A bit of activity
 

verging on the limits of acrobats is being performed in the garden by
Sparrows. I have tied some bundles of soft brown string up and the birds are
pulling it to pieces, flying off with a few strands and returning for more.
Nice soft nest lining in nests somewhere, but it is the antics and acrobatic
performances they put up which is truly amazing.

Try it in your garden. We have ours tied on one of the trellises

Mike


--
H.M.S.Collingwood Ass. Llandudno 20 - 23 May Trip to Portmeirion
National Service (RAF) Ass. Cosford 24 - 27 June Spitfire Fly Past
H.M.S.Impregnable Ass. Sussex 1 - 4 July Visit to Int. Fest of the Sea
RAF Regiment Assoc. Scarborough 2 - 5 Sept. Visit to Eden Camp

"Mike" wrote in message
...
verging on the limits of acrobats is being performed in the garden by
Sparrows. I have tied some bundles of soft brown string up and the birds
are
pulling it to pieces, flying off with a few strands and returning for
more.
Nice soft nest lining in nests somewhere, but it is the antics and
acrobatic
performances they put up which is truly amazing.

Try it in your garden. We have ours tied on one of the trellises

Mike

Mike
you won't like this, but we have used cat fur for this purpose for
years.....
(you would obviously prefer dead cat fur?)
simply brush the cat and hang up the fur, you can watch a sparrow or blue
tit
flying of with a bundle bigger than they are!!!

I like the irony of a supposed bird enemy actually helping in some way

Dave H

Mike
you won't like this, but we have used cat fur for this purpose for
years.....
(you would obviously prefer dead cat fur?)

TOO TRUE

simply brush the cat and hang up the fur, WITH THE CAT STILL IN IT

Mike

"Mike" wrote in message
...
verging on the limits of acrobats is being performed in the garden by
Sparrows. I have tied some bundles of soft brown string up and the birds
are
pulling it to pieces, flying off with a few strands and returning for
more.
Nice soft nest lining in nests somewhere, but it is the antics and
acrobatic
performances they put up which is truly amazing.

Try it in your garden. We have ours tied on one of the trellises

Mike


Since posting the above, we have had to re stock the string AND put the
fluff from the Tumble Drier filter into a ball and tied that up!! They went
mad over that and fought each off!!

Sparrows are by far the most frequent visitors, nearly always one, possibly
more at a time, but Starlings have had a good look at the antics, Pigeons
too, but not made an attempt to do a Wilfred Pickles

Mike

--
H.M.S.Collingwood Ass. Llandudno 20 - 23 May Trip to Portmeirion
National Service (RAF) Ass. Cosford 24 - 27 June Spitfire Fly Past
H.M.S.Impregnable Ass. Sussex 1 - 4 July Visit to Int. Fest of the Sea
RAF Regiment Assoc. Scarborough 2 - 5 Sept. Visit to Eden Camp

"Mike" wrote in message
...

Since posting the above, we have had to re stock the string AND put the
fluff from the Tumble Drier filter into a ball and tied that up!! They
went
mad over that and fought each off!!

I hadn't thought of using that! Guess it's time to clean the lint trap out.

Sparrows are by far the most frequent visitors, nearly always one,
possibly
more at a time, but Starlings have had a good look at the antics, Pigeons
too, but not made an attempt to do a Wilfred Pickles

Our starlings are far more acrobatic - hanging upside down off the fat
feeder to get to the bottom of it. However the sparrows have got the hang
of the seed feeder - they can now all balance on it. The chaffinches still
have to do a hummingbird impersonation to try and get the seeds.

Strangely none of the birds seem interested in either the peanuts or the
niger/teazel seed. Even the greenfinches that are supposed to like teazel
fly past it to get to the sunflower hearts, and although there are
goldfinches in the area they've not found their way into the back garden
yet. The starlings will go for the peanuts only if there is nothing else
available.

Since posting the above, we have had to re stock the string AND put the
fluff from the Tumble Drier filter into a ball and tied that up!! They
went
mad over that and fought each off!!

