Every morning at around 8.30 I fill up all the bird feeders, throw seeds on the lawn and pour hot water into the bird bath. Everything is gone by the next morning.
Came back Sunday am after a night away and filled everything up at lunchtime - all still there frozen and untouched the next morning....
If they don't eat in the morning they die.
Because the bath water is still warm?
If they don't spot it when they wake up, they bugger off somewhere else and eat that instead. They'll be back tomorrow.
They eat all day not just in the mornings.
If they don’t spot it when they wake up, they bugger off somewhere else and eat that instead. They’ll be back tomorrow.
^ this is what I think happens. Plus, ours are busy first thing as I think they are hungry and thirsty after a night roosting.
Every morning at around 8.30 I fill up all the bird feeders, throw seeds on the lawn and pour hot water into the bird bath. Everything is gone by the next morning.
Came back Sunday am after a night away and filled everything up at lunchtime – all still there frozen and untouched the next morning….
They've got a routine, same as any other animal. They'll be going to places that provide food at regular times. You feed them in the morning, Doris up the road feeds at 11.30, the grubs and worms start appearing when the woodland warms up slightly so they go there a bit later...
Round this way, they suddenly appear. Often wondered why.
They’ve got a routine, same as any other animal.
I'm sure they have, but I'm just surprised that when it's this cold, not a single one notices several 100 grams of seed in the garden, sat there on a clear day for 5 hours just waiting....
E.g. I've had three Robins fighting over it, so you think one of them might pop back later one day...
Round this way, they suddenly appear. Often wondered why.
I expect it's related to your proximity
Same for me.
Same for me
They have a deep desire
What do the keys Y, H, J, K, I, 8, 7 & 6 have in common?
I'm not sure but some supernatural beings that serve god definitely had a meeting on your birthday
They eat all day not just in the mornings.
That's not necessarily the case. Seed eaters with crops can gorge themselves with food which will last quite a while, birds without crops need regular food.
Consequently a pigeon can easily survive a couple of days without food, a crow however probably wouldn't - they would quickly become too weak to fly and find food.
Also fat reserves play a part - pigeons will have some but crows have no significant amounts of fat.
Edit: And the comments with regards to birds and their routines are very valid imo.
The birds here come for breakfast, morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea, high tea, dinner and finally supper.
Costs us a fortune in feed, they normally get through at least one feeder a day.
In our garden they tend to eat a lot in the morning and then there are another couple of busy periods around late morning and mid afternoon all species can come together in these blocks. At this time of year they will settle after that to keep warm.
They also tend to come in waves depending on species at various times in the day, looking out of my window I have a load of blue tits on the feeders at the moment but no other birds. Just finished typing and the blue tits have gone and it is all quiet 🙂
At this time of year they will settle after that to keep warm.
I was wondering if there was some energy conservation going on - minimising the hours out and about once they've eaten enough..
To be fair what else has a bird got to do this time of year apart from eating?
A quick preen and that's all the chores done for the day.
Round this way, they suddenly appear. Often wondered why.
I expect it’s related to your proximity
To be fair what else has a bird got to do this time of year apart from eating?
A quick preen and that’s all the chores done for the day.
Not necessarily. I’ve 2 jackdaws rebuilding their nest near me.
Ive got sparrows and tits nibbling at my fat balls right now.
I’ve 2 jackdaws rebuilding their nest near me.
They must be very house/nest proud! It's still a while before the hanky-panky season.
Tits like coconuts
Whereas blackbirds enjoy the sultanas we put out in the mornings.
oh, and Close to You!
To be fair what else has a bird got to do this time of year apart from eating?
A quick preen and that’s all the chores done for the day.
Gulls always find somewhere to fly to and from, and maybe to have a bit of a squabble over a chip. I've always admired the fact that gulls look like they enjoy flying and just do it for the sake of flying. I'd be a gull! I like arguments as well. 😀
It’s still a while before the hanky-panky season.
I thought so too until the six year old calls me over to the window last weekend. "Daddy look at those pigeons, one of them is climbing on the other's back! How funny..."
They must be very house/nest proud! It’s still a while before the hanky-panky season.
Indeed. They pair for life though.
I’d be a gull! I like arguments as well. 😀
Yeah being a Sea Gull full appeals to me too, but only because of their ability to shit on someone with truly spectacular results. Compare that with a sparrow, or even a pigeon - pathetic.
Yeah being a Sea Gull full appeals to me too, but only because of their ability to shit on someone with truly spectacular results.
I genuinely think that they target people just for laughs. And don't forget about stealing food from people's hands. Great fun, why wouldn't you do it if you could. 😀
They pair for life though.
A surprisingly amount of birds mate for life. And in the case of crows their offsprings will sometimes stay around to help their parents look after the following year's youngsters.
And don’t forget about stealing food from people’s hands.
Or even walking into a shop to steal a bag of crisps.
No such bird as a seagull!
incidentally, are you stalked by young men in your conurbation?
Ive got sparrows and tits nibbling at my fat balls right now.
Sounds uncomfortable.
Yeah being a Sea Gull full appeals to me too
Do you mean a herring gull?
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Suring the birds just assumed it was early closing on Sunday?
