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Enticing the blackbird and song thrush

ellemoonie
09/12/2016 23:40
Despite how common the former is, it's only recently the local blackbirds have come to visit (joy!) despite seeing them next door in the local park. I have also seen a song thrush two days in a row lurking in the undergrowth with the blackbirds. Recently I acquired the RSPB wide mesh ground feeder, and with much success all the 'right sized' garden birds have taken to it, plus a few lucky squirrels. I have seen a blackbird use it once, the moment he saw apples in there, about a week ago. Then I saw two male blackbirds who did not really interact but have a stare-off in the garden, but neither used the feeder. Yesterday, a blackbird came 'knocking', just like a robin, as I did the dishes at 7am by the kitchen window and since I could not refuse him, rushed out to put some diced apple on the ground, despite piling the ground feeder with fruit and sultanas - much to the smaller birds' annoyance no doubt! He ate about two pieces and left the rest, and was clearly not the one I saw in there that first time. All this week, none of the raisins or fruit put out in the ground feeder has moved. How much do these sized birds eat? I wonder since I am still coming to terms with how little the small ones do, and since they only took a few pieces of apple. How can I entice the blackbirds in? I assume since it's winter, they're not territorial and I can enjoy several at once? I also see the females lurking about, hoping there's food about. Instead they seem to be looking for insects behind the scenes and picking up anything the small birds drop once they taken the food from the ground feeder. I don't want to leave fruit out in the open, though nobody is interested in it, since that will never entice them in and send the wrong message that the ground feeder is not for them too. As for the shy song thrush, that's a real surprise. What can i do to tempt them all in? Do they all 'get it' eventually, that is, they'll fit through the mesh? Any advice is appreciated, thanks.
  • 0 10/12/2016 00:17

    I have found blackbirds and thrushes prefer to stay outside a sanctuary feeder unless the weather is extreme. In my new garden, I put a small quantity of mealworm suet pellets,  raisins and sunflower hearts near the sanctuary cage before dawn. I've let some leaves accumulate nearby under shrubs and hide some in there for later.

    The male blackbirds and robin come very early before sunrise so the obvious food is eaten by the time other birds arrive.

    I've never seen a thrush bold enough to go in a sanctuary cage. Perhaps you could try putting a little food in the shrubbery where they are lurking? They seem to prefer to eat apples when they have started to degrade rather than fresh. I used to quarter the apples and put them under shrubs, ending up with the skins.

  • 0 10/12/2016 01:21 in reply to Grandmamac

    Hello, thanks for your feedback. :)

    Your comment in regards apples being softer than fresh was something i considered too, so I'm glad you mentioned it. I thought maybe they were too firm for their beaks, and will try with softer apples. And I will try to hide some for them in the undergrowth but it's almost impossible with magpies hiding under there ready to harass a tit for food taken from the ground table.

    I am surprised you have never seen one in your feeder. From the comments left for the sanctuary cage at the RSPB shop, many mention blackbirds. I have seen one blackbird in mine, once at least, so I hope it can happen again. I was hoping to have this bold blackbird be an advertisement to all the others but it seems not (yet). And yes, I expect the song thrush will always be a lurker.

    I always wait until full light before putting food out, unless i am wrong and can put it out as soon as I hear them calling, say as early as 5.30/6am when it's still dark?

  • 0 10/12/2016 03:35 in reply to ellemoonie

    Hi. I know blackbirds will go in the sanctuary feeders; this happened at my old house but it can take some time.

    Sunrise today was 8.32 and I put food out at 7. The sky had not begun to lighten. The first blackbird was down as soon as the sky lightened and the second arrived at 8. The second is often chased away.

    I love having blackbirds in the garden and they can become quite tame, costing a small fortune in raisins!

    Good luck.

  • 0 10/12/2016 15:17 in reply to Grandmamac

    Hi Elle

    We get Robins and Blackbirds in the garden whilst it’s still dark (and also in the light); something to do with their large eyes I suspect, which helps them see better in the dark. We have two small clay dishes with lids on which we use to soak sultanas and dried mealworms in. These are topped up every morning and which leaves them well and truly soaked and ready for use the next morning. The Blackbirds here prefer their fruit to be soft, so as has been mentioned, older fruit or diced and soaked fruit is eaten much quicker than fresh stuff. They also seem to like small suet pellets and ‘no mess’ seed mix scattered on the ground. I’m sure that now they know where the food is, they’ll become bolder and be regular visitors to your garden.

    My bird photos HERE

  • 0 10/12/2016 20:19 in reply to Paul A

    Hid a soft pear in the bushes last night, and found it half eaten just now. A small success!

    I hope they do eventually do use the feeder simply because hiding mealworms, pellets, etc around the garden is not possible for me. Magpies have me on patrol and always search the garden for snails. Whatever I've left out for the dunnock has always been discovered. Any sort of dish will no doubt be noticed but I may give it a go hidden under leaves. But once that's been noticed.....

    It's great to hear they adore raisins and sultanas, since nobody will touch them. All week I've been throwing them away. Is it safe to leave the remains of natural foods on the soil? We don't compost so I have no idea. I suspect I will have to remove the leftovers.

    Thanks for your sharing your experiences with blackbirds. They're so lovely, and worth the extra effort!

  • 0 10/12/2016 22:02 in reply to ellemoonie

    Hi Ellie, I had about 7 blackbirds the other morning, male and female. The last few years they have been nesting in he garden so I think it is the same ones that stay. A couple have become very friendly, I have a small bowl that fill and throw seed under the bushes, when I chuck to them and shake the bowl they fly up the garden and chuck away to me. Lovely to watch.

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

  • 0 12/12/2016 01:19 in reply to Catlady

    Hello, lucky you and all others who have blackbirds. I thought they were territorial so only expect them to arrive singly, so I am super jealous.

    Unfortunately the mealworms, pellets and seeds I hid in the bushes for them has been snagged by magpies and a nuisance wood pigeon, my absolute menace in the garden....One just runs out of ideas.