Tits Population

They’re back! ……..and looking great – the Tit population at my home in West Sussex has suddenly exploded – great numbers and great variety – I have had Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits, Marsh Tits and Long Tailed Tits all on the feeding station at the same time. I blame the TWOOTZ fat balls supplemented with a generous helping of Peanuts. In the mid summer the Tits seem to vanish, and those that do appear have a greyish tinge to their plumage – probably recovering from ...

Where Have All the Blue Tits Gone?

So where have all the Blue Tits gone? At this time of the year I often have friends asking me where all of the Blue Tits have gone. There were throngs of them just a couple of months ago, but now visitors to the bird table fat balls are a rarity. These active little birds seem to have vanished into thin air. The fact is that they are busy feeding their families, and Blue Tit chicks cannot handle much of the normal foods that we put out onto our bird tables – they need grubs and in ...

Great Spotted Woodpeckers

A total of seven Great Spotted Woodpeckers are dominating activity on my main feeding station. They are from two families – one to the north and the other to the south of my home and they are causing mayhem! I really would not like to be involved with the domestic disputes which start as soon as I replenish the fat ball holders at about 6am. Those beaks are sharp and strong – but I suppose when you have a brood of youngsters nagging at you for food then you might be on a short fuse with t ...

Pheasant

Percy’s Back !!!! Every year when the shooting season finishes a fine cock pheasant appears at my feeding station. He is certainly not he same one that I noticed and fed by hand some twelve years ago, but the plumage is the same and the cocky, self-confident nature is the same. If for any reason I am inside the house he will make his arrival known by calling loudly. Apart from a blue-tit a few years ago I have not been able to hand feed any of the multitude of feathered mates who fre ...

Sharing Suet Blocks

The tit family are really keen on the suet blocks supplied by Twootz – my blue tits are unable to wait until all of the packaging is off! In some years we see a distinct falling off of the visitors to our bird feeding stations in summer around our Sussex garden – but not this year. The dry hot weather has meant that many of the summer berries are small and seed heads just dry husks, so our resident populations have kept up a constant demand. Another feature of this summer has been ...

Snow Tits

A good tapping for the Tits! Well, at last it arrived – the much predicted snow in my part of the country, and I wondered how birdlovers ‘up north’ – where they really have had some rough old weather have been coping – and importantly how their feathered friends have fared. Imagine how you would feel if lunch had just been served and suddenly the dining room table vanished under inches of cold white stuff! The fat balls in our feeders fare pretty well – a couple of taps ...

Goldfinches

This year there seems to have been a goodly supply of natural food in the countryside for our garden birds – they have been a bit thinner on the ground (and on the bird tables!). Berries, nuts and acorns – which are crushed on the road – supply good proteins for the usual suspects and the seed heads from the thistles and wild flowers have been keeping many of our regulars busy further afield. Our Goldfinches have made a reappearance on the bird table although they still seem quite ke ...

Wood Pigeons

Wood pigeons – you love them or hate them – greedy, messy, noisy, friendly, acrobatic – and great characters. They are frequent bird table regulars and eat just about anything that is put before them. They will nest within feet of a house, and sit on the eggs (there are usually two of them on a flat platform of twigs) even when they are obviously being observed by the householders. In the countryside, although they still eats acorns, beechmast and wild berries, the wood pigeon finds ...

Magpies

It is currently birdwatcher’s hell here in West Sussex – murder most foul is to be seen in every hedgerow. The carnage is not pleasant to behold – but after all isn’t there something about “Nature, red in tooth and claw….” Tennyson I’m pretty sure…. Magpies, crows, rooks and woodpeckers search the hedges for nests of young birds to provide an easy and rich protein feast for themselves and their own young. My 5am- 6am trips to the paddock behind my home with three dogs fo ...

Quantity not Quality

Right! I feel a contest coming on – and in this case it is not for the ‘best quality’ photograph of birds on a single feeder – it is quantity – not quality that I want to see. While I was replenishing my feeding station and had just filled a feeder with the latest TWOOTZ fat balls and was going back for the peanuts - it was like a scene from the famous Hitchcock film – “Birds”. I counted more than twenty tits of various types on the feeding station – Blue Tits, Gre ...

Spring

About three years ago in April, I mused the following: “Well, everything has experienced the sudden burst of Spring in deepest, darkest West Sussex during the last two weeks. Late, but welcome. My 5am-6am walk to the paddock behind my home to provide a ‘comfort break’ for an elderly Golden Retriever and her two Springer Spaniel ‘nieces’ now has me pausing, in spite of the chill, to listen to the Dawn Chorus which seems to get better every day. Every bird from crows to robins ...