Do you mean a herring gull?
Well I've got no idea where "Sea Gull full" came from but I mean one of these cheeky gits who steal and shit on people.
Mine eat all day, every day. And sit on the feeders and stare at me if they're empty for even 10 seconds.
I was once told by a friend who is a bit of an ornithologist that birds don't fly for leisure; it's just too energy sapping. So if you see them flying, chances are they're hunting for food.
There are no more worms left after that
Frigatebirds can sleep whilst flying. That's true that is.
I can sleep while driving.
Because they change the batteries in the afternoon.
I was once told by a friend who is a bit of an ornithologist that birds don’t fly for leisure; it’s just too energy sapping. So if you see them flying, chances are they’re hunting for food.
They’ve clearly never watched ravens flying out in the open then. Usually they’re flying for specific purposes, fetching sticks for nests, feeding, etc, but occasionally you’ll get to see ravens flying just for the sheer joy of it, climbing, tumbling, doing wing-overs, basically aerobatics. Watching a big bird like a raven playing with the air is joyous. Watching a gang of swifts tearing around the rooftops at high speed screaming their little heads off is one of the great sights and sounds of summer - again, no reason for the behaviour as far as feeding or anything else other than for shits’n’giggles.
As far as my garden birds are concerned, during the warmer months, when I have my bedroom window open, I have to wear earplugs when I’m not working because the gang of starlings that pitch up at around 5.15am, screeching and squabbling wake me up every time. They come back at various times during the day as well.
Because they change the batteries in the afternoon
🤣 nice reference
Birds eat whenever there’s food and they’re hungry. They’ll eat even when not very hungry if the food is particularly appealing. Some spend time having fun like the acrobatic corvids mentioned but generally most birds spend a huge chunk of time searching out food.
Maybe the OP’s question could be ‘I see birds feeding in the morning. Where do they go to feed after that’?
We get a few kinds of birds popping into the garden to feed throughout the day. There’s a bit of regularity to it. Crows and magpies early on. Blackbirds mostly in the morning. Robin intermittently in the day. Blue tits in the afternoon. Wagtails afternoon. Nuthatches late morning or afternoon.
Not yet had any of the parrots that hang around in the park visit. our own will perk up at the rustle of food packaging or amble over when they see us with food. Birds be greedy and have almost insatiable appetites.
I'm not so sure that birds will 'keep on eating for the sake of it' as a human would. Birds tend to be the same shape and weight that their species has always been. Although they sometimes look plumper in the winter when they fluff up, to keep warm.
The blackcap comes several times a day.
Well, i've had two red squirrels and now a woodpecker on the feeder outside my office window today.
Filled it up last week...
birds don’t fly for leisure
Nope that's when they sing - they're putting on little operas an that.
I was once told by a friend who is a bit of an ornithologist that birds don’t fly for leisure; it’s just too energy sapping. So if you see them flying, chances are they’re hunting for food.
They’ve clearly never watched ravens flying out in the open then. Usually they’re flying for specific purposes, fetching sticks for nests, feeding, etc, but occasionally you’ll get to see ravens flying just for the sheer joy of it, climbing, tumbling, doing wing-overs, basically aerobatics
I thought about gulls when I read that first post. (I have a theme on this thread! 😀 ) Go and watch gulls on a windy day and tell me that they aren't just flying for enjoyment.
Buuuuttt.... maybe they are flying because they roost in stupid places* and can't hold on well enough in a storm, or have nowhere to hide from the wind. Maybe the ravens you mention are tumbling to dislodge parasites from their feathers. I just made that up because we simply don't know. But I can spend hours watching birds and some types of bird seem to enjoy flying for the sake of it.
Not all birds are as stupid as we've always assumed. There's been some interesting work on the intelligence of corvids eg https://www.newscientist.com/article/2314573-crows-may-owe-their-intelligence-to-an-abundance-of-certain-neurons/
One researcher, a few years ago, was convinced that crows were conspiring against him after he'd trapped some for research. 😀
Interesting link here about communication:
https://mynorthwest.com/864238/uw-research-crows-talking/
* like my roof. Every year we seem to be a feeding place for juvenile herring gulls, noisy ****ers.
Training racing pigeons will fly endlessly in circles near their lofts until a tin of corn is rattled. They could just roost on nearby roofs if they didn't fancy flying.
One researcher, a few years ago, was convinced that crows were conspiring against him after he’d trapped some for research.
They probably were… certainly, they can remember human faces and can pass on to their young information about humans who’ve harmed or caused them distress, should those humans show up at any time. They can count, use tools and adapt a tool to give better results, and are self-aware.
All of those traits show they’re quite capable of flying just for the shits’n’giggles. Although, having said that, I’ve watched big flocks of rooks and jackdaws, and carrion crows, all of which are pretty smart, but don’t seem to indulge in random flight displays. Magpies and jays I’m not sure about, however jays aren’t that common, and it’s difficult to tell with magpies.
Never been lucky enough to see chough in the wild, sadly, but as they’re coastal birds, using updrafts a lot, hard to tell the difference.
New Caledonian crows are apparently the smartest corvids, but not much to choose between them and ravens.
