Birds and Pets

[andy22]

Dispite having 4 cats and a dog i have had some very good birds in my garden! For instance Bullfinches are regular (a shy bird around my area) up to 5 will happily feed on the feeders whilst a cat is looking up at them. My garden in not big, i have a pond which takes up most of it. But the big advantage i do have is that just behind my garden is a railway track full with bushes,trees everything which is superb for birds! Just the other day i had a some gulls flying and swooping down to get bread off my birdtable and to my suprise i had a little gull above my head! 6 species of warbler regulary breed including lesserwhitethroat. Raptors are regular in spring and autumn; honey buzzard, montagues harrier, hobby and goshawk have all been recorded! finches and thrushes numbers can get very high at times! It just goes to show that having cats and a dog, a small garden and the M25 5 minutes away, that theres always room for nature and that sometimes it doesnt care!!

andy

[Bobolink44]

what a fantastic list you have. Some outstanding fly-over raptors but I'm more impressed with the Little Gull. Are you on a migration route and or do you spend a lot of time in the garden?

[andy22]

i am on no migration route.. which is wierd seeing what i have seen.!! but in spring and autumn i spend alot of time in the garden which is why i have managed to see the species i have!

[Colin Key]

I have six cats (used to have 13 until my wife started taking them to the vet for "the snip") and a dog and quite a sizable piece of land (4,000 sq. meters) and my pets seem to live in harmony with the birds. I have to admit that I do occasionally find a dead bird, but it is surprisingly rare - the cats seem more interested in pursuing the ubiquitous rats (which probably do most damage by predating on eggs and nestlings).

Last September we were often kept awake at night by Stone Curlews (very vocal) eating leatherjackets off the lawn (for which they get my thanks), and I have actually witnessed a Stone Curlew "seeing off" one of the cats which was getting rather curious.

Colin