Garden Birds August & September 2008
This can be a very quiet time in your garden, as many birds leave to eat the ripening berries and seeds in the countryside. Also most adult birds undergo a complete moult after the rigours of breeding and so tend to hide away and become very secretive for a few weeks. Even the ever present Blackbird can disappear, but may be tempted out on a sunny day to indulge in a bit of sun bathing. It is thought they do this to help rid themselves of mites, I think they just enjoy the sun!
Young Blue and Great Tits will be coming to the feeders without their parents—they are the same size as adult birds but paler in colour. They often arrive in little groups, feed and quickly disappear. Another visitor to the feeders at this time are juvenile, red headed, Great Spotted Woodpeckers. They will often appear at the same time every day-usually first thing in the morning and again in the evening.
If you are lucky and get Nuthatches, again it is the paler juveniles that will visit.
Another bird seemingly missing from the garden is the Song Thrush, however little piles of smashed snails first thing in the morning, indicate it has been a very early morning visitor. It will still sing occasionally, particularly before rain; hence it’s other name of “stormcock”.
Another of our garden birds that may only put in a brief appearance, is the Wren. Unless they have been nesting in your garden they seems to disappear over the summer, but it is more likely that we just do not see them, as they creep around the vegetation.
During August, if you have had Swifts screaming above your garden, they will disappear. The Swallows and House Martins will however stay until the end of September, whilst they try to raise a second brood of chicks.
At this time of year baby Hedgehogs may appear in your garden. They absolutely love meaty cat food, (not bread and milk)
They will certainly make up for the lack of birds.
These are the best months to give your feeders a really good clean and only HALF refill them to prevent seed and nuts from going mouldy. Lynne Demaine