Goldfinch Survey

The January News Release from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has some interesting results from their Goldfinch Feeding Survey and one of them is that the Goldfinches have a fondness for Sunflower Hearts – I can certainly back up their results because I have been feeding TWOOTZ sunflower hearts since late summer and have noticed the Goldfinches tucking in! The BTO is a great organization which does so much good for our feathered friends and I would encourage you to join their survey ...

Tits in Snow

From the BTO’s latest newsletter…… "The unusually warm end to 2015 has resulted in quiet bird tables this winter, according to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). As soon as the January cold snap arrived, however, BTO Garden BirdWatchers started reporting more Wrens, Goldcrests and Long-tailed Tits in their gardens. These tiny birds are vulnerable to freezing weather, and are quick to take advantage of the lifeline provided by garden bird feeders when conditions change." An unu ...

Robins

The enthusiastic robin in the picture, hanging on as if his life depended on, it was experiencing the high winds of winter – but a tight grip is not the only protection these little bird-table favourites have. The over sized version is showing the puffed-up protection which the robin (and other birds) use to give them cold weather help. They erect their feathers and in so doing trap air thus giving them added protection against the cold. However, without the high quality bird fo ...

Goldfinches

The end of the thistle season draws nigh, and for the Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) this is bad news. Thistles need to ‘explode’ in order to spread their seeds and the last month of record wet weather has certainly not helped them. As a gardener of some note Mrs C is pleased not to have seen the usual cloudbursts of white seeds parachuting onto her carefully weed-free vegetable beds. The small ‘Green’ in front of the house causes a few words to be exchanged between Mrs C and m ...

Travel Cat

So, just how much should we ‘manage’ the way that we react to the wildlife around us? Who are the villains of the bird table? Who should we encourage or discourage? The trouble is that the Raptors also have to eat and feed their families just as much as the Blue Tits – who have become so friendly this year that they take food from the hand. This has become an extended problem with the arrival at our garden of a youngish butterscotch coloured feral cat which has been seen feedi ...

Rats

Those of us who enjoy the company of wild birds attracted into our gardens by the delights of the bird table have a duty to avoid encouraging the less welcome visitors….. Rats! Bad management of bird feeding stations will always attract rats – and that is one thing that you want to discourage from your garden. Nasty, smelly disease ridden…… but then on the other hand have you ever watched a young clean, cute ratlet working out how to get up onto a bird table? Rats! More like ...

Great Spotted Woodpecker

The Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) is a treasure to attract to your bird table – much more common nowadays the birds have several unique features and identifying marks. They have a number of feather features which enables you to see whether it is a mature male, mature female or a juvenile. The mature male has a red patch on the back of the head while the female has no red on the head at all – the youngsters start off with a red forehead which they lose on their first moult. ...

Bats

“Goodness me how lucky you are!” ……and so we are. But living with wildlife has its penalties and responsibilities as well. Friends from the city are fascinated by the variety of wild birds that frequent our feeding stations – and literally awestruck by the numbers of pipistrelle bats that circle our home – especially when the outside security lights attract insects and moths in great numbers. The bats are of course protected by law and while we would rather they used the roof ...

As Snow Falls...

In my life before retirement I was lucky enough to be included on the RSPB list to receive their informative and helpful Press Releases – that courtesy has continued and I’d like to pass on part of one of their latest releases which has an urgency as the current harsh weather is predicted to last on for a considerable time: As snow falls so does a bird’s chance of survival, says RSPB With snow, ice and cold weather spreading across the country this week, the RSPB is asking people to ...

First Flurries of Snow

Well, the first flurries of snow have arrived and it is a good time to batten down the hatches at the bird tables. All those good intentions can come to nothing if the carefully selected feeds are covered in a blanket of frozen snow. So it is a good idea to provide some sort of protection for the feeders – even a large cardboard box placed on the side, facing away from the prevailing winds with a couple of bricks for stability will help to keep your food available during heavy snow – mak ...

Weather

Protecting your bird food from the wind and rain is a sensible precaution. Recent high winds meant that seed mix scattered on the table tops vanish in the direction of Europe at high speed! Peanuts and Fat Balls are not such a problem, but they are not to all bird’s tastes – also rain does not affect these feeds as much as the seed mixes. I’ve been experimenting with adapting existing seed feeders using large plastic water bottles – with no great success – the idea was good – ...

