Where are all the birds?

[maggie]

I've noticed over this winter that the birds coming to the garden appear to be dwindling. Today, the seed feeders are lying untouched, the peanuts are going down very slowly and there's barely a dent in the fatballs. Usually at this time of year I canny keep them filled!
This morning it's quite eerie. I've only seen one bluetit.
I could always rely on a flock of pidgeons mopping up the seeds on the ground but even they have deserted me.
I have seen the crow and a bird of prey ? which one, picking off smaller birds during the very bad days but surely they couldn't have wiped out the entire population.
Is it just me or is anyone else experiencing this strange situation?

[Dadie]

My garden is filling up!
I still cant keep the wee birds in sunflower hearts and even the wild bird food they were not fussed on before the snow is getting eaten fast!
I ran out of fat balls....they were eating 7 a day at one point!

[Liz]

Like Dadie my garden is usually full of birds and I go through bird food really fast.

However, it's been eerily quiet these past few days and suspect it might be because there is a Sparrow Hawk around!
Either that or with the milder weather they are getting enough worms etc to fill them up.

I really miss seeing them and listening to them so hope they come back soon!

[onecalledk]

I have more and more birds visiting the garden every day, have a huge variety of birds and cant keep filling the feeders or the bird tables up fast enough.....

K

[Kenn]

Mine seem to appear and disapear according to what the weather is doing although there are the regulars that are always about all year.

[Scunner]

Plenty birds here with me, can hardly keep them in food

[maggie]

I fear this could be the culprit right enough. He certainly made short work of the blackbird at the bottom of my garden. Dont feel so good about providing a feeding station for him :(

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Eurasian_Sparrowhawk#p00by6r6

[Liz]

I am not so sure now that it is the sparrow hawk keeping the birds away from my garden as they usually return in quite a short time.

I am hoping it's just the better weather meaning they are getting natural food and that they'll be back soon. I really miss them!

[Nettie]

I have also noticed there have been fewer birds about recently but I have seen this chap about everyday for the past fortnight ~ he landed on the garden hedge right outside our bedroom window on Sunday morning!
83308331
(quality of photos not good as my husband did not have time to set up the camera properly!)

[Ricco]

I have noticed that this question gets posted about this time each year. I think that we are in a change-over phase at this time. Also, many birds are starting to think about mating and may be concentrating on that rather than feeding in out gardens - there are nesting spots to suss out, terratories to negotiate, etc.