It's coming to that time again when the lease on our rented house is due to expire (well in a couple of months anyway!).
I always feel a bit sad at this time, not because of moving but because I start thinking what's going to happen to my birds?!
What happens if the next tenants don't have an interest in feeding them? How does it affect them when they've been coming here for food since April last year?
When we move out it will be the start of the breeding season so how will the poor blighters fare?
Can I make it easier for them to adapt? Do I decrease the amount of food I put out for a few weeks before we leave? Or do I just stop altogether?
Then there's the foxes.....Peanut still comes down every night (although its getting later each week), and there might be cubs round about the time we leave.
Then I start thinking maybe I should leave them a note (the new tenants not the birds!) begging them to continue putting out food.
It happened last year too. We left a house that had a medium sized back garden and we were visited by loads of birds (a lot more than now).
We started looking after a Starling who had 1 foot missing - we named her Stumpy! She used to come down every day and wait on the bench outside the door for food. She even brought down her chicks in the spring/summer - we did this for about 2 years then we left.
I doubt she survived to this winter.
I know there probably isn't a solution.....if only I could leave the birds a forwarding address!
I always feel a bit sad at this time, not because of moving but because I start thinking what's going to happen to my birds?!
What happens if the next tenants don't have an interest in feeding them? How does it affect them when they've been coming here for food since April last year?
When we move out it will be the start of the breeding season so how will the poor blighters fare?
Can I make it easier for them to adapt? Do I decrease the amount of food I put out for a few weeks before we leave? Or do I just stop altogether?
Then there's the foxes.....Peanut still comes down every night (although its getting later each week), and there might be cubs round about the time we leave.
Then I start thinking maybe I should leave them a note (the new tenants not the birds!) begging them to continue putting out food.
It happened last year too. We left a house that had a medium sized back garden and we were visited by loads of birds (a lot more than now).
We started looking after a Starling who had 1 foot missing - we named her Stumpy! She used to come down every day and wait on the bench outside the door for food. She even brought down her chicks in the spring/summer - we did this for about 2 years then we left.
I doubt she survived to this winter.
I know there probably isn't a solution.....if only I could leave the birds a forwarding address!
6 comments:
Many years ago when renting a cottage from a friend I left behind a record of what I had seen around the garden with a few sketches. I was delighted to learn that all the subsequent occupants added to the list. Perhaps you should do something similar and encourage whoever comes after you to take an interest in your garden visitors. FAB.
Thanks - thats a good idea, I may just try that nearer the time and let you know!
Hi Sharon,
it is quite a delemma! I would start putting out less and less food every day for the last few weeks.
Where are you heading off to?
Hi Bob - don't know yet - it will still be in County Wicklow (Ireland) but just a different house. I will miss this back garden though (even though it is tiny!)
That is something I have often thought about, not that we are thinking of moving! I heard of someone in your situation who left the feeders behind and a months supply of food and asked the new people to carry on feeding in the hope that they would then develop an interest themselves.
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