I hadn't thought of using that! Guess it's time to clean the lint trap
out.


Have you tried the soft string?

Cut a few lengths, say half a dozen at 18 inches long, loop them over a
trellis and tie a good firm knot ;-)) and watch the fun :-)))

Mike

"WRabbit" wrote in message
...

"Mike" wrote in message
...

Since posting the above, we have had to re stock the string AND put the
fluff from the Tumble Drier filter into a ball and tied that up!! They
went
mad over that and fought each off!!

I hadn't thought of using that! Guess it's time to clean the lint trap
out.


Guess I should think about saving the fluff from me navel!! :))))

Clive in Kent

"martin" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 15:17:34 +0000 (UTC), "Clive Holden"
wrote:


"WRabbit" wrote in message
...

"Mike" wrote in message
...

Since posting the above, we have had to re stock the string AND put the
fluff from the Tumble Drier filter into a ball and tied that up!! They
went
mad over that and fought each off!!

I hadn't thought of using that! Guess it's time to clean the lint trap
out.


Guess I should think about saving the fluff from me navel!! :))))

to make room for salt when munching sticks of celery in bed? ,-)
--
Martin

What a cool idea!!! Must try that tonight! : )))

Clive in Kent

On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 08:58:47 +0000 (UTC), "Mike" wrote:

"Mike" wrote in message
...


Since posting the above, we have had to re stock the string AND put the
fluff from the Tumble Drier filter into a ball and tied that up!! They went
mad over that and fought each off!!

Sparrows are by far the most frequent visitors, nearly always one, possibly
more at a time, but Starlings have had a good look at the antics, Pigeons
too, but not made an attempt to do a Wilfred Pickles

Mike
What do you put it in?

Kath

What do you put it in?

Kath

It is just the dry fluff from the front filter of the tumbler drier. All
rolled up into a ball, held together with an elastic band and tied up. It's
not a very big ball, it all depends on what has been dried. An all Wood
jumper or sweater produces quite a bit, but a nylon shirt, nothing!

But it is the woolly/shreddy soft string which is best :-))

We will miss the nest building season next year as we are away from January
7th to March 29th

Mike

"Lee and Kath" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 08:58:47 +0000 (UTC), "Mike" wrote:

"Mike" wrote in message
...


Since posting the above, we have had to re stock the string AND put the
fluff from the Tumble Drier filter into a ball and tied that up!! They
went
mad over that and fought each off!!

What do you put it in?


I just tied a bit of string round the middle of the ball and then made a
loop over a nail in the fence. Some interest in it, but then it rained
heavily so it's a bit soggy.

On 2/5/05 11:13, in article ,
"NK" wrote:


"Lee and Kath" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 08:58:47 +0000 (UTC), "Mike" wrote:

"Mike" wrote in message
...


Since posting the above, we have had to re stock the string AND put the
fluff from the Tumble Drier filter into a ball and tied that up!! They
went
mad over that and fought each off!!

What do you put it in?


I just tied a bit of string round the middle of the ball and then made a
loop over a nail in the fence. Some interest in it, but then it rained
heavily so it's a bit soggy.


IME, the birds won't touch it because it does go soggy and retains the
wetness, unlike natural vegetable material or even strips of plastic torn
from the mypex, which the blackbirds seem to like particularly! When we
clean out our hairbrushes we put the 'dead hair' out of the window, onto the
twigs of a climbing rose, and the birds come and grab it to line their
nests.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

I
IME, the birds won't touch it because it does go soggy and retains the
wetness, unlike natural vegetable material or even strips of plastic torn
from the mypex, which the blackbirds seem to like particularly! When we
clean out our hairbrushes we put the 'dead hair' out of the window, onto the
twigs of a climbing rose, and the birds come and grab it to line their
nests.

The birds used to love it when my kids had ponies (of the hairy native
variety) The hair which was shed in spring was always left in a pile on
a wall for them and never stayed there long before they took it
--
Sue Begg
Remove my clothes to reply

Do not mess in the affairs of dragons - for
you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!