The birds are having a feast today

I have taken to crushing the fat balls with a nut cracker - takes time - BUT the birds can all have a chunk; and less fighting among them to get at the balls. I had 30 seed and ball feeders out - 10; fat ball; the rest seed - not more than 34 seed hoppers work - between the severe wind blowing the tops away; and the seed sprouting; then the reminder; the jackdaws and crows removed the lids from the seed hoppers and never to be seen again - so; I have ball feeders hung for 50 balls; and I crunch ...

No Mess Suet Trays

I have to report an outbreak of harmony since trying the TWOOTZ suet trays (no mess, and can be hung vertically or laid down). Blue Tits, Great Tits and Robins queue up politely to take their turns on the blocks with everyone more interested in enjoying the feast than in the usual squabbles! This is not often the case – often lots of energy is used in driving off competitors – with sometime fierce battles being waged to establish a personal space – I’ve got a pair of Magpies wh ...

Berries On The Hedges

The berries on the hedges around our paddock are thick and colourful – our usual garden birds are filling their boots and just ‘topping up’ on our feeding stations – but with forecasters prediction a hard/warm/dry/wet winter to come what should we be thinking about for our feathered guests for the harder times which are to come. For a start a good Autumn clean-up is a good idea – with new branches tied into the feeding stations to deter the predators, new and clean methods of pr ...

In deepest West Sussex

It is a good idea to vary the types and mixes of food that you present on your bird tables. For nearly twenty years we have not seen a single starling near our house, and given the ‘commoness' of this gregarious and noisy family in the country this was much commented upon. Last month we decided to try the Fruity Suet Pellets out and we were awoken at 5.30am [!!!] by a cacophony of noise from the southern bird table – we counted nearly thirty starlings from juveniles to glossy plumed ...

Summer Feeding

Many people feed wild birds in their gardens for a host of different reasons, enjoying the varied songs, colours and antics of these little feathered visitors and feeling that each of us is doing our bit to help the local wildlife. Changes in gardening and farming practices, land drainage, forestry, European hunting and pollution have all had a hand in the decline in the numbers of many species of native and migratory birds. At this time of year egg producing places great demands on fema ...

Wild Bird Original Seed Mix

Breeding season is well upon us and our adult birds are busy, trying to keep up with the demands of their offspring. Soon they will fledge and will be searching for themselves, normally within the immediate area they’ve fledged. The adults will mate again and produce another brood in the coming weeks and the cycle will start again. The bird table and feeding station is often the first port of call, for adults and newly fledged birds, as it is usually a guaranteed food source. It’s so importa ...

Peanuts by Neill Hunt

If you were to ask anyone about the type of birds most associated with Peanuts, you would probably only get one answer. The Tit family, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal and Long-tailed Tits all love peanuts. Their acrobatic antics on the feeders always impresses the observers. Their bright colours, twinkling calls and regularity at the peanut feeders is a very common sight in gardens throughout the UK. Peanuts are naturally full of high energy fats and oils that are essential to good nutrition and ...

Insect Suet Pellets...A Big Hit With My Robin!

Robins are always welcome in my garden…..During the weekend I was gardening and as always I was not alone! Casting a beady eye on me was this Robin, he sat and watched as I uncovered the earth and would approach very closely to feast on any uncovered insects that I had disturbed. My local Robin is no stranger in the garden, he has a nest deep in the Ivy and hangs around my feeding station. Like some of the other species that visit the feeders in the garden like the Blue, Great, Coal and ...

Fat Balls and Suet, what could be easier?

If you have the space, a bird table and / or feeding station is an excellent way to attract a wide range of wild birds and other wildlife into your garden. If, however, space is limited there are still many ways to provide food for your local friends and even if you have no garden there are still possibilities. What foods to feed is a matter of preference, budget and space, but typically Fat Balls, Seed Mixes, Peanuts, Sunflower Seeds, Suet Products and even live foods are all on the menu. At ...

Spring at the Bird Feeders

It would be nice to think that birds only needed our help through the winter period, here at Twootz.com we believe that the birds need feeding all year round, especially at this time of year. The bird world is at its peak, with birds throughout the country either breeding, nest-building or searching for a suitable location to nest, the birds are frantic. It makes their life so much easier if they know where guaranteed food and water can be found. Twootz have a new range or feeders and table ...

Pinecone Fat Feast A Little bit of cooking to help the birds

This is a fabulous idea to help feed the birds and its great fun, great for the children as well as the adults and combines a bit of exercise and foraging with a bit of home cooking and moulding. You can use up any leftover Seed Mix you may have or use new, it's up to you. Let's get started... First of all, we're going to need a few open Pinecones. This is a great excuse to go for a walk, take your binoculars if you like. Try and find some fully opened cones, the bigger the better. ...

