the feeder, but they don't really use them. It is still a good idea to have a lot of water though, as a lot of birds will keep your garden in mind as a place to rely on.
 
Really glad I found this thread. I thought I had upset my birds with my recipes. I make my own mix for the cakes and normally it goes within a couple of days. It's been there for four days and still not finished. Starlings would be about in abundance, maybe ten plus at once but I've not seen one for days.

Thanks to you all for putting my mind at rest.
 
Panic over! There's a pigeon there, first bird I've seen for four days! :D
 
Times they maybe a'changin. There are a couple of Starlings loitering with intent, just our cat putting them off. Also a Robin has been in a couple of times today. :)
 
Well, weeks on from my first post, they still aren't coming into my garden. The feeders have hardly been touched for a week. Is it something to do with the time of year and they have better things to do elsewhere? I know it's not just my garden because I will normally see masses of Goldfinches around the neighbourhood and they've all gone too.

Btw, no Red Kites around the area for 3 weeks either. You could have set your watches by them previously.
 
WilliamC said:
Well, weeks on from my first post, they still aren't coming into my garden. The feeders have hardly been touched for a week. Is it something to do with the time of year and they have better things to do elsewhere? I know it's not just my garden because I will normally see masses of Goldfinches around the neighbourhood and they've all gone too.

Btw, no Red Kites around the area for 3 weeks either. You could have set your watches by them previously.
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I read somewhere, maybe on here that there is enough natural food available for them at this time of the year so they don't need us humans, talk about being used and abused! :D

I have spoken to the pet shop I get my feed from and he backs this up, says his bird feed supply drops off in the summer sometimes until late September! :'(
 
I'm giving up feeding birds until late autumn when they will really need it.
Got 6 feeders in the garden and I've just counted 12 parakeets feeding, 2 on each.
I'm sick of feeding these green screechers and the squirrels too!
 
Just to close this thread off, it's 1st October and this morning the Gold & Greenfinches were back. Half a feeder full gone already.

So, you were all absolutely correct and it's time to get the batteries charged up!

Thx all :)
 
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