Do birds have lunch hours?

Hi

I know it's a silly question but today the birds in my garden were acting strangely. Normally they visit in dribs and drabs throughout the day but today they all seemed to come at once between 1 and 2pm. I made a list and took a few photos through the closed patio doors. There is nothing in the list that is new to my garden but they were all here at once which I have never seen before. The weather has  been dull and overcast all day so don't think it was a change in the weather or temperature, it was just as though they had all left the office for their strict hour's lunch break then at 2pm it went dead out there and have only seen one bird since. Any ideas why this should happen? It is not a large garden but I have feeders all round and the pigeons and doves provide for the ground feeders but scattering the seed on the ground as they eat on the hanging feeders.

Here is the list, where there are more than one of a species it means they were in the garden at the same time:

Song Thrush, 22 Starlings, Dunnock. 2 Magpies, 5 Collared Doves, 2 Feral Pigeons, 2 Blue Tit, 2 Blackcaps (female) 2 Robins, Great Tit, 9 Chaffinches ( m & f), Blackbird (m) 2 Jackdaws, Goldfinch , Greenfinch (f), Coal Tit, 12 House Sparrows and a Great Spotted Woodpecker (f).

Ruthie 

  • Great pictures and an interesting question!

    Birds are creatures of habit in many ways and it is often possible to predict a birds behaviour. The goldfinch for example will often feed first thing in the morning, spend the middle part of the day singing, preening and resting in the tree tops before feeding again in the afternoon before heading off to roost in the evening.

    Changes in climate and food availibility will often lead to birds changing their patterns of movement and behaviour so i would not rule out one of these factors playing a part in this busy spell!

  • Nice photos but what is the last bird ? 

  • Unknown said:

    Nice photos but what is the last bird ? 

    The last bird is a female blackcap

     

  • Hi Ruthi

    Most f my bird visitors seem to come as soon as it gets light in the mornings, then again at lunchtime, and again just before it goes dark.

    Although blue tits, great tits and the coal tit seem to feed throughout the day, LTT's always seem to feed here at about 1pm.

    Nice photos by the way. Well captured. :-)

  • Woodpecker said:

    Hi Ruthi

    Most f my bird visitors seem to come as soon as it gets light in the mornings, then again at lunchtime, and again just before it goes dark.

    Although blue tits, great tits and the coal tit seem to feed throughout the day, LTT's always seem to feed here at about 1pm.

    Nice photos by the way. Well captured. :-)

    Hi, Thanks for your answers to my query, I must admit that the birds usually visit at first light, then again just before dark, with the odd few at a time during the day, but yesterday they all came at once and then all disappeared and didn't return again until this morning something I've never seen before. Today they are back to normal with a more or less constant stream of different species throughout the day so far.

    Thanks for nice comments on my photos they are taken through double glazed patio doors with hand held camera so never as sharp as I would like them to be. Would love to have a hide in the garden where I could sit to watch and photograph the birds.

    Ruthie

  • Lovely photos Ruthie, especially love the Jackdaw, they have such mesmerising eyes!

    My birds seem to feast all day long here, especially the Siskins! They are a relatively new species to my garden but since 1 male visited, I now have up to 8 (both male and female) visiting daily. They just sit and gorge themselves! I also have Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Robins, Blackbirds, 1 Dunnock, Collared Doves, 'ASBO's With Wings' (Starlings!), Blue, Great, Coal, LT Tits all visiting throughout the day. They come regularly, there isn't many minutes in my garden that there isn't some species of bird eating! Some hours are busier than others but I expect this time of year they are needing the extra energy for nest building.

  • Ours definitely come in waves at predictable times. Pretty much everything descends on us in the morning because they know that's when my OH comes out and refills the feeding stations. The jackdaws in particular arrive then to get some bread along with the normal stuff that's available. They then return about 3pm (I've just looked out to see them a few minutes ago) for a little while then disappear again.

  • Don't know but stunning pics. I seem to have something going on all day but they queue in the morning but this morning I was late and there wasn't a soul to be seen - it was eerie.

  • Went home for lunch, the garden was dead quiet for the best part of 20 mins, and then suddenly it was mobbed. Of course, the Sparrowhawk could have been about, but I also notice feeding frenzies quite often.

    Ant

  • mine certainly do 12.30 pm untill 2.30 pm  which suits me cos normaly on the land line to america to get my chrissy up for work ( 5 hours behind in usa ) then sorry to say i settle on the couch for my afternoon session of heartbeat ---- and yes i know before any of you start -- really sad life i lead lol

    then i get maybe dribs and drabs up to about 4 .00pm and then nothing until i go out at first light and my littlerobin is waiting for me.best wishes jay & chrissie :-) .