Special Treats for your Special Birds Live Food

If like me you religiously feed the birds and are on the constant look out for additional ideas to coax those birds into your garden, then, Twootz.com might just have the answer. As you know Twootz.com has been providing high quality, good value Bird, Dog, Cat, Fish and Small Animal feeds for some time now. With more and more enquiries for Live Foods, we've decided it's time to treat the birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish to something a little bit special. We are now selling highly nutritio ...

Christmas Time at the Bird Feeders

It would be nice to think that Santa visits the birds over the Christmas period, here at Twootz.com we believe that we can make the birds Christmas dreams come true. Feeding during the winter months is very important, so why not stock up now with all your Christmas goodies. Fat Balls , Seed Mixes and Fat Feasts are all perfect for the cold weather, they provide high calorific energy and perfect insulation for the birds at this cold time of year. Treats don't go a miss either, Robins love ...

Oil Fried Peanuts

I can hear everyone gasping now, deep fried peanuts, for birds, what on earth! Well... I like chips! I can think of nothing better on a cold winters evening than walking along with a fresh hot portion of chips neatly wrapped in this morning's newspaper, salt and vinegar mmmm, lovely. I know they aren't very healthy but they are tasty and lets face it, us humans like a little bit unhealthy pleasure from time to time. The birds however don't think or act like us...they love fat! Peanuts are ...

Feasts of fat! Not for us...for the birds.

So...Autumn is officially upon us. Days are getting shorter and nights are getting longer. With the long nights and Autumnal weather, the night temperatures start to decrease and birds find it more and more difficult to make it through the hours of darkness. Add in the frosts, a lack of insects and frozen ground and it a recipe for disaster for many birds. Many of our garden birds are tiny, the Blue Tit for example weighs in at a ¼ ounce during the summer, however, this weight will not get t ...

Bird Watching in Deepest West Sussex From David Cole

So, just how much should we 'manage' the way that we react to the wildlife around us? Who are the villains of the bird table? Who should we encourage or discourage? The trouble is that the Raptors also have to eat and feed their families just as much as the Blue Tits - who have become so friendly this year that they take food from the hand. This has become an extended problem with the arrival at our garden of a youngish butterscotch coloured feral cat which has been seen feeding ...

Home Made Bird Feeders

Making your own bird feeders is a fun and interesting way of inviting your feathered friends into your garden this spring. You can make bird feeders out of many materials you might have otherwise thrown away or recycled, such as; unwanted fruit, plastic bottles or even scraps of wood. There's a project here for everyone, regardless of your age or skill level; from young children to crafting pros. This is a brilliant time of year to help birds and wildlife in general, getting them ready fo ...

Chilli the not-so-secret weapon against squirrels

Top tips to stop ravenous squirrels stealing your bird food Due to a shortage of seeds and nuts in the wild, squirrels are raiding our bird feeders and tables as they struggle to find nuts of their own. The recent topsy-turvy weather is to blame for the reduced number of nuts and seeds in the wild. Plus, in some trees; such as the beech, nut production follows a cycle and this year marks a natural low point. Grey squirrels, unlike many other small mammals, do not hibernate and so ...

Let the feast begin

Attracting birds to your garden is very easy and can be done by simply putting out food and water - it's well worth it. As your little feathered friends come and go, singly, in pairs or small flocks, and you watch their antics, their habits, their relationships with their own kind and with other bird species, you build an informal knowledge about the wildlife in your area. At first it may be a little slow, but somehow the word gets round the local bird community and you will be greeted ...

Garden Birds in Hot, Dry Weather

The weather has been so hot and dry recently that our garden birds are having a tough time finding enough worms and bugs to eat and enough water to drink! They need our help... FEEDING THE GARDEN BIRDS Many people think that you should only feed garden birds during the winter months when the weather is very cold and icy. This is not, however, correct. Birds need to be fed all year round,especially at this time of year when they are breeding and also feeding their young. Birds will qu ...

Water For The Garden Birds

Birds are really suffering in this freezing cold spell that we are currently experiencing. We can help them to keep warm and therefore survive these plummeting temperatures by providing fresh water for them every day. Having a plentiful supply of fresh, clean water in a bird bath is crucial for our garden birds as they not only need to drink water they also need to have a bath at least twice a day - once in the early morning and once just before dusk. This bathing ritual works in two ...