Birdfeeding Intro

[narya_flame]

 

Username: narya_flame, but I go by Narya

Your other online venues: https://www.tumblr.com/naryaflame

Your approximate location: Edinburgh, Scotland

 

What are your interests in birds? I just like them? I find them very soothing. I don't know a lot about them but that's partly why I joined the community!

How big is your yard / balcony / etc. if any? I have a small lawned garden at the back of my house. I only need to walk a few minutes down the road, though, to get to open fields and woodland.

What is your general habitat / climate zone? Temperate. Cold, short, often damp days in winter; gorgeous long cool summer nights.

What do you do to attract birds, if anything? Honestly, nothing. I live in a suburban area and many of my neighbours have outdoor cats. (Very, VERY different norms on cat-keeping in the UK as compared to the US.) I don't want to provide them with a free meal.

What are some birds you often see in your area? I get a lot of wagtails in my garden. In the nearby nature reserve and along the coast, curlews are a common sight, as are terns, sea ducks and grebes.

 

What is your blog like? It started as my Tolkien fandom blog but it contains a good deal of real life wittering!

How active is it? Ehh. Up and down depending on how work and life are going.

What are your most common topics? Food. My dog. Books and media. Fandom stuff. Not necessarily in that order.

What kinds of friends would you like to attract? Anyone, really! I like people.

Comments

Welcome!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Edinburgh, Scotland <<

I am so excited that we have members from such far-flung places! That makes birding or other nature writing much more interesting, because what is common in one place is novel in another.

>> What are your interests in birds? I just like them? I find them very soothing. I don't know a lot about them but that's partly why I joined the community! <<

You might start with a basic backyard guide; learn the easy, common birds in your locale. Here's a guide to wild birds of Scotland. This Garden for Birds piece includes common backyard birds and how to attract them.

Once you can spot your regular birds, a guidebook becomes more useful for identifying rarer ones. You could check your local library or bookstores to see what bird guides they have, and what style you prefer. Some folks like the kind with big pictures and lots of description, others prefer the more scientific approach focused on fieldmarks with a section of colorplates in the middle or back of the book. If you enjoy hiking or biking, a pocket guide can be useful, whether a small pamphlet or folding brochure -- although nowadays many people just use a phone app for that purpose.

>>I have a small lawned garden at the back of my house.<<

That's plenty to put up a feeding station and water, if the idea appeals to you. Maybe think about native plants if you don't have any yet, since they require little attention once established. I was just researching heather for a poem last night, and thought of you.

>> I only need to walk a few minutes down the road, though, to get to open fields and woodland.<<

\o/ If you can walk it, birds can fly it in half that time or less. You should be in an excellent position to attract many interesting species to your yard, as well as having a place to walk where you can visit them.

>> Honestly, nothing. I live in a suburban area and many of my neighbours have outdoor cats. (Very, VERY different norms on cat-keeping in the UK as compared to the US.) <<

Oh, people here have outdoor cats, others just whine about it more. Most towns have alley cats. Most rural areas have farm cats. Since humans wiped out small predators like lynxes and bobcats in most areas, domestic cats help fill the gap. And of course, humans do infinitely more damage to bird populations than cats do. I like to point that out when people pick on cats. It makes them very uncomfortable.

>> I don't want to provide them with a free meal. <<

There are ways to avoid that,, and still support birds. One is to put a feeder out in the open, so birds can easily see any approaching predators. Another is to put a cage-type feeder relatively high up; predators can't get through the outer mesh, but tiny birds can. These also make it hard for large birds or squirrels to get the feed you put out for songbirds.

>>I get a lot of wagtails in my garden. In the nearby nature reserve and along the coast, curlews are a common sight, as are terns, sea ducks and grebes.<<

That sounds lovely.

>>It started as my Tolkien fandom blog but it contains a good deal of real life wittering!<<

Mellon!

>>Food. My dog. Books and media. Fandom stuff. Not necessarily in that order.<<

I post a lot about writing, some fandom stuff, but cooking is also a favorite topic. My daily birdfeeding/gardening posts are what inspired this community.

Re: Welcome!

[narya_flame]

That makes birding or other nature writing much more interesting, because what is common in one place is novel in another.

I actually got my husband the game Wingspan for Christmas, which has loads of info about American birds, so I'm learning a lot through that. It's so interesting to hear about critters that seem quite exotic to me but which might easily hang out on someone else's front porch!

