The birds are back, but witha vengeance

[Des Jenkins]

Yesterday, Saturday we had the heaviest rain in around nine months we lay in bed and savored the sound the got up and had breakfast. Outside it was still pouring and there where for the first time many birds, some down eating the seed I had put out, at this time there should have been a drum roll as two of the biggest cockatoos I have ever seen dropped on our powrline, after filling up on the seed, they went up on the roof and there was the usual crashing about, it wasn't until I went to get the car out that I saw the damage, They had been jumping on my gutter an had ripped it away from the frees board and there was a big gap from the corner to the back door and the rain was pouring through, it' will have to wait now until I can contact a roofer. Gees it dosent rain but it pours.
Des

[Allen James Jones]

Des, did you know that the highest flying bird is a Ruppells Griffon. They have been sighted at 37,000ft. Some other species also fly over 20,000ft and one is recorded as colliding with a commercial aircraft. Thats my lot on aviation.

[Des Jenkins]

Hi Allen
The two Cockies that ruined my gutter could take a few passengers, they where the biggest I have seen, I think they could have taken on a few Black Cockatoos . Have not had the plumbers bill yet may send it to them

Des

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Des
Funny you should mention those large Cockatoos , as just the other day it was also the first time i had seen such massive ones Flying off after eating some food on our Grass. They really were massive buggers!

Dont know if i had mentioned this before, however after destruction of similar here on our House quite a while back now, i got a good guy in, and he renewed all my Gutters and Facia, then added Metal (Colorbond) around the Facia, since then no damage as the Cockies dont go for Steel. So that fixed then good and proper. Although it was an extra cost, it was well worth i, as now no more worries of then chewing on the Timber!
Cheers

[happy daze john in oz]

We have a lady a few doors up who put seed out for the Cockies.
Some one reported here to the local council, said the noise was too much.
Council man came around but left very quickly when told by a couple of Neighbours they liked the birds and also put out seed.
I do the same and they were out on our nature strip just after the last rain took all the wees out.

[Tony Taylor]

We have a lady a few doors up who put seed out for the Cockies.
Some one reported here to the local council, said the noise was too much.
Council man came around but left very quickly when told by a couple of Neighbours they liked the birds and also put out seed.
I do the same and they were out on our nature strip just after the last rain took all the wees out.

We have a lady next door who was feeding the birds in the back garden, she was unaware that she was also feeding rats who abandoned the the fields at the end of the street for the easy pickings in her garden; she didnt stop until they got so cocky they were running around during the day and she saw one climbing up the stand of the bird feeder. She transferred all the equipment to her front lawn but it oly took a couple of weeks before the rats were out the front of her house performing again, so she hasnt refilled it for a few days now. The other noyiceable effect is that the main visitors to the feeders were wood pigeons, jackdaws, crows and magpies, all he the small birds we used to see have disappeared completely, just the odd sparrow and thats it. Hopefully it will lead to less bird crap on my car.

[Gerald Farr]

My wife and I also put out seed and bread for the birds but only enough so that it has all gone before dark. It brings in many different types of birds to our garden, we get the usual cockies as well as King Parrots that know us well enough to sit on our hand and feed from the cup we hold that's full of seed. Other birds we regularly see are Rosellas (red and blue), Currawongs, Crows, Crested Pigeons, Galahs, Wattle Birds, Blue Wrens, various Finches, a couple of different types of small Honeyeaters and an occasional Blackbird scuttling through the undergrowth clearing up garden pests. My wife quite often these days just takes a chair out and sits quietly near our Banksias and Bottlebrushes, native shrubs, watching and listening to the birds going about their daily routine. It really is amazing and extremely soothing when you are unable to get around like you used to be able to do when you were younger. I only wish that the cockies weren't so destructive but all of the others compensate for that. ps We also have two pairs of resident Brown Ducks and a number of visiting Wood Ducks, all of whom bring their clutches of young to visit in the Spring.

[James Curry]

Sadly here we have too many dam cats, cats we have 8 in at our end of the crescent. So this means not as many small birds about the garden. I have a Peter Pan type bird bath which I freshen up every day. Just enjoy watching them having a splash. the Tits have got cute now concerning the cats as have the wood pigeons one has a dip and one keeps an eye for the cats. One thing about wood pigeons is they are buggers for craping ing the bird path. Magpipes plenty as well, bloody annoying that noise /clacking they make especially when I am out in my garden. Nothing gives me more pleasure late afternoon sitting in the garden reading and we have a couple of resident Blackbirds and they are calling to each other, I assume, I find very calming and relaxing. We have actually had a great spring and summer to date so getting out in the garden whenever I can. When I was getting my veg patch ready earlier I had a Robin who would sit close by and now and again he would get stuck in if it spotted a worm or 2, only once did it let me hand feed it but unless it is a different bird certainly not as cheeky as the last guy.
We are pestered by these bloody Herring Gulls should be allowed to shoot these bastards, all they do all day is squawk and crap all over the place .Number of times we have to redo the washing because of these bastard things. Nailed one the other day, it had ago at trying to grab a sausage I was doing on the BBQ gave it a good whack with the business end of my stick.
Bird feeders are good in principal but as some one mentioned they do attract rats maybe having as many cats around me has some advantages.

[John Arton]

If you want to repel rats from your garden, sprinkle strong garlic granules around your garden, any strong smelling herb in powder form will cause rats to keep clear. Don't know if strong smelling herbal plants work through.
Rgds
J.A
P.s. regarding cockatoos, believe that parts of the u.k are getting overrun by them,they having escaped from private owners and finding breeding mates. As they are an invasive species, RSPB staff are warning People not to feed them.
Rgds
J.A