What's buzzing or flying near you 2024 ?

Not only my tits but other tits too are now really busy to find enough food for their hungry youngsters. My tit youngsters should be ready this week. I saw a young tit having a bath in my bird bath on Sunday. So cute.
It might be down to the warm temperatures over night and I sleep with open windows, but there are far more birds and youngsters this year. There is so much (please choose, German language knows only one word )

to tweet zwitschern
to twitter zwitschern
to chatter zwitschern
to chirp zwitschern
to chirrup zwitschern
to chitter zwitschern

 

This blackbird has been extremely busy, making repeated visits to forage in my grass. One upside of the wet weather is that he has no trouble finding food; he got this beakful in a few seconds. Last year it was really dry at this time, and I was going out and digging holes just for the blackbirds so that they could find worms.

 

I am rather pleased that I have seen two goldfinches on my feeder. I've never had them before although my neighbour says she used to see them a couple of years ago. Strangely I first saw them at about 10.30am yesterday, and they reappeared about the same time today!

 

I never had goldfinches until I went over to feeding sunflowers seed hearts, without the shell, now I get loads of them.

 

We used to get a few of both Goldfinch and Siskin when I used Nyjer seed only. Then I switched to sunflower hearts and both are on the feeders nearly all day plus Sparrows, Blue Tits and very recently a pair of Greenfinches. They are the favourite food of most garden birds.
I took these this afternoon, they are so busy feeding they took no notice of me 5 yds away.

 

@cactus_girl I couldn’t see any nest nearby, unfortunately.

 

A few moments ago, I spotted this Barn Owl in the field next door. Photo taken through a window.

 

The goldfinches were on the sunflower hearts feeder here. I need to get some more but I was in a garden centre yesterday and they were £4.99 for 1 kg. I'm sure they will be cheaper than that somewhere.

 

I'm afraid Amazon here, but at £1.70/kg (have been as low as 1.34) they are much cheaper. I have x2 10L sealed containers they decant into and stay in the shed. I'm about to order my 3rd sack this year!

 

Thank you @DiggersJo that is cheaper than I have been able to find them.

 

Not sure where in Cheshire you are @katecat58 but I got two 12.75kg sacks for £45 from Notcutts Garden Centre in Woodford, which works out at £1.80/kg. You have to buy two sacks to get the offer price though.

 

I buy from a local farm shop, bought these just before Christmas and still half the bag left, I think they were around £40 or just below.


They do rip you off with those small bags which is why I bit the bullet and now just buy a sack.

 

Thank you @LunarSea and @pete, I have ordered some from Amazon as recommended by @DiggersJo.
I am in Macclesfield, but I don't often got to Woodford as I find it expensive. The £4.99 ones were at Parkers, on Bonis Hall Lane. I didn't actually look at bigger bags, but I will next time I am there.

 

Got mine on eBay in January - £30 for 2x12.5kg - from Pets and Animal Discount Supplies (Hopewells Brand). Very pleased!