A bird in the hand

I know there's an argument about species imbalance as a result of feeding.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58346043

I live in an urban environment and feed as a way to counterbalance:

a) the number of gardens hereabouts going under hard landscaping to accommodate cars and consequentially loss of natural food sources and

b) losses due to predation by domestic cats

Plus the birds are are fun to watch!

I feed them every day all year round. Yes, it costs - but I get so much pleasure from watching them.

I have a bird friendly garden with feeders, bird bath and a pond. All are very well used and for us an endless source of entertainment.

I had to stop feeding the birds as the rats took over ?
It was mostly jackdaws, magpies & rooks anyway, the little ones barely got a look in ?

I feed the birds in my garden every day, sad to say no long tailed tits here, they are my favourite. I've also got a blackbird I feed on my dog walk, he does recognise me and sits on the fence waiting.

I love birds and was very sorry our local wildlife trust have just issued a post with two orphaned baby barn owls - a developer has just cut down the tree with their nest. Developers netting trees without checking them is also a problem around here.

All year round feeder here too. I’ve a lot of corvids, but I figure if I feed them, they’re less likely to raid small birds’ nests for chicks.
I’ve no pets now, so I factor in buying bird food instead.
As others say they’re a pleasure to watch, even though owls are keeping me awake at the moment - one must be sitting on my chimney pot, it’s so loud.

We too get a lot of pleasure from feeding and watching the birds and unfortunately the odd rat! I was fascinated recently to watch a Magpie repeatedly hop onto a low post to dive bomb a feeding rat. The rat got fed up first and beat a retreat into the hedge.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202205/medium-310600-6690d869-c1fa-4461-a445-8d9c33330fec.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202205/medium-824090-4ca51a1f-f0a6-42f3-8e14-9a2b4e599b03.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202205/medium-667574-a0cff054-93d1-4619-a8fa-b13ee23e2777.jpeg

A friend who worked for the Countryside Council for Wales told me not to feed the birds unless it was an exceptionally harsh winter. She thought it made them too tame and therefore vulnerable to predators, too lazy to forage and therefore vulnerable to dependence on the feeder and also better for the environment to allow them to eat the snails, bugs and midges that can harm the plants.
She maintains Ned that the more we humans interfere in the eco system the more harm we do.
We have lots of nesting boxes and enjoy a variety of lovely birds in the garden every year.
We live in a rural setting so can happily not feed. I can see why some in a more built up area would compensate for the concreting over of gardens by adding to the food chain.
It is a great joy to watch and listen to the birds.

I live in a very rural area. When natural food is plentiful the birds take far less from the feeders. At present they have babies to feed and are constantly coming and going. If they had to rely wholly on what was naturally available fewer chicks would survive. Amongst our regulars are bluetits, whose numbers have diminished considerably over recent years. I have read that they only lay one clutch of eggs each year so it’s vital that they are able to access food for the hatchlings.

I had to stop feeding the birds as the rats took over ?
It was mostly jackdaws, magpies & rooks anyway, the little ones barely got a look in

By the way I have Great Tits!

And finches, wagtails, sparrows, blackbirds, etc.

Norty Laura ?
Tits here too!

I've spent a pleasant couple of hours listening to the birds and watching them dive into the bushes and out again, presumably feeding young ones.

We do feed them but they seem to be finding plenty of insects on our plants too.

The owl hoots at night and I'm hoping he or she is helping to keep the mouse population down.

Oh, and there was a little pile of sparrow feathers and a little wing on the lawn yesterday so the sparrow hawk must be around again.

i love feeding the birds in my garden, watching them is amazing

Wouldn't our gardens be poor if there were no birds. I feed them and put out water in hot weather.

i am not allowed to feed the birds where i live but my dad who lives in england goes to poundland and wilko every week to buy sunflower seeds and fatballs, my mum also feeds them from the varous bird houses she has in the garden, she also has a little house that the squirells can open the door to get the nuts she puts out. any extra food she puts out for the foxes.

I only feed birds in the winter - they seem to find plenty of food at other times. Goldfinches feed on all sorts of things gone to seed, so I don’t deadhead where I can help it. The other day, I had a large flock of starlings, including youngsters, land on the lawn - must have been over thirty of them - where they fed voraciously and then, as one, took flight and were off! DD said she had read that they hatch their young in time to coincide with things like leatherjackets being available for them to feed on.

We have plenty of birds in our garden, so do our neighbours.

We don't feed them except in harsh winter weather, but leave parts of our gardens wild.

This seems to provide the birds and insects with the environment they need.

And we and most of our neighbours have cats that are not prevented from hunting,

LauraNorderr

By the way I have Great Tits!

Ha Ha! that made me titter. I haven't got any. The feathered variety I mean.

We feed the birds in winter and during the nesting season. They have brought us much delight.

We have now put up some nesting boxes and at least 2 were occupied this season.

It is wonderful to see the cycle of life.

Our feeder seems to be more in demand now than when it was cold. This morning the woodpecker brought her baby to the feeder and chased the others off.

We do seem to have a lot of birds in the garden this year. Being so far north the winter kills a lot off but it was mild this year.

I feed a family of swans that come to my boat and a family of ducks. I also have a pair of swans come to my garden for a snack. At the moment I have a duck in the cratch of my boat looking for a snack. She feeds from my hand. Best go feed her...she is making a racket...I have known her a long time.