What's buzzing or flying near you 2025 ?

Yes I find the same with the collared doves, they are very shy birds. Even the feral pigeons are rare visitors and come in just to use the bird bath.

 

The collared doves occasionally come in winter for food, buti t's very rare. I certainly wouldn't encourage feral pigeons. The disgusting old farm building along the road from us is enough to put people off any kind of bird for a lifetime. Several of us have complained about it, but no one's interested in doing anything about it. It's a dreadful eyesore. A former resident round here kept flinging bread out which encouraged them. I just wish people would understand about responsible bird feeding. The idiot across the back from me is another one who flings bread out.

The little robin came in yesterday for a bath. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good view because of the plants, but he/she spent a good bit of time checking everything out.

 

Just on my deck railing. I enjoy them every morning. The sugar water is changed every 2 days. they love the vine which has been there over 10 years.
https://youtube.com/shorts/liZEULoECKk?si=vndDbWEOBcGSVzeP

 

I just heard, and saw, 3 oystercatchers flying overheard.
The little bullfinch was in doing some acrobatics to reach more of the Amelanchier berries, watched by that wee robin.
The little collared dove came in yesterday and had a few bits and pieces of food. Fortunately, he realised there was some on the ground feeder....

'How am I meant to get in there?'

 

Looking at your encased feeders @fairygirl I think I'll have to take a similar road with mine. Jackdaws have become a menace this summer and it's surprising how adept they are at clinging on to empty the feeders. Wood pigeons have also become a nuisance so the other birds have gone without for the last couple of months. I'll feed them again when the Jackdaws move on.

 

The squirrels are a masssive PITA as they chew the wooden surrounds @Sheal , but if you can use mesh and maybe something metal for all the 'joins' that would help.
I had an excess of tomatoes, so I got one of those cheapo plastic growhouse doofers for 2 of them, but it also means I have a few of the metal grids [which form the shelves] left over. If you have access to B&M or Home Bargains, they're the best price. That one was £15 in HBs.
The metal tubes for the frame might do the job for the framework if you can connect them all securely enough.
I then make a reasonably waterproof lid - bits of wood and pond liner, or roofing felt, or similar, and I usually use a bit of roofing felt or even cardboard for a base, but it can also be an idea to leave that uncovered, and that would mean those bigger birds get some scraps without you feeling they're hard done by. That one has a door at the other end which is attached with old belts as the 'hinges' and a couple of thumb turns, made of bits of those metal tubes, to secure it.
That one needs a little attention as it's against the battens on my screen, so it's at a bit of an angle, but it's difficult to get a chance to do it as it's rather popular!
I have another one on my back fence which is made of an old metal pet cage I got at the dump. I don't like to come back empty handed....

 

I've lived in Scotland almost nine years @fairygirl and in that time I've only seen two squirrels, one of which passed through my previous garden. With a tree full of Beechnuts there every few years, you think that would have attracted them, but Pine Martens were more interested in those.

Your suggestions are good, many thanks, and I'll give the problem more attention as autumn comes around. There's still too many priorities in this new garden of mine. I'm sure I can actually see the shrubs growing and taking over.

 

Interesting re the squirrels @Sheal . They're a bl**dy nuisance here and there's a lot of habitat for them. They breed like....well, squirrels...
Perhaps the pine martens are working well enough in your area to keep them at bay. Could do the some here. They were trialling that, in Perthshire and surrounding areas, by attracting and increasing pine marten numbers, to potentially prevent the greys taking over all the reds' habitats, but apparently it hasn't worked. The greys were just breeding too quickly.

Give the cages a try later on. You can utilise 'stuff' you have already, but it isn't too expensive to get a battern or two for the frame etc, and it's really worthwhile to keep those small birds happy. Most of them adapt to them very quickly. Even the nuthatches and bullfinches will go in and out no problem. I had a very fancy one which had a green roof, but I now have that on the ground feeder.
I appreciate there are more important things needing attention just now though!

 

We don't get squirrels here tho I know they're around in the woods nearby. No greys here, fortunately.

We have a whole family or 3 of collared doves that come to our ground feeders, lovely, gentle birds and a lot smarter than the wood pigeons. All sorts visiting the feeders at the mo including a family of magpies with one youngster whoo tries to bathe in their water bowl so I've had to put out a second one with a stone in it.

I haven't heard the barn owls this year and it's a while since I heard the tawnies but I was kept awake last night by the creaking gate noise of baby long-eared owls. Even OH, who's going deaf, could hear them.

 

As well as the usual birds/insects was finally rewarded the last 2 days by the Hummingbird Hawk Moth. Headed straight for the valerians but it is so windy poor thing getting blown about all over the place. Bit late this year as it's normally June when they first arrive.

 

A new clutch of baby great tits arrived today, I could hear them squeaking away as soon as I opened the back door. Parents have them parked up safely in the trees.

 

@fairygirl I also kept the shelves from the mini greenhouse when it was destroyed by the wind.
I find them a good alternative for pot feet; you can stand several pots on one on the patio and because they have little "legs" that fitted over the greenhouse frame they keep them slightly off the ground. Needless to say I'm not currently using them like this; no fear of getting waterlogged so far this year.

I also use them to cover soil when I want to prevent cats and foxes from digging.

 

The individual 'bits' are more useful after the gr'house gets knackered, than the actual gr'house itself!
We never get 2nd broods of great tits here. Those are lovely pix @Escarpment
The little collared dove has been in every day - sometimes 2 or 3 times. Both of them were there a couple of days ago, but one of them is becoming quite a regular now. It wasn't great for being outside yesterday afternoon, so I spent quite a bit of time watching the birds from my bedroom window. Feeders have never been so busy at this time of year.

 

Glad I don’t live here..

Raucous peacock chomps through Marlborough's veg patches

 

Out weeding in one of the veg patches and kept hearing this bird calling. It was flying from the spruce in our garden to the ash tree on the other side of the road. It kept going back and forth and then all quiet. A bit later the call came again but this time 2 birds in different parts of the garden. As I stood up the one that came from the spruce flew straight towards me and then ...oops a human! and flew right low over my head. At coffee time I looked it up having a possible idea as to what it was and I was correct. A juvenile green woodpecker. Never seen one before. Amazing how big it is.