On a whim, I bought a bird feeder and a kilo of seeds from the local "campo" shop a couple of weeks ago. The feeder design was an inverted jar on top of a plastic "double saucer" with holes in the top - so the seeds fall into the bottom saucer and the birds eat them through the top saucer holes. All very good in theory, but totally useless in practice.
I eventually managed to mount it at the end of a cane fastened into the hedge - a location designed to allow the little beasts to eat and crap without messing up the patios (and also proved fortuitous as I spilled a fair amount when filling it up).
Unfortunately the day I put it up was the day the recent period of windy activity started and the result was that the wind whistled into the holes on one side, then blasted the seeds out of the other side. No birds went near the feeder, but there were seeds all over the bloody garden and patios. I had visions of millet growing everywhere.
Luckily the odd sparrow decided that the seeds were reasonable tucker when on the ground, so some was salvaged, although no birdlife was going near the feeder, so I took it down for "modification".
Imagine my delight when I looked out yesterday afternoon and noticed a bunch of sparrows on the lawn where I had spilled the seeds.
Hmm, not all sparrows I thought, as I noticed a bit of a flash on some of their wings. A quick check on my bird-app proved that they are actually linnets - a bird whose favourite food is ..... millet seed!!!
Brilliant.
Pretty little beasts and a double whammy of having them around AND them cleaning up the seeds.I "borrowed" this photo as it shows the similarity to a spadger, but this has the flashes more to the tail then the wings. I will have to get proper pics of "ours"
Not all rosey in the garden though, as G spotted a fluffy black cat on the patio near where the birds congregated yesterday morning, and it was friendly enough to stay in the orchard and have a bowl of food. Easier fare than catching a bird, but not as much fun I would hazard.
Now we have the dichotomy of deciding which we encourage more - the linnets or the cat.
Cynically think that there are plenty of flocking linnets, so maybe another cat is in the offing?
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