Thank you for the ideas and links - a caged bird feeder sounds like a great idea, and very do-able. We are actually planning what to do with our garden at the moment; we moved house right before covid hit, and between that and trying to build the right set up for our rabbits, making the garden pretty and wildlife-friendly hasn't got to the top of our list yet. Hopefully this year is the year!

Re: Welcome!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I actually got my husband the game Wingspan for Christmas, which has loads of info about American birds, so I'm learning a lot through that.<<

Fascinating.

>> It's so interesting to hear about critters that seem quite exotic to me but which might easily hang out on someone else's front porch! <<

That's why I'm so thrilled that we already have members from at least two different countriese, and totally different parts of North America. \o/

>>Thank you for the ideas and links - a caged bird feeder sounds like a great idea, and very do-able.<<

Yay! I'm so happy I could help.

>> We are actually planning what to do with our garden at the moment <<

Awesome. With a new yard, I suggest:

* First survey what you have. A soil test, available for home use or perhaps offered through a garden center, will tell you about nutrients and pH. You can check your soil texture and drainage yourself. This will tell you what kinds of plants can easily grow there. If the results are not pleasing to you, then you can amend the soil (e.g. with compost or sand) or build raised beds and fill them with better soil.

* Observe the flow of sunlight and shade. This will change not only through the day but also with the seasons, and you are far enough north to get dramatic differences. It takes a year to do the whole process, but you can learn enough after a few days to get a good idea for the growing season. This will tell you where to put which plants, or perhaps, where you may want to make changes to increase or decrease natural light.

* Survey what you already have. Presumably there is lawn grass, likely trees or bushes. You may have hardscaping like flowerbeds or retaining walls already, or not. Begin with your own yard, but also examine the nearby yards and the neighborhood. What do you have, what do other folks have, where is the nearest park or other greenspace? Is there any water available to wildlife? Are the species more native or more foreign? The more native species, the better for wildlife, and thus for wildlife viewing and human happiness. Here's an introduction to Scottish botany. Check your local bookstore, garden center, or library for a guide to plants in your area. This project will be easiest in spring when buds appear, but you can start now since some trees and shrubs can be identified from their shape and bark. Park plants may even be labeled for you.

* Permaculture principles help you reduce workload and increase yields. A yield is anything you get from your garden: fruit, craft supplies, amusement from watching wildlife, etc. Identify what you'd like to get and work toward that, but let nature do as much work as possible for you.

* Start small and don't overwhelm yourselves trying to do everything at once. One excellent option would be to plant wildflowers, either individual ones or a packet mix. Sometimes places give away wildflower seed, so ask about that.

https://www.scotiaseeds.co.uk/

https://www.leavesnbloom.com/scottish-wildflowers

If you include larval food plants, they will attract butterflies and then the caterpillars will attract birds. However, caterpillars chew up plants, so put that part somewhere you don't mind the mess, like a back corner. You can also use that patch for overwintering insects.

https://www.caterpillarfoodplants.com/birds-foot-trefoil.html

https://www.caterpillarfoodplants.com/native-grasses.html

https://www.caterpillarfoodplants.com/trees.html

https://www.caterpillarfoodplants.com/overwintering1.html

If you like surprises, one interesting and frugal approach is to set up a perch for birds above a cultivated patch of soil. You don't need to do anything more: the birds will helpfully plant and fertilize it for you, mostly with native seeds. You can have fun identifying seedlings as they sprout. If any invasives show up, just pull them out.

>> build the right set up for our rabbits <<

Rabbit poo is among the very best fertilizer, and its pellet form makes it easy to handle. Just make sure their bedding does not contain any harsh chemicals that would be bad for plants. If you don't want to leave it on the surface of the soil, you can dig it in, or put it down and then cover it with a layer of compost or mulch.

Re: Welcome!

[narya_flame]

Ahh, thank you again, this is great!!

Rabbit poo is among the very best fertilizer,

We used to have a French Lop who was free range in the garden at our old place. His favourite poo corner was definitely where the best grass grew :D

Re: Welcome!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>Ahh, thank you again, this is great!!<<

I'm happy I could help.

>>We used to have a French Lop who was free range in the garden at our old place. His favourite poo corner was definitely where the best grass grew :D

Awesome.

You might consider a rabbit tractor.