Hurrah! I have, I hope, if all goes well in my vocal arranging brain, found the final song for my A Capella Harmony spring set. I have to arrange a song released in 2012 ( and one in 1952, 62, 72, 82, 92 and 2002) and the first number one of the year will definitely count! The video for this song is so sweet. I think Coldplay’s lyrics are finely tuned mastery – it’s the simpleness that touches you sometimes. It is that thing of what you leave out so often that makes something get to you. People who hate Coldplay will do that thing years from now where they will hear a piece like ‘fix you’ and cry and realise all their hate was posturing, like I was about Abba when I was young..ha ha. So today 2 videos that feature elephants ….my song – ‘Elephants (ha ha)’ which cost about £2 to make and the wonderfully new ‘Paradise’ by Coldplay that probably cost squillions to make…but I love it! Watch them both if you have the time.x x
Recent Comments
 | gitikapartington on Keeping Faith |
 | singportland on Keeping Faith |
 | m32011 on My Umeboshi Plums -7 years Lat… |
 | Claire Allaway on NOT YET |
 | kirstyemartin on NOT YET |
Just had to take a peek at this post from the title alone. I love Coldplay. I’m with you. Margie
This tack is stuck in my head! I did not hear it until 3 days ago and now there it is, playing round and round..it is a good thing though…did you get a chance to watch my elephants video which I made for my nephews and nieces? Nice to hook up with you.
I sympathise with your attempts to feed the birds and not the squirrels. You report that the birds don’t go into the new feeder. It certainly looks like the bars are wide enough apart for small birds to get in, so I don’t think that’s the problem. I wonder how long it has been hanging there – it always takes birds some time to feel relaxed enough to venture into a new feeder. There are several factors that can encourage or discourage them, such as what’s in there, how near the feeder is to cover, how far from cat-accessibility it is.
Our squirrels learned how to take the lids off my feeders such as you’ve got, so I have to wire them down (the lids, not the squirrels). I also have a legally binding agreement with the squirrels whereby I give them peanuts and they don’t take any more exams of the nature of “Get into feeders that the stupid tall pink animals think are proof against us”. It works most of the time.
Yesterday some pigeons were actually trying to get into a feeder such as you’ve got. It’s constant battle to get food to the tits and sparrows etc.
I may be able to offer you more advice if you need it, but I don’t want to teach my wife’s singing teacher to suck eggs.
I LOVE the elephant song, and not just because we share a name.
Tim
Tim! I am so happy you dropped in and your comments made me laugh hysterically, especially the deal with the squirrels. I shall pass this on to Mr. P who is the avid feeder of all small winged things. My favourite birds in the garden are the wood pigeons!
You seem a bit of an expert so shall be back for more advice. Or maybe we could just have a bird feeder corner.
IN fact……. question….you say.that what is in the feeder is an issue…what are your successful food sources for the birds, and does it change with the seasons?
glad you like our elephants video
The absolute favourite, and very good at this time of year and also at baby bird feeding time, especially for robins (on the ground for them and in a special feeder for most other birds) are worms. Yes: WORMS! Read about them here, on the site of the best bird feed suppliers of all, not least for the name AND their podcasts (AND their goat socks!):
http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/shop/product.html?product_id=3&-session=shopper:56A4373B02b681DB9FtIFF9252A9
Huskless seed is a favourite, esp for small birds, all year round in our garden:
http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/shop/product.html?product_id=279&-session=shopper:56A4373B02b681DB9FtIFF9252A9
I get the other favourite, again for all through the year, from another supplier, after trying others – it’s a mixed seed with husks ON – tits seem to take this more often than the huskless:
http://www.livingwithbirds.com/birdfoods/special-mix/special-mix-blend-2/
I don’t really understand how or why the popularity for suet blocks (of various types) goes up and down so much here: a block (esp the ones with grains and dried worms in them) can disappear in days, but I’ve recently started putting them in a new feeder (squirrel proof as they’d sussed out the previous one in a way like you describe, the clever little acrobats) and they really haven’t got used to it and it’s going only slowly. I’ve got no experience of suet pellets such as you’ve got, but I’d comment that birds can be very fussy, but I guess it’s for self-protection, eg a feeder will be ignored suddenly and, on investigation I find there’s some old seed or even mould at the bottom and they’ll know it a mile off. Also, bear in mind that caged feeders to keep squirrels out could feel like a prison at first to the small birds, hence (I think) the small birds take some time to get used to them.
The birds’ preferences are often puzzling: in our garden the birds just aren’t interested in peanuts, whereas often they are a favourite elsewhere, especially for tits, of course.
On top of all this, the birds you get (or could get) into your garden depends on your location. We’re very urban here and the less common birds are quite unusual, but you can change that by your feeding, eg some niger seed in a special feeder can, even here, occasionally attract goldfinches.
Good luck to Mr P – the rewards can be amazing (as can be the expense!).
Tim
Thanks Tim, i have found your page on bird feeders it had indeed fallen into a digital crack. I will try these links out.
I have now acquired a squirrel proof feeding station, basically a pole with a baffle half way up. They have tried jumping on the baffle but it gives way! Ha they find it most baffling.I will try the Niger seed? As we do get a few Goldfinches round leafy North London.