Sunday, June 28, 2009

Birds on the Balcony - Finally


It's taken years, but I've finally managed to convince a couple of birds that they will not be eaten alive if they come onto the balcony.


OK, it's only the odd common-as-muck Great Tit - I can't offer you anything exotic. But I'm proud as punch.


I've had a feeder up since January, but it hadn't been touched and I was about to throw it away. And then when I went onto the balcony one day last week, two tits suddenly flew off.

But if they weren't afraid to come onto the balcony, why weren't they touching the nuts?

Probably, I thought, because by now they were stale. So I replaced them - and within twenty four hours - bingo. I had birds feeding on the balcony for the first time.


I think it's just one pair that come. They turn up at exactly 8am for breakfast every morning. The female is more wary - if she sees me she's gone for good. But the male is more confident. He just waits a minute till I've gone and then flies back. He didn't spot me this morning. I was in the bedroom hiding behind the bed with the French doors wide open, camera at the ready ...

Hope he enjoyed his breakfast.



14 comments:

Fern @ Life on the Balcony said...

Congrats! Your titmouse is pretty exotic to me. All I see at my feeder at work are house finches. I think they are European imports?

Diana Studer said...

used to scatter seed on the windowsill in Zurich. No birds! One winter evening after work, I looked and there was one very cold, blue budgie. Plotzlich! (suddenly for non-Germans)

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

If I was a bird, I'd love to live somewhere near your balconu! Good shots, Sue!

Victoria Summerley said...

I've found it can take ages to get birds to come to a feeder. I put one up on the front garden, hanging from a big bamboo and it was ignored for weeks. But once you get one or two birds, you'll find you get more quite quickly. Try sunflower seeds as well.

Helen/patientgardener said...

How satisfying. I find that birds like to have some cover need the feeder so they dont have to worry about predetors.

Val said...

It is so exciting when birds start eating the food you've put out for them. No wonder you are thrilled. It can only get better! Val

Jan said...

Congratulations on the birds! Last winter I hung some peanuts up on a string, but nothing has touched them... no holes in the shells or anything. But I don't suppose the birds around us, and there are plenty, have ever seen peanuts or a feeder before!

Unknown said...

Congrats from me also! This year I want to build up some birds houses!

GardenMum said...

It took the birds a long time to eat from our feeder as well. Our neighbours have always fed them so they had a more familiar feeding site. But we persisted and they came around in the end, much to the joy of out little ones.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful! Isn't it beautiful to see wildlife at your doorstep? Unfortunately I have a cat who keeps birds away. I've had a few killed on our property which has really saddened me (and a couple live ones brought into the house--but thankfully escaped alive with my help). Wish I could do more bird feeders. I find them fascinating.

Rowena said...

I'm inspired to set out some feed for the chirpers around here, but tell me, what is that netted bag that you are using? Is it the ones that come wrapped around produce?

Drainage Dallas, TX said...

Beautiful pictures!

<3 Lindsay

Sue Swift said...

Thanks for all your comments.

Fern - I'd never heard of house finches so Googled them. They look sweet - I'd love to have them here.

EE - Oh dear, I suspect the budgie didn't make it through the Zurich winter.

Victoria - thanks for the sunflower seeds tip. Will try it next time I fill up.

Jan - I suspect that's why it took so long here. people here don't feed birds - it's actually illegal to feed pigeons, which are classed as vermin.

Rowena - no, actually I bought the bag, filled with fat and peanuts, from Germany. Have you ever seen them here? I haven't. And when I threw away the original stuff, which hadn't been touched, I just filled it up again with supermarket peanuts and sultanas.

Amila Kanchana said...

How nice! I keep two bowls for food and water which attract both birds and squirells. Some of them used to nest inside, back where I was born. My parents still have many companians.

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