Birds in the garden have simply vanished!

wezza13

wezza13

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Wez
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A strange one this. I've been feeding the birds in the garden, every day, for the last 5-6 months. We've had Sparrows, Collared Doves and Starlings mainly. Lots of the three that I've mentioned. Also, Blue Tits, GSW, Great Tits and Robins.

But about a week ago, they simply stopped visiting! I moved the bird table 2 feet from where it was (middle of the garden) towards the back hedge, thinking that they'd prefer it closer to cover. Didn't see any at all so moved it back a couple of days ago to where it was.

Washed out all the feeders and put in a load of new food and there still isn't a single bird. A couple of Collared Doves used the birdbath this morning but other than that, zilch.

Any ideas why?
 
Same here. I was just thinking the same this morning. I've had mostly Goldfinches on the feeders this year, but in the past couple of weeks there's been the odd Robin sitting on the fence but nothing on the feeders. We need to remember that this is the height of the season as far as natural food that's available for them. Lets face it we would rather have a nice steak than a bag of nuts! Well I would anyway! They will be back in a few weeks time.
 
Fairly sure Neil is right. There is a load of natural food around just now. I also think the main breeding season is over so adult birds that would use feeders as a way of getting a quick meal earlier in the year don't have that pressure anymore.


Dave
 
use to get 50+ Starlings a day but they have all gone :( not ever seen many flying around still got the odd Sparrows, Collared Doves turning up and the finches
 
I've been out with my camera to nature reserves and other places I go regularly to photograph birds and on the last two occasions I have taken no pictures of birds at all so it's not only in gardens although I have a healthy number visiting my feeders, the whole countryside seems devoid of small birds,I've never known it so quiet.I have however had some very nice oportunities with Dragonflies so it isn't all bad.

Friendly Ruddy Darter 2 by Robert Nelson, on Flickr
 
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I presume this time of year wild food is fairly abundant and the youngsters are dispersing. I noticed last year there was a period when I hardly saw anything, but come winter I put feeders out and could hardly keep up with demand, including species I'd never seen before. I still have feeders out but the last few months I've had a regular bunch of sparrows and that's all. They'll come back when they need to.
 
I think we get this scenario every year, I know at my local reserve the number of birds definitely drops around now and the garden in the same.
 
For the reasons others have said above, it happens every year, but I also wonder if the increasing number of raptors is having a detrimental effect on certain species, especially in areas where feeding is regular?

5 years ago we had sparrows, tits etc constantly in & out of the garden all day, but although they still visit, they now tend to rush in en-masse just a couple of times.

There is a breeding pair of sparrowhawks only about 100yds away + regular flyovers of kestrels & even buzzards, so the little uns have to keep alert.
 
My garden visitors has been stable for the last year or so but there a lot more youngsters around now. The only birds that seemed to disapear were LTT. During winter/spring we used to have about 8 coming to the garden daily, but they stopped coming during breeding season and I didn't see any for about three months or so. They have started coming back over the last couple of weeks though.

What I have noticed though, is there seems to be the regular Robin, Nuthatches, Blue Tits etc........, then it seems as if a flock of mixed tits visit together, which will include Coal, LTT, Blue and Greats it seems as if they have set up as a small flock?

An example of part of the flock of Tits.

Loads of tits at the feeder! by Simon Rees, on Flickr
 
Still getting a fair amount of visitors here in the north east,however certainly at this particular time of the year there can be a slight decline with parent birds resting after breeding season.
Once the start of the autumn kicks in should then see a greater influx.
GEORGE.
 
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