I have had blackbirds nesting in a shrub in my garden for several
years. The female has often removed the moss from my bonsai pots and
made a bit of a mess but I allow that. The last couple of days
however she has been "digging" in pots of newly sown seed, (sweet pea,
verbena bonariensis - the GW free seed!) and other pots of loose
soil. I have no greenhouse. To cap it all, this morning I admired a
good 3 inch shoot on a seedling delphinium, up on the bonsai shelf,
and now the shoot has totally gone; no sign of life at all, and soil
everywhere!
Is it the fact that the ground is dry and hard and the birds cannot
dig in it? I can think of no other reason.
How can we help the birds while it is so unseasonably warm?
(But not for long they say!)


Pam in Bristol
pamdotmooreatvirgindotnet

The message
from Pam Moore contains these words:

To cap it all, this morning I admired a
good 3 inch shoot on a seedling delphinium, up on the bonsai shelf,
and now the shoot has totally gone; no sign of life at all, and soil
everywhere!

Same here but with a small Linum seedling we had been given
by a friend. Also seem to be trying anything in a tub, trough or pot
that looks remotely useful for nest building. Rather more than annoying
since we have plenty of moss in the lawn. ;(

Is it the fact that the ground is dry and hard and the birds cannot
dig in it? I can think of no other reason.

... or is it peculiar to Bristol???

Jennifer - in Bristol

In article , Pam Moore
writes
I have had blackbirds nesting in a shrub in my garden for several
years. The female has often removed the moss from my bonsai pots and
made a bit of a mess but I allow that. The last couple of days
however she has been "digging" in pots of newly sown seed, (sweet pea,
verbena bonariensis - the GW free seed!) and other pots of loose
soil. I have no greenhouse. To cap it all, this morning I admired a
good 3 inch shoot on a seedling delphinium, up on the bonsai shelf,
and now the shoot has totally gone; no sign of life at all, and soil
everywhere!
Is it the fact that the ground is dry and hard and the birds cannot
dig in it? I can think of no other reason.
How can we help the birds while it is so unseasonably warm?
(But not for long they say!)

Put a tray of mud out and water it daily?

I keep losing a couple of cyclamen coum. They pull on the seed head,
then decide they don't want the corm and drop everything. I've had to
bury them under leaves.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm