Hi everyone!
I've been absent for a while. I've been busy building my bird friendly environment and working hard, but I had the day off today and thought I would take time out to spend in the garden. I'm pleased to announce that I have gone from feeding my feathered friends from every day to once a week! Today was there day and they usually know and arrive bright and early. But today was different...
I threw some seed down near their favourite bush as they arrived. I turned around and saw my resident butcher bird on the fence. I spoke to him and tried to convince him to leave my little finches be. It seemed to work and after a while he left the fence. I didn't see where he went, but my finches continued feeding and all was well. A few Rosellas arrived then the attack came. It happened so fast I didn't know what hit. He flew out from under our car. The finches flew into the bush and he followed them. Then I heard it... that sound... I'm sorry but to this time I can still hear it, heartwrenching cry, then he flew out over the road... I'm absolutely devastated.
I know this is nature and I'm no fool, I just needed some comfort and to tell someone else who may understand what I'm feeling right now...
I apologise in advance if I have upset anyone, that is not my intention...
Take care,
TrudyC
Ah, Trudy, when you've become so attached to your finches it's certainly a severe shock of intense proportions when one or more of them are killed. The grief!
While it won't help your grief in the short term (so perhaps you might want to read this again in a week or two!) what you're seeing, as you imply, is nature in action so you might be able to take comfort from that eventually. You're also probably seeing the fruits of your labour where you've established the conditions whereby nature can actually be in action. There are millions of places where people are denied seeing this because, unlike you, they haven't put in the hard yards in their backyards.
So a warm hug to you for what you're doing, Trudy. But reality says you'll see more of these sorts of amazing events in future as your garden progresses. So while the small birds pull at the heart strings, you'll almost certainly benefit from maintaining a focus on the big, wonderful picture of establishing habitats for native creatures.
They can take a real toll on small bird species, especially in urban areas if people feed them and allow them to build up unnatural populations, combined with sparsely-planted backyards (they seem to like urban-park style enirons consisting of lawns and a few tall trees, much like the habitat favoured by Noisy Miners). The butcherbirds will scare the small birds away simply with their presence, as well as direct predation.
I recommend planting much dense thorny middle storey vegetation like Acacias (especially prickly ones), Bursaria spinosa etc. to give the small birds a chance to seek refuge, which you seem to have already acted upon.
But these things happen and this incident is part of nature.
My condolences to your loss.
I do understand the hurt you are feeling, it’s like losing one of your little friends. You are doing a great job planting natives in your garden. Any predator will take advantage of a situation like the one you are creating, he knows the little birds are being fed and most likely are not as vigilant as they would be under normal circumstances. In the wild they would have to move around from shrub to shrub. In contrast to that, in a feeding situation they stay in the same spot for a period of time, concentrating mostly on the seeds you put out. They might also lose some of the natural fear of dogs, cats and humans.
If it helps, think about the bird that kills the little finches. It has to find food too, and that’s what it eats amongst other little animals. Birds can’t just dash down to the supermarket and buy some food. They have to find it themselves, in the case of a Butcherbird it means killing. Isn’t that what we do? Only we don’t do it ourselves, we employ people to do it for us. (unless you are a vegetarian?) We even kill and eat Baby animals.
Like Woko said, big hug from me too.
Ps.: nice to hear from you again
M-L
Thats is so sad. I feel for you, I have had the same thing happen to me. You have done a great job setting up a lovely environment for your finches
Heres a hug from me
Elsie
P.S. Have the finches come beack to your garden after the attack?
Thank you all for your words of comfort. Yes Elsie, they returned later that same day. Whist I am trying hard to discourage their daily attendance, I do so worry about them. I was crying and apologising to them, but it was my husband who said that they are resilient birds, that made me realise something. The butcher bird is a common sight here, though the swallows help with their warning cries. The finches are flourishing here. I know I'm not the only source of food they have here, but they must know how to avoid the butchers in most cases. They are quick, magnificent birds who will always be welcome in my garden.
Thank you also for the tips on bushes to grow. I'm not entirely sure which one is growing in front of the house at present, but it's perfect for them and also provides shelter from other unwanted attackers, such as the noisy minor.
I'm glad to be back M-L!
Once again, thank you all. I was just so devastated, this was the first place I thought of coming to.
Take care,
TrudyC
Regards
TrudyC
aka RedBrowedFinch