Where Have All The Wild Birds Gone?

[Alickadoo]

The consumption of wild bird food from my feeder in the garden has reduced massively over the last couple of weeks. Why?

A friend who is an orni - bird watcher says his bird count the other weekend reduced from 15 different species of bird last year to 6 this year. Why is that?

[cptsideways]

Bird flu, it's rife in many areas

[Evoluzione]

Because we’ve ruined their environment.

[Ambleton]

We had a period of no smaller birds visiting for a while. The past week we've had an influx of starlings, a robin and today seen the first sparrow in a long time.

Usual stalwarts of woodpidgeons and collared doves have remained steadfast.

[Dodsy]

In kingston the flocks of parakeets seem to have driven all the other birds out

[Alickadoo]

Dodsy said:

In kingston the flocks of parakeets seem to have driven all the other birds out

In Esher we haven't had parakeets for a couple of years.

[turbospud]

too many magpies,crows and jays.
and making it harder to control them, with the eco loons fiddling with the general licences.

[loafer123]

Alickadoo said:

The consumption of wild bird food from my feeder in the garden has reduced massively over the last couple of weeks. Why?

A friend who is an orni - bird watcher says his bird count the other weekend reduced from 15 different species of bird last year to 6 this year. Why is that?

Warmer weather meaning access to other food sources is easier?

[vixen1700]

We had a fantastic dawn chorus here in East London the other morning, no shortage of all kinds of birds here.

The huge numbers of bright green parakeets are a wonder to see when the sunlight catches them when they fly West each evening.

[pakora]

Not being funny, but have the birds returned to the wild, I saw an increase over the pandemic but with things now going back to normal, maybe food sources in inner cities have dwindled. I have seen a decrease even in the number of magpies and wood pigeons in our garden.

[dudleybloke]

Loads of magpies here.

[Alorotom]

Boatloads of magpies here (stereotypically, Newcastle) - on a morning its not unusual to half 9+ in the rear garden at any one moment - considering there is no bird feeders and the grass is plastic its a surprise although they do like to drink from the dogs bowls (strangely)

[vixen1700]

Had shedloads of magpies last summer, they used to dive-bomb the foxes that were laying in the sun. bd things!

[Turn7]

Ive been feeding the brids for years, and this Winter does seem to be quite sparse for amounts of birds.

Last year, after setting up the feeders in our new gaff, we had flocks of Goldies, Sparrows, Greenfinches and all the Tits...etc

Kept the feeders full over winter and only really Tits, a Robin and Blackbird as regulars.

Pigeons still here.

I did notice yesterday a bit more activity tho, including our first Long Tail Tit, and a Goldie back in the garden.

Also, the smallest Wren I have ever seen.

Hopefully, theyll all comeback this Summer.

[PositronicRay]

Turn7 said:

Ive been feeding the brids for years, and this Winter does seem to be quite sparse for amounts of birds.

Last year, after setting up the feeders in our new gaff, we had flocks of Goldies, Sparrows, Greenfinches and all the Tits...etc

Kept the feeders full over winter and only really Tits, a Robin and Blackbird as regulars.

Pigeons still here.

I did notice yesterday a bit more activity tho, including our first Long Tail Tit, and a Goldie back in the garden.

Also, the smallest Wren I have ever seen.

Hopefully, theyll all comeback this Summer.

We've seen our 1st long tailed ties too, loads of them, speaking to friends out of the area they've seen them for the first time aswell.


No real shortage here, but haven't seen a nuthatch for a while.

[Turn7]

PositronicRay said:

Turn7 said:

Ive been feeding the brids for years, and this Winter does seem to be quite sparse for amounts of birds.

Last year, after setting up the feeders in our new gaff, we had flocks of Goldies, Sparrows, Greenfinches and all the Tits...etc

Kept the feeders full over winter and only really Tits, a Robin and Blackbird as regulars.

Pigeons still here.

I did notice yesterday a bit more activity tho, including our first Long Tail Tit, and a Goldie back in the garden.

Also, the smallest Wren I have ever seen.

Hopefully, theyll all comeback this Summer.

We've seen our 1st long tailed ties too, loads of them, speaking to friends out of the area they've seen them for the first time aswell.


No real shortage here, but haven't seen a nuthatch for a while.

Never had a Nuthatch in the garden, stunning bird.
Really hoping for a flock of Long Tails, I love them.

[anonymous-user]

Our garden seems well visited this year.

We've got lots of blue, coal and long tailed tits at the moment as well as a pair of bull finches. Also a pair of blackbirds, a dunnock, pigeons and the normal collection of corvids. We also get a kestrel and a sparrow hawk as regular visitors. About two weeks ago we had a redwing for the day - not seen it since.

[Pinkie15]

We seem to be doing OK (semi-rural Herts)

Blue, Great & Long-tail tits (Long-tail only seemed to turn up last year)
Robins
Blackbirds
Thrushes
Nuthatch (first time I've ever seen one)
Pigeons
Crows
Magpies
Jackdaws
Jays
Parakeets
Red Kites
Buzzards
Heron
Greater Spotted & Green Woodpeckers
Barn & Tawny Owls

[PositronicRay]

Pinkie15 said:

We seem to be doing OK (semi-rural Herts)

Blue, Great & Long-tail tits (Long-tail only seemed to turn up last year)
Robins
Blackbirds
Thrushes
Nuthatch (first time I've ever seen one)
Pigeons
Crows
Magpies
Jackdaws
Jays
Parakeets
Red Kites
Buzzards
Heron
Greater Spotted & Green Woodpeckers
Barn & Tawny Owls

Used to have a regular owl visitor, poo on the patio and could hear it hunting from the gable end above our bedroom window. I haven't seen or heard it for ages.

[General Price]

Buy 30 goldfinches and get 1 free blackbird.