Paul_B
Well-known member
So Bob when would you trim back the hedges 
bearing in mind you can't do it between March 1st and September 1st
bearing in mind you can't do it between March 1st and September 1st
Where have all the birds gone.
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glueman
Well-known member
Bob is one of those know alls that know zero. Either hedges are run over with a flail to top and side them or they will need laying. When they have been layed there will be no hedge for nests for several years untill they have regenerated. At least flailing only takes top and sides off them and if field sides every few years but road sides every year as that is the regulation for road side hedges
absolute shite, a autumn laid hedge if done properly can have nests the following season and most certainly the next.
Hardrar
Well-known member
I wish the 1600 metres of mixed hedges around my garden didn’t grow fast enough for passerines to nest in it in a year!
I Cut it three times last year and there’s still a foot of fresh growth on it in places. The Hawthorne was still in leaf until mid December.
The beck side run, I took a metre off last winter and it needed another two cuts, one late July, one September, then it still grew some more.
These warmer wetter Summers seem to have hedges growing faster than ever.
I Cut it three times last year and there’s still a foot of fresh growth on it in places. The Hawthorne was still in leaf until mid December.
The beck side run, I took a metre off last winter and it needed another two cuts, one late July, one September, then it still grew some more.
These warmer wetter Summers seem to have hedges growing faster than ever.
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glueman
Well-known member
So a 12 foot high hedge cut back and laid to at the most 3 feet and all the main growth removed to leave a few main trunks at a 39 degree angle has grown enough in 12 months to produce a thick hedge has it. You don't know what you are talking about
raphael
Well-known member
Cold is here, three feeders are stuffed daily (two with sunflower seeds, one with beetle larvae). Quite a good head of birds. Anyway, still very few when compared with past decade when the feeder was used to be emptied in a couple of hours as now it is lasting the day. We can observe many greenfinches, many tits (large and blue, sometimes a few long tailed), some goldfinches, a few sparrows, one or two red robins, one or two chaffinches (strange, usually there are more), blackbirds are scarce now for two years since they've been decimated by a disease in continental Europe (we use to give them some apples, they like a lot...not worth that year), no bramblings at all...
I did not see any swift last summer, almost no barn swallows, just a few house martins... Sad, very sad and much worrying. The redstarts were looking quite absent too... Bee-eaters used to be common along my river during summer evenings, just seen a pair or two this year. Magpies seem too have vanished.
But French government gave re-authorization for neonics anyway despite the bells are ringing everywhere.
R
I did not see any swift last summer, almost no barn swallows, just a few house martins... Sad, very sad and much worrying. The redstarts were looking quite absent too... Bee-eaters used to be common along my river during summer evenings, just seen a pair or two this year. Magpies seem too have vanished.
But French government gave re-authorization for neonics anyway despite the bells are ringing everywhere.
R
Hardrar
Well-known member
We’re getting a few more Swallows now, Swift’s are increasing too. House martin are about, but in low numbers. We sometimes get a Turtle Dove. Gold crests nested two years ago and we have All three Woodpeckers Green, lesser and Greater ‘spotted. Green finches succumbed to Mycoplasma (too many pheasants spreading it) but loads of Goldfinch chaffinch and Bullfinch.
Coal, Marsh, Blue, Great, and Long tailed tits.
we have plenty of blackbirds still and Song and Mistle thrushes.
Great and little egrets are wintering in the beck near us.
Coal, Marsh, Blue, Great, and Long tailed tits.
we have plenty of blackbirds still and Song and Mistle thrushes.
Great and little egrets are wintering in the beck